Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1896-04-09

"Goehosophat, III have to hustle!
/ I've no end o Christmas greetin's to
my wSte's AcQuantauces here TO de-
/ liver an after that I've got to drive
down 10 the station TO meet some
nephewS an nieces coming up from
Hamilton to spend Christmas wish
| could get speech OF old man Hin.
My wife wants Loo to come over to-
morrow an don't see as Ill have
time to 40 over there now. You see
had to 80 round by the other way.
s'pose there nd be no chance OF him
hoin in tonight would thereS"
No; he was heer this forenoon an
Loo amt long gone-was here lest u
little aIorc YOU cum,
Loo But she was drivtn' OF courseF'
NO, she wasn't walked in all the
way, I'm afraid; leastways, she looked
ms she had. SO tuckered out like"
"Rut great guns,--that gal nd
never get back homo through them
snowdritts That road along by rills
bush is the worst FOR rilin up drifts
ever seen"
,loShua's hrows were knitted: no
didn't like the idea OF any woman be-
ing out alone in such storm. lie
looked through the upper half OF the
door, which was glass, and saw his
horse blankets already white with the
whtrlng takes; he looked up but
could see no sky, no sign OF abatement.
Look aherc" he said. turning with
sudden resolution, III hump these
here Christmas r0rcels q my wifes In
here, couldn't YOU set some ono to take
en- to where they're addrossodr
Every one has a note tied round It's
neck with the compliments o the soa-
son an the name; she know Id mix
'em up If she didn't"
"Whv sartin' Sarin, Fetch 'cm In!
sam can carry 'em round an deliver
en- all right. Have YOU got en- In tho
sleigh hcre%"
hight here in the sleigh An now.
como TO think of &C. one Of them tur-
keys Is for your missts here"
The rostmistress thanked Joshua
protusoly and the grocer himself, try
ing on u cap with carlNps, went out
With Joshua to the sleigh and pres.
entity returned. weighed down with two
turkeys In each hand. Joshua fol-
lowed him with two great fit geese.
remnrking as he closed the door;
Now YOU Jest rend the names, SOS
Two got 'om all right, an thon III
cit, My minds mighty uneasy about
that gal goin' home afoot In such u
blizzard"
The grocer read the names; they
were 'ull right" as Joshua said.
And now" he continued. "'stt al o.
mo philanderiu' round the village with
them there Christmas compliments, I'll
lest hustle an overtnko Loo an drive
her home, Some folks rs has daugh-
ters don't know how to take care on
cm," he added, with snort.
In another minute he was tucking
the buffalo hides in about his knees.
his dog barking and plungng about IN
/ the snow for Joy. MS he turned the
horses heads setting all tho bells
I a-iingllng,
The willing animals, leetfootod and
sure, were at tho end of the street In
twinklinE and very soon had turned
/ into the road that led to Hill's farm
Once or twice ,Iouhun had 10 pull hard
on the relns to slow them In steering
round the drifts that became larger
and moro frequent IA they advanced
and once he halted altogether and
poorod n through tho storm; whistling
and hallooing when he could see no
farther than few yards ahead. No
set forth, driving as rapidly as h.
could. the dog plungIng out OF one
snowdrift into another with evident
glec
CTo BE Contlnued.l