The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1894-11-10
A FLASH ACQUAINTANCE.
How a Storm Spoiled One Ro-
nance and Started Another.

y Up at the De-Je-nOH-uc-Wd-ho Hou"S,
where l passed the first part OF my last
summers vacation, the one 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 sufficiency"-to use
a 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 it 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
more fun than our neighbors. 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 IL seemed to have
been laid out on the model of a tangled
= fish line thrown on a flax-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
Their 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 1t was
by going for it themselves. Thereafter
we took turns at that duty, and found
it 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 son)
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
n horse and started for Doolittlc's.
The horse and the road were both
against speed, but that did not matteri
was not in haste, the air was invig-
Grating and the scenery magnificent,
so 1 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 stamp!
he was declaiming. Darn the maj
who invented it! Confound the post
master general who adopted il! And
double darn the cuss who slapped /
onto a letter for this officel Dunn 'eu
ALI"
understood the situation at once
of course; but the best of us fint
amusement in the little annoyances O.
our fellow creatures, so 1 stirred hin
up afresh with the innocent query:
what is the matter?"
This dod-ratted special deliver.
letter is what's the matter" he re
sponded, hotly. "It's for some chap a
the Royal, a good five miles from her
if it's an inch, night nigh at hand,
storm coming on, me alone in tn
store, and it's as much as my place
worth not to deliver it this night. TIL
government says 1 must do it, what
ever it costs me, Immediately. II
was to leave 1t until tomorrow I'd b
bounced, sure, in case the old chap IT.
for should make complaint; ant
from what I've seen of him, that is jus
what he would do. And then Bugalo
would get the post Office. It's dun
hard, mister; dunn hard"
1T nigh. ride around by way of til
Royal and deliver it for you," sait
after had had fun enough with til
old man.
''Its good two miles out of yor
way, SIR" he hesitated, with feigne
reluctance to give me so much troubl
Eyes, it is three" / replied, 'b'
that doesn't matter if the storm do
not fall"
"Oh." he rejoined, eagerly, 'th'
shower isn't coming here. 1t wi
blow over, sure. And even at most,
would only be light bit of summ'
shower-just enough to freshen I
growing things"
took the letter and rode away, b
had only gone couple of miles wh'
the tempest overlook me; and inste'
of being a mere summer shower it WI
violent thunderstorm. The deluge
rain quickly converted the light du
of the narrow mountain road to thi
slippery mud, and the darkness was
intense that abandoned all attemp
to direct my horse. With the rel
lying loose on his neck he plodd