The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1894-10-11
A FLASH ACQUAINTANCE.
How a Storm Spoiled Ono Ro-
nance and Started Another.


Up at the De-je-non-de-wa-ha house,
where passed the first part of my last
summers vacation, the ono promise
made by the landlords circular which
the guests were able to completely re
alize was, retirement, remoteness
from the worlds hustle and care"
That line caught me- But had more
than IAN elegant sufaciency"--to use
sailors phrase-of retirement. Lo-
Gated in the mountains, amid the
primeval forests, the De-je-non-de-wa-
has only neighbor, within miles
around, was the Royal, more pre-
tentious and newer hotel. The Royals
furniture was finer, its bills-of- fare
were menus" and its prices were
higher, so 1t had, or was supposed to
have, more aristocratic patronage than
our older house; but we of the De-je-
etc. knew our table to be the less bad
of the two, and believed we had much
moro fun than our neig.lbors An air.
line between the two houses would not
have measured a mile; but by the road
which went up and down, zig-zag
and slanting, SO that 1t seemed to have
been laid out on the model of tangled
fish line thrown on fiax-heckle-the
distance was two or three times as
long, and was generally esteemed
more.
There was not much Intercourse or
commonality of feeling between the
guests of the rival establishments, but
In one sentiment they united, viz: In
disgust with the mail facilities. The
post Office at Doolittle's store was
three miles from our place, and far
ther yet from the other house, and
though, nominally, some employe of
each hotel went daily for letters, we
soon learned that if guests wanted
mail their surest way of getting it was
by going for it themselves. Thereafter
we took turns at that duty, and found
1t rather pleasant than otherwise in
good weather.
One afternoon when a storm was
threatening none of US cared to go.
The clerk (who was the landlords sony
said the porter (who was his brother)
"would most likely be going over for
something tomorrow, and that would
do as WE'LL" but the more we thought
we could not get our letters the more
we wanted them. Finally mounted
horse and started for Doolittle's.
The horse and the road were both
against speed, but that did not matter;
I was not in haste, the air was invig-
Grating and the scenery magnificent,
30 just sauntered along, If an
equestrian can be said to "saunter,"
and it was within an hour Of dusk
when reached my destination. The
air was cool and damp with the breath
Of the coming storm and dark clouds
were piling heavily over the mountain
tops toward the northwest.
found old man Doolittle in an ex-
cited frame of mind.
''Consarn the special delivery stampr"
he was declaiming. "Darn the man
who invented It'll Confound the post
master general who adopted I'll And
double darn the cuss who slapped 1t
onto letter for this office! Dunn 'em
all!"
understood the situation at once,
Of course; but the best of us find
amusement in the little annoyances of
our fellow creatures, so I stirred him
"What is the matter2"
''This dod-ratted special delivery
letter is what's the matter" he re-
sponded, hotly. "It's for some chap at
the Royal, good five miles from here
If it's an inch, night nigh at hand, a
storm coming on, me alone in the
store, and it's as much as my place Is
worth not to deliver it this night. The
government says must do it, what
ever 1t costs me, Immediately. If l
was to leave it until tomorrow I'd be
bounced, sure, in case the old chap it's
for should make a complaint; and,
from what I've seen of him, that is just
what he would do. And then Bugaloo
would get the post Office. It's dunn
hard, mister; dunn hard"
I happened to know that M. Ber-
galieu, French Canadian hunter and
guide located in the mountains, had
no more notion of applying for post
mastership than I; but some of us had
made Doolittle believe it was the
dream of 'Frenchy's" life, and his
consequent Jealous anxiety was simply
lovely. to behold.
II might ride around by way of the
Royal and deliver 1t for you," said,
after had had fun enough with the
old man.
"It's good two miles out Of your
way, sir" he hesitated, with feigned
reluctance to give me SO much trouble.
"Yes, it is three" l replied, "but
that doesn't matter II the storm does
not fall"
'sOh" he rejoined, eagerly, ''that
shower isn't coming here. 1t will
blow over, sure. And even at most, it
would only be light bit of a summer
shower-just enough to freshen up
growing things"
took the letter and rode away, but
had only gone couple of miles when
the tempest overlook me; and instead
of being mere summer shower it was
a violent thunderstorm. The deluge of
rain quickly converted the light dust
of the narrow mountain road to thin,
slippery mud, and the darkness was SO
intense that abandoned all attempts