The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1894-01-18

bitterly realized when ne came home
| with the mountain Ions skin she haC
expressed wish for.
The boys brought he so many po,-
ished steer horns, deer's-hoof inS
stands and such like, that she mig1.
have set up store for the sale OF
Texas cuIiosities when she went home,
had she felt 20 disposed.
Prarie City, the county sec. OF
| Harter County, consisted at this tine
of name and three buildings. Tne
main enc, modest 'dobe structure
with frame porch, contained the
store, postofiice. and in the back room,
which was also the storekeeper's bed
room, liquors were dispensed with the
primitive aid OF tin cup.
This store was the gathering place
FOR the gay and gallant element of
/ Hnrtcr County. One evening about
three months after Miss Eula Pendlo-
tons arrival, its circle o. loungers was
electrified 10y an announcement from
the storekeeper.
He had felt of late that he was falling
behind the younger men in the race,
and he spoke in II personally aggrieved
tone. rs though the entire matter
might have been arranged to compass
his defeat.
"Do YOU know gentlemen, he said,
that Miss Eula's goin' to leave Us
Shes agoin' home next week.
"Well, said tall, thin man who
claimed 60 hail from Indiana, and was
] 9 l.v
back in the East, 'I say that is the
fault of this crowd, all and severally."
Don't see how you make that go, &"
growled Prct Somers, from where he
lay on the counter. "She's had her
pick Of Harter County, and none of
Harter County don't suit her-th' IS
all see in it. "
"Now really" said the Indiana man
arCumcntativcly. edo you think she
has had her pick? I'm not marry
ing man myself but it really seems
to me that you gentlemen fell over
each other and stepped on each other,
and naturally stood in each others
light in trying 10 please the lady. Can
dialy, have any of you asked her to
stAy%'
There was II somewhat blank silence.
"Ah. " said the Indiana man, 81
thought as much. I-thought-as
much
You see, each one of you has been
So afraid that some one else would get
ahead OF him that you've done more at
trying to defeat each other than al adj
yanclng your cause"
Looks So, said the storekeeper
( deiectedly.
81, might be, now" said the Indiana
man insinuatingly, that if the lady
was asked she'd settle here"
The company looked furtively at one
another, as though each one were COW
ertly calculating the chances of being
the first TO slip away and get chance
meatous qYa a.
ninuvIet,.
The Indiana man laughed. "No,"
he said, you're all in one boat now.
You're ELL watching each other and
nobody's going to get the chance to go
out to the Bar & alone"
"rhe best thing for this yer crowd
tdo," said old Hank Pearsall, from
back seat, where he had been quietly
smoking sis to come long 18th me in
II body up to the Bar 6. Most all the
available matrimonial timber o Harter
County's hyer. I'm well quainted 18th
the lady an I'll engage { ask her, free
an contidenshull, ii there's ennything
III the lot she can make out with"
1--WE really ought to go over to say
goodbye said the storekaeper anx-
iously. "You boys can Dine in my
room here and fix yourselve( up"
II the storekeeper favored\ the plan
because he thought it might \elp him
to dispose of q curious drift o4 gents
furnishings on his shelves,\ (which
seemed to have accumulatedV Vhere
some time during the pliocene pc vod,
he was highly successful.
Purchases were solemnly and } di.
cially made.
The basin, towel, broken miiI or
+, and blase comb in the corner werd in
constant and violent requisition, knd
for half an hour the rear end of the
store looked like the green room OF an
, amateur theatrical troupe. Then the
, shutters were put up, the lights ont,
ponies mounted and the cavalcade
took its way, with courage that ebhed
at every step, to the Bar q.
| Miss Eula seemed somewhat aved
and astonished, not at the visit such
calls had been common during her
stay-but at the manner of her eis-
itors They might, had the number
been sufficient, have been readily
taken for the pail bearers going in q
body 10 a funeral.
| When the party was finally seated
there fell solemn hush. Old Hank
, Pearsall, who seemed to consider
; himself elected chairman of te
meeting by the silent suffrage of 1he
eye, deemed this a fitting time ~
speak.
, Rising, he waved his hand tow9 d
l., l. l.