The San Saba news. [volume] (San Saba, Tex.) 1873-1966, 1891-06-05

broken sort of laugh; ''but look like thu
bottom of tibet bag stands up like the!
might be"
Mr.. Shattuc took the sack by its bot
tom ridge and shook it. ''You seeF' he
said, with sort of gloomy pride.
She gathered her shawl about her head
without a word, and turned and wen
out, and the door changed behind her
The man on the barrel observed the
back OF his hand with au air of impartial
criticism. ''I'd put my hull terbaccer
crop on it thet she won't never hear arr
word Of jim Crawford agin." He said
this slowly.
Mart Type laughed, his booted leg'
waving in the air as he tilted himself
back against the wall Jim, he was {
great one" he commented; ''ine-loolIin
Teller, jim. Always got me tibet he ever
paid 'tent.ons to Sa' Jane; nothin' to
look at, So Jane amt.
"Tou don't know no more bout looks
than a tadpole does about honey,
argued the postmaster "Sa' Jones a
good-lookin' gyrl an a good gyrl. Too
good for Jim Crawford l whisht he
never showed his face hereabouts, turnin'
gyrls' heads with his high-colored neck
ties and fine talk. 'Cuz he happened to
run the engine from here to Waynesville,
he jest natchelly 'peared to set hisself
cl'ar up over country boys" He wiped
his browsi 'sWhar-at did he 90 from
here9 Blame eff don't feel like writin'
him piece Of my mind"
The man on the barrel gave n clucl1
of approval "Firs' trate idy, " he COM
mented, slapping his knee. ''Tis so.
Say, uncle, Jest you write n tell him
what Casey County thinks of Teller like
him. Go on, uncle!"
"Blame eff l don't feel like it,
unused Mr. Shattuc, bewildered and
charmed with the success of his notion.
'EAny one know whar letter d reach
him2 He got a run on the Queen m
Crescent, didn't hel Look like got the
Idly off'n some O. you boys" He glanced
at the others with challenge in his eyes.
"Reckon twas me named it, admitted
Mart Type cutting a casing of dry mud
from his boos-sole with a jack-knife.
''Yes low I told you He got run to
Nashville, believe, three weeks ago
come mex Chuesdy. He'll Day he left,
him and me was takin' somethin' to-
gether, man and man, and jim he says
-sof-spoken Teller im-'Mart, he says,
I'm kinduh sorry I'm leavin' this town,
he says, and yit kindnh glad. I'm a
greet favoryte on Deadwood, says he.
Folks here is jest my style, but Pm
kinduh 'fear'd Sa' Jane SWEETS gittin'
too-well, it's this way: she likes me
mighty we'll, Sa' Jane does, and I'm a
sof- hearted coon, am. D'know but
I'd ask her to set the day eff 1 ketched
her lookin' at NE the ways she does
sometimes out'n them big eyes-can't
tell. I'm sof' hearted Teller, Mart
"'Well, says l, 'ef you like her so
well, why don't you asst her to hev youl
She's a right sweet girl, Sa' Jane is.
"'Uck-uh,' says jim; my wife's got |
to be eddercated and book-Iarned, says
he 4 look high, Mart; my wife's got |
to know how to read m write. No,
Matt, he says; 4 best take this new
run. Sa' Jane she'll fergit me arter
spell. Nice gyrl, Sa' Jane, but not ed
dcrcated. ="
Mr.. Shattuc came down on this nara
tive with a sound remarkably like an
oath. SIN goin' to write that letter"
he roared, "ef it's the last lick put in
on top-U yelrtir nar-avs -vaIoS pea.
used to be round hyarl I'm goin' to
tell tibet set-up young calf of a engineer
what plain folk that eats fat meat the
year round thinks of him! 'Edder
Gated nothinI Sa' Jane was edder-
Gated enough to know when she was
bein' made love to. I reckon. A woman
don't need no more l'arnin then thet."
The letter thus projected was not,
however, finished in so short order as the
heated state of its authors feelings
would seem to promise. Mr.. Shattuc's
spiritual forces had to work against the
material resistance of an unaccustomed |
hand, thick ink, and a pen weighted |
with the rust of years. 1t was, accord |
ugly, day or so before the matter was
brought to completion, and the postmas-
Ter found himself in the proud position of
reading aloud to his friends the letter
which was to bear to Jim Crawford the
impartial expression of MS former neigh
5ors' opinion of him.
j. Crawford the paper began-"Me |
md some Of the folks down here that knows |
you want you should know you Better not |
show yourself round here no more lest you |
want TO find what plane folks think about |
Rasculs and skampss if We got you Ded /
wrong none Of Us but what wantes to do thee |
square b. you Miss Sweet she thinks rite |
smart o. you why haint You rote to Her l /
am sick OF my job becus no mail don't come /
Tor Miss Sweet il a letter was to come for /
Miss Sweet Me and the others would be |
Nifty proud to change our Hidy OF you Rite |
soon yours truely Joel Shattuc Postmaster
and Others"
I'm goin' to stick it in a invelup,"
SAID Mr.. Shattuc, to carry off his embar-
rassed appreciation of the applause which
greeted this effort, land back it like
his; y. Crawford, Engineer care Quene
& Crescen' railroad C'mp'y Piles hand to
Party address Onbeknown.
In this wise the letter was sent its
way, and the town had a period of
expectancy IS to Its probable
results. On the sixth day after its
sending, large envelope, with some
printing across one end, fell out of the
addressed in typewriter
characters TO Joel Shattuc.
Boys said the postmaster, solemn
v, ''its come This is it, y gum
rom the general office. Hyar, you
.olks"-addressing gaping throng of
;hildren sent for the mail-''git along
iomei Mail won't be distriberted till
long tode' night. I'm busy Cl'ar out!"
He set a ponderous pair CT spectacles
N the bridge of his nose, which closed
ipon tha wire-l like small toothless jaws.
t was apparently quite a short letter,
-et the matter of it seemed strangely
orcible, for those who watched the
postmaster observed that his mouth
opened and hung lax as he read, and
hat his hands jerked as he held the
u per close, and then at arms length, as
f he strove to focus his reasoning
powers.
Lord God ha' mercyi" he gasped,