Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1910-07-08
ASKING FOR
HER
By OSCAR cox
Copyright, 1910. by American Press
Association.
By OSCAR cox

II
Hodges daughter Lucy she was wad-
ing a stream. Her shoes and stock
ings she held in her hands and lifted
her skirts to her knees. Her hair had
fallen down her back, and her straw
hat hung from her neck over the hair.
She was as pretty a piece Of human
flesh as l ever saw. fell in love with
her right away and, luckily for me,
didn't have much trouble getting her
consent to ask her father to give her
to me.
The old man owned q stock farm.
Among the animals on it was a bay
FLY, pretty as a picture. that | very
much wanted That was at the same
time l wanted his daughter. He set
great store by Lucy, and | knew that
it would break him all up to lose her.
It's no fool of a job to go to a man and
ask him to give up the girl he's raised
from babyhood. and l didn't have any
fancy for it. l rehearsed all l would
say to Farmer Hodges. l would in
troduce the subject by asking If he
would sell the bay filly, praise her to
the skies, then offer him a big price
for her This would put him in a good
humor, taking advantage of which l
would ask him for Lucy.
l parted from Lucy at 10 o'clock on
a moonlight night at the gate, it be-
ing arranged that l should go up the
next evening after supper when her
father was smoking his pipe on the
porch and then and there put in my
application. didn't say anything to
Lucy as to my intentions with regard
to opening the subject, for when we
separated l hadn't thought anything
about that. 1 just told her was 60
ing to brace up and ask for her.
1t was hot evening when | called,
and the farmer instead of sitting on
the porch, had put his rocker on the
grass before it, where he could get
more air. He asked me to have
chair that stood beside him, and l sat
down for the hardest job of work L
ever did in my life.
"Sellin' much stock just now, Mr..
Hodges?" l asked
"Oh, | get rid of few animals now
and then, but l can't say I'm dom
very much"
Reckon | can take one of 'em off
your hands if you and | can agree on
a price. I've taken a shine to that lit
tie bay FLY with one white foot and
a white spot on her forehead
You mean Lucy, reckon"
Il was speaking of the bay fly" 1
stammered, suspecting he had fore
stalled my real object.
shes Lucy. I've called her after
my daughter. She's rattlin' fine ami
NAL"
You bet" 1 FASTENED to chime in re-
turn.
kind and gentle as a suckin' dove.
no mean tricks about her, easy goin',
obedient to the ribbons-in fact, she's
the best little girl I've got on the
place"
That's just the disposition l want.
I wouldn't like any baking or kicking
or anything like that. l don't believe
in using the whip, but If there's any
thing vicious l think it ought to be
laid on we'll"
Il wouldn't mind putin her through
her PAGES to show you what she can
do"
"Oh. it isn't necessary. I've seen
her going. She's mighty well put up
too. What do you want for herr"
At that moment, looking up, l saw
Lucy herself-the real Lucy-at the
window. Her fathers back was to-
ward her, so he couldn't see her.
faced her. She wore a very peculiar
expression. Indeed, she looked mad
enough to bite through nail. What
had occasioned this alteration in her
since the last time l had seen her
couldn't for my life imagine. The ap-
partition threw me completely out Of
my reckoning.
IF you want Lucy" the farmer re-
piled, with the deliberate twang Of
one selling horse. you can have her
to try. If you like her you can keep
her on any terms satisfactory to you.
If you don't like her you can turn her
back on me-"
How much of this my love heard
didn't know, for before it was finished
she ducked.
You'll have to excuse me just now"
continued the old man. There comes
man to make 1i"ker for some O.
my racin' stock. Do you please
about Lucy"
1t was terrible disappointment to
get no further in the matter, or, rather.
not to get to the real object of my
visit but a man came in at the gate
and the farmer went to meet him. l
looked up at the window where my
girl had appeared, but she was not
there. l waited till there was nobody
about, when she came down and,
marching right past me, made for the
road. l followed and called to her:
Lucy! For heavens sake what's the
matter?"
"What do you mean by talking SO
about me?"