The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1913-05-09
WhoseFault9
D. DoRoTHEA HALE

"a. III 4atEEN0 49, LAE.- /
Ill ~ $,as. 9..t 4
While walking In the country I came
to q farm and. seeing a man at work
asked him for a glass of milk. He In
vited me into his house and set bc.
fore me a pitcher full Of rich milk.
Trim farm you. have here, my
friend" ! said to him. land a good
house."
That was as far as l could go in my
encomiums, for the interior of the
house was in a higgledy plggledy con-
ditiOn. n
"Yas," he said; Its all l want"
mo; not all. You want a woman"
'You bet l don't. don't want none
o. them vipers around"
"lf 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?'
"Waal. had a gal oncet, and she
went back on me. One day when !
went by a farm down the road q bit
that had been bought BY a new man
named Freeman l saw the purtest gal
a-leanin' over the fence you ever saw
in your life. Her cheeks were as red Ak
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 nAturnl-like. There want any
thing for her to smile iat-only me, a
plainf! country galoot. waikiki along the
road. But somehow I couldn't GIT by.
ISstopped and asked her what she was
milin' 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 a lot O. good clothes.
Isn't that somethin' to smile atT she
asked.
"tOh,' / said. disappointed like. i.
fhort you was smilin' at met
$50 l was"
II didn't git by that farm that time
OF other times without stoppin' when.
ever JinniAthat was her name-was
outside, and n day her mother come
out and asked me If | wouldn't come
in and drink some buttcrmilk. done
It. and the old woman kind a limited
that her darter. jist comm into tho
place. didn't know nobody and found 1t
kind q lonesome. I told her there was
goin' to be a huskin' party ut Farme;
Bushrod's across the creek the next Sat.
urday afternoon. 1 wouldn't mind driv-
in jimmie over there in my buggy.
Jinnte's eyes lighted up at hearin' thai.
and she said she'd like to go might;
we'll. So l said I'd be ON hand.
II jist had time to paint my buggy
and git it dry when Saturday come
round. and, glttin' into my Sunday suit.
! driv over to git the gal. Wasn't shs.
fixed up fine! You bet! And when sh"
snuggled down beside me in her ruf.
les and things and the smell o. VIC
lets and roses and a hull garden full
Of flowers l jist thort I'd go wild.
"At Bushrod's farm 1 wanted to keep
# up, but I want SO mean as to act
hoggish about 1t. so 1 i~nterdooced a
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.
I'VE was all huskin' the corn. Bill
Jones was settin' by jimmie. and all of
a student I saw him take the husk
often a red ear. and he jist throwed his
arms around her neck and give her n
big kiss. -tsr
stranger, did you ever have any
thing happen to you like that-a-g gal
you was dead set on kissed by another
Teller? WAL. the divil jist riz right
up in me, and I 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 1t easy-like
and went on huskin'. i.
'VVhen 1t come time to 90 home I fist
set alongside OF Jimmie and didn't
speak a 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 l went by her moth
er's farm she was In the field pullin'
up some turnips. Seem me. she riz up
md give me n of them smiles Of
bern. but i jist walked right on and
didn't notice her. Somehow I'dSgot an
idee into my head that she was try
In to charm me like a snake. The
next time I 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 e a man kiss her again I'd likely
I'LL him and her too.
That's the reason. stranger, I don't
want to get mixed up with a woman.
The more q mans set o one Of 'em
the more 1t riles him II she don't stick
to him alone"
"My friend" said when he had
finished his story. what you have said
proves nothing whatever. At q husk-
ing q man is privileged to kiss on find-
ing i red ear, and the girl who would
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