The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1910-06-27
ASKING FOR
HER
BY OSCAR cox
Copyright. 1910. By American Press
Association.

y
t----.---s-..----. --------.s-s-lll
The frst view / ever had Of Farmer
Hodges daughter Lucy She was wad-
ing a stream. Her shoes and stock
ings she held 10 Der 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 piece Of human
flesh as I 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
10 me.
The old man owned stock farm
Among the animals On II was q bay
fllly, pretty as d picture. that very
much wanted. That was at the same
time wanted bis daughter he set
great store by Lucy and 1 knew that
it would break him all up TO lose her
It's no fool Of a lob to 80 10 q man and
ask him to give up the girl hes raised
from babyhood. and ! didn't have any
fancy for It. I rehearsed an ! would
say to Farmer Hodges would IN.
tro6uce the subject By asking Il be
would sell the bay Oily, praise her TO
the skies. then offer him a big price
for her, This would put him ia good
humor, taking advantage Of which 1
would ask him for Lucy.
parted from Lucy at 10 o'clock on
moonlight night at the gate. it be-
ing arranged that ! should 80 up the
next evening after supper when her
father was smoking his pipe On the
porch and then and there put Ia my
application. didn't say anything 20
Lucy as 70 my Intentions with regard
to opening the subject for when we
separated / hadn't thought anything
about that Just told her | was 20
ing to brace mp and ask for her
It was a bot evening when called.
and the farmer. instead OF sitting on
the porch. bad put his rocker on the
grass before il, where be could get
more air He asked me to bave
chair that stood beside him. aud ! sat
down for The hardest Job If work /
ever aid In my life.
"Sellin' much stock Just now. Mr.,
Hodgesf" ! asked.
e0h. get rid Of a few animals now
and then bus / can't say lm dom
very muchf
Reckon | can take one Of en- on
your hands if you and can agree %
a price I've taken shine % that IT,
tie bay lilly with one white foot and
q white spot on her forehead
'You mean Lucy. / reckon
= was speaking 81 the bay ally
stammered saspecting be had fore.
stalled nay REM object
shes Lucy I've called her after
my daughter Shes ruttin nne ant
mall
aYou bet" / FASTENED 20 chime in re-
mrn
Kind and gentle as suckln d0ve,
no mean tricks about her easy guin
obedient 10 the ribbons ID fact. she's
the best little girl I've got on the
place"
That's just the disposition J want
! wouldn't ike any baking nr kicking
Or anything like that don't believe
ii using The whip. but Il there's any
thing vicious / think 1t ought 10 be
laid on wellH
4 wouldn't mind putin Der through
her PAGES 70 show sou what she can
do.
"0h. Il isn't necessary I've seen
her going. she's mighty well put 40
too What do Won want for hers
At that moment. looking up. / saw
Lucy herself~the real Lucy at the
window. Her fathers back was % 4
ward her 50 he couldn't see her 1 y
faced her Sire wore very peeuliat 4
expression Indeed She looked mad
enough TO bite through a nail What +
had occasioned this alteration I'd her
since the last time / had seen her 4
couldn't for my life imagine The ap
partition threw me completely out Of 4
lny reckoning
tn you want Lucy the farmer re
Piled with the deliberate twang Of
5ne selling a horse. "you can have her
q try II you ike her you can keep
her on any terms satisfactory to You.
Il you don't Ike her you can turn hei
back On nc
How nue. this my love heard 7 +
lidnt know tNf before It was finished
The dncked
You'll hive TO excuse me Just now
continued the old man. 'There comes
j man to make q decker for some o.
NV raein' stock 10 as you please
lbout Lucy"
II was terrible disappointment to
set no further fl the matter. or. rather,
lot to set to the real object Of my
'isit, but a man came In at the gate
md the farmer went to meet him. ii
ooked up at the window where my
sirl had appeared, but she was not
here. waited till there was nobody
bout when she came down and,
right past me- made for the
cad. / followed and called to her
Lucy For heavens sake what's the
aatterW
"What do you mean BY talking SO
bout me2"
About your
"Yes, heard you. So you're going
0 apply the whip, are your Not on
aen
But Lucy
"And fatheri What has come over
imp 70 think o. his saying that II
on don't like me you can turn m