The Opelousas courier., 1893-05-27

A with the intention of getting the
"kinks out of his legs' he
walked away for the purpose of taking
a turn or two on the platform of a dingy
little station at a d~ilapidated western
village. where the west bound train had
STONED for the trainmen's noontims
lunch, which was served at a rude coun-
ter in the station.
The buildings within the range OF
Richard Wakeman's vision had a dis
couraged, unhappy look as if the effort
TO keep up a respectable appearance had
long since been abandoned. The wild,
prairie winds had snatched away a shin
gle here, and a clapboard there, and
several of the chimneys and fences
seemed to be tottering on the verge OF
destruction which was certain to follow
the next wind storm. That severe wind
storms were common was quite evident
from the fact that the debris of a recent
storm was strewn throughout the village.
1t was also evident that the inhabitants
considered it s'labor lost" to gather in
their belongings, since the next storm
would, in all probability, send them
broad cast again.
The canine population of the place was
arranged in an expectant row at the side
of the track, just under the coach win
dows, where they had stationed them.
selves on the arrival of the train, and
were begging, with upturned eyes, for
contributions from Eastern bakeshops.
This circumstance LED one to conclude
thas these half famished creatures SUBJ
sisted mostly on the generosity of trav-
elers, a supposition which was partially
verified by a crust Of bread descending
from one of the windows in front of the
hungry pack, at which a confused
scramble, accompanied by vicious snarl-
ings, took place, and the largest, least
miserable dog among them, captured the
prize.
Richard Wakemsn glanced above, the
stationshouse door in hopes of being able
to learn the name of the forlorn village;
but the late storm had torn the board
upon which the name was recorded, from
its ~fastenings, and it now stood propped,
up against the station house, with its
letters inverted. The name might have
been Hardscrabble. Young Wakeman
decided that it looked as nearly like that
as anything, and being a most appro.
pirate appellation, he accepted it with.
out further investigation.
There was a great commotion at the
station. 1t seemed to Richard Wake
man that the entire village must have
turned out for some special purpose. he
was not long kept in Ignorance of its
nature, for the loud-voiced conversation
informed him that Mile Marks was
taking her invalid mother to California,
for the benefit Of its recuperative climate.
"The hull passed. o. relatives on both
sides, hez turned out to see 'em off, ez
was our duty, SEEM tibet there amt
much prospects O. Marthy's livia' to get
home ag'In," one of the dut1ful "rels-
tives' was remarking In q high-pitched
falsetto voice, that cut the air like a
knife.
''It's a clean waste o. money, an /
told Abner so. last night. I said, says
I, this sending a half dead woman, an
q young, giddy girl off alone is a tempt
in o Providence, to say the very least,
an the extravaganza OF it is simply
dreadful But Abner slapped n O. his
high an mighty looks on to his face. an
SAID at he reckoned he could afford to
give Marthy a chance for her life, at any
rate, n he didn't count the cost o. ii
nuther. Marthy's alters been a savin'
woman, an | wonder that she consented
to sech extravaganza"
ats all Miles doin's," volunteered
a third. "Thet girl has carried things
pretty much her own way slnce she came
back from that eastern school. ]
s'picioned 'twould be the ruination O.
her when they was a~-plannin' to send
her. They heard all / had to say on the
subject, an then went right ON just as
il I hadn't spoke my mind at all. had
a talk with Mile last night, an gave
her heaps O. good advice about properly
condueEin' of herself amongst strangers,
an the spendin' o. money, an so forth.
an whether she takes it to heart Or not
is neither here nor there. [ done my
duty, an my conscience is clear o. any
responsibility in the matter"
Before Richard had time to make his
escape, four gaunt, hard featured women
had crowded against him in their efforts
to enter the tourist car, upon the lower
step of which he had stationed himself,
the better to see over the heads of mil
lies relatives" The movement was SO
sudden that he had no recourse but to
enter the car in advance Of them, which
he did, intending to pass through it to
the Pullman coach beyond, while his
charge was sleeping; bug when he had
reached the center of the car he dis.
covered that the Objectionable relatives
quite blockaded the passage in either
direction, and there was nothing left foi
him but to find a seat and wait their
exit.
As he seated himself, a stalwart man
IA typical Western settler placed q
slender little woman in the compartment
next to the one he had entered.
1There you be, NAV, ez comf'table e2
If you was to home on your best feather
bed, be SAID, with q gigantic effort to
steady his voice. After swallowing two
or three times In quick succession, be
added aYou'n MiIlie'n have q real