The Lakeland evening telegram., 1917-04-14
wanted him that left girl for a sec.

was ordered To black MS b""ts. '""'
his trousers out of them, wear e"a'
if he had one and report at the tavern
that evenin for Introduction 10y Miss
Bowers.
The next mornin' Mr. ParkhurSt
called for Higgins.
well. Huggins.' he said when the
old man appeared how did ii turn out
last night?
".At the courtin': Toiahle SIT
tolable. Three men proposed To gais
as TUX 'em, four men was too or nary
to 90 down with any of the gals. TWO
men wanted the same cal and was
killed in a shootin' match afterWard.
One man got up Oh his ear with gal
who wouldn't have him and said lie
had wife already in Frisco and didh
want no more of 'em. This leaves
seven gals for the next DRAWN and
three men less to be rovided for.
"Scven names were next drawn and
presented the same evenin. THIS was
IIuggins' report of the second pair on
UIett lldlItu bil+ piiF iA'ANa
drunk and wasn't let in 10 the courtin
Three men wanted the same cal. They
had a triangular fight. the survivor to
win; little feler with red hair winper
Gal wouldn't have him. That leaves
four gals Tor prizes
In this way eleven Of the gals was
paired. leavin' one. the purticSt OF the
lot. to he disposed of. All the fcllerS
wanted her from the first, and most
Of the men that got killed was ightin
for her. But she wouldn't have none
OF EN-. She's mighty particular. seeln
she's had twenty men to pick from
She's got snappin black eyes. kind OF
reddish hair aud is purity and plump
as robin.
Now, if you want to work out
scheme for furnishin' wives you don't
want nary Of the women to be jim
dandy. One purity woman with the
old Nick In her will spoil any practical
plan that was ever got up. This gal.
Becky Riggs. bein' the only unmarried
woman left in the camp-Miss Bowers
had gone back for another load-and
every man left wantin' her. set up
conflagration Every day there was
fight about her, and some one was sure
to be killed. The wives begged her to
choose some one and stop the fghdn'
But she wouldn't. She'd make blieve
she was goin' to take one of 'em and
then start In to encourage another
IL anything was needed to keep up the
list of casualties this filled the bill.
"Well, it got so bad at last, so many
good men bein' killed. that Mr.. Park
hurst sent Miss Riggs word that he'd
be pleased to furnish her ticket back
where she came from. She sent word
maid In Colorado than a bloomin' mar.
ricd woman In the east. Then Mr..
Parkhurst went to see her to reason
with her. She jist set there listenn'
to him with her head ON one side and
her nose III the air and didn't answer
never a word.
'Things KEEP goin' from bad to worse.
Some of the men Miss Riggs had re-
fused TUX to drink. and most of 'em
wouldn't work. 1t was impossible to
/ git other hands, and the dirt taken out
was gittin' less and less every day. 1t
begun to seem that if Miss Riggs wasn't
married or didn't go away the mine
would have to shet down. The presi
I m xtha
] Mr.. Parkhurst wrote to send ON a car.
load OF women. The president wrote
! that Miss Bowers had come back and
wouldn't advise no more gals to &c
to sich benighted place. This looked
purity black. Mr.. Parkhurst called for
old Ben higgins and axed him wha,
was best to be done.
"When | was livin' with my ole
woman, Mr.. Parkhurst,' Huggins sale
knowinly. 1 found out that women
must have their way
What do you mean by thatg
We'll, sir. there's nothin' fur a pur
l.ty gal here but to cit married. Ever,
man here has axed Miss Riggs bu
one
- thought they had all asked her.
"'No. sir; there's one left. and tn,
KNOWN ones among the wives sa,
that's the one she wants
"'Who is hep
IL think it's you, sir
"TY
Yes, sir-you.'
You must be mistaken
If am the women amt
He didn't say no more about II
but ! noticed that he was sprucin' up
He'd been wearin' a flannel shirt. an,
fust thing knowed he had put ON
boiled one. Then he went to the ba,
ber and got a shave. After supper
seen him lookin' at himself In a glas
that hung beside the roller towel a
the tavern. Next he headed for th
cabin where Miss Riggs was stayin'
, The young woman was perfectl
aware that the manager understoo
the situation. Furthermore. she ha