Perth Amboy evening news., 1905-10-14
EVENING SHORT STORY.
CUPID AND THE
HIRED MAN,
BY L

lieve that | have been to him a kind
of convenient, safe, passive thing tc
which he has been in the habit OF
s~oliloquizing. The first of this was
when he said to me:
I'm waitin' on Miss Matte quite
frequent now and I'm thinkin' right
smart of rentin' a place next year.
Wonder if the Doctors made any
'rangement yet for that so over on the
north road? Me and her made it upi
No. Not just exactly yet I've just
got far 'nough long to let her know
by comm what I mean, by comm sc
much. I've done took her to preachin'
twicet an buggy ridin' of aSSunday
four times. Course, while there ain't
been no word said, it's the same az
holdin' a gate open. What you holds
it open for knows mighty-swell what
you means. With wimmin you got tc
sorter 'cumerlate afore o can say
things, but course she knows blame
well what's comm, and if she don't
get unruly an hostile the signs show
you're all right.
Say, do you know her daddy, ole
man Peavey? He's a queer actin ole
cuss, now amt he? He done a thing
luther night the wherefore of which
amt got just exactly penned up in.
side me yet. You see l go over to see
Miss Matte right often these nights.
two, three or four times a week. Me
an her sets up in the comp'ny room
and talks a few, but dern me if bein'
with her don't sorter get me tongue
tied an l just set an set an try to
think up things to say, but somehow
my thinker won't think an it gets late
an finally I got to go. Well, luther
night after it had got some along
bout midnight an me an Miss Mai,
tie was a settin' up, her on the me.
lojeum" stool an me on a cheer acrost
the room. here comes in the old man
in his sock feet with one of these
here little, round, shiny, dollar clocks
in his hand. He never say a single
solitary word but puts that there time.
piece careful on the chimney shelf
over the fireplace, faces it plum
towards me an goes out. / been
thinkin' right smart about his dom
that a way. What do you think that
ole 'Sqee-gee' meant? I've sifted it
down to maybe it was a kind Of a
sorter hint and derned imperlite. I'd
tell him so first time | run on to
him. only I'm feared what I'd say
might get to Miss Matte an rifle her.
Wimmin is t%oucheous bout their dad.
dies"
Another soliloquizing came to me /,
few days later. x
Say said the hired man, f'some D..
the boys been warnin' me bout Miss|
Matte, but l reckon I got no cause
to misdoubt. There's a widderer with
whiskers circulatin' some round old
man Peavey's. Whistletrigger's his
name, from over on Blackwater an
he's got a farm an children growed
up. The boys needn't try to skeer
me with a ole he goat like him.
Sides he amt waitin' on Miss Matte
nohow. He's always there, but he sets
with the ole man an l don't never see
nor hear of him bein' nigh her.
reckon him an the ole man is on some
kind of a trade. The reason I feel no
call to care bout Whistletrigger is
from the way they treats him an l
see it myself. luther night when l
says as how we better have a little
fire for to set by an she goes out to
get somebody to fix it up an comes
right back. Who do you suppose come
in right after, totin' wood an kindlin'
builds that fire? 1t was the wild.
derer. He built that fire humble, neve.
sayin' a word an he went right out
as ever the blaze got started.
Huh! Why, they make him do the
chores for real comp'ny at the Pea.
veyses. A Teller they use that a way
amt botherin' me none, no matter
what the boys say"
1t was not very long when the hired
man somewhat exuberantly had more
condolences to disclose.
I'm takin' Miss Matte buggy ridin'
to-day an I'm goin' to take her right
this here time. Do you know | be.
| been a plum green 'simblin.
Miss Matte. A Teller | knew
what goes lots with wimmin told me
the way to do out buggy ridin' was
to kiss the gal an hug her. He was
'stOnished when l told him / never
done that with Miss Matte, an says
to me I'm all wrong, an that Miss
expects that, an must be won.
derin' what sort of a Teller l am. l
amt used to his waitin' on wimmin
an | got lots to learn. This
evenin' just as soon as we get
ound the bend in the road outer sight
the house she's goin' to find out
I've learnt. She's goin' to get a kiss
from me, from me. Hennery Apple.
Wilkerson, free, white, 81 an
/ Democrat from Slap Out. l done
luit bein' a gourd right now"
He came home that afternoon SO
much earlier than usual hat | went
to the barn to see about it.
There he was sitting bumped up on a
ioor sill. He had one hand to his