The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1894-01-26

except that one you know of. Lord. ii
seems like an old story now. Why, bless
you, we now have two bouncin lads and
a rompin little girl"
And Thomas?" / asked.
Thomas? Oh. you mean Anderson.
my father-in-law. Well, he'll never
set the world afire. He's a good sort OF
an old man though. He's got "a little
ranch of his own that | gave him off
part of my big one. He's as contented
as a lamb, he is. He jist putters and
potters about and is happy.
But Grandmother Mumford-the
old lady, You know. Well. it was per-
fectly astonishin how she come out
when she struck the California climate
her and that old bald faced boss.
Why, the old critter-the old gal, l
mean-she got jist as spry on 'er legs as
a quail. | often used to tell her, when
| see her chasin the young turkeys.
Grandmother Mumford, you will be
a-kickin up your heels pretty soon.
the same as your old Badly out in the
pasture!' That tickled her. She jist
swears by mel"
docs she aver do the Oh, Mumfordl'
act nowadays?"
"Ha, ha, hal" laughed Henderson.
'How do you know about that? Oh,
1 recollect nov She gave US a small
specimen of that dodge out on the des-
ert. Yes, she brings Mumford up oc-
casionally when Father Anderson don't
fly round to suit her-when she's put
out with him, you know. Then she
sets down and humps herself like, or
comes over to ny house and stays a
month at a time"
THAT must be agreeablei"
Yes, sir, 1 like to have her about.
l can tell you, sir, that she's a mighty
bright, sharp old lady, and when she
sees business goin on right she's jolly
and full OF life and fun. Make you
laugh tears to hear her tell her old
Kentucky yarns, actin out the charac-
tiers.
"Oh, I forgot to tell you, she's rich
now! Some of her big, high toned rel
atives back in Kentucky-the Mum
fords and Sylvesters, and among EN-
have died and left her, or it fell to her
in some way, S75, 900 in clean coin!
We've named two of our children after
herl mean the girl after her and the
boy after Mumford, the one out on
Green river. His name, it seems, was
Isaac-not q name l would have select
ed, but-well, she somehow got round
Molly in the fixin up Of her will. But
this is too much like talkin business.
and I'm rich enough already-that is,
almost"
do you know, Henderson, that I'm
delighted to hear all this? I've a thou
sand times thought of you and Of all in
that family. When I saw your tall Red
Wing pass over the ridge out of sight
with the little craft in tow, it somehow
left a sort of void in my heart that has
never been filed till now"
"Ah, and we, too, have often and Of
ten talked of you, sir. All came about
through you. I wish to God you'd let
your mining business go and come down
and spend a month or two with us. l
can tell you we'd have a royal time.
What a surprise and delight it would
be to Molly! She often and often talks
about you, wonderin how you are gettin
along in the world and hopin all has
gone well with you"
Bless her kind heart! Now, Hen
derson, you may tell her that you've
seen me. and that I am happy and rich.
Tell her that 1 have a half a million
in one mine in Meadow Lake. with
from 800, 900 to $3.50, 900 in two or
three others. Also tell her that next
year I shall make the tour of Europe
shall spend at least six months in Eu-
rope. I've got my route all mapped
out. wish to God, Henderson, that
things We're SO with you that you could
go along"
1 may as well say right here that
things did not turn out with me as well
as l then anticipated. My mines ''pe-
tered" the bottom" fell out of the
whole district and left some thousands
of US fiat broke" But to this day |
am glad to feel that Mary always thinks
of me as rich, travelling in Europe, din
ing with Queen Victoria and hobnob-
bling it with the czar of all the Rus
sias.
A stout, handsome young man about
II years Of age then approached and
was introduced by Henderson as Rob
ert Anderson, my brother-in-law. He's
one of the boys you saw on the desert"
After some talk about the great
trouble out on the desert, Henderson
told me that Bob was driving one Of
his big teams.
81 had only wing when you first
met me, but now L have three-a Red
Wing, a White Wing, and a Blue Wing.
Whenever get a new wagon l spread
another wing. l want just one more
wing, then l shall sail on evenly through
the world"
Have you the same old Red Wing
that l saw?'' [ asked.
Yes, " said Henderson, but like the
mans jackknife so many new feathers
have been put in here and there at va
rious times that it is now hard to say
how much Of the original is left. feel
a great liking for the old craft, and |
shall always consider that one particu-
lar trip to the Comstock with the old
Red Wing the lucky cruise of NY life