Democratic Sentinel, Volume 14, Number 25, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 July 1890 — BILLHEMPSEY'S RECITAL [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

BILLHEMPSEY'S RECITAL

K 4 Jl t stir-. 'A Wafy/~ Ridge neiAlr h p'e c t e d ; ’iisf- W uorihv of confidence »ud had been intrnst- ‘ gd with a county bf-

■fice, yet,when be. married Tsd Harwell., there was heard, at every,turn, murinuih -of astonlshMerit.'V’ ' . Tal wura beautyfiil and was nnjcfi younger, than Bili; her form, untrained j by any art, but with a wpoflslike'wirtfness of .development, was- of ekqulsfta grace, and her hair was of gentle waviness, like ripples, of a sun-ray-catch-ing rivulet. Handsome fellows—Ned Royston, whose bottom held of corn was thiß Fiar the finest in the neighbprbo.Qdi .and hil Hightower,--wlyp -had just built a new doable log-bouse, chinked and daubed, paid devoted court to the beauty, but when old Bill came along—old Bill with a scar over one eye where a steer kicked hipa ■ vwh ago—and Jier tcx ■expression of a and. ■consented. .nr.iinuvlo »< masrfj mvavtrn ;rapasi viewed «tnntry> wwnitanigntr have seemed'a dreamy-tflaof* ywnwiilidiaf in the back door, Bill could look down •and see the wild plum bushes bepdiug sover the crystal water of the creek—could ■see a greiffa* .fit ddw^lfe^ and couid hear the soug of the -rain crow* Several years passed. > The'goßsin@'S»4. Inctantly agreed,that Bill and hls wlfe

•were happy, that is, ’hifpjsy, for the gossips never submit to a complete «urrender. One day while Bill wus away from home Ned Boyston came to the boose. ,Xal came ia^when,sh,e steps, and upon weeing the visitor’stood, wiping her hands on her apron. She had been washyjg, asd a bubble of suds pn her hair, catching a ray of light, dashed •Uke a diamond, * v VU “You’ve about forgot me, hain’t you, Tal— Miz Hempsey?”’ “No, how could 1 forget you when I see ; you at church nearly every Sunday? ’ Sit >down." . * Ye f: yo« ie^m9.; v himself, “but as you never speak to me I • lowed that you had dun forgot me.""' • ■“I never forget a friend." **Much obliged. You look* tired; *it down yourse’f.” She sat- down'. Iffed ■sontinued: , “ You d »fßf d bar # don’t you?”;; , .5 S “No morej than any other w<im'h. 1 reckon.” 1 | ] '<Cjf \?.§ “You do motet than I’d let my wife do.” "“Yes, all men talk that way before they <*re married.” “And some of them mean what they say, ITal—or Miz Hempsey.” “But the 'majority of them de not.”.. >. “I know one that does. Tal, if you ‘had married me you neferjrbuld had to, • work none.” , “You let your mother work.? A r, A V. “Yes, but I wouldn’t let you work. 1 wish you mairied me, Tal, for I ain’t been happyU single hour-sen-e you 4old me that yorrweuldn’-*; uoUa single e(nw : 1 aster be persirijijn jajddi#( >than anybody, / bti¥T ain’t*jßk, aenee you that ybu bohidn’t marry “ But* \ A “Mebby tfitlm ■«■•»• A short awmSi followed; Ned twistedj bis bat rounfl /Sa wifed hands on hhf ijfronl j !• < “Tal—you 4 am ifad cajlJWl, U) do you?” ; “No, I aff a^A|«rti©il». ,, T -“CZP** “But you • wouldn’t everyfbffdy Tfall r<s; : Weu” ’ l tfUrr,Jli ** M iW ■7"»min.i uxt “Do jo«*knbs> i #hiit^vr!WWlhi ***** -about eveo-aensfcl ®iw yfllj?r.*9jfi|in^l%|fe Su -Ho a w ? ki fm&viWßkp&mvm thinkin’ abtmt'!„,H*rdly xkxiow;soin^fmfll; been thinkin’ about, Tal?” Hhe aat twiiting her apron; a eat purred

aYfut the legs of herifcaw. At chicken, singing the lasy sonk\f ilfKlg time,” hppped up into theWiprkay: ‘‘Shoo,” she cried. .“The chskeM wrejabont to take the place.” a ™ \ 1 “ that ate’tr -nothin’ to do

what I’ve -been thankin'* nor about -you wantin’ to know it. Do you wg®ter.know2” “You may tell me if you want to.” *Sh6‘ ’miff?” “Yes, if it ain’t bad.” ■ “Oh, it ain’t bad.” He untwisted his hat, straightened it- wftt-by'puihnrg' rt dow n , oi“ki» n he«d;' , tt>olt A lt’ off, find, -buginninflrrt'‘tkHst * ’** , ‘ rT Mww™ happy wjffi to ILV? 0 !--. ato ypp—...Qhvr.^w,. .get through,” uShei.hn l .moved daw patiently. TMan that don’t ’preciale you; and I’ve Jjqen thin kin’ that I would come over 4*ere and —and ysk ypn to run away with •tub. Wait, Till—please wait. ” She had hHSrung tq her feetj '“Jiist listen ’to 'me a £Bsinit/ Folks uster think jfoa was happy, . • t»t they khoft yon aijtft now. please.’ uwait a minute. • You won't tell Bill, will you? Ojl)yob iVon’t do that.-,!! kp r ow. ,We ( understand each other, Tal, don’t we? Tal, oh, Tal ■” She was hastening ,c{&wn the slope toward ttyfe' wild-plum* ■Jtfljbhes. “Don’t say anythiiig,” he shout- «&.' "Don’t, for if you do there’ll be /jftuble.” >* .3 What’s the matter, little girl?” Bill razeed that evening as he was eating hie .(ftippar. rtf.ifl Nothin’.” You don’t ’pear to fee as bright.as vushal.” “I thought I wa.«•.* ain’t. Thar’s some new calico in my saddle-bags that'll make, aou as ! putty a dress as you ever t-eed. Got red o£d yallcr spots on it that shines like a sunflower. Look here, little gal, thar’s somethin’ the matter with yon and you tecdn’t say th-ir ain’t. Come here now.” le KhoMffeMMMBMhMKMMKthe tableand der. a?n’t the righ«BortffflJMPmi9ban«|if you keep: og. Megbe ygin’t|rtpo f|u getMx’ old a»d gridßy, goM-lookfig’ noh®w, while you ’’pear to_ git puttier and duttier IC 533 \.;s 1 uii B ill, ” i»->'yhi&,^’ t 4drtiag' . her * 'arms around his neck, “you mustn^-t'alkAS.Tboi; §Sk ’flWWl' , promisw»te#%gU , m*W[’tltfldTX , tt®J’ s lii l^ ails me. ” ■ ;“Law me; child; I cui£Hh’t git- mackij ; 'l wanted fShe told him;.JSe satfot;afew mpmenist in a si emed of deep medHaftPUjFUd4hrdtt with a brightfedinfe > couptunaace, said orfully >• ain’t nothin Jto gat mad about, cyie. ,bH*f all right; and let me tell you that any man after seein’ you a ,;few timps, is bpund ta love you. and I reckon he woiild he willin’ to run away with you. Why, bless my life, I’d run away with’ you in a minitv er haw, haw!

“An! vou won’t Bay anything to him :>a.bout'it?'F^ “Law me, child, I’ll nevermention" iff to him; never in the world, so don’t give yourself no uneasiness.” ¥ * * * W »i“ T - * A was Several man, inguffffit )ffl|J^^ing m 1101, Talbolls siore. Yandfer cotnes Bill Hempsey. eaM Talbot, looking out. WFp '§ jfl Ned ftoystop. moved-uneasily in hHf. chair. ?■ “Hello, men!” Bill shouted,* as he stepped up into the door 4 and *began to

k stamp, the mud off his feet. “Sorter saft <mmK* -gm l SS” a " oi &M 4 •’ApoM upi'MJfur wKtf.'knowixlfeafcXnWWi •at

“We all jina him in thinking so,"..said Talbot. 1 w- * # ’ 1 W * r* “Much’ ohjaegedl”. He stool .leaning ; arainst the counter, and, moving his hand ! carelessly, touched a rusty cheese-knife. “Bob, what do you keep sich a oneryi looking knife as this for?” I “Sharp enough to cut cheese with, I reckon, Bill.” *‘Y>s. but that’s about ail. Hand me j jhat phetrock overthHr ((fur let mt whet | the point, haven’t got to W j doin’ somethiti’ jfll &e tim*. Wall, feL idlers, ,1 seed Jj* while j w«s down in Knoxville, that laid over anything I ever did see before. I went to a theater. Ever at one, Ned?” “No, don’t believe I was.” _ - n “Wall, now if you’ve ever been at-'one J you’d know it,” Bill replied, industriously whetting the- point of the knife. “Wby, it sillier than a scorched pup. I never did sich a show.” “Any hosses in it?” Bob Talbot asked. “Oh, n©j it all tuck, place in a. house. I’ll till you how-'it was^lstiH - whetting ths khife]. It Was' planhyY&gfilar; pexfeiid* like, but it looked mighty natral. 'lt -•’petars that a ruther old feller had mar.ried a ruther young gal [he put the whetJitone on the counter); a powerful .puttygal, too. Wall, one time when .-Hie oldfeller wa’n’t about the house, a young chap that had wanted to marry her a ghed while before, he come in and got tc -talkin’ to-hrer, and-the upshot' was that he wanted her to run away with him.’!. j.“So,” said Bob Talbojt. ’ . , “Yes,' sir,” ’crohttnagdbld Bill; “wanted her to run smack smooth away vith him. Wall, she told her husband, but he sortei ' laughed. *«didh aigJ'liJwed <jhathe®idn’t sr, sjb Wd« fSiiiJt here, Ned| and lq# pae ; flfb% it, stand up; don’t pnll back like a shyin hoss. The old feller got him a knife [boat like this, and he went into a room •W.har the: (young feller was... No’w, yon stand right thaij. He this tray, -aadjneither oheof lhein says a;word, but stoo|d and looked at each other ’bOut like’ '•We lare doinV hut nil at..once-the old fhlUrfliHs ! up t lhe knife this v yay and—• Thar, \you damned #couridel! U ‘ ’ He plunged fchd knifd ioW’Ned*Roy’ston.’s b east—buried the blade in the fellqw’s bosom, and, as he pulled it out, wHilfe Royston lay ou the floor, de id, he .turned to his terro.-slricken friends, and exclaimed: “l{e wanted my wife to run away with him.boyaL* “If yoh fiaji| mu, I’fi fie tha ■ Tope. v j, • i, «. i* “,Yon don’t? Then good-hy, and God bless you.”

YOU’VE ABOUT FORGOT ME, HAINT YOU, TAL?

"HELLO, MEN! BILL SHOUTED.

”HE WANTED MY WIFE TO RUN AWAY WITH HIM, BOYS.