Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1907-12-12
What Sam Did

The men In the store watched the
young farmer assist his wife into the
respectable-looking buggy outside, ar
range the packages, spread the laprobe
generously and carefully over the
young woman's knees and then, HIM
self uncovered, drive away.
"Clayton's goin' to take good care o
that there wife O. HIS commented the
storekeeper.
Foolish of him." declared Washing
ton Hancock.
Hell get tired O. washin' up that
buggy o. his'n after a while n con-
clude the ole wagons good enough to
come to town to trade in," said Sol
Baker, sagely.
"'Course he will" agreed Hancock.
Hell have her out to the wood pile
splittin' stove wood, like as not. I've
knowed that to happen, too"
Baker had the grace to look embar-
raised when the storekeeper snickered.
."There's wuss things than splittin' a
leetle mite O. wood now an then for a
women" he said. Anyway. Clayts
wifell take all the care he kin give
her an then need more If he amt
washin' the dishes for her afore long
i miss my guess. She don't like no
kind o. work none too well. She didn't
as n gal"
"Ain't a great hand to cook, they tell
me" said the storekeeper. Most any
To- could hnot hnr ont
when It come to fixin' up q meal. Seems
like Clayt nd have took 'Lisbeth or
Rirdie II he wus set an bound to mar
nv into the family. This un's mighty
slack-mouthed by all accounts.
could ha' told him suthin' on tibet score
If he'd cum to me an asst me-"
"Why didn't you tell him, anyway
asked Marvin Parsons.
ITS pity she's slack-mouthed," OBJ
served Hancock. Its them kind o
wimmen that gifts to talkin' about their
neighbors after while. An it's fun
nv thing that it's allus the wimmen
that does that. You might set in this
store when Rufe an Sol here was shoot
in off their mouths year in an year out
an you'd never hear them say word
agIn' anybody-nOt If you was stone
def But when a man sees a Teller
in danger O. blightin' his life by takin'
IN with a gal that's ornery an no-ac-
count he amt dom no more than
what's his dooty to give him the right
kind o. warnin. II feller's got good
sense he'll erpheshiate word in sea-
son a. that sort an won't sit mad
about 1t. Anybody's apt to be a mite
keerless an unthinkin' in the matter O
choosin' a gal when he's young. I bet
there hain't married man here but
what'H say that's So"
The storekeeper nodded involuntarily
and Hancock grinned.
IS fur's takin' word O. good adj
vice kindly's concerned, l reckon
there's the many man would tell you
that If somebody'd come TO him in time
an let him know what he had a right
70 expect from the gal he wus thinkin
o. marrying he'd never have married
the gal he did" resumed Hancock
'sThere's some what does git warned in
time. I rickerleck right we'll when 8
cousin o. mine, Sam Hancock, thought
o hitchin' up with a gal he'd met VI
with when he wus young buck. he
seen the gal an tuck her buggy ridin
once or twice an he fggered to him
self that she wus jest about the fines
young woman that ever set q foot or
this green airth. He couldn't make ou
that she'd got fault or ! blemish
She'd allus acted that away whilst h,
wuS around, so how wus he to know
any diffrunt?
There wus one thing, though, an
that wus that Sam had a mighty leye
haid on him for as young as he wus
He'd slip up on trade wunst in {
while, but he never slipped up twice
the same way an he'd made a-many
trades by the time he wus 20 years old
No, Sam wasn't nobuddy's fool.
"Well, there wus a Teller lived neigh
Dor to the gals folks, name o Bel
Crittenden, an he knowed Sam an b,
knowed the gal. He 1ggered that San
wus likely boy an that it wusp'
right for him to stand back an keel
his mouth shet when he cd do good by
openin' It. SO he goes to Sam one day
an he takes him out behind the barr
for a conf denshal talk.
"'Sam,' he says, I allow you know
that I'm a friend O yours an that
hain't a troublemaker or stir-strife
I've got suthin' to say to you an If