The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1907-10-11
A LOVER AND HIS LASS.

dusty road which led to Pippin cor
ner. One oany hand shaded her
keen dark eyes-still bright, in spitS
CT their owners fifty years-as she
watched for the carriers cart OF its
way to Frogleigh Marsh.
1t was difficult to realize that this
gray haired, hard featured woman
Rad once been the prettiest girl in
the countryside, the girl whose charm
had played havoc with the hearts Of
half the likely lads in Pippin Corner
But pretty Phoebe Bunce with the
lamentable pride Of youth, scoffed al
her clumsy wooers, and they, tired al
last of capricious rebuffs, turned tc
other fair one less comely, perhaps
but at any rate more gracious.
There were not a few who remem.
bered Phoebe in the heyday of hel
ceiyed no diminishment in the charms
which had enslaved him thirty years
ago, and still saw, in the time and
toll orn woman, the prettiest lass in
Pippin Corner.
'Drat the mani"
In the distance the bent, SLOUGH
ing figure of a man was slowly trudg-
ing down the road, the only animate
object to be e One hand grasped
a thick stick with which he helped
himself along, the other carried
something tied up in a red pocket
handkerchief.
Phoebe Bunce pulled her sun bon
net over her eyes with a jerk and
turned back into the garden shutting
the gate behind her with an angry
bang.
There be that d Hookam agin!
Mint | bin and told m times out o.
number that don, want i'm phil
andern' around 'es But faint no
good, no a bit on i, and be jest
fred O. torkin."
The gillydowers listened in SYM
pathetic silence, and Phoebe went on
faithfully:
tive bin and put up with it for
thirty year, and amt a goin' to no
longer"-
Footsteps stopped outside the gate
and the latch was lifted.
"Evenin,' Phoebe-nice day ter
day"
The visitor entered, carefully clos
ing the gate behind him.
"Oh! it be you, be it?"
And Phoebe Bunce ignored the
salutat;on and look ungratiously at
the old mar as he stood n%ervously
lingering his stick.
AYE, Phoebe, it be me-"
The reply was humble in the ex-
IRENE, and finished UP with an apol-
osetic little cough.
HIN! / be thinkin,' Dan Hookam,
eze yer might find summat better
ter do than come philanderin' roun'
ere every evenin' in the week.
Dan Hookam looked helplessly
around the little garden.
II thou't p'raps the peas might
want stalkin', Phoebe, and l knows
the taties want lookin' after a bit"
Phoebe Bunce cast a wrathful
glance in the direction of the peas;
Ithey did want stalking, Phoebe knew
it, but if a glance could have done it
she would have shriveled them up
for daring to be in that condition.
"Oh!"
Dan Hookam gathered from the
tone of the monosyllable that lie
might take heart if he exercised eau
ton, so he advanced a step and care
fully united the old pocket handker-
chief and with pride exhibited three
white hens eggs in a nest of fresh
white straw.
Il. "Wot be got there, hey?"
And Phoebe looked at the eggs
with fierce inquiry as if unacquaint.
ed with such things. and poor Dan
replied with dismay: q
II thou't maybe, Phoebe, you'd
like a egg fer your breakfas'-thay
was laid this mornin' all on en-"
"Ain't I told yer, Dan Hookam, ez
I won't have yez bringin' things?
be arr a mind teri
Phoebe Bunce broke off, for Oar
Hookam's face was a picture of dis.
tress.
81 be sorry, Phoebe, I thou't may.
be yer'd like a egg fer yer breakfas'.'
He locked at the eggs, and from
them to Phoebe's face, but7there was
no relaxation of the stern, hard fea'
lures, and he began with trembling
fingers to tie. up the corners of the
handkerchief again. Phoebe's con
science smote her, and she remarked
ungraciously:
Put EN- down, but don't yer nevel
do it again.
And she turned her back on the
gift and the donor.
"A pleased look crossed Dan Hook.
ans face and he FASTENED to the
porch and carefully placed his offer.
ing on the seat; then he pulled Of
his coat and placed it beside the RET
pocket handkerchief.
"Dan Hookam!"
The call was peremptory, and Da1
hurried along as fast as his rheumati,
knees would let him in the direction
of Phoebe, who was inspecting some
thing In the vicinity OF the potato
patch.
ssNot be this?"
Phoebe Bunce was standing stiff
and upright, n finger pointing dowr
to a mass Of edible green stuff o.
about an inch in height.
sMustid an cress," faltered Oar