Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1909-06-11

the play objectiveiy: or the comments
OF the m~iddle-aged, who looked upon Il
not coldly. but curiously; and the exl
carnations OF the young. who philoso>
phised not at all. but ~speculated with
eagerness.
Thus the chorus droned on In the
i~nterludeS.
The Bottom church. a great square
block Of a building. stands alone. full
10 rods from the store on one side, and
the school house on the other. Along
the road on either side extend for many
rods thick poles spiked to the tops of
| posts, to be used for hitching places.
On a fair Sunday these rails are crowd
ed from end to end with horses and
rigs" OF every description, some of
them there after a journey Of six and
even eight miles. 1t Is always a thrill
ing experience to the stranger In the
valley to come suddenly. amid the per-
feet silence OF a Sabbath. around the
curve of the road upon these w long
rows of motionless horses, with 10 9TH
er hint of human life in the vicinity.
Country worshippers come early to
church on fair mornings, and they de-
light to gather in knots, the men about
the horses, and the women in the ves-
thule, to talk until the arrival of the
preacher. On the 30th of April, the
Sunday after Jim had thrown the pine
COIlc, llc SIOup was especially "a &c..
Its nucleus and oracle was Amos Hard
ing. who was seated sidewise on a
wagon seat. his feet roosting preca-
riously on one OF the wheels.
Say. that drove of old hogs there
by the meetin' house looks hansum. now
don't it?" he was running on garru-
lously. 'Runnin' wild right In the
street-by Moses, I wonder what they'd
say up to Connecticut? Ever think OF
IL, the name OF this state is Pen-sylva-
MIA and there amt a tarnal pig pen in
the state! Say. do you know a Teller
once told me the rule for flndin' lati-
tude in the United States? o multi
ply the number of hogs running loose
on a mile Of road by the average num-
Der OF rods of rail fence to the
square mile of land and you'll ave the
distance in miles from the Connect
cut river, countin' north and south. He.
he, he! Better rule than that, though:
You multiply the average lumber OF
pints of paint to a house in n region
by the number of square inches In the
average front yard and II you're care
full of your fractions, you'll get the ex-
act distance in rods to the nearest point
on the Gulf of Mexico. Fails in Centre
county, though; all rules do. Wy,
we're miles north of the paint-line and
miles north of the average hog-line,
but in spite of all that, IL you apply
AIRY one of them rules it ands us
right off the tip end o. Florida"
Jest look o. there wunst," spoke
up a voice in a low whisper. All turned
instantly. Rose Hartswick was walk
ing up the path with her father and
Karl Kelchline.
Looks kinder pale. I take 1t; don't
seem TO be as clipper as she was once"
There was a note of sarcasm in Lem
Fishers voice. You folks can't see a
hoss-fly unless he's lit right onto the
tip-end of our nose. l tell o Rose
amt long for this world still. She's
got the oppnehmer IL ever i seen any
one have 1t yetst. Wasn't that the way
Katie Barndollar looked at first? And
what did I tell the Squire last winter?
What did I ask him wunst? Now jest
see what's er happenin'."
And what's %happenin'? asked Amos
CURLY.
Yes, I'd ask that If I was you" He
looked scornfully up at the man. You
spell-bound her to jim? And Karl's
the best match for a girl there is in this
county still. She'd never want to get
shet Of a man like Karl If she wan
spell-bound and hacked. Nosuh."
And who SEE she wants to get red
of Karl?" asked Amos sternly.
"Oh, pshaw! IL I was as blind as you
De Ia get some glass eyes WunSt.
Hain't she made him wait till the first
O. June already before she sayes the
word? Why's that now? It's jest be-
cause she don't dast to run plumb
against her father still. and because
she's s~pell-bound to Tim. Are you fool
enough to suppose when 1t comes time
she'll give Karl the yes? Not by a
long shot. She'll outen his light and
Jim IL be high line. You Jest wait and
see." He sQuinnied UP his left eye and
nodded knowingly at the crowd.
But won't Karl fight?" inquired
Uncle Jake In an old mans shrill Quav-
er. Karl amt no baby STILL"
"Oh, no; there won't be no fight. Oh,
MOI" The oracle was nothing If not
cock-sure. "There'l be jest a little
pow-wowing that nobody III know moth
ing about, and pop! over IL go poor
Karl with a stroke, or something else,
his eyes bullying out like he'd saw the
devil wunst. Or perhaps he'll have the
oppnehmer or the rundown or some
thing jest as Rose has got 1t. oh. I
tell you. Karl's goin' to be out of IL
come June still. You-uns see II he
hain't."
plain IS the nose on your face
Already" chimed In Ulie.
(Continued Next Weekl