Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-01-29

followed moment later by a rickety old
wagon with great tall chicken-coop in the
rear end of the bed, out of which stuck the
heads of three or four dozen chickens, while
in front sat the driver, tall, rawboned in
divldual of a neglected appearance, whose
dress and manners corresponded perfectly
with his calling. Nan recognized the driver,
for she had often seen him when he made
his weekly calls to buy Mrs. Green's mark
etlng, and when he came opposite her she
called: 80 Rube, come and help me-"
RUDE Whoad his horses, and they promptly
stopped short on the first invitation, for
there was but one thing they liked better
than stopping, and that one thing was eat
ing, though from appearances one would
have inferred that they had done but little
of the latter for long time.
''Wal, yer poorly mess O. pickles." Rube
said, surveying Nan leisurely from his seat
in the wagon. ''Say, what on yearth air
you a dom up thar, anyhow"
Nan told her story as best she could under
the circumstances, and ended by saying:
Help me down quick, RUDE, for I'm most
killed.
But the huckster was n no hurry to come
to her aid, and with a provoking calmness
he lay back in his seat while broad grin
broke over his features. Nan plead and
begged, but Rube remained 1mperturbable
and looked on with the air of one who was
enjoying some pleasant sight
''Oh, RUDE, don't be so mean. Come on,
please"
''Begosh, I'd a loved to seen them hornets
arter you, fer know it must been fun. -
"Why don't you help me, Rubel'
"Say, reckon you'v clean forgot erbout
that day when you let my chickens outen
the coop up to the house thar while 1 wus
settlin' with Miss Green fer her r1arketin 81
'.No, ] hain't. an I've been sorry for it
ever since"
Eyes, reckon so. / guess yer moughty
sorry now. think I'd be eff l wus you, but
yer won't be sorry none when yer git down
from thar, will We! Leastwise not longer
than till yer git chance ter do it ergin.
guess yer mout es well stay sorry while
yer at it, SO I'll jist leave you up thar.
G'lang, Bill, git up, Jack and the skinny
old horses took three or four reluctant
steps forward
ssRube, Rube,' Nan walled, "don't leave
me, an I'll promise any thingan' never will
be bad again.
Rube whoad once more.
''Air ye shore of that?" he asked.
Eyes, l am. l never, never will turn
your chickens out or do nothin' mean if
you'll only just help me down"
I'm most afeerd to trust you" and Rube
shambled down out of the wagon, and
came up to the fence, ''and asides," he
added Il amt no wise anxious to git mixed
up with them thar hornets. How am goin'
ter helpyer anyhowa'
Climb up" Nan suggested.
Not much | wont, an git stung ter
pieces. Them drafted hornets is pizen ter
me, an l wouldn't be stung by one ov 'em
for my best boss. / amt goin' ter git in
thar among en-
"Then how will you managel"
dunno, m shore, less l jest let yer
alone. Mebby might punch yer loose with
er pole an let yer fan. Tain't no dis
lance to Their ground, en- it won't hurt you
none.n
Hunting around he finally found long
pole, and slipping noiselessly up TO the
tree-trunk on the side opposite to the hor-
nets nest, he began to punch at Mans
dress, and after few efforts succeeded in
loosening her, and she fell to the ground
and escaped with one or two additional
stings.
As Rube turned away from the tree he
received parting salute square IN the bacR
of the neck from a hornet, which 80 excited
him that he tumbled over the fence head
foremost, and came up about the maddest
man anybody ever saw. He looked around
for Nan, determined 10 ven his ire on the
cause OF all the trouble, but she had taken
q near cut across the orchard and was al
ready half way n the house. All Rube
could do was to climb up in his seat and
give the innocent horses a vicious cut
with his whip as he started on.
1t was good many days before Nan got
over the effects of her escapade, and her
face came back TO it's natural condition. but
it was a much longer time before her mind
was free from the terrible remembrance Of
1t, and If she was not a better girl after
wards. she certainly ought 70 have been,
for her punishment was truly severe.
T. p. AoSIrogI.