Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1877-09-06
THE CRAMM WELL.
Harper's Bazaar.

in the pros and cons OF such questions;
but, all the same, he blesses his stars
that a strike occurred on the Grand
Right and Left Railway on a certain
day; that they employees felt imperative
need of an increase of wages; that the
managers didn't see it; and so, whether
or no the end justified the means, it
none the less conspired to promote his
happiness. 1t was the afternoon train
out of Hamburg, advertised to reach
Nova Zembla at 6.45. Mr. Bates, being
somewhat of stranger in the state,
drawn to Nova Zembla by rumorS of
oil wells, and fortunes bubbling out of
the earth, was naturally ignorant that
the strikers had publicly given warning
that they should leave their trains at
four o'clock P. NJ, until he overheard a
gentleman, leaving at Il way-statiOn,
say so to his friend
" You had better not attempt to 90
home tonight, but putu with us; the
engineers strike at four P. NJ, you
know"
''Strike!" echoed the typical old lady
with the traditional bandboxes and
bundles to look after. "Pd like to
know who they're going to strike. Two
can play at that game, Ireckon. What
are they going to strike for?"
" For higher wages, marin. If you
calculated to go beyond Little Bassett,
you'll have to walk the balance, volun-
teered a passenger
I" Me walk! Haven't paid my fare
through? Walk, indeed! III have the
Law of 'em first"
" But this train won't 90 through to-
night"
None OF your qulzzlng, young sauce
box! Haven't | been over this ERE
road every year since my hair took to
falling off, to buy new wig, dating from
the time Eben put the Gabrielle front
to the old house?" And I've never
knowed them not to git to Nova Zembla
when they'd oughter-"
But just then the train stopped, and
SO did the old lady. 1t was four O'clock
exactly.
suppose there's an inn at hand /"
asked Mr.. Bates of native by-stander,
whom he found loafing upon the plat
form.
Devil Bit Little Bassetts run to
oil, stranger"
We're not expected to put up in an
oil well?"
:" You might fare worse There's the
Travellers Haven, but the landlord he
had it carted off for to bore for oil in
the old cellar; its on wheels yet, piece
up the lane there. Maybe they'd take
you in; dunno"
Mr.. Bates strolled up the pretty lane
and into the Travellers Haven-which
had, perhaps, caught the spirit of CAD
ding from its guests-and interrupted a
slovenly woman in the act of scolding
Didn't / tell you, miss, I'd cuff the
ears off your head if you cracked an
other dish? Eth? How are you going
to pay for it? Who do you supposed
put up with your goings on if [ was to
turn you adrift? Nobody in Little Bas-
sett d give you house-room for a
week"
| am SO sorry" was the soft answer.
IN be more careful again"
:" And high time. too-yOu that /
snatched out of the almshouse, so to
speak, and did for ever since you was
four. What would you have been but
for me? And pretty return you make,
a-breaking all the crockery helter-skelt-
er! Oh! Good-day, Sir. Lodgings?"
with decided change of tone. "Rosy,
dear slat yourself, and get the gentle
man room ready; and you might
wiring the neck of the old cropple-crown
he's hungry"
Yes" said Rosy, lifting a pair of
appealing eyes to the strangers.
mo, no." cried Ben, heroically,
don't kill anything for me- Tea and
toast is a supper for a king" 1t panied
him to add another straw to the bur-
dens this detected girl was already car
rying-this girl in the garments and po-
sition of mental, yet who bore her
self like one of gentle blood.
You see," apologized Nj. Cramm,
the landlord, when he came in, eve
amt had time to settle, owing to the
lie well. Tavern-keeping don't pay in
Little Bassett, but lie does. Maybe you
was thinking of buying, ell ?"
Ben was thinking of it, he explained,
but Little Bassett had not been his des-
tination
Maybe you was guided here by
Providence"
Perhaps So" said Ben.
Pity you hadn't been round a
month ago, afore Deacon Davis parted
with his place He got down-hearted,
and sold out for good fgger; but it
turned out the article handsomely after
wards, and the deacon's that mad he
could jump into bramble bush. But
sometimes, you see, it's all poor fell
low can do, to sell out when he amt
got capital to work it. The destruc-
ton of the poor IS their poverty so the
Scriptur tells u.s."
YES" said Ben, his eyes following
Rosy on her way from the milking shed
with two foaming pals.
Ben could hardly have told why he
staid on in Little Bassett from day to
day; whether the neighborhood of such
oil as must have burned in Aladdin's
wonderful lamp or the subtle persua-
sions of landlord Cramm kept him
spellbound in the rustic village, with its
pretty river trickling to the sea, and its
background of spicy woods, where the
tnkle of cow-bells seemed like music
blown from fairy-land At least he did
not put the question to himself He
had been making tour of the differ
ent oil wells one afternoon, and coming
home through the Bassett woods. he
fell in with Rosy.
After flowers ?" asked Ben. Isn't
it growing dark? Hadn't you better
turn back with me? F"
II must find Jetty, first" replied
Rosy.
"And who may Jetty be ?"