The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1888-06-16

signed her name at the end, "Your
afectionate wife, Lizzie Parks" He
rubbed out the "Parks" and wrote
Hayward" instead. He hadn't
more than got it done when back
came the conductor.
"Have you any other papers be-
side what are in that satchel that
would prove who you were?" he
asked as if an idea had struck him.
II may have," says Parks.
He fumbled in his pocket awhile
and finally brought out his wite's
letter.
The conductor took that letter
and he read it through twice and he
didn't know what to make of it. He
saw we had him, and he just drop
ped the letter and lit out without
another word. But he was about
the maddest man. Of course he
knew Parks wasn't Hayward, how
ever much he might prove that ne
was.
After the conductor had gone and
we'd just begun to breathe freely, a
man in front, who'd been listening
to what was going on, turns round
and says to me:
Excuse me, sir; did I under
stand that your name was Wells,
Hezikiah Wells, of Branch county,
Michigan"
"I guess that's about what you
understood" said I.
II want to know" says he. "Well
I'm mighty glad to meet you. l
used to know the Wellses in SYRIA
cuse, York State. Knew your folks
as well as / did my own. l don't
suppose you recall me. My name
is Bangs. Orville Bangs, one of
Squire Bangs sons"
/ pretended to recollect him,
though of course I never heard of
the Bangses. He was windy fell
low, and talked so loud everybody
in the car heard him and was lis
tening.
"No, I couldn't expect you to re-
member much about me-" he went
on. "You went out to Michigan
about the time our folks moved to
Michigan. But I knew the rest Of
your folks like book. I used to
he sweet on YOUR sister Maria, used
to take her to singing school. Land
how she could sing! She was a
mighty fine looking Egirl in, those
days. She married, didn't she"
"Yes," says I, "she's married and
she's we'll and happy now"
"Well and happy!" exclaimed he
"Why, man alive? / thought she
died! l know she did, for they
sent me a paper containing an &C.
count of the funeral"
"Why, yes, Maria died." said
Parks, looking hard at me. "You
know she did. Wells"
"Oh, yes, of course she did," says
1. eyes, Maria's dead. She's gone
poor thingp And I tried to look
sad over it.
"What in thunder did you mean
by saying she was well and happy?
demanded Bangs, suspiciously.
ashes better off than if she was
here" says l solemnly. "We'd
all he better off,
"I'm not sure of that" says he
laughing. "But perhaps that's the
way you look at it,"
! About that time Parks and
changed our seat on account OF the
draught, and when we got away
from that fellow we had a good
laugh over it. For days after that
Sparks would have spells of asking
me how Maria was.
We didn't meet any more old
| friends. We went to New Orleans
and looked around awhile, then we
went up into Georgia.
The Georgia people are right cor
dial folks. The conductor looked
quite impressed when we let On who
we were, and pretty soon he came
back and said:
/ Gentlemen, we've got the presi
dent of this road and couple O
superintendents on this train going
up the road apiece. They're out il
the smoking a.. / told them ther'
was a president and secretary of 4
Northern road in a car back here
and they said they'd be right glad t.
meet you. They'd like to have yo'
come out and smoke with them"
"Well, I don't smoke, 'says Parks
There was a cigar sticking out 0
his pocket at that very minute. Blu
if you get ahead of Parks you hav'
cot to get up early in the morning
"Perhaps Mr.. Wells does," say
, the eonductyr. Now I really don't
YOU know. "But they'd like t
, have a talk with you any way. Ou
president thinks he met Mr.. Hay
, ward once up North.
That settled Sparks.
81 am much obliged to the gen
tlemen for their politeness," b
, said, "but the fact is | amt feelln
; well, and cigar smoke always make
ME faint"
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