Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1893-02-12
MRS. BUCK TUPPER.


After . very unsatisfactory year sp<ns
In tbs employ ~ certain mushroom rail-
read companies resolved 10 seek .
shorter ronte - fortune BY loining The
shrung that was Just thea rushing tot1s
liver GzlL<s q the southwest
Bat. zi<a, for the beet laid plAns - .
imsophistisafed tendwfeot' oH RnfM
later tound myself o4e day sfrapdsd ~
"a aretshsd litt,e mining town w1ihaet ;
dollar IN my pocket.
How hspp~asd just then 70 meet and
make friends with Colonel Dingisr II Is
40 part Of my purpose 20 relate. Suffice
70 say that when he offered 10 send me
IS miles into the country with party
of men who were 10 take charge az ono
u his ranches accepted without cenur.
There wers five Of rs. with al possible
diversity of character and bringing up.
Dennis O'Flaherty was. brilliant
young IrishTaan, the son of New York
alderman. lie had broken with his fam
ily because Of his disposition 10 firt with
pretty girls rather than to "stndy for
orders" rs had been intended.
ii Larkins was q typics. down easter.
Zig and rawboned. and Until SIX months
ago had never been beyond the New
HAMPSHIRE hills. His very opposite was
Ross Harper. a dapper little fellow who.
In spite Of his sornbrero and brace OF
pistols. looked very like one or the dunn
mics nat used to sdorn the front OF his
clothing store back in Cincinnati, but
for all that he was plucky and clear grit
to the backbone. Then there was Buck
Buck Upper.
Just where he hailed from no ono
ever seemed to know.
He seemed TO be a part OF the Wild
west himself and his knowledge Of its
bold. wicked ways was something mar
Vicious.
/. He had q playful habit Of gallop-
ing across the country. firing right and
left simultaneously. or Of dashing I'M
herslded through shops and saloons On
his mustang. Buck was an invetere g
gambler. though something OF bungler
il secnaed-at least his earnings went
regularly into the hands Of the faro bank
dealer at Waho.
/ One afternoon as Buck and were re-
turning from beyond the canyon, where
we had gone in search Of some missing
cattle. we came upon the trail OF a COM
pany of horsemen.
From the broken bits Of saddle, cook
ing utensils and papers that were scat
tered about the gorge, 1t was evident
that there had been runaway. AS
reading matter was at a premium just
then. was of in an instant and was
gathering mp the papers, which proved
TO be of recent date.
So absorbed did become in their con-
tents that il was some minutes before
noticed that Buck also had disnountsd
and was examining with great interest
something that he had picked up from
the roadside.
Ii proved 70 be the photograph Of a
woman--a fne, oval face, the slightly
waving hair brushed simply back from
the low. broad forehead. The eyes, that
you would have sworn were clear gray
seemed To look into your own with 9
sweet, trustful expression. Several time;
during the ride home Buck took the PIE
ture from his blouse, regarding il with
an air Of pleased ownership.
When came into the house after put
ting away the horses. / found him busily
engaged in fastening the picture to TIT
smoked wax above the chimney piece.
1T amt no place for SUCH" he said
nodding his head at the picture and
CHANGING alphabetically about the room
'but Buck Tupper's proud to give yot
the best he's GOT
Looking upon the matter as grea1
joke, when the others came in ! led then
to the picture. presenting them with
mock ceremony 70 Mrs. Buck Upper
The name seemed to tickle Bucks fancy
and he repeated IL over and over to him
self with a pleased chuckle.
From that time Mrs. Buck Upper
became household word with us. but il
WAS not until some weeks after this thu,
we learned how much Of reality she
had become TO the eccentric fellow. One
day, when one Of his chums from Wahc
was in the midst of somewhat doubt
full story, Buck had interrupted:
.'Gimpsey. don't low that's jest the
talk a right nice woman likes to hster
to" giancinq significantly at the face on
the wall. Gimpsey stopped. disconcert
ell and astonished. but he did not finish
the story. think he went away believ.
ing that Buck was b. touched; indeed
am not sure but that the rest Of u,
shared the opinion.
II was evident that for some reason {
radical change had taken place in him,
He went no more on his boisterous cru
sades. and on Sundays, when he was of
duty. had found him several times Try
ing 20 spell out the words IN the little
Bible had carried with me IN my wan
behring's.
For several weeks aaning bills had
been posted about announcing that there
was TO be great tine at Wsho or
Christmas eve. However, when | mcn
toned it 10 Topper he shook has head
slowly:
Nav. did think some about IL, bit
Mrs. Buck Tupper"-ieokine up at ths
picture with a half smile lowed Il
she was here she'd rather | wouldn't"
Seeing that was disposed 10 listen h.
went on: II never hid no bringin mp.
reckon. bat sort O. felt from the frs'
~ though thaf picture was token. az
! says. some day you1l find hat woman
herself. Buck Topper. Ut course never
could rs iitton for such" signing hum
bly,. but made up my mind TO he &c
cent an s4nar anyway.
For more than month we had beer
annoyed ny cattle thieves. bat In spite q
the fact that SO had been ra-enforced b,