Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1890-03-19


But she didn't say much-only drop
ped little hint that she'd be even
with them bimeby.
. They offered to build her another
house II she'd give up the land, She
said she'd consider Of it and let 'em
b know. Purity soon they come to an
agreement, by which, besides paying
we'll for the land, they was to build
her avtwo story, four room frame
, house, and likewise to travel free OH
the road for the rest of her life when
{ ever she wanted to, with female
companion along.
AT first they objected to the COM
panion but when she explained that
she was a lone woman and couldn't
think of exposing herself to the
attentions of strange men by travels
unprotected, they LATED and agreed to
put in that condition along with the
rest, which was done, and the papers
made out and signed and sealed ac-
cording to law. You see they'd heard
the neighbors laffing at the idea of
Miss Simcoe ever travelin' on the
roadside that had skeercely been
farther from home than Hobbs Holler
or Bowling Green meetin' house in
all her life, and was most afeard to
trust herself out O. sight of her own
house.
Well, the company kept their word
and run up two story, four room
frame house for Betsey Ann-seech
as it was. She declared twas nothing
better than a shanty, that wouldn't
keep out the summers heat nor the
winters cold, and was liable to be
blown away by the first high wind
that came along. The company said
they hadn't stipulated for the exact
way the honse was to be built, and
they'd done the best they could afford
to do, and she had ought to be satisfied.
She shut up then, but sot her jaw in
way she had of her own when she'd
made up her mind to something she
didn't choose to talk about jest yet.
At last the road was finished, and
one day everybody turned out to see
the injine for the fust time come tearin
and screechin' up to Cross Keys.
Betsey Ann Simcoe, she looked on
with kind O. smile of triumph, for
all the worlds if the hull concern be-
longed to her. Every time the train
passed she came out and looked at it
till she got used to seeing it and hear
ing its unearthly noise. And then
one day she tuck her little white help
along, and got aboad the cars and
rode up to the next station, as she
said, to see how it felt and how she
liked it. Next week she went again
as fur as Cloverdale, and little while
arter made another trip. long with
her cousin, Lucindy Parks. clear up to
the city.
Purity soon she got to be known to
all the railroad folks along the line,
and there was no end to the jokes
about her.
by gosh !" says old Mr.. Potter to
one u the conductors, one day, "I'm
thinking you'll hev to fix up car for
her speshal 'commodation, if it goes
on this way much longer"
"Oh J! answered he, a-smiling, "it's
a novelty to her at present, but we
don't objec'. AFTER while, when
her curiositys gratified, she'll be con.
tent to settle down at home ag'in and
talk over her travels"
Well, she did stay quiet for week
or two, and then took ag'in to riding
OH the rail. First she went to Clover
dale to buy a tin kettle for ten cents,
which she said was saving of five
cents from gettin' il at Cross Keys.
Then she left her gal ut home and
tuck Lucindy Parks along all the way
to the city to sell her eggs and buy a
calker gownd and so it went on all
summer.
"Oh never mind" says the conduc-
tor, smiling hard kind Of smile,
shell get tired of travelin' arter a
while"
But she didn't seem to get tired.
On the contrary, she took to making
regular trips, taking along first one
person and then another, until the
conductors got to looking as grum as
bears and even the fremen and in.
jineers scowled or LATED every time
she put in an appearance.
One injineer used to let off fear
full schreech O. the b'iler whenever he
seed her coming; but, arter the first
scare, she got used to it and tuck no
notice.
And once, when she was late, and
the conductor started the train just as
she and Lucindy Parks was about
climbing aboard, she threatened to sue
the company If it happened agin.
They knew she'd keep her word, so
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