Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1888-08-04
4 PECULIAR BACHELOR
Or, How Johnny Carnes, of Dakota, Won
Bride.
~ MISS FANNIE LEAFLE.

Wild SunSn1ny SnllIe, pledoaH1 "oiu'
and moment to spare for every one.
He was the first man ito go into" his
pocket-book to help along a new enter
prise, or inaugurate any public I'M
provement in the busy little Western
city of his adopted home, upon which,
indeed. the impress OF his enthusiasm
was indelibly stamped in many different
ways. SO, If he grew rich along with
the town, it was quite eycusable.
True, few of the impecunious,
chronic grumblers persisted in asserting
that "they didn't see how he did it,
fact so patent that even the veriest gos-
sip didn't take the pains to inquire the
possible meaning of the sundry glances
and shrugs of the shoulder with which
this statement was always accompanied.
Johnny" had just two peculiar traits
of character, which caused no little
comment and conjecture, though no one
guessed that they both originated in the
same cause.
The first one was his apparent indif-
ference to the fact that there were hosts
of pretty and lovable girls in F. who
had been fully instructed in the pro-
priety of making a good match, while
a number of charming young widows,
and some, neither young nor charming,
had signifed their disposition by various
little articles to be consoled by hand
some Johnny" all to no purpose. AS
for old maids, the scarcity of wOmankind
in Dakota had taught the sterner sex too
true an appreciation of woman's worth
to permit anything of that kind.
The other queer thing in "Johnny's"
natTre was the way in which a biz
zard always affected him. In the
fercest of the storm his good humor
amounted to hilarity almost. When the
snow was piling house-top high, and
blowing at tremendous speed from
every conceivable point of the compass,
but mostly from the north pole, Johnny"
was always sure to be taking
walk" or lust happening along in
time to render some one valuable as
sistance. And then he would sputter
and fret and fume, and Hdenounce such
beastly weather in tones so hearty and
happy that it sounded much more as if
he were telling some huge joke, and in
variably had an celebrating effect upon
whomever he came in contact with.
But after the blizzard had spent its
force, and everybody else congregated
around their own or neighbours hearth
stone to laugh over this mishap, to con-
dole over that, to relate some narrow
escape or perhaps tell of the antics of
Johnny" Carnes, he was the gloomiest
man alive, withdrawing into his. own
little den, and proving theveriest drone
imaginable if any one had the temerity
to thrust their company upon him.
If he had just had such spells IN
summertime, or any other time, except
Immediately following blizzard, that
would have at least removed the mys-
terry which his friends insisted among
themselves must be associated with it.
Some of the old settlers said it was
mighty easy" explained. They could
remember when the young Yankee lad
first came West, how he had written the
most glowing letters descriptive of Da-
kota, to his Eastern home; how friends
were induced to try the new country;
how about the first thing they discovered
was blizzard in "Johnny's Eden"
how they had iourneyed back East"
utterly disguised with everything in
general and with Johnny" and Dakota
in particular. But the good citizens of
F. were altogether too much like
other people to be convinced that any
such theory covered the case, as long
as there was the least possible chance of
surmise; although, indeed, it was known
that johnny" had never visited his
own home in the East but once since
then, and he had come back more sus-
ceptible than ever to spells" after
bhzzards.
Like all business men in the West,
Mr.. Carnes made frequent visits to
Chicago, and as this was quite East"
in Dakota parlance, nobody guessed,
when Johnny" announced his inten-
tons of going East one morning before
he had fully recovered his usual cheer
fulness after the dependency conse-
quent of the last severe storm, no one
thought anything about it, except to ex-
press an opinion that sit wouldn't
amount to much with him in his gloomy
state OF mind.
How the men would have wondered
whats up" and the women would have
II told you so" If it had only been
known that instead of stopping at Chi
cago, Johnny" took the through train
to his old home, the dear old place he
had thought to never again see when
that last visit, five years ago, was made.
How it all came back to him as he
stretched out in his berth to sleep away
the long, tedious night. How DELIGHT
fully peaceful it was-the old fashioned,
sleepy, country village; the jinners in
the woods for his benefit, the rows on
the river, the rides, and above all, the
long rambles with sweet Mary Gray,
The 'Squire's oH child Oh, what an
elyiuml Thsn. understandable but