The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1891-06-18


unused the squire, as he drove slowly |
homeward 'They said Thursday, and
here It's Thursday night-Whoa-pv'
He had run fnll into a wagon which
was being driven along the dark road.
BY the light of match he discovered
badly wrenched wheel.
''You come, Danl?"
1t was late when his wife peered out
into the gloom as he stumbled in out of
the dark.
"Yes, l have, and that's more than
other folks have!' he answered, gruffly.
Didn't Rats folks Gomez"
''No, they didn't, and 1 don't see what
folks want to be writing to make folks
traipse round after them for like this
all for nothing. Anybody been for the
mail?'
mo, but mans been here to buy
the old gray, and he said he guessed,
seeing that neither you nor the horse
was here, he'd back down"
"Jiminetty! If l didn't forget I'd set
the day! There's the last chance gone
to get rid of Bob. 1 tell you, S'liuy,
those Perkinses ought to pay me for
this! I'll be out nigh three dollars be-
fore get through with that wheel busi-
ness!" he groaned. 'And all because
they didn't come up to their word
Next day, after the squire had dis
tributed the mail, Jacob Perkins en-
tered the store
Hello, squire! What's the matter
with uncle Sam this weel1?"
IL
what agitated. Did Perkins know any
thing about that postal?
Eyes, he's powerfully behind time.
didn't know but Urcle Billy d had
the apoplexy or his horse d got choked
by an extra oat, and government he'd
stopped accordinly. l ought to have
had postal from nephew Raj last
Monday"
perhaps it got delayed. Lots of new
men in the service, and Darby's out in
the country. Maybe that's it"
He handed out the card with an effort
at unconcerned Indifference.
81 should say 'twas-and the day
after ther fair. If I'd got it when
ought he wouldn't we had to got a
livery and express wagon to bring 'em
all up and their trunks
"Hey! Raj Gomez" the squire ex-
claimed.
bag and baggage, Tuesday, just as
he wrote he would"
TUESDAY! You sure it was Tues
day?"
The squire's surprise had got the
better of his discretion.
''See for yourself. It's. plain as day
light
''Why, isn't that an h in there?" The
squire pointed to the word as he viewed
it through his glasses.
''No, sir! You amt so used to Raf's
writing as we are"
Perkins laughed, knowing the
squire's curiosity. ''As I was saying
if I'd have known it in time I'd have
; got you to go after 'em-I was working
so like beaver, and thetroads are bad
| You might as well have had that tel
dollars Raj threw away on the livery
fellers-an' better, too. / told him So.
; ''S'liny!"
''Why, what's the matter, Dan'l?'
, his wife asked in rising accents o
, alarm as he put his head in at the doc
: a few moments after Perkins de
parture, a woe-begone expression OF
his face. ''One of your attacks com
ing on?"
E ''S'liny. the Perkinses have come
: the whole family"
e ''Land sakes!' She bounced up il
dignantly. "When?"
S Tuesday" he answered, slowly an
solemnly. ''Just what that postal sale
too. Here we both of us had that thin
t here since Monday, and read it Thurs
day every time. And if I'd been a
o tending to my own business I'd ;;
: made ten dollars. As It's I'm out c
) pocket instead of in"
e "1ts mortal shamep she exclaimed
d sympathetically. "Folks ought to sto
writing cards if they can't write 'el
# plain enough to be read straight.
k ''Wen, / can tell you what's rigl
4 now" He sat down impressively o
7 the nearest nail keg. eff this govern
ment expects I'm going to spend m
r, time making out its postal cards to CT
Q news, it's going to find itself much mi
r. taken, that's all"
! his new determination and dejecte
air His perquisite had lost its valu
,r and such open communications in Unc
Sam's mail were thereafter passed b
% unnoticed. When his lessened stock I
N information became matter of con
% ment, as occurred very soon, he hs
% but one explanation.
- "News," he declared, isn't to be d
e pended on"
y But to S'liny he remarked: Its 10
= ing business attending to other folk
y affairs without being asked. y
So it is a question whether his di
70 :, astrous speculation ever forced upt
him a conviction of the truth in Jal
: : Perkins opinion, delivered to Raj wi
. a knowing chuckle:
: 'The squire hain't got as much OF
Ee nose for news as he had fore he got h
lo Consequences. 1 reckon he's learn
that his 'perkisites' pay best wh'
they're taken on the square. "-Sar'
Bierce Scarborough, in Youths Coz
panion.