Dodge City times., 1884-04-17

now willing to take the chances OF us
comforts during the time of waiting for
admission elsewhere.
These comforts were being multiplied
in q manner most satisfactory to Miss
Sophronia and her mother, who re-
solved between themselves to git as
much out of pa as we can while he's IN
humor, for he amt so very often"
Mr.. Crane drew up to the station at
train time on Wednesday, taking great
care not to damage his freshly painted
wheels. He watched the incoming train
with the interest always belonging tc
those living at some distance from any
Hallway, listened to the gong which
noisily assisted in proclaiming twenty
minutes for dinner, and then became Sc
much absorbed in the arrangement of
sundry parcels in his wagon-for his
wife had made out q rather moro com
prehensive list of small groceries than
suited him-that he was quite taken by
surprise when somebody stood beside
him with a.
"Why. Mr.. Crane! is this you?"
"Why, Jedge Ransom!' he ex.
claimed, vigorously shaking his offered
hand. "Well, if you hain't the last
man l cal lated to see! Been in these
parts long?"
"No, just come.'
Left your folks ali we'll, 1 hope?"
They're all here-see!"
swell, if this doiN, beat all!' said
Mr.. Crane, walking towards them with
the Judge. slope l see you well, Mis-
Ransom, m all the young folks, too,
but I've no call to ask ab.,st them
they're all growed like weeds, Trave'lin'
fur to-day. Jedge?"
go Mr.. Crane!" said Mrb. Ransom,
"are my aunts. Miss Percy and her sis
ter, at your house?"
cat my house? No, haven't seen
EN-"
Strange! They could not have re-
ceived my card, tfen. I'm sure they
would have been there if they had"
That's goodr' said one of the
younger members of the family. "Now
we can 90 on and meet the Parkers at
the sea-shOre."
A very animated discussion ensued,
during which Mr.. Crane stood little
to one side, calculating i'll his mind
how the party could best he divided in
to two loads for transportation to his
house. Then with shout the little
boys. with the nurse, returned to the
car they had left.
Mrs Ransom, with pleasant--"Re-
member us kindly to Mrs Crane and
Mss Sophrona," followed, while the
Judge. just as the diners at the station
were also resuming their seats, made
rush for the other end of the platform,
and hastily began re-checking the bag
gage which had been put off.
Mr.. Crane went after him, with
face which had suddenly turned blank
at the entrance of dismal doubt in his
mind, and which grew yet blanker as
the doubt rapidly took On more and
more of terrible certainty.
"Why, look a'here"-he half gaspei
as the Judge saw the last trunk re-
shipped, and just as the conductor
called ''All aboard" turned to him
with good-by expression on his face
"Why-I thought mean, we un-
derstoOd-that isl had a notion, you
kncw!-when l seen you all, you might
be a-comin' to make us little visit"
"Well," said the Judge, talking rap
idly, "we had some thought of taking
you by storm, and Mrs. Ransom wrote
to her aunts to meet us at your house,
and if they had been there, of course we
should have gone, but since then the
young folks have heard from some
friends at the shore who urge us 70 go
there, SO they want to go-and your
happening to be here to-day, letting us
know the ladies were not with you, en-
actly fixes things so that we can 90 on.
Goodbye, sirr'
He sprang upon the already moving
train, and Mr.. Crane stood open
mouthed, gazing after it as it pitilessly
shrieked and puffed on its noisy way
out of sight.
The song of the birds, the whispering
OF the winds in the trees, and the ripple
of the little trout stream, had recently
developed hitherto unthought of charms
in Mr.. Cranes estimation, in view of
the fact of their being indirectly con-
vertible into dollars and cents through
the attraction they possessed for Others.
But their beauty had all departed as
he slowly took his homeward way, dis
mally figuring up a long column in
which items of groceries, carpeting,
d d:shes and bedding stood prominent,
for the use of which he had now no
prospect of charging any one at profit |
of three or four hundred per cent.
"Keepin' postolfice amt no such pay-
in business after all ~ was his sorrow
full conclusion in the mat er. 'Ef that
keard hadn't a-come, Phrony wouldn't
a-read it. m the old folks ID a-been
down n l shouldn't a-gone to the de-
pot. m t'other folks ID a-been up.
''It's strange how some folks good
luck does flop over Just afore its to 'em.
l wish Phrony ID let that keard alone"
Dayre. in Youth's Compaa-
ion.
ReSfstlesS Power Of an Avalanche.
()ne Of tho cvro udocf cpo,,, Sl;1o, %b..<