The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1882-01-13

her bright, happy ways that are 50 cheer
in to everybody. are OWN pooty mucl
to her enjOyin' good health and to hel
havin' q husband that worships tn,
ground she walks on to.
| Good health and lOve-abOut equa
parts my rule for maxim a handsom,
! woman.
Wall. the next day, when I'd got rest
ed little, Minty and talked the mat
ter over, and we concluded that the fus
thing we'd better do, was to advertise
So she writ a piece and sent it to tn,
newspaper.
"That'll fetch him." says she, eff h
can read and ever looks at a paper; bu
in the meantime Wen keep our eve
open. He may turn up when we aim
expectin'," says she.
From that day it seemed as eff didn'
think o. nothin' but my coal man. Jacl
said hOw't I'd got a n'os,onaxnier, but
knew better, and told him so; nothin
in the world allied me, and I should b.
all right soon's this bizness was off n my
mind.
The fust time went on the street
come pooty nigh gittin' killed myself
or KILN somebody else, a number o
| times
Ye see my eyes was everywhere tt
once, but mostly in the road, lookin' ou
for coal carts, and every one spied
generally made dive backards or for
ards, ter git sight O. the drivers face
We know, and 'twant a safe way to do ir
a crowded street, by no means.
L s-I -
stool he was carryin' right inter his
| stummick, so't he bellered out, and ev.
erybody turned and stared.
"Old lady," says he, "mind where
yer goin', can't yer? Amt there room
for my stummick and yourn too, on this
ere sidewalk?''
Some laughed. and 1 felt cheap enough.
Another time l walked right straight
into lady face and eyes, my gaze bein'
fixed ahead in the road, on . coal cart
just heavin' in sight; I jest bumped
square inter her face, and her spectacles
] fell of, she dropped her purse, and LET
go the string that was hitched on to he1
I poodle dog, and I lost my bag; so we
had ter paw round quite a spell 'afore
We got right side up agin.
'pollygized as wells I knew how,
and asked her if couldn't do somethin'
to kind er bring her teu, and make her
feel better, and SO on. She was leanin'
up agin a store winder, and she Jest put
up her hand and fixed her spectacles on
to her nose, more firm, and then she
looked me over calmly, and says she:
"Hoc Uery peculiar"' was awful
mad!
If she'd jawed and scolded wouldn' t
a cared. but to have her treat me s. if l
was menagery or some sort of q curl
osity-I couldn't stand it nohow.
Madam" says 1, "p'raps you'd be
peculiar yourself if you had whole city
full O. coal men to look arter!' says 1.
She only stared the more insultin' and
l went off and left her standin' there as
if she's paralized; dunno but what she
stands there yit-I don't care snap if
she does.
But that w a mt circumstance to what
l come teu another time.
Minty and I went one afternoon to a
concert to the Music Hall. We thought
it would rest us and do us good, and
anybody ID think that I wouldn't be such
fool as to look for coal man there;
but I sot through the fust half O. the con-
cert-the music want very interestin'
ter me-too heightened, 1 'spose. Idon't
like this heller SHELTER music; I like
somethin' with tune to it, if its no more
than "Yanky Doodle" Wall, as was
a sayin', I didn't feel interested in the
music, and so I got ter thinkin' and
wonderin' about my coal man; when all
to once a man right in front on us had a
little coughin' spell, and turned his head
round so'tI could see his face; I grabbed
Minty's arm.
"Minty!, -! whispered, "there's my
man-there!'
She looked where I pinted, and says
she: "Aunt Ruth, you're crazy! that
man is a gentleman; he looks like a
Beacon Street swell! Do be quiet!' says
she.
81 can't help that" says I. sH He's the
teller I rid on the coal cart with, or less
he's twin says 1; and I'm goin' ter
speak to him after this show is over,
sure's my name is Ruthr'
"How foolishr' says Minty. '''Tain't
very likely that coal men make bizness
o washin' up and putin on their white
kid gloves, and goin' to concerts right in
the middle O. the day.
But there I sot and looked at him: and
the more 1 looked the more sartin grew
that he was the very man. Ever feature
of his face looked natural.
"Who knows but that he's had for
tune left to him. says I ter myself.
stranger things have happened"
So when the concert was over, l Jest
pushed my way along side on him, and
laid my hand on his arm.
Excuse me, SIR" says l, all of a
tremble, ''but amt you the coal man
that kerried me to the depot one day
bout Christmas time last year?''
The man drew back a little, and
looked at me serious and inquiring.
was awful scairt, but he didn't speak,
and rs bound I'd make him. So 1 fol-
lows on, and says 1:
'.Mebby you've had fortune left ye-
it looks like it-and if so, I'm glad ont;
but We needn't be ashamed ter remem-
Der dom kind act, and want ter thank
ye and relieve my mind all the same, if
ye don't need my money!" says 1.