The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1897-03-19

those who differ from MIN he Is dS op-
stinate as a mule. Anyhow, ne mas
always had his own way with me.
This custom, so far as / am concerned,
commenced years ago, when we were
boys at school together, and | have
never been able to shake oil the bad
habit of giving it TO him. He has
promised 10 see that my Queens Eng
lish IS presentable; for. to tell the
truth. I am more at home across u
Try than across foolscap, and my I'M
gers know the feel of the reins or the
trigger better than that of the pen.
All the same. l hope he won't take
. too many liberties with my style, bad
though it may be; for old Brand at
times is apt TO get-well, a bit prosy.
To hear him on the subject OF hard
work, and the sanctity thereof, ap-
proaches the sublime!
What freak took me TO the little God
forsaken village of Midcombe in the
depth of winter, is entirely betWeen
myself and my conscience. The cause.
having no bearing upon the matters L
am asked to tell you about, is no ones
business but mine. / will only say that
now I would not stay in such a place.
at such a time of the year, for the sake
of the prettiest girl in the world, let
alone the bare chance Of meeting her
once Or twice. But ones ideas change.
l am now a good bit older, i some
two stone heavier, and have been mar
ried ever SO many years. Perhaps,
after all, as l look back, / can hnd
some excuse for being such an ass as
to endure, for more than a fortnight.
all the discomforts heaped upon me
in that little village inn.
A man who sojourns in such a hole
as Midcombe must give some reason
for doing SO. My ostensibie reason was
hunting. I had a horse with me, and
a second-rate subscription pack OF slow
going mongrels did meet somewhere IN
the neighborhood. so no n could gain
say N yeXplanaiton. But, If hunting
was my object, 1 got precious little CT
il. a few days after my arrival, a bit
ter, biting frost set ina frost as black
as your hat and as hard as nails. Yet
still l stayed On.
From private information received
no matter how, when, or where
knew that some people in the neigh
borhood had organized a party to go
skating on a certain day at Liiymere.
4 fine sheet OF water scme distance
from MidcoHrbe. 1 guessed that some
one whom ! particularly desired to
meet would be there, and as Il slat-
ing was free TO anyone who chose to
take the trouble Of getting to such an
out of the way place, l hired a horse
and an apology for a dog-cart, and al
ten in the morning started to drive the
twelve miles TO the pond. | took No
one with me. I had been 10 Lilymere
once before, in the bright summer
weather. so fancied 1 knew the way
well enough.
The SKY when I started was cloudy.
the wind was chopping around in a way
which made the effete rustic old hostlel
predict q change of weather. He was
right. Before I had driven two miles
light snow began to fall, and by the
time I reached a wretched little way
side inn. about a mile from the Mere
a film Of white covered the whole coun-
try. I stabbed my horse as well as
could. then, taking my skates with ne
walked down TO the pond.
Now. whether 1 had mistaken tbs
day. or whether the threatening fall OF
snow had made certain people change
their minds, ! don't know; but. to my
ANNOYANCE and vexation, no skaters
we're 20 be seen. and, moreover, the
urcrt white surface told me that none
had been on the pond that morning
Still. hoping they might come in spite
of the weather, l put on my skates and
vert outside-edging and grape-vinins
al over The place. But as there was &C
rerson in particular-in fact, 40 one a
ALTO note my powers, l soon go
tired. II was, indeed. dreary, dreary
work. But I waited and hoped unit
-ra snow came down so fast and fur.
iorsJv. that l felt sure shat waiting
was in vain. and that I had driven t.
Iilvmere for nothing.
Back l went TO the little inn. utterly
disguised with things in general, anu
feeling that 10 break someone's head
would be a relief to me in my rresent
state of mind. OF course, 2 sensible
man would al once have got his horse
between the shafts and driven home
But. whatever I may be now, in those
DAYS / was not q sensible man-Brand
will, l know. cordially endorse this re,
mark-the accommodation Of the inn
was not such as to induce on TO lingel
within lis precincts; but the fire was
raht good one,a and a drink, which
skiilfuIly manufactured OUT of Soma
hot beer. not 10 be despised. and proved
warming TO the body and soothing Il
the rufied temper. So ! fingered over
The big fire until l began to feel hungry
and upon the laldlady assuring ms
that she could cook a rasher. decided
L. would be wiser 10 stay where l wa