River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1891-07-09
OVER-THE-WAY.
What Brought Two Sad But Low
ing Hearts Together.

Over-the-Wav - queer name for a
woman. isn't it, IL was big Jim Gray
hes 4 telegraph operator on "A MORN
ing newspa per-who gave her the
name of course we found ont her
real name afterward. but none Of rs at
Mrs smiths ever spoke of her except
as Over-thc-Wav. II was at the break
fast table we were an night workers
and the breakfast hour at Mrs smiths
Is noon and Jim sits where he can
look ont ~ tn. window Miss Elliott
she docs society on another morn
ing paper and is quite viyacious no
ticed that Jim was ncglecting his plate
Of bucswheat cakes and staring with
all his ewes across The street. Now,
Jim Is a mastcr-hand at buckyheat
cakes. and Miss Elliott. having a
reputation for vivacity To sustain,
was perfectly justified in remark
ing that Mr.. Gray did not seem quite
himself We laughed. as in politeness
bound, and that brought Jim back lie
napkin and said;
Ladies' and Gentlemen: 1t now
gives me great pleasure to present to
You the neighbor we have long been
expecting Over-the-Wa y."
We were 81 Interested that we got
right 1p from the breakfast table and
crowded 70 the windows. Even that
reserved and sarcastic Elizabeth Hawk
ins-she's a telephone girl. and sup
pose she's justified in having a poor
opinion of man kind and trying To get
even out of office hOurs-forgot her
dignity for once and was a interested
as anvbodv lou see. the workmen
had been busy on little cottage right
across the street for two months or
more We did mot pay any particular
attention In it until they began To put
in a second-story bay window that was
almost n big a. the rest of the cottage
After that bay window had done duty
a. a family Joke for two or three
weeks we fell 20 wondering what sort
of people had built il and who would
occupy such funny little house.
Handsome Harry Roberts he's a win
dow dresser in big state street dry
goods store and great hand with the
girls-said he knew some woman was
responsible for that window and hoped
she would BE- good looking; il would
be a pity to spoil such a fine window.
WhereupOn dear old Miss Brooks
she's nice looking even If she Is forty
and has come down from better days to
proof reading reminded him in her
precise. gentecl way that Young men
who had no eyes for anything but
pretty woman sometimes came 70
grief The graccIess Harry responded
grief amt pretty one joy forever.
Here the scamp looked hard at Elizabeth
Hawkins. Elizabeth Hawkins looked
hack at Harry. and 4 ought She was
going To say. Busy; what's your
nualber2r And John Berry-he-s some
sort ~ an cd.tor ami doesn't say much.
being a reserved n Elizabeth Hawk
ins and peculiar liSe-saw Harry and
seowlcd
Well as was sayiRr. we had many
a discussion over that little cottage
and fiu1lly came IL feel sense % pr1-
prictor>hip i'm what we called Over
the-Way-~ - Won see IL was great
5ay for us when ever the-Way herself
appeared
To he sure. there wasn't much tn see
when se did get "a the window Just a
big transfer wagon loaded with new
furniture an express wagon heaped
high with household belongings. two
drivers. an old negro woman with a
gorgeous turhan, and a dear little wom-
an in a smart jacket and a wide
brimmed hat
Harry Roberts declared hc was sim
ply perishiug for exercise and fresh air
and put ON his ove.coat and stroIled
past the cottage. He came back and
reported that the little woman was a
beauty. in fact. he grew quite eloquent
over her charms And then. NJ course.
we had u talk il all over whether She
was married. and If size WAS, where
was her husband. and IL she wasn't.
was she going To live all alone with the
old cOlored auntv. and 80 on.
Over-ths-Way was evidently capa-
BILE little body. for she had the furni-
ture in and the house u rights in no
time. And the way old Aunt Amanda
that's the name We gave 70 the col
ored woman and her turban-made
thin = fiy moved Mrs smith To- wish
witt tear> m her voice that the days Of
slave-y were back again.
But though the nest was ready no
male bird appeared After n week had
gone 10y We women began 10 hate
..him. a. we called the man Over-the-
Way was waiting for. We knew there
was a him by the way she flew to
meet the pOStman and fairly Rugged
the letter when she got one. and kind
o dropped when she didn't. And there
were mighty few days when she
dropped, too. But his absence didn't
seem Ia bother Over-the- WAY a bit.
She was busy morning and night fixing
mp tie .cttl.-e for him The big bay
win o'v was evidently the pride Of her
life Every 1fternoOn she'd put on
pretty hOu>cdrssS. snuggle down in
biz armchair right in the middle II il.
and read over her letters Harry Rob
erts Thought i was all for his benefit
until ne found. after repeated trials,
th"t She had M ewes foF him except 70
IT., ..s zlaHoes ard attitudes a subject
TO- m!Fth. Aal tata lne dav we fagB3