The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-06-06
A MOUNTAIN
COURTSHIP
By NJ QUAD
Copyright, 1915. by the Mcclure
Newspaper Syndicate.

III Newspaper Syndicate. III
The mountaineer and his wife had
to go down the valley about a mile to
see a sick neighbor. and l was left at
the cabin with their daughter. girl
Of eighteen. As soon as she had clear
ed or the supper table and while sat
on the doorstep smoking she put on a
clean apron, arranged hair a bit and
blushed very red as she said to me:
"Him's comm to see me tonight-and
him's very skeery and-and-and"-
do you mean that your young man
is coming?" asked.
Reckon him is"
And he's bashfulr'
Him can't skeercely abide dad and
man."
Il see. He'd be scared OF II he
found me sitting here. Well, I'll take
walk and be out OF the way"
mo, no. no. You's perfectly proper.
I'll go out and sit down on the log. and
You stay right yere."
"0h. that's It? Well. don't you mind
me In the least"
The log was only thirty feet away,
and she hadn't been sitting there over
Eve minutes when ''him" appeared. He
had probably been in hiding some
where near. All could see was that
he was young man, very bashfui
and awkward. He sat down about ten
feet away from her, and it was about
ave minutes before either spoke.
who's himY' 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 skeeredr
Reckon you is"
"Shool Never was skeered In all my
life. Linda, does your old dad like
met"
Reckon he do"
And your mamY
Reckon she do"
"And. Linda
he stopped there for a long, long
time, and Linda coughed and giggled
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.
Goose not; was thinkin'," he re-
piled as he heaved deep sigh.
Reckon, I know what twas. Te-he-
hel"
Reckon you don't"
Goose do. Dad likes you, nam likes
you, and r.
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"
got out Of shat doah" and took a
long walk, and II Jim didn't take adj
vantage Of the occasion Linda's looks
belied her when I returned.
The girl gave me good night and
passed to her room, and a little later
the old folks arrived back.
Stranger, was thar a Teller yere
a-sparkin' LindaT' whispered the IA
Their as they sat down beside me.
"Of co'se there was-of co'se," said
the wife.
There was young man here"
replied.
"Did Linda call him Jimr
"She did"
"Of co'se she did-of co'se," added
the wife.
did they sot together%
"Yes, on the log"
"Would you say, straDger-would
you say that thar was luv tharY' ask
ed the husband.
why, 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 be did-of co'se," said the
wife.
Eyes, he un would git up and walk
away" sighed. the husband.
would you like Jim for a son-in-
law" l 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, sub"
shot three and skeered on a
fourth"
"And he has swum the Cumberland
river, sub"
"And 1t was In food too"
And he has killed mo- coons and
foxes and possums in the last two
vars, sub. than any two men in the
state"
"0f co'se he has-of co'se."
"And he made the elephant run
when the last circus cum along, sub"
"And it was a whopper Of an ele-
plant, too-for suah it was"
"And, subj" 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 var or two mo- we
ar gwine to send him to the legisla-
tur, and he's gwine to swell around
these mountains with a plug hat and