The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1915-09-17


and awkward. He sat down about ten
feet away from her, and it was about
FIVE minutes before either spoke.
who's him?" queried Jim as he nod
ded his head in my direction.
Stranger, gwine further up" she an.
swered. "You hain't no call to be skeer-
ed Of him nor nobody"
"Who's skeered"
Reckon you is"
"ShoO! Never was skeered in all my
life Linda, does your old dad like
me"
Reckon he do"
"And your mamT'
'Reckon she do"
"And, Linda
He stopped there for long, long
time, and Linda coughed and giggleds'
over his embarrassment. BY and by
she said
dad says you come powerful nigh
KILN bar last week."
No reply.
MAN says you took up them ten
acres of land above Parker's"
No reply
HAS you lost your tongue, Jim?" she
asked after a long silence.
"Co'se not; was thinkin'," he re-
piled as he heaved deep sigh.
Reckon l know what twas. Te-he-
hew
Reckon you don't"
"Co'se do. Dad likes you, man likes
you, and p
That log suddenly contracted again
and brought them close together, and
Jim's arm stole around Linda's waist
| as he finished the sentence for her
with:
"And we's gwine to be jined in the
fall and live on them acres! Linda,
II him wasn't back thar in that doah
I'd shorely hug you, would"
I got out Of that doah" and took a
long walk, and If Jim didn't take ad-
vantage Of the occasion Linda's looks
belied her when / returned.
The girl gave me good night and
passed to her room, and little later
the old folks arrived back.
| stranger, was thar feller yere
a-sparkin' Linda" whispered the ia
ther as they sat down beside me.
"Of cO'se there was-of co'se," said
the wife.
"There was young man here"
replied.
ibid Linda call him Jim?"
"She did"
"Of co'se she did-of co'se," added
the wife.
did they sot togetherP
Eyes, on the log"
would you say. stranger-would
you say that thar was luv thar" ask
ed the husband.
why, l sat there smoking and look
ing into the laurels, and I neither
heard nor saw much. By and by got
up and walked away"
"Of co'se he did-of cO'se," said the
wife,
"Yes, he un would git up and walk
away" sighed the husband.
"Would you like Jim for son-in-
I law?" asked after bit.
Stranger replied the man as he
laid aside his pipe SO as to have both
hands free to gesture with, "that yere
young man has killed bar with a
knife"
"And whoppin big bar at that"
added the wife,
He has shot three wildcats, suh."
Shot three and skeered off a
| fourth"
"And he has swum the Cumberland
river, suh.''
"And it was in flood too"
"And he has killed mo- cOons and
foxes and pOssums in the last two
vars, sub, than any two men In the
state"
"Of co'se he has-Of cOse."
"And he made the elephant run
when the last circus cum along, sub"
"And it was whopper of an ele-
phant, too-for suah 1t was"
"And, suh," continued the husband
| as he stood on his feet. "that yere Jim
can outholler, outrun, Outwrassle, out
fight and outfit any critter of his age
fur fifty miles around"
! "Of co'se he kin-of co'se," added
the wife as she also stood up.
"And, sub, In a var or two mo- we
ar gwine to send him to the legisla-
tur, and he's gwine to swell around
these mountains with plug hat and
q cane. All this, sub, and you axes me
II I'd take him for son-in-law!"
"Of co'se we would-of co'ss." said
| kkA