Evening Republican, Volume 15, Number 109, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 May 1911 — Jinks’ Romance [ARTICLE]

Jinks’ Romance

A CM War Vrt’e fab

By F . A. MITCHEL

"Jinks,” Mid oo» of a party of civil war veterans to a comrade, whose bald head shot out a few spears of white hair and whose gums always met when he closed .his jaws, “why didn't you never git married?” Jinks uncrossed his legs, recrossed than the other way and said: "There’s a romance in my life.” “A romance! Ton don't mean to say there’s any romance or ever has been in you! It wouldn’t be nat*r*l to you.” “I wasn’t always like 1 am now, no more’n you fellers. I was sleek enough when we was fighting Johnny Bobs.” “Well, tell us about your romance.” “It began when we was goln’ up that long slant at Ferderlcksburg. If ever there was a place particularly cal’cl’ated to mow down men and have plenty of time to do It, that inclined plane takes the cake. It’s nearly fifty year since we was led up there, and nobody hain’t ylt found out who was responsible. Mr. Lincoln warn’t no soldier, but if he’d seen he’d known it was a good slaughter pen and nothin* else. "Me and Bob Aker was trudgin' along side by side, expectin’ either one or t’other-would drop. We was bosom friends. All of a auddlnt Bob pitched forward. I dropped out and bent over/ him. He just bad time before be fell on f other side to stretch out a hand with a ring on it and say: " *Taka it to Sue and tell her I want her to marry you intead of me.’ “I pulled the ring off his finger, and he died while I was a doin’ it Slippin’ the thing on my own finger, I got up and hurried along to my regiment, though even in this short time the place where we’d been was as wide as a church door. "Bob had had plenty of time to tell me all that was necessary, for he'd told me the rest often before. Laws, how the boy did talk about that gal! She was the loveliest thing on earth, so good, so gentle, so lovin’. Then he would say: ‘lt nearly kills me to think that I may git killed down here and some other feller’ll take my place with her. If any man does I want you <o be her busband. Bill. If I knew she was goln* to you it wouldn’t seem so bad.’ He’d often showed me the ring she’d givfen him, and he’d given her one in exchange. "I was powerful affected by all this, seein* Bob killed right beside me and his turnin’ the gal he couldn’t have himself over to me. I tell you I was all broke up.” The old man took out his handkerchief, blew his nose and Incidentally touched fils eyes with the wipe. "Oh, don’t get maudlin*, Jinks!” *T came out o’ that slaughter all right, and as soon as Td got Bob a trifle out o’ my mind I fell to dreamin’ o’ his gaL Td go over plans to break the news of Bob’s message and all about it I wondered if I could persuade her to take me instead o’ Bob and. jhow long I’d be a-doin* it There’d be lots o’ delicacy required, and I didn’t know how a rough chap like me could git down to it The only thing I could do would be to do the best I could. I kind a thort that a good deal depended on my glttln’ the gal, for I had some hold on her—Bob had made the request—and I didn’t have a hold on any other gal and no prospect o’ havin’ any other hold. "The war ended at last and I’d *a* gone straight to Bob’s gal, but I was mustered out far from her home, and I didn’t have no money to buy a ticket with. Besides, I was out at the seat o’ the britches. So I had to go to work to git the cash. Of course when I got a place I couldn’t git my employer to let me go off courtin’ a gal whose heart was like enough burled down in Virginia. Anyway, I didn’t like to ask him, and so I kep’ a-puttln’ the thing off and puttin’ it off till a number of years' went by. An this time I was pinin’ for the wife that I was expectin’ to git” “By gum. Jinks, you air glvln’ us a romance, ain’t you?” j “It was ten years before I got round to goln’ to give Bob Akers’ message. “I remember mighty well the day I went to the town she lived in, a village in a valley. I found the house, a little cottage with wistaria”— “Oh, cut out them embellishments.” "There was a man standln* on the ' corner, with his hands In his pockets, chawin* tobaccer. I went up to him, and to open conversation I asked him for a chaw. He give it to me, and then I asked if be knew Bob’s gal. He said he’d known her ever since she was knee high to a duck. Then I told him that I was beside Bob Akars when he was killed and he had sent a ring and a message by me. “ *What was the message F the man asked. ■ - "I kind o’ wanted to get somebody to help me carry this load o’ romance that was breakin* mb down, so I showed him the ring and told him the hull story. He jlst faced me and stood looking into my eyes, and I knew that somep’n was workin’ in his mind. “•Young mgn.* he said, impresslvolike. 'Bob Akers’ girl married me a month before Bob was killed. If you want to give her the ring and relieve me I hain’t no objection to your doin’ it. You may have fought in the war, but you can’t wrestle with her—no man can.* ” “For heaven’s sake. Jinks, Is that your romance?” “He’s made it out of whole doth The reason he hain’t got • wm to Manse he couldn’t git one.”

“Billy” Stewart, the Parr wrestler, was in town Saturday night to see the match,and after its conclusion is alleged to have become intoxicated. Nightwatch Critzer directed him to go home but he refused and finally the nightwatch started him to the jail. He was going to resist and the officer is said to have struck him with his club. At that Stewart changed his mind and said he would accompany the officer peaceably. He begged that the “come-a-long” wrist pincher be not put on him and this was not done. When near the courthouse» Stewart suddenly sprang away from the officer and made his escape. He was seen at. Parr Bunday and was walking on crotches, stating that he had Sprained his ankle. Sunday morning three other young fellows that were with Stewart plead guilty to a charge of drunkenness and were fined >1 and costs, amounting in each case to >4.30. A warrant is out for Stewart and if he does not come down this evening and surrender himself an officer will go after him. Stewart’s acquaintances seem surprised that he was intoxicated as they say that he has been considered a temperate young man. The names of the other boys are withheld from publication at the request of two of them, who wanted to avoid