Year: 1872




former home OF the bride to the house
of the groom's father, and procession
on horseback where each feller" rode
by the side of his "girl = aud as
skirts were unknown, pedal extremi-
ties were exposed, and l trotted along
gazing at " Pop" as she was familiar
ly called. with her sweet little foot and
rounded ankle exposed to the atrnOs-
phere. was young, tender and sus.
ceptible, and before we reached the
end of our brief pilgrimage l was des-
perately in love.


1t was stupid business on my part,
for Pop had her "feller." He was n
tall, broad-shouldered, doublehsted
brute. answered to the name of Jack
son FOrsetts, and it was understood
that he and my little love we're soon
to be united in the holy bonds of mat
rimOny.


was ass enough to cut the fellow
out" to use country phrase. Little
Pop took to my store clothes. She
liked the novelty of the thing and gave
her Forsetts the cold shoulder. 1
heard his muttered thunder bgt took
no heed.


That night the fun was fast and fiifi-
Gus at the paternal residence Of the
groom. The progenitor Of the happy
man was client of our Office and ex.
tremely friendly towards me. He ex-
hibited this-he took me one side aud
gave warning that Forsetts was going
to thrash me the first time he uanght
me out, anu as l was not used to that
eort Of thing the way for me to do Was
to get my pistol, retreat to wall or
corn r Sd as to keep the law on my
side, und then, my boy he said
earnestly, "just you perforate him
like watermillion. Them big lawyers
OF yours can see you through Hike a
riteese-kniie.'


Then again he called me ont, ahl
said when got tired fr6licking be
would show me bed, where l could
turn In and get a nap. He led me to
a room at the end of porch, and
made exhibit OF said couch. / had NO
idea of sleeping, and returned to the
side of my Polly: About midnight,
however, she disappeared, and the gay
and festive scene lost all attraction.
What was the rural rural dance OF
{" hug and snugr when Polly was
neither "hug" nor snugp And
then, feeling weary and sad, l stole
quietly to the little bedroom to turn
i'm.


The room was dark as the cores.
pon,lence on the consequential dam.
ages" Iclosed the door after me, un,
dressed, aud, feeling for the bed, got
in, Then for the first tiine discover.
ed another occupant. Surprising that
the old gentleman had granted the
same favor to some other guest, took
my place and SOON fell asleep with an
ugly suspicion that entered my brain,
that the strange bed fellow might be
that rascal Forsetts, my rival.


I slept the sleep of innocence and
peace. / was awakened by row.
When opened my eyes day was in
the room, and with the day crowd Of
people laughing boisterO'lsly. In the
center Of the room stood the old gen
tlemaD who had 30 kindly given me a
bed, and at my side, sitting mp in bed
and crying, was to my horror the little
Pitcher. She strove Iii vain to cover
her snowy shoulders with very brief
under garment, that, although worn
during the day, served its other use of
night-gown.


had, only a second for reflection.
Among the people crowded in at the
door was the terrible Fossetts, who
swore with earnestness and shook his
big fists as if he intended to punch
some one. The old gentleman drove
ont the crowd, and telling me to come
to breakfast, left the room. How !
dressed and retreated l do not know.
I tried to explain to Pop as did 40,
but she had disappeared under the
clothes and laughed and cried hysteri
caliy until I withdrew.


got to breakfast with what appe
tite might. The. old gentleman had
to explain, swearing that "he didn't
know that fool Pop Pitcher was going