Red River prospector. (Red River, Taos County, N.M.) 1900-190?, 1906-08-16
Backward Andy's Coortin'
By sEUMAs MAC N

Liza Jane she lived in the very next
towniand to myself. An as Liza Jane
given out for a hundred pounds of
dry money, there was, as ye may well
suspect, a tremendous tramc of boys
come afther her.
But it's little encouragement they
got from Liza Jane; she considered
coOrtin' a ridiculous waste Of time
that a pair of tomfools. only, might
engage in; an as for marryin' tho
most Of the lads that presented them
selyes, she said she wouldn't make
disholouts Of them, to wipe a pot.
This, l say, she thought Of most Of
the neighbor boys, but not of all.
There was one, Andy McClarnin, or
Bab's Andy, as he was better known,
by ~raison, as his fathers name was
Bah. Anyway, this Bab's Andy
was no eyesore to Liza Jane, for
he had a fine farm hat fed five
milch-cows, an give him ten head OF
stock TO sell off every harvest; his
father, poor man, was five years dead.
An Liza Jane Bohunnan saw that,
lbA NuAhb0 G~OubAuGl6us BIC GOuAhAA %
get, an wouldn't ask for, a better o.
Ia warmer sittin'down than Bab's
iAndy's. An ac~cordin1y she made up
her mind that she'd marry Bab's Andy
in case the boy was anyways midi
dim willin'.
At the tail-end O. four years coort-
ship Liza Jane begun to be not too
Iplaised with proceedings. An fair
good raison, too, the poor girl had.
Mother" says she of a night when
both herself an her mother was sit
tin wei the kitchen fire, Il have let
him fool round me for long enough.
l mean" goes on she, Ito have him,
once an for all, make up his mind on
this matter whether he wants to
make a wife of me or mott mean
that he'll make it up, or I'll make it
up for him purity quick"
Brave woman we are, Liza Jane"
says the mother, says she.
AN on next Sunday night, too, he'll
make his decision"
THE jewel We are, Liza janet"
An when, on the next Sunday night,
poor Andy, poor sowl, come ploddin'
to Liza James, it's little he suspected
the thraps that was laid down for him
to walk into.
"Are We all alone?" says he.
MY mother an Them" says she,
i"went n road an another, to see the
neighbors, an left me to myself"
which" says Bab's Andy, says he.
i"was noways kindly of them tor'st
ye."
Which" says Liza Jane, says she.
calm, an lookin' steady into the fire,
was very, very good Of them"
Good of them!" says Andy, says
he.
Was very, very good of them" says
she, 'c~onsiderin' that they knew
needed a quate hour to myself to dis
icuss in me mind a very serious mat
tern fact, l may say, an exthraor
binary serious matter"
Bab's Andy he was all taken aback
an the face on him got lengthy a
onct, an he says, "Oh! beg yer par
don, Liza Jane"
AN extraordinary serious matter
as / was sayin'," she went on, as coo
an calm, IAN one that wants a goot
deal Of elaboration; an one, more
over, that I'm MORTAL glad to have y
here, to talk it over with ye."
"Oh!" says Bab's Andy, says he
settlin' himself to hear it, an lookin
pleased that he was to be consulted.
For" says she, its such a matte
that there's only mi man in the woTI
il could talk it over with-an' that
you"
I'm proud" a y Andy. IN
proud to know it, Liza Jane"
For better, for worse" says she
%playin' a thrump-card, for richer. TO
poorer, for good or for ILL.,"
Poor Andy, it seemed like a dhrair
to him that he'd heard something Xix
them words somewhere or other afor'
but it puzzled him for a minute I
mind what it was about. So he CAV
1t up, an remarked, Just so. Liz
Jane. Indeed, so?"
An then says she, For richer,
isayed, for poorer, for good or for IL
from this time henceforrid." The
she waited a wee bit, to give him al
other chance-though if she'd waite
durin' the nine lives of a cat it woul
never get into Andy's skull. "And
McCIarnin," she says, don't ye sc
what I'm dhrivin' at?"
Poor Andy looked confused al
ashamed Of himself, an says he
Faith. an l don't. then, Liza, kno
from Adam down what ye're dhrivii
at, at all"
} Il don't doubt it," say Liza Jan
: %lsevairly. well. viii ye understan
+ me when I say that I'm thinkin ! ha
= best marry an settle down
: Troth, that was plain enough for
palin'-post to understand. So it's yei
! little wondher that cabs Andy did-
Marry" says she. Kan settle down
perfectly cool an Calm. an ney'
seensn' to see Andy's raptures at a
amt says she, u was waitin, ~
anxious. to have your opinion on
/, can my opinion" says he, with
= head .hangin'. lis that though >
done Ahy wise things in you
ye never done anything wiser; q
y