Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1909-04-24
CHAPTER VII-Continued.

| 10 Dake IN q Dean pot up 10 CONNECTICUT
| Course you never did; there never was
a bean baked right this side of the
| Susquehanny. Then take brown bread
and Injun puddin'-Lord, now what
| does a Dutchman known about ln1un
| puddin' ?--all kinder brown and curdly,
with a skin like satin velvet plush,
and rich Juice that III make you
shout 'Hally-ley-yer' like a man on
the mourners' benches, spite of all you
can do. Then, take a billed dish-my
stars, 1t makes my mouth water so
| can't talk: honest, IL does! LOOK mere,
II you'd ever ct a mOuthful Of AIRY one
OF um therc'd be a yarler streak this
minute up in the northeast. which
would be you maxim line fer the state
| O. Connecticut"
There now. hear that wunst, VIII
| vel" Ulie Strengthened up in we'll
feigned anger. Hes runnin down the
cookdn' our wimmen does and, Chin
miny gracious, / won't stan for that
still! Nosuh! I won't stan for havin'
the wimmin run down, nosuh; that
allus makes me mad. Yessuh! he
stole a side glance over at the widow
Krumrine. That's jest like Yankee,
now amt II wunst? It's just like 'em.
II was In the desert of Saharey still
I'd know a Yankee wunst. I'd know
him by his brag. Yar-r-r-r- e-e-e-e-e!
Oh, my! Heigh, Miff?"
Unconsciously Ulie was voicing
large area Of his native state. The old
antipathies and resentments described
by Washington Irving as existing
among the early Knickerbockers, and
springing up again farther south
among the Germans during the era
when north7rn Pennsylvania was a
part Of Connecticut, are still to be
found in the Teutonic portions OF the
state, where they cling even yet like
persimmOns.
Look here, Tile, what are you stand
ing up for the wimmen so for all to
once?" Amos tipped sly wink at the
other end OF the table.
"Oh, Ulie's gone soft on the whole
female sect" volunteered a youth.
Say, why don't you brace up, Ulie,
and get one OF 'em fore it's too late?"
broke in another. IT'S comm on
springs work, and you need woman
dretfully."
Don't you-uns worry about me-" he
snapped. Il know what I'm about still.
Yessuh!"
Now, Ule look here" Amos leaned
far over and addressed him in IA
thcrly tone, Pm your friend If you've
got one in the world; you know
that Now you be sensible. If
you wait to get a handsum young
woman, then your weddin' won't come
off more'n a Dutchman's hat at fu-
neral. You let me tell you something.
He lowered his voice cOnfidentially.
You Jest edge up to the widder Kuhn.
She'll take We with a jump quicks
bat does a June bug, and she'll make
we a good wife. You en- get lot or
work out of them children of hern. You
go'n see her, Ulie. She'll take right to
ye like a yeller dog, and don't believe
you'd hev to do the askin'. She's kind
o. hard up and discouraged; her first
man, old Ezra, was awful shifless, and
l. ,l,,t l.nsI Ivan NJ
advice Ulie, and shine up to the wilder
Kuhn"
"Humph!" grunted Ulie.
Jim Farthing heard very little of the
running chatter. He sat facing the
stove and the summer kitchen, where
the women were at work, and where
Rose was fitting about from point to
point, the life and center of all the
workers. Rose was a housekeeper OF
skill and experience, and wherever she
was present at a dinner like this she
was soon at the head Of things. She
was cool and resourceful, and she for
got nothing. At critical moments when
generalship was needed: when dish
came out wrong at the moment when
Il must be served, or when II showed
signs of giving out in the very midst
OF the meal, or when the next course
was not ready and the men were wait
ing-at such tragic moments the wo-
about Rose. 1t was worth while to see
her then, with her cool headed orders,
her deft, swift precision of movement,
and her complete mastery of the situa-
tion.
Young Jim was not the only man at
the table who was furtively watching
her. She was everywhere. She circled
about them with the water pitcher and
filled the glasses. Then she gathered
up the empty dishes and poured an
other helping OF coffee. Every one had
a merry word as she came near.
Say, Rose, won't ye smile into my
coffee wunst and save me gettin' the
sugar."
"Yes, If you'll smile into this glass
of water and save me drawing more
vinegar"
"Uiie been round to see ye yet,
Rose?" :.
"Oh, I'm too old for Ulie."
'Yar-r-r-r! hear that, Ulie?"
Yes, hev to drew the line. I can't
take nobody over 2S still. Yar-r-r-r-r!
e-e-e-e-e! oh, my" Ulie's laugh was
shrill and penetrating, and it dominat-
ed everything while it lasted
"Oh, shame on ye, Ulie! Rose is 16
Already"
rs she? BY George, she don't look
How old be ye, Rose? Bet we don't
dast ter tell wunst."
odds l look-a woman's as old as
she looks" and she disappeared into
the kitchen in a swirl of laughter.
Thus the chaff and banter and home
ly country wit followed her in merry
stream wherever she went. The other
women seemed to be merely scullions
and menials; she was the presiding
goddess, the life and soul of the whole
dinner.
Thus indeed 1t seemed to Jim Far
thing. So absorbed did he become in
watching her that he scarce realized
what he ate or whether he ate at all.
The conversation ratified about him like
the monotone of summer crickets.
once he heard a voice at his elbow ad-
dressing him and he turned with a
start.
Say, don't you think Dams doin'
wrong to have his fifth on Saturday
wunst? It's dretful bad sign. A Sat-
urday fit makes a short Sit"
He made no answer, for he had seen
Rose disappear with the water bucket
in the direction of the cistern. His in
dignation was instant. That Rose,
with all that room full of men, should
have to tug water in bucket struck
him as monstrous. He arose instantly
and followed her.
There was a moments hush about
the tables, then litter. The spectacle
OF man helping a woman with her
work. no matter how heavy the work
may be, is always regarded as ludicrous
in German regions; Clearly the. man
was in love. But Jim heard nothing.
Say, you hadn't ought to do that"
he called to her the moment he was out
of the door.
"Why?"
That's a mans work. That buckets
too heavy"
"Pshaw! could carry two of 'em
asl oxyb hA IL, 10 -