Nancy MacIntyre.

by Lester Shepard Parker.

BILLY'S REVERY

1

No use talking, it's perplexing, Everything don't look the same; Never had these curious feelin's Till those MacIntyres came.

Quit my plowing long 'fore dinner, Didn't hitch my team again; Spent the day with these new neighbors, Getting 'quainted with the men.

Talk about the prairie roses!

Purtiest flow'rs in all the world, But they look like weeds for beauty When I think of that new girl.

Strange, she seems so kind of friendly When I'm awkward, every way, And my tongue gets. .h.i.tched and hobbled, Everything I try to say!

2

There's one person, that Jim Johnson, That there man I can't abide; He's been milling around near Nancy,-- Durn his dirty, yaller hide!

Never really liked that Johnson; Now, each time I hear his name, Feel this state's too thickly settled,-- That is, since that new girl came.

If this making love to women Went like breaking in a horse, I might stand some show of winning, 'Cause I've learned that game, of course; But this moonshine folks call 'courting,'

I ain't never played that part; I can't keep from talking foolish When I'm thinking with my heart.

3

Now, those women that you read of In these story picture books, They can't ride in roping distance Of that girl in style and looks.

They have waists more like an insect, Corset shaped and double cinched; Feet just right to make a watch charm, Small, of course, because they're pinched.

This here Nancy's like G.o.d made her,-- She don't wear no saddle girth, But she's supple as a willow, And the purtiest thing on earth.

I'm in earnest; let me ask you-- 'Cause I want to reason fair-- What durn business has that rope-necked Johnson sneaking over there?

4

Hands so soft and strong and tender, When I shook a "how de do,"

They was loaded sure with something Seemed to thrill me through and through; Hair as black as fire-burnt prairie; Eyes that dance and flash and flirt; Every time she smiled she showed you Teeth as white's my Sunday shirt.

Baked us biscuits light as cotton; I can't eat mine any more,-- I must get some better breeches,-- Kind o' 'shamed of those I wore; But I'm goin' there to-morrow, Like enough I'll stay all day, Seems to me too dry for plowing-- Durn that Johnson, anyway!

5

I ain't much on deep-down thinkin', Reasoning out the way things go, So I s'pose I'll keep on foolin'

Till in time I get to know.

I've had chills and fever 'n' ague; Suffered till their course was run.

Maybe love just keeps on runnin', Till a man has lost--or won.

One thing certain: I have got it; Seems to struck in good and hard.

Makes me sometimes soft and tender; Next thing I would fight my pard.

Appet.i.te is surely failing, Sometimes I don't eat a bite; Dream of Nancy all the daytime, That durn Johnson, half the night.

6

I've just got to get to plowin', Break a fire-guard 'round my shack, Plant my sod corn, fix my garden; Everything is goin' to rack.

I can't work the way I used to; Got to quittin' early now, Since a little thing that happened, I can't just remember how.

I was takin' leave of Nancy, Standin' out there in the night, And I put my arms around her-- Heart stopped beatin', just from fright.

Can't express the kind of feelin',-- Words wa'n't never made for this,-- As I drew her face up closer, And I stole my first sweet kiss.

THE QUARREL

1

Things have moved along some smoother Since a week ago to-night, Seems my blood turned all to p'ison-- Me and Johnson had a fight.

Caught him twice up there to Nancy's; Told him plain to stay away; But he didn't seem to notice Anything I had to say.

Caught him settin' there and talkin'

'Bout the things that he had done-- Durndest liar on the prairie-- Laughing like he thought 'twas fun, Settin' there beside o' Nancy-- Settin' down is all he does, Good for nothin', bug-eyed, loafin', Wrinkled, yaller, meddlin' cuss!

2

I just let him keep on settin'

All the whole long evenin' through; When he started off I follered, Told him what I meant to do.

"Why," says he, "now, don't git foolish; I ain't skeered o' your light breeze; I'll go thar and set by Nancy, Spite o' you, when I blame please."

Well, I don't just clear remember All the doin's that took place, But you'll know the story better If you'll look at Johnson's face.

As we rode we clinched and wrestled, Then we tumbled to the ground, Tore the bunch gra.s.s up, and cactus, For a hundred yards around.

3

Got him down, and in the scrimmage Felt my la.s.so on the ground, Tied his legs and bent him over, Bound him like he's sittin' down; Hustled quick to mount my pony, Threw the loose end round the horn, Thought I'd learn that Mr. Johnson He'd missed out in bein' born.

Then I dragged him on the prairie, Through a Turk's Head cactus bed, p.r.i.c.kly pears and shoestring bushes,-- 'Twasn't decent what he said.

He's so dev'lish fond of settin', Thought I'd fix his settin' end So's he'd be more kinder careful Settin' by that girl again.

[Ill.u.s.tration: "Then I dragged him on the prairie Through a Turk's Head cactus bed."]

THE DISAPPOINTMENT

1

There's a feeling in my bosom, Like a hound that's lost the game, After chasing over bunch gra.s.s Till his feet are sore and lame.

I am standing by her dug-out, Open stands the sagging door; Every gra.s.sblade speaks of Nancy, But she's gone, to come no more.

For her father and her mother, And her brothers, late last night, Loaded up their prairie schooner, And vamoosed the ranch, 'fore light.