The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1907-10-11
it needed all the cuiprit's courage

other as he stood there, and then he
raised his eyes very slowly and ver.f
sncepishly till they reached the irat.
Phoebe's face.
IF | ever ketch yer at them tricks
agin, Dan Hookam, Ill'--
Dan waited with abject meekness,
penitence in every feature to- hear
the punishment in store for him ii
he offended in that way again, but
Phoebe Bunce never finished, for she
noticed, or appeared to notice, for the
first time her admirers shirt sleeves.
Where be yer coat, Dan Hook
amp"
The question came as usual, severe
nd curt, and Phoebe, looked sharply
around, as if she expected to see the
sarMcn. hanging from n of the
%gooseberry bushes.
Il be goin' to stake the peas, and
| don't want no coat
There was a tone of remonstrance
if not disobedience in the statement.
"All puff and jig! bain't a going
ter ha' yer down wi rheumatic, Dan
Hoekam, stakin' peas. Just yer go
and pull it on this mint! You amt
no lad now remember"
There was no disputing this and
Dan knew it.
AYE, Phoebe"
He hurried off to the porch and got
inside the discarded garment, first
tipping off his waistcoat which he
folled up into as small a compass as
red handkerchief.
Phoebe Bunce looked after her ad-
mirer with a grim smile of satisfac-
ton as he went to fetch the sticks,
then she waited till he began work
and calmly left him to his labors
without a word or look, and busted
herself at the other end of the garden
among the flowers. But Dan was far
too used to being treated in this
fash en- to pay any heed to the slight.
Every now and again he stood up to
n5op the perspiration streaming down
his face from the effects from the ef-
fects of his exertion, and also. the
coat, he would steal a glance Of fond
admiration in the direction Of Phoebe
Bunce. He was perfectly satisfied
to adore from afar; he asked nothing
more. For Phoebe was to him as a
star in the heavens above, out of
reach, but something to look at and
admire from a safe distance! And
i unvar 1Cvar oo-od With - o,do,+
delight at the graceful form of his
N istress than Dan Hookam watched
the angular, gaunt figure of Phoebe
Bunce as she stopped over the
flowers, picking up a stone here and
"a stick there, OR pulling up some in
terloping weed.
Dan, with a sigh of satisfaction
returned to his work and jabbet.
stick down delightedly into the soft
earth.
she don't keer-she never did
Bless 'er! Lord! but she be a rare
sn art I'M, be Phoebe!"
There vas a chuckle and a ''jab,'
and another stick went home.
An l be tn larst O. TIL lot!"
Dan inspected a new stake criti
oally. ii
tn lott"
The statement was emphasized with
a series of jabs.
"Wot be %dodderin' about, Dan
Hookam?"
The question came with startling
distinctness from the other side of
the garden, and the unlucky Dan
turned the color of a beet root.
Phoebe Bunce looked suspiciousls
in the direction of her admirer, but
he kept his back turned.
II amt done nawthin', Phoebe, i
Wuz tn sticks" was the reply.
An wot's wrong with tn stick
I'd like ter know" snapped Phoeb
as she strobe up.
"Nawthin', Phoebe, they be very
nice sticks" hastily replied Dan as
he jabbed down another stake an
broke a promising plant.
Never met such a keerless man
in all my born days! Can't. even stick
peas now! Gil it mel"
And the stick was pulled up and
shot down again with such force that
1t snapped in Phoebe's angry fingers.
Rotten tack! I'll jest tork ter
that Noah Gribble when l sees him
fer bringing me this stuff, see eff l
don't" ~
And Phoebe strobe off to the porch
and sat down. The red pocket hand
kerchief caught her eye, and, sad to
relate, the Waistc6at also. But notn
ing ever escaped Phoebe Bunce's
keen eyes.
There's artfulness fer YER"
She seemed to take a grim salts.
faction in the discovery. She pulled
out the waist oct and unrolled it.
An arter wot l told i'm, tool"
She held it up and looked at t
critically. It was indeed a sorry gar
meIt. There was a long tear dow1
the center of the back, reaching from
the collar downward; in fact, it was
only held together by the collar, and
the buckled strap which remained.
Then Phoebe inspected the buttons
and noted that there were but three
for use. She rubbed her
thoughtfully, and her sharp eyes had
something very like pity in them.
No wonder he be always gettin
rheumatic. Wonder what he's got
in his pockets"