The record-union., 1891-11-21
THE OCTAGONOGLETS.
written for the REcoRD-Us1ox.l


be proud as burd wild two tails, and Oh
am that whin / look at the purity craters
airnest and willin' to hip. Och, if Oh
only had husband apiece for thin I'd
dol continted, but the min in this fiat ar
| scarce as picked aIes' feet or canaryburds'
eyebrows" And Mike Sims wiped his
forehead as he thus unburdened his sor-
row to his friend Pat Timlin, nicknamed
"Whizzy."
Now Pat was not weaZened old man,
but uncommonly stout, SO it must have
been in derision that the name clung to
him. Once at ball the floor manager
politely asked Pat if he'd like partner.
BE jabers yis, if yees kin foind a light
weight for me-" So Pat evidently real
lied his looks.
'Well. Mike, if Oh was young and had
me tathe and no wolfe, Old marry wan
myself to hip you over sticking place,
for / don't behave, from Alta to Pilot
Knob, In this State, could wan foind
more intirely Elegant sit OF gurls.'
well, Oi thank you Pat. Oi most
wish Oi was under the sod Oi am that
| harrled up-so miny bunnitS, so nliny
gownds. and bad year for thin all, re-
| piled Mike.
''True for you, Mike; but take courage.
| The world amt much to man whin his
wolfe is widder. He can't aven marry
| his widder's sister, which livery mother
son of thin back East wants 10 do be-
cause he can't. Moind that, Nike
$50 they till me,' replied Sims, as he
moved away.
| ''Kape a backbone to yer courage and
don't give up" called back Whizzy,"
as he rolled up the road, and 'Oi'll troll
came back on the breeze as the men
walked away.
Sims ranch was a typical California
! farm house, the sides clabboarded and a
! shake roof, wide porcheS all around il, a
| flower garden in front and q vegetable
! garden in the rear that reached To the
| orchards. the orchards melting away into
! the golden haze OF wheat-Ge!d III sum-
| Inef. Now the land was q dull brown,
| not yet plowed. Sims had been prosper
| Gus upto this year, but he had met with
! heavy losses, and life took on an indigo
shade. The future OF his eight girls
rather worried him, for Sims was good
| hearted man and a kind father, but the
thought of eight girls, and mot one OF
thin boys" as he said. to be provided
| for, was almost too much for him.
The girls were ali young and good
! looking-Bess, Kate, Sheiia, Mary Ann,
Liz, Maude, Alta and Em-full of fun,
and all aided in the work at the ranch:
but Sims would shake his head when he
|
/ their work, and say Boys, molnd yer,
would not clack SO and get more DONE"
They had all attended the summer
| schools in the mountains and the winter
terms in the valley, so were not igno-
rant. Sheila had been 10 'Fraysno," so
Sims said, ito hip her cousinG to pick
| raysOnS, and Father COnnigan had talked
| to her on religion. She told him the
only thing she did wrong was TO go with
! some friends to the theater with the worst
| and richest man there. and they ali sat in
the box with him. The good Father was
shocked, and said, But, my child, you
| cannot touch pitch and be clean.'
Il had me gloves on,'' said Sheila, land
! laughed at the good Fathers perplexed
look" and Sims sighed as he told it.
| 1t was still October, and the four girls
were out on horseback rounding up the
stock SO that Sims could pick out the
"beef critters for winter use. The ranch
was near the foothills. and since the end
| ing OF the close season party OF hunters
had come up dove and quail shooting,
others going on to the mountains for
| larger game.
The valley ranches were noted resort
| for doves, but many ranches had put
| trespass notices on their gates, Tor stray
| shots had often injured their stock, but
Sims said if 'shootiSts wanted to shoot
| and kill something he would not spoil
| sport as long as nothing was killed on
his ranch"
On this day, however, the girls came on
| lope toward the house, dismounted and
| came in to tell their father that party
of eight had been shooting down by the
erik and had accidentally shot the AL
derney calf,'-one Sims was especially
proud of-''and had sent them back to
ask him to come down at once"
! ''Shot me bist friend, me little Alder
ney. Well, ON be blist; sich dunn care
I lN..e IN
nocent calf from dove. Faix they
ought to stay home," declared Sims as be
walked away. They must be color
! blind the humpbacke ed fiandermites that
| they are. Old loike to make Thin sigh
| sigh four sizes too large for thim." Mutt
! tering as he went, and mad as he could
! be he did not notice an irrigation ditch
out at the other side with the remark,
! more water in tnat ditch thin any need
of, the dunn thing" This mishap did not
| tend to sweeten his temper. When he
arrived at the "crik' he saw the eight
young men standing around the calf as
| If at an inquest. Sims was covered with
mud and looked like ''two-legged mud
| pie" one fellow said but the cloud on
| Sims brow prevented laugh as VIII
Joselyn, the spokesman for the party,
said pleasantly as he approached him:
MIR. Sims, we are exceedingly sorry
Il,
we are willing to pay damages whatever
| you ask"
Money, sir, won't pay for that calf,
the flower of the lot, named after me.
She amt no good for COW or calf either,
| for that matter now. OF hate such care
lessness. OP1 close this ranch to all
comers, and Oi'll have it in painted roit-
ing so all who run can rade it, and after
rading it run some other place. No, sir,
money won't pay me3' and he looked
| mournfully at his dead favorite, and then
| turned away.
A silence of few seconds marked his
| departure, and Will said: "Oh, hang it
| all, this ranch has the best name for doves
| around here. So near the foothills they
come here after nesting. / say, can't we
draw the 'commither' around the old
gentleman and get on his good side. He
| must have one.''
Yes, inside" said Jack Conger, dryly.
Has he not wife, or daughter, for in
stance?' asked Will.
only eight of them," replied Jack.
Eight wiyesp' said Will in an amazed
tone.
"No-daughters," Jack replied, laugh
| ing at WHIPS tone.
"Weeping Rachel" said Mat Dickson.
Eight daughters-all girls Octagonog-
lets, as it We're"
The boys all laughed at this, although
the calf killing was serious subject, and
the closing of the gates on them more Sc
rious still, yet this ridiculous name ap-
pealed to them.
Zone apiece" said Conger.
"Oh, l say" said Nolan, one of the
crowd, -four of us will have to decline
as we are married.
-Four wise, four otherwise, which?''
queried VIII.
''Well, Mat, Bob, Jack and can make
up to these octagonoglets, can't we, and
propitiate the old deity?''