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UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA.
Vol. XXVU.
LINCOLN, NEBRASKA, JANUARY 28, 181)8.
No. 17
I?liiloNoplii-.
'Yes, I'm a winner any way," ho said to mo;
"For, if she comes to love the other man,
you see
I win by losing her; and then," he smiled
as 'twere,
"IT she loves me, 'tis clear I win by winning
her."
He told this story unto me with cold calm face;
And yet his eyes gazed far away in vacant space
As if he sought to see the smile of that fair one
Who still, ho seemed to hope, by winning
might be won.
I saw him once again when many months
,,,had passed
And tit d if he, by winning or by losing,
won at last.
sides and over his little red eyes, sprang up
before me with a roar that would have fright
ened an African explorer. Then a languid
bass voice called "Come back. .lack, you dang
hound, comeback naow."
I followed the retreating dog, and soon
came to a sod house so old that great quan
tities of the wall had crumbled down and lay
up against the base as an embankment. Morn
ing glories had covered this with a thick mat,
and had climbed almost to the top of the wall,
partly concealing its ugliness. On the straw
covered roof a giant thistle waved its purple
flowers defiantly in the wind.
"Haow areyo, mister?" said the same voice.
Under the shade of a bushy boxelder, where
the grass grew thick and soft, lay a big, strong
looking man in blue shirt and overalls Datohed
(He'looked at mo, a twinkle in his eye, ' 'You see 80 much lhnt they mflde you lhink of a piece.
I won at last by winning her," he said to me. quilt His black eyes were blinking sleepily
Marius. at me from the dark tangle of whiskers and
Mlie ftjod Houno among; tlio Weedw hair. With a great effort he sat up, grasped
'What magnificent weeds!" I thought as I his knee with both hands and yawned noisily.
emei'ged from the crooked road in the tall
corn and passed through the dilapidated gate
of the rotting board fence that marked the
limits of the White place. On one side of the
deeply washed road a few yellow corn leaves
and diminutive Uissols could be seen among
the waving heads of foxtail; on the other the
rank grass loft no clue as to the crop origin
ally planted there. As 1 came to the row of
vine covered cottonwoods that indicated a
dwelling place, I found the weeds nourishing
with wondorfnl luxuriance. No longer more
grassis but lofty sunflowers with wild morn
ing glories climbing in great coils to the very
"Haow'd ye come to go through there,
mister? Wouldn't hev ben half so hard to go
raound. Them weeds do grow to beat all.
If I was only healthy as some folks, I'd hev
them cleaned up. Mighty bad thing to be
sickly mister."
I looked at his big chest and strong arms.
Sickly indeed! "What is your trouble?" I
asked.
"Wal, I can't jist say. I've boon to the
doctor, but ho can't make out what ails 'me.
I've tried most every kind of medicine there
is, but it don't do no good. Then maw she
knows all about homo made hitters and tonics
tops, and reaching their spiral waving ends but she can't help me nuthor. .list the -other
up into the air exploring for a new support.
I know that there was a house somewhere in
that jungle, so I duokod down and resolutely
plunged into it. I had worked my way for a
few rods when suddenly a tremendous dog
with dirty tangled wool hanging down his
day I was watorin' the horses and I got thai
dizzy I nigh keolod over. Then I sqy 'No sir
ye don't do no sieh tricks any 'more.' " An
other resounding yawn.
"Frank!" called a squeaky voice from in
side.
"What is it maw?"
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