Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1883-11-22

''Sayin he called out to two boot
J blacks, who were holding an animated
conversation near him. ..Do YOU know
Joe Bartlett?'
'|Who's hep" asked one of the BOYS,
interested at once when he saw the
questioner was a remarkably green
! looking boy from the country.
''He's my cousin, an I've come in to
stay two days with him. I had the
name of the street he lives on written
down on a piece of paper, but I've lost
! it,
Joe Bartlett" said the boy, musing-
| ", as he looked at Jerry from head to
! foot, and then stuck his elbow into his
| companions ribs to call his attention to
the good joke he was about to perpe-
trate.
'Does he look anything like you?'
''NO, replied Jerry, hesitatingly. 81
| don't believe he does, for he hain't got
no freckles, an his hair hahn red -
''Then 1 know him." said the boot
black, promptly. 81 jest dropped in
ter see him this mOrnin', and he told
me he'd got everything ready-sky-
rockets, an roast turkey, an ice cream
for you. His mothers terrible anx-
ious to see yer"
elbow glad am you know him!''
and Jerry thought how exceedingly for
tunate he had been to find one of JOe's
companions just at a time when things
had begun to look so dark. ''Where
does he live?''
''Foller this street right down to a
| red house with a barn alongside of it,
an two COWS standin' side fther pump
| That's his house, an yer can't miss it. -
''What color are the cowsP' asked
Jerry, thinking it we'll to get all the
particulars while he had the opportunity
Cones red an ones white. But
! don't run too fast, son, or you'll shake
all ther hay-seed out from under your
collar"
Jerry thanked the boys heartily, and
walked quickly away in the direction
| pointed out, wondering why it was that
they had thought he had any hay-seed
under his collar, when he was certain his
| clothes were perfectly clean.
| Nearly everything he saw interested
him, and he walked on down the street
hardly thinking of the flight of time I'M
| til he saw by clock in church-steeple
that he had been travelling an hour, In
all that time he had not seen a single
COW, and, what was still more strange,
he had passed no barn.
Gone or the other of us has made a
mistake" he said to himself, as, by
standing still for few minutes, he real
1 lied he must have walked long dis
| lance, because he was so tired. 81
haven't seen anything that looked like
the place that boy said, an yet I'm al
most sure come straight ahead"
1t seemed positive that there was
some mistake about it, and Jerry stood
still in his perplexity until he saw on the
curb-stOne three boys, each Of whom had
papers under his arm, while the cloth
ing on all three would not have made
one suit as warm as the one Jerry
wore.
''See here. - he said, as he approached
them, almost uncertain as to whether
he should break in upon their evident
| discussion, 81 come down here to see
Joe Bartlett, an 1 lost the paper he
give me to find the house with. asked
some boys up to the depot if they knew
him, an they said they did, an told me
to come down this way till l come to a
house an barn, an two COWS, but /
hain't seen anything that looked like
| it."
The boys looked at each other in
amazement for a moment, and then,
apparently understanding that Jerry
had been made the victim of joke, one
of them said, with every appearance of
| truthfulness:
whoever told you that made mis-
take, fur Joe Bartlett hain't got no COWS
or barn; but you'll find him if you turn
down this street an keep on till you
come to where Joe's gatherin' pump
kins.''
Pumpkins now?" repeated Jerry, in
surprise. ''Why, up where 1 come from
the harvestin' was all over month
ago"
''Wa-al, yer see its different here in
ther city. You go right down there as
l told yer, an when yer see Joe, tell
him Mickey Dowd sent his love, an
wants him ter put salt on you
Delighted athaving again been so for
tunate as to find friend of JOe's, and
fearing lest he might not arrive at the
house in time for dinner, Jerry started
off without stopping to ask why Joe
should put salt on him, although the
proposition worried him considerably.
This time, despite the many attractive
things he saw everywhere around him
he was certain that he had continued or
the street the boys had pointed out, anG
yet he arrived at the waters edge with
out having seen anything that resembleC
a field of pumpkins.
He was thoroughly discouraged, anC
perhaps little frightened by this time
and as he stood at the head of the pier
looking around him in bewilderment
he heard one gentleman say to another
that it was one o'clock.
1t had been three hours since he ar
rived in the city, and it looked very
much as if his uncle's family would ca
their Thanksgiving dinner without hi
freckled face as an ornament to tn,
festive board.
Thus far, his appeals to the boys t.
aid him. in what promised to be vair
search had resulted in nothing save
very long walk for him, and yet ht
must try again, for it would be as hare
work for him to find the depot as t.
! find Toe Rartlatt'S home