The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1913-04-15
WhoseFault?

., DoaortEA HAZE

While walking u the eouury ! came
- farm and. seeing Z man 1t Wort.
asked him for glass Of milk. Hs In
vitsd me into bis house and set b.
fore me pitcher full Of r..h milk.
Trim farm you have here, my
friend" said to him. land . good
house."
That was a. far az I could 90 In my
encomiums, for the interior Of the
house was in hlggledy pigglsdy con-
dition.
"Yas." be said; Its ali I want"
mo: not all. You want woman"
You bet don't don't want none
o them vipers around"
III you had one everything about
you would be neat and tidy instead Of
out Of order"
that's the worst part Of It A man
Amt no good at that sort O. thing"
"What has prejudiced you against
Wsmeuf"
''waai. I had Z gal oncet and che
went back on me. One day when
went BY q farm down the road Q bit
that had been bought BY Z new man
named Freemaa saw the purtiest gal
a-leanin' over the fence you ever saw
n your life. Her cheeks were a. red ~
them roses growin' beside the porch,
and her eyes were just sparklin' In
her head. And you oushter seen that
smile on her face. II seemed to come
there natural-like. There want any
thing for her to smile at-only me, q
plain country galoot, walkin' along the
road. But somehow I couldn't GIT by.
I stopped and asked her what she was
smilin about. She said she was very
happy. Her family had been very
poor. and somebody had died and left
her mother some money, and they'd
bought the farm with 1t and some new
furniture and q lot O. good clothes.
Isn't that somethln' to smile atf she
asked.
"'Oh.' said. disappointed.iike. I
thort you was smilin' at mel
$50 was"
II didn't git BY that farm that dime
or other times without stoppin' when
ever Jipnie-that was her name-was
outside, and one day her mother come
out and asked me II wouldn't come
in and drink some buttermilk. I done
II, and the old woman kind q limited
that her darter. jist, comm into the
place. didn't know nobody and found 10
kind lonesome told her there was
goin' to be huskin' party at Farmer
Bushrod's across the creek the NEXT Sat
urday afternoon. wouldn't mind driv-
in jimmie over there in my buggy.
Jinnie's eyes lighted up at hearln' that.
and she said shN'd; like, to 70 mighty
we'll. So l said Isd b on hand.
II list had time 10 paint my buggy
and git It dry when Saturday come
round, and. gittin' into my Sunday suit,
I driv over to git the gal. Wasn't she
fixed up Hne! You betl And when she
snuggled down beside me in her ruff
hes and things and the smell O. VIC.
lets and roses and a hull garden full
Of nowers4 jist thort ia 60 wild.
"At Bushrod's farm wanted to keep
It mp, but I want SO mean as to act
hoggish about 1t, so interdooced q
lot Of fellers, besides some gals. The
fellers took to her like flies to honey.
but the gals was Jealous Of her and
fought shy.
"we was all huskin' the corn. Bill
Jones was settin' BY jimmie. and all Of
Q suddent I saw him take the husk
o6en q red ear, and he fist throwed his
arms around her neck and give her q
big kiss.
stranger. did you ever have any.
thing happen to you like that-a gal
Jon was dead set on kissed by another
feller? Waal. the divil list ris right
up in me. and thort I'd have to kill
Bill Jones right there. But what made
me maddest was that the gal didn't
slap his Jaw. She fist took It easy-like
and went ON huskin'.
"When 1t come time to 90 homo fist
set alongside OF jimmie and didn't
speak q word TO her all the way. She
tried to talk. and l wouldn't answer
her. When We driv up to the house
she climbed down and didn't even
thank me for takin' her to the huskin'.
"The next time went BY her moth
er's farm she was In the 6eld pullin'
up some turnips. Seein' me, she riz up
and give me one Of them smiles Of
hern. but jist walked right on and
didn't notice her. Somehow I'd got an
idee into my head that she was try
In to charm me like snake. The
next time ! went by she left me alone.
and she's done It ever since. Some
times I wish she wouldn't. but in that
case she might bring me down. and II
I'd see man kiss her again I'd likely