The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1895-02-16

plishments or characteristics Simon
Early may have possessed his FREEDOM
inant qualities were excessive bashtul-
ness and a very slender form, set OFF by
a pale, lemon-colored strip of fuzz on
his upper lip. He was in the employ
of Messrs. HOof & Tallow, of Windy
City, a frontier town noted for its
briskness and its numerous cyclones,
which, it was declared, turned the in
habitants over as often as 4 setting hen
is said to turn her eggs over. 1t was
seldom, however, hat any fatalities
had to be reported, though many COM
plants of being "shuck up right
smart" might have been heard on vari-
GUS sides.
Messrs. Hoof & Tallow piled a thrifty
business in buying up and shipping
out hides, bones, etc, products made
abundant by the cyclone, the blizzard
and the great, gaunt prairie wolves.
Simon wa fresh from the rural dis
tricts around Star Valley. Kan, from
which it was rumored hat his folks
had been driven by force of dry
weather and chinch-bugs. a few of
their former acquaintances, however,
declared that the tall, thin-visaged be-
ing known as Simon's father had been
actuated in quitting his old place of
abode more on recount of the enforce
ment of the prohibitory law than for
any other reason. and had come to
live among cowboys ar-i buffalo grass,
where more freedom of conscience was
permitted.
Be that as it may, the elder Early
had removed his family and belongings
to the more unrestricted town of Windy
City, where the ditfident Simon had
secured a position in his Uncle Hoofs
establishment.
In order to help Simon scrape off
some of the bashfulness for which he
was renowned his considerate uncle
and Mr.. Tallow frequently e him
across the hillocks and hollows of buff
falo grass to outlying farmers and
ranchers to bargain for fresh supplies
of hides, bones, and anything in their
line.
1t was st. Valentines day, mild and
pleasant. But the good and much
enduring citizens of Windy City
we're not an Misunderstanding people,
and it is doubtful if more than a half
dozen of them could have told you why
the 14th of February was such a popu-
lar day with young folks.
Simon was one of hat half-dozen.
He knew what Valentines day meant,
and it had been his intention to answer
an advertisement in a newspaper where
he had read that two fancy, lace
trimmed expressions of a lovers feel
ings might be purchased for five cents.
He didn't ARE for the money, and,
much as he would have liked sending
both of them to a certain maiden owe
on Tar creek, he lacked even the cour.
age to write the manufacturers what
he wanted. They didn't keep valentines
for sale at any of the stores in Windy
City. But shutting whatever regrets
or longings he might have closely in
his heart, Simon mounted his broncho
and rode away across the prairie to en-
gage hides and bones for the firm.
He blushed to himself as he thought
how much pleasanter it would be to
engage that certain maiden in %sonversa-
ton, If he only dared do it.
An unusually early blizzard had
swept along Tar creek, killing a great
deal of stock fc- the ranchers. This
enabled the youth to reap a rich har-
vest in the peculiar wares of the firm.
Having bargained with some fellows
engaged in the bone-picking business
to deliver at an early day, Simon
started toward home, directing his
broncho by a cattle path that passed
the ranch of old Sandhill Hyde, one of
the first Corners to Tar creek. The old