Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1895-05-16
MRS. BUCK TUPpER.


Wy
neer.
After a very unsatisfactory year
spent in the employ Of certain mush'
room railroad companies | resolved to
seek shorter route to fortune by JOIN
ing the throng that was just then rush
ing to the silver mines OF the south
west.
But alasI for the hest plans of an un-
sophisticated tenderfootl Six months
later | found myself one day stranded
In wretched little mining town, with
out a dollar In my pocket,
How | happened just then to meet
and make friends with Col. Dingler u
IL no part Of my purpose to relate :.
Suffice to say that when he offered TO
send me seventy-6ve miles into the
country with party Of men who were
to take charge Of one Of his ranches
accepted without demur-
There were five Of us, with all posi-
BILE diversity Of character and bring
Ing up. 49,,
Dennis O'Flaherty was brilliant
young Irishmsn, the son OF New
York alderman. lie had broken with
his family because Of his disposition to
alrt with pretty girls rather than &c
study for orders" as had been intend
ed. 81 Larkins was II typical down
easter, big and rawboned, and until
six months ago he had never been DC
yond the New Hampshire hills III
very opposite was Ross Harper d zap
per little fellow who. in spite OF I'M
sombrero and brace Of pistols, LOOKED
very like one OF the dummies that usc'
to adorn the front Of his clothing stor'
back in Cincinnati, but for all that IT
was plucky and clear grit to the back
bone Then there was Buck l'aci
Upper.
Inst where he hailed from no on
ever seemed to know lie seemed u
be a part Of the wild west himself AM
his knowledge Of it, bold, wicked way
was something marvellous lie had
playful habit Of gallopng across th
country, firing right and left slmultar
eously, or Of dashing unheralde
l L.. -...s
through shops and saloons on his mus
tang. Buck was an invctcratc gambler
though something of bungler,
seemed-at least, his earnings wen
regularly into the hands OF the lar
bank dealer at Waho,
One afternoon, as Buck and | wcr
returning from beyond the canyoI
where we had gone in search OF SON
missing cattle, we came upon the IRA
Of company Of horsemen. From n
broken bits Of saddle, cooking utensi
and papers that were scattered aool
the gorge, it was evident that the'
had been a runaway. AS reading ma
ter was at premium Just then, WI
off in an instant and was gathering u
the papers, which proved to be OF r
cent date. So absorbed did ! becon
in their contents that 1t was some mi
utes before noticed that Buck Oh
had disnounted, and was examinil
with great interest something that
had picked up from the roadside.
It proved to be the photograph OF
woman-a fine, oval face, the slight
waving hair brushed simply back fro
the low, broad forehead The eye
that YOU would have sworn were
| clear gray, seemed to look into yo
own with sweet, trustful expressio
Several times during the ride hon
: Buck took the picture from his blonf
= regarding it with an air OF pleas
s ownership. ..
I When / came into the house at
1 putting away the horses, ! found NJ
n busily engaged in fastening the ?
: ture TO tho smoked wall above '
v chimney piece.
!, st amt no place for such" he sa
n nodding his head at the picture a
4 CHANGING apologetically about the roo
s'but Buck Tupper's proud to give y
the best he's got"
Looking upon the matter as gr,
: Joke, when the others came In !
$ them to the picture presenting ,n'
with mock ceremony to Mrs bu
Topper. The name seemed to :, ,ic G.
Bucks fancy, and he repeated II o
and over to himself with pleas
chuckle.
;, From that time Mrs Buck Iupp
u became household word with u.s.
n II was not until some weeks after '
J. that we learned how much oil a real
y she had become to the eccentric
los, 0na dav. when one OF his Gnu