The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1882-10-25


chance comes along and yanks 'em by
the hair Of the head. But, lal you
can't expect everybody to be intellec-
tooal; it amt in the mater of things"
"Well, you won't forget us poor fell
lows when your chance comes along,
will you, Sim ?" said Jim Durgin.
The mailbag arrived at that mo-
ment and created diversion.
L was calkerlatin' to go home and
set my dinner pot a-b'ilin'," said Sim,
"but 1 guess, as bong as the mails got
in, 1 may as well wait and see if there's
any letter for me-"
The men all laughed at this, Sims
standing joke, for he had never been
known to have a letter; but their
laughter was soon exchanged to excla-
nations of astonishment, for the post
master called, "Here is a letter for
you, Sim, as sure as you're born" And
he came out from behind the partition
which shut the postosice in sacred pri-
vacy from the store, in a state of great
excitement. Sorting the remaining
contents Of the mailbag was not to be
thought of until curiosity concerning
Sims letter was gratified.
Every feature of Sims face dis
tended with astonishment. He took
the letter tenderly between his thumb
and forefnger and looked at it in 81
lence, at the superscription and the
postmark alternately. There was no
doubt about it; the address was, "Sim-
con Pingree, Esq, Greenhollow,
Maine" The postmark was almost il
legible. The crowd waited in respect
full silence while Sim struggled to de-
cipher it.
"Californy p he exclaimed at last,
bringing his hand down upon his side
with resounding thump. "Cur'us if
my chance had come along now,
wouldn't it?"
"Some advertisin' cirkler - minin'
stock or somethin'. They've found out
that you are a capitalist, Sim, and
want to get you to invest" said Jim
Durgin.
"Or mebbe they want a man of tar.
lents for president of a minin' COM
pany," suggested Elijah Wiswell.
"Mebbe it's from your girl" said
one Of the boys. But his Jest was i'm
mediately frowned down, for Sims
sweetheart, Cynthy Jane Reynolds,
had deserted him and married his
brother, and this disappointment was
thought to have had something to do
with Sims queerness.
Sim proceeded to open the letter
slowly and cautiously. He read it
aloud, picking his way laboriously
along, while his audience listened in
breathless silence.
"FRIEND SIMEON" Git ran), "this
is hopein' to find you alive and to say
that [ am enjoyin' the same blessin'.
And likewise have had a run of luck,
after I'd begun to think 'twa'n't never
comm. I've struck a vein of silver
that's goin' to make my fortin' sure, if
it pans out anything at all as I calker-
late now, and want an honest man
to come and help me keep it away
from these sharpers that are as furce
as wolves after it. / write to you fust
of anybody because amt forgot the
good turn you done me lickin' the
schoolmaster and taking care of me
when 1 had the fever, and nobody else
come nigh me. send check that
will pay your expenses gettin' here and
l hope you'll let me know pooty quick
whether you're a-comin'.
"Yours to command,
"CYRUs BADGER"
"P. S.-You can be sure there want
never nothin' like it for chance tc
make a fortin."
There was a chorus of exclama-
tions.
"Well, Sim, begin to blieve there
is somethin' in your figurin', after all, y
said Elijah Wiswell, scrutinizing the
check. Elijah was a practical man.
and knew that brilliant prospects
were often delusive, but the check i'm
pressed him.
"Well, l never had no head for
figgers, and mebbe that's the reason
I'm to the bottom of the heap" said
Uncle Zach, mournfully. Gran'the1
he always said mans luck lay in his
bumps"
"Just my luck that 1 never licked
a schoolmaster nor took care feller
through fever" grumbled jim Dur
gin. but I'm glad of your luck any
way, Sim"
And Sim received a great many
hearty grips of the hand, for though
he was "shiftless" there was some
thing about Sim that made everybody
like him,
In spite of his firm faith that his
chance was on the way Sim seemed
almost overcome by surprise. His
angular frame trembled and perspira-
tion stood in drops upon his brow.
"Pm obleeged to ye ALL" he said, in
a somewhat bewildered way, "but Pm
kind of took by surprise, for it's come
sooner'n l calkerlated, You see, it's
been little kind of hard. 1 want
never one that stiddV daVs' works come