Scare me again

When Fred was 16 years old, Lafar Ruppe, who lived nearby in the Cherokee Creek Community, was courting Fred’s 18-year-old sister Beula. When they became engaged, Fred delighted in teasing Beula by telling everyone his version of how Lafar had proposed to her.

According to Fred’s tale, he was spying on Beula & Lafar as they courted in the living room when he overheard Lafar say “Beula, why don’t we get married?” Beula, not wanting to appear too eager, shyly replied, “You’re scaring me.” Lafar switched the conversation to something else, and Beula, surprised that he didn’t urge her, was afraid that she had appeared a little too shy and demure. She interrupted Lafar’s conversation by saying, “Why don’t you scare me again?”

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Beula’s version, although not as funny, was somewhat different. She said she and Lafar were courting, and during a buggy ride, he proposed to her. She told him she wasn’t ready to marry him just yet, but to wait a while and then ask her again. She told her family about the proposal and what her answer had been, and she said Fred made up the rest to tease her.

Beula and Lafar were married, moved into her Aunt Amanda Atkinson’s boarding house in Cliffside, and both went to work in the mill. When they first started on their jobs, Beula, who had worked there previously and was experienced, made $1.00 per day for her work, and Lafar made only 75 cents. However, after Lafar “learned-up” on his job, which was apparently a combination watchman, boiler tender, and shop man, he earned more that Beula did.