Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1913-10-22
WhoseFault?
BY DOROTHEA HALE

While walking in the country | came
10 farm and. seeing a man at work.
asked him for glass of milk. He In
vited me into his house and set be
fore me pitcher full of rich milk
Trim farm you have here. my
friend" i said to him. land a good
house"
That was as far as could go in my
encomiums, for the interior of the
house was in IA higgledy piggledy con-
dition.
"Yas," he said; Its all | want"
NO; not all. You want woman"
You bet | don't ! don't want none
o. them vipers around"
IF 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
women?"
WAL. | had a gal oncet, and she
went back on me. One day when i
went by a farm down the road bit
that had been bought by new man
named Freeman | saw the purtiest gal
a-leanin' over the fence you ever saw
In your life. Her cheeks were as red as
them roses CROWN beside the porch,
and her eyes were just sparklin' in
her head And you oughter seen that
smile on her face. 1t seemed to come
there natural-like. There want any
thing for her to smile at-only me,
plain country galoot. walkin' along the
road. But somehow ! couldn't git by.
| 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 it and some new
furniture and lot O good clothes.
Isn't that somethin' to smile at? she
asked.
"'Oh,' ] said. disappointed-like. 4
thort you was smilin' at me-
$50 I was"
81 didn't git by that farm that time
or other times without stoppin when
ever Jinnie-that was her name-was
outside. and one day her mother come
out and asked me if wouldn't come
in and drink some buttermilk. | done
it.. and the old woman kind a limited
that her darter, jist comm into the
place. didn't know nobody and found it
kind q lonesome. told her there was
goin' to be a 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.
Jinnies eyes lighted up at hearin' that,
and she said she'd like to go mighty
we'll So said I'd be on hand
II jist had time to paint my buggy
and git 1t dry when Saturday come
round. and. gittin' into my Sunday suit.
driv over to git the gal. Wasn't she
fixed up fine! You bet. And when she
Struggled down beside me in her ruff
lets and roses and hull garden full
of flowers jist thort I'd go wild.
"At Bushrod's farm | wanted to keep
it up. but | want so mean as to act
hoggish about it. so ! interdooced
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.
1--WE was all huskin' the corn. Bill
Jones was settin' by jimmie. and all Of
student saw him take the husk
often red ear. and he jist throwed his
arms around her neck and give her
big kiss.
stranger. did you ever have any
thing happen to you like that-a gal
you was dead set on kissed by another
Teller? WAL. the divll jist riz 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 jist took it easy-like
and went on huskin'.
when 1t come time to go home jist
set alongside of jimmie and didn't
speak word to her all the way. She
tried to talk. and ! 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 field pullin'
up some turnips. Seem 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 ii ever since. Some
times | wish she wouldn't. but In that
case she might bring me down and If
I'd see man kiss her again I'd likely
kill him and her too.
That's the reason. stranger, don't
want to get mixed up with a woman.
The more a mans set on one of 'em
the more it rifles him If she don't stick
TO him alone"
my friend" ] said when he had
finished his story. what you have said
proves nothing whatever. At husk-
ing a man is privileged to kiss on find
ing a red ear. and the girl who would
object to being kissed on such an &C.
casiOn would he prude. In my opin-
ion you made n hog of Yourself after
all. You 90 right down to Jennie.
apologize and ask her pardon for your
rudeness."