Year: 1873

gazing at Pop, as she was famlllarly


called, with her sweet little foot and


rounded ankle eXposedto the atmosphere.


L was young, tender and susceptible,


and before we reached the end of our


brief pilgrimage 1 was desperately in


love-


1t was stupid business on my part,


for Pop had her "feller." He was a
! tall, broad-shouldered, double-fisted
| brute, answered to the name of jackson
| Fosscts, and it was understood that he
and my little love were soon to be united
i'll the holy bonds of matrimony.
| | was ass enough to cut the fellow
out" to use a country phrase. Little
Pop took to my store clothes. She liked
the novelty of the thing and gave her
Fossets the cold shoulder. | heard his
muttered thunder, but took no heed
That night the fun was fast and furi-
Gus at the paternal residence of the
groom. The progenitor of the happy
man was a client of our office and ex-
tremely friendly toward me. He exhib-
tied this-he took me one side and gave
warming that Fossets was going to
thrash me the first time that he caught
me out, and as | was not used to that
sort of thing, the way for me to do was
to get my pistol, retreat to a wall or cor
ner, so as to keep the law on my side,
and then, my boy" he said earnestly,
"jnst you perforate him like water
melon. Them big lawyers of yours
can see you through like cheese knife"


Then again he called me out, and said
when / got tired frolicking hewouldshow
me a bed, where | could turn in and
get nap. He led me to Il room at the
end of the porch, and made exhibit of
said couch. [ had no idea of sleeping,
and returned to the side of my Polly.
About midnight, however, she disap-
peared and the gay and festive scene
lost all attraction. What was the rural
dance of ''hug and snug when Polly
was neither "hug nor snug 2" And
'ii''i, i'oiiiiS "S"dS 'iit ottu, Stole
quietly to the little bedroom to turn in


The room was dark as the correspond
ence on consequential damages /
closed the door, llndressed, and feeling
for the bed got in. Then for the first
time [ discovered another occupant
Supposing that the old gentleman had
granted the same favor to some other
guest, l took my place and soon fell
asleep with an ugly suspicion that en-:
tered my brain that the strange bedfel-
low might be that rascal Fossets, my
rival.


| slept the sleep of innocence and
peace. | was awakened by II row.
When [ opened my eyes day was in the
room, and with the day crowd of peo-
pie laughing boisterously. In the cen
ter of the room stood the old gentleman
who had so kindly given me bed, and
at my side, sitting up and crying, was, to
my horror, the little Pitcher. She strove
in vain to cover her snowy shoulders with
a very brief undergarment, that, al
though worn during the day, served its
other use of night-gown.


1 had only second for reflection.
Among the people crowded in at the door
was the terrible Fossets, who swore
with much earnestness and shook his
big fists as if he intended to punch some
one. The old gentleman drove out the
crowd, and telling me to come to break
fast, left the room. How | dressed and
retreated I do not know. L tried to ex-
plain to Pop as did SO, but she had dis
appeared under the clothes and laughed
and cried Historically until l withdrew


| got to breakfast with what appetite
1 might. The old gentleman had to ex-
plain, swearing that che didn't know
that fool Pop Pitcher was going to husk
herself in that bed > and l tried, but no
one would believe us-while Fossets
was on the porch bringing his two fists
together with great violence and swearing
that he would remove my cuticle, take
o'to my tNNo, Via" UP my iS'''i'', ANU
otherwise dispose of my unhappy per-
son. [ knew that the time had come
for show of courage. Lord knows I
wished myself well out of the scrape
But with calm exterior, at least, what
ever the inner commotion was, / swal-
lowed my food, and then going to the
window, addressed the irate lover:


{" See here, Fossets, you want to fight
me. Very well, L am willing. We can't
fight here, but I'll meet you at the big
spring in the round prairie this after
noon at three o'clock. You come with
your friends, and I'll be there with
mine"


"Thats faithfully for the boy" was
the cry, and Fossets was forced to con-
sent.


But mind you," added, "I'll fight
You in my own way I'll shoot and cut,
so you can come prepared, for there's
to be death in somebody's family and
a funeral on the Ridge.


The fellow gave me volley of oaths
in return, and we separated.


/ had an admirable double-barreled