Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1905-12-21

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Pretty place here. Here's old Kiar-
sarge looming up. Yes, and it's all
about Kiarsarge and my wife that am
going to tell you.
don't mind saying along of my story,
that was considered likely young fell
low when | was four-and-twenty.
used to drive stage from the lake up here.
didn't drink, or smoke, or swear, and
the girls said | wasn't bad looking. /
know there was no fellow around here
could beat me on the hunt
lived back there, with my father and
mother, on the intervale, right in sight OF
the river. Just long side of US lived
Widow Kent and her daughter Layola
| always thought heap of Layola. She
wasn't handsome; but she was good.
We used to go to school together, and
knew her just like book. One Of them
steady girls-slow, but true as STEEL
Now, was as fond of likely girls, and
a good frolic, as any other fellow; but
| also had sense enough to know the
stuff for good wife when see 1t; and
the consequence was that when Layola
was 20 and was "a, we were engaged to
be married. | wasn't quite ready to
have the day named, but there was other
fellows stepping round Layola, and /
knew she liked me, and so, thought it
best to make sure of her.
Well, just below our house, on the 9TH
er side Of the river, stood the old Marsss
place, that hadn't been occupied fo,f five
years. Nice place. Man buGH it, and
died. His heir wasn't ofSSge and there
it stood empty and4tJdst escaping, one
year, being caCHied away by the freshet.
Well, tbaaG summer that Layola and |
got engaged, man named May got the
renting of it. and came here with his
fsNnily to spend the summer.
Z He was a dark, odd sort Of a chap,
with gold rings in his ears. They said
he'd been a sailor, and that 1t was in
some foreign country that he'd picked
up the queer names for his children
Monica for the girl, and Juan for the
boy.
This Monica was mighty pretty, abou:
IT years old, and just as rosy as peach.
got going there first because May
played the flute beautiful, and In little
while I was on easy terms with the
whole family.
Seeing Monica every day, got sort o.
bewitched by her. She'd be sitting on
the door step, with her curls round her
face, in the moonlight, while her father'd
send his music stealing down the river,
and I'd get so confused with the pleasure
of looking at her, and hearing it, that |
I'd hardly know which was Monica and |
which was the music.
Then she'd dance on the grass-bless
you! she'd dance like wild thing-some
kind of foreign dance that her father
taught her-her little feet twinkling and
her arms tossed over her head. Then.
again, she'd sing songs couldn't under
stand word Of; but they'd be mighty
pretty.
Now, of course, this was a great deal
than sitting in Widow Kent's
kitchen, with Layola admitting; and
though meant every day to go and see !
Layola, every night found me with the
Mays.
Well, somehow Layola got wind of my
going there. She told me afterward,
bow, night after night, she watched for
me, while was enjoying myself in other
When she found out where I |
was 1t was a great blow to her. She
.hought it all overflow I'd won her
rom other men that might have been
ruer, and then left her, forsaken and
llone. Shed sit crying as If her heart
would break, them moonlight nights.
1t was hard for her, poor girl, for, ex-
epting her old mother, she was alone
n the world. Whenever she met Monica I
day, it was like knife going through |
er heart, because, as said, Monica was ;
retty, and Layola wasn't, and my Door /
irl never had doubt but what I was B
Monica for her beauty.
Now, for my part, when hadn't been II
ear Layola for two or three weeks. I t
cyan to dread to go, because didn't Il
now what excuse to make for keeping G
way SO; and just in that sort of way X
g didn't meet for two months, nearly. O.
hen, one day, Layola sends me back nv h
ng. II
was SO worked that just went and ii
fered myself to Monica, and she ac- W
'pted me. OF
Well, there were two folks in the
orld, at least, pretty miserable that al
II. When the bewitchment of Mon 81
---- 49, =,
as dancing and singing went on, l ~
dn't want to marry her any more than -
wanted to go to the moon. a..
Once in a great while I'd see Layola, ~
d though she'd speak me civil, it'd cut -,
TO the heart to see that she'd a sort -
contempt for me. Yet knew that -,
Q was adding her duty every day, W
d saying no harm of me to anyone, N,
d don't know as it's any shame for :" -
to confess that my pillow was wet -
10 tears many time on account o.
this.
Well, colo weather began to come on. W.
e frosts came, and grew pretty nip -
g. trapped young boar, that fall, 49,,
gave him to little Juan May. The -,
thought a good deal Of him, was 80,
ming him first rate, when one day the %,
II got away, ss'
uan came a-hollering over TO my ~,
Use to tell me that he'd lost his bear. se'
showed me which way he'd gone. M
'ok my rife and q rope. and started ~,
nt after him. NJ NJ