The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1893-02-22
MRS. BUCK TUPPER.


My profession is that OF civil engineer
ing.
After a very unsatisfactory year spent
I'M the employ Of certain mushroom rail
road companies resolved to seek q
shorter route to fortune by joining the
throng that was inst then rushing to the
sfyer mines of the southwest.
But, alas, for the best laid plans of an
umsophisticated tenderfoot! Six months
later found myself one day stranded in
wretched little mining town without a
dollar in my pocket.
How happened just then to meet and
make friends with Colonel Dingler it is
mo part of my purpose to relate. Suffice
to say that when he offered to send me
75 miles into the country with party
of men who were to take charge of one
of his ranches accepted without dernur.
There were five of us, with all possible
diversity Of character and bringing up.
Dennis O'Flaherty was brilliant
young Irishman, the son Of a New York
alderman. He had broken with his fam
lily because Of his disposition to firt with
pretty girls rather than to ''study for
ORDERS" as had been intended.
81 Larkins was typical down easter,
big and rawboned, and until six months
ago had never been beyond the New
Hampshire hills. His very opposite was
Ross Harper, dapper little fellow who,
IN spite of his sombrero and brace of
pistols, looked very like one of the dunn
mics that used to adorn 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 Tupper.
Just where he hailed from no one
ever seemed to know.
He seemed to be q part of the wild
west himself, and his knowledge of its
bold, wicked ways was something mar
velous.
He had playful habit of gallop-
ing across the country, firing right and
left simultaneously, or of dashing un-
heralded through shops and saloons ON
his mustang. Buck was an inveterate
gambler, though something Of bungler
1t seemed-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 q COM
pany of horsemen.
From the broken bits of saddle, cook
ing utensils and papers that were scat
tered about the gorge, it was evident
that there had been a runaway. As
reading matter was at q 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 it was some minutes before
noticed that Buck also had dismounted
and was examining with great interest
something that he had picked up from
the roadside.
1t proved to be the photograph of a
woman-a fine, oval face, the slightly
waving hair brushed simply back from
the low, broad forehead. The eyes, that
You would have sworn were a clear gray,
seemed to look into your own with q
sweet, trustful expression. Several times
during the ride home Buck took the pic
ture from his blouse, regarding it 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 the
smoked wall above the chimney piece.
1T amt no place for such," he said.
nodding his head at the picture and
giancing apologetically about the room,
but Buck Tupper's proud to give you
the best he's got"
Looking upon the matter as a great
joke, when the others came in led them
to, the picture, presenting them with
mock ceremony to Mrs. Buck Tupper.
\ The name seemed to tickle Bucks fancy,
and he repeated it over and over to HIM
self with q pleased chuckle.
From that time Mrs. Buck Tupper"
became household word with MS, but it
was not until some weeks after this that
we learned how much of q reality she
had become to the eccentric fellow. One
day, when one of his chums from Waho
was in the midst of a somewhat doubt
full story, Buck had interrupted:
''Gimpsey, don't 'llow that's jest the
talk right nice woman likes to listen
to- glancing significantly at the face on
the wall. Gimpsey stopped, disconcert-
ed and astonished, but he did not finish
the story. / think he went away believ-
ing that Buck was bit touched; indeed
1 am not sure but that the rest of MS
shared the opinion.
1t was evident that for some reason q
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 to spell out the words in the little
Bible ] had carried with me in my wan
derings.
For several weeks flaming bills had
been posted about announcing that there
was to be great time at Waho ON
Christmas eve. However, when men
toned it 10 Tupper he shook his head
slowly:
NAV, did think some about it, but
Mrs. Buck Tupper"-looking up at the
picture with half smile--sI flowed il
she was here she'd rather / wouldn't"