The Hot Springs star. (Hot Spings [Hot Springs], Dakota [Dakota Territory, i.e. S.D.]) 1886-189?, 1890-07-18

The Five School .Mayms~ o. Too Old
Q Bird.
There has bean staying at the Min
nekahta hotel for the last several weeks
anumber Of ladies' among whom are
Mrs. Harris Franklin, Mrs. Porter
Warner, Mrs. John Treber, Mrs. Judge
Romans and Mrs. Jack Gray, all Of
Deadwood. They, with the assistance
Of Mrs Porter, have been leagued to-
gether to play q worse joke on Don
Porter than he could play on them.
Now, Don; as everybody knows, is the
joliiest Of jolly hotel men and never en-
joys anything quito so much as that
which contributes to the pleasure Of
his guests. The ladies, with Mrs. Por-
ter's help, had been perpetrat,ng jokes
ct Don's expense and Don had been re-
ciprocating to the extent that early
last week it was conceded that he wal
. good strong one ahead. How to bal
ance the scales was the perplexing ques.
ton that presented itself to the ladies,
but they vowed to do it il 1t took all.
summer. Ladies are fertile in expedi-
ents and before many days the plan
was developed. On Thursday Of last
week, soon after the time for the arri-
val Of the south bound train at Buffalo
Gap a telegram was received by Don
ordering rooms for five school ma'ams
and he at once ordered two Of the best
available rooms reserved for the fair
teachers Of the young idea. After pro-
viding for the comforts Of these five
ladies, Don, as is his custom, telephoned
to the Gap to ascertain how many pas
sengers left the train for Hot Springs
and received answer back "two." Don
is not in any way superstitious hut there
was an apparent want Of harmony in
the two phone messages. His suspic-
ions we're strengthened by the impress
sive and almost ominous absence of
any Of the ladies from their usual
haunts on the porch or in the parlor,
and he began to "smell a MICE" In.
vestigation thoroughly convinced him
that the five school "marms'' were none
others than the five Deadwood ladies,
and being thus fortified he was ready
for them. He posted the clerks and
instructed them to give any carnage
that might drive up about coach time
a severe letting alone. About the time
for the arrival Of the coach a carriage
containing the supposed school marms
drove up to the platform Of the Min
nekahta. No body was then to receive
the passengers except Master Sam Por
ter, who had not been posted by hi.
father. The school marms made a sti,
as though TO dismount, with Their
baby" and grips-about this time Don
who was watching proceedings from
the porch Of the Minnekahta, set up q
loud ha! ha! The school marms" a,
once discovered that the joke upon Dor
Porter had reacted, and they gave .
hasty though emphatic order to tn
driver to "drive on. quick" and til,
carriage vanished in the darkness.
Tho design had been to get the "baby'
into Porter's arms, knowing how ten
derby he would carry it to the parlor
and then while there and in the pres
ence Of the hotel guests, and to tn,
discontinue Of Porter, they would dis
cover its fraudulent character, but
well, it didn't work.
Just how the five school marms'
found their way back to the hotel i
not recorded, although it is currently
reported that they dismissed the car
riagea short distance from the hote
and quietly walked back. It is sait
that all Don Porter has to do now is I,
whisper "school marms," and th'
"Deadwood ladies" vanish. We are in
formed that they say they will be eve,
with MIR. Porter though it may take
thousand years.