Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1897-01-14


seated in the rusty-red blackboard, the
mail-carrier out of Difference 10 his
passenger, regulated the speed of his
rascally looking ponies to a gait
snail-like when compared with their
usual galloping rush.
Mighty little" he told himself,
after a cautious inventory Of the
passenger. minds me Nv a bird,
SomeWay.'
She really did look birdlike, this
little woman, perched on the seat of
the rusty-red blackboard. 4 brown
bird, too. She was not beautiful,
scarcely pretty, even, but her face
satisfied the eyes Of the mail-larTier
in his cautious inventorying glances.
She had passed girlhood's days, this
little woman, but the dark-brown
hair, crinkly and wayy, and seeming
as if uncertain whether to cull or no,
framed a face bright and pleasing,
spite OF the little lines that here and
there told of priYations survived and
trials bravely borne.
In his inventory of his passenger,
Bob Stacker had forgotten to inquire
her destination. Now he asked it.
DO you know where Mr.. Jack
Reno" she began.
Bob turned suddenly toward her,
half raising his blacksnake whip as
he did so.
Jack Reno? You bet-I mean
should shout 1 do. Know him
IL
his face.
Air you the one?" he asked, rails
ing his whip little higher.
(which one?" the little woman
asked.
"The-w'y-Jack is goin' to be
married day after tomor', an 1
| reckon-?"
He paused questioningly.
Yes, L am the one" the little
woman answered, cheerily. Il ac-
complished the journey much sooner
than [ expected and
Gid dap!' Bob Stacker bestowed
upon the rumps of the rascally-look
ing ponies a couple of pistol-like
| cracks of the whip, brought down
from the elevation it had attained
during his questioning The ponies
| leaped nearly out of their skins and
| dashed away.
''Tollable fast" said Bob Stacker,
apologetically. But Jack will be
the weddin' will take ace ton 'ght.
AM Gid dap thar
AT first the little woman chung
nervously to the seat of the buck
beard; but presently, when she found
that over the smooth prairie that ra e
OF speed was not dangerous, she be-
gan to enjoy the cradle-iike mo.iol OF
the vehicle
do you know Jack wen?" she
asked, presently.
You bet mean | know him like
a book" the mail-oarr er answered
and Launched out into little tulogy
ON the ranchman.
Everybody knows him-knows an
likes him. Allus dom soneb dy
favors. Wasn't fer him, re kon M g
giles would plumb starye'
WHO is Miggles?" the little wome n
asked
Abbreviated and robbel CT lis
atrocities of dialect, this is what Rch
Stacker knew eff the story of the I'M
important Miggles, the on.y citizen OF
settlement of two buildings. inhaib
lted by himself and the woollv CLAW
bank mule. And as he told the story
the speed of the rascally ponies gradu-
ally diminished till it became a crawl
ing walk but the mai car Ter did not
nQlce 1t, tut continued his narTati e
delighted at having found so appre-
ciative a listener.
Sumner had not always been the IN
important settlement of two rickety
buildings. Once, although small a.
most to fnsignificance, it had had t. {
promise of a prosperous future Il
proudly considered itself the prospec-
tive seat of justice of the yet unor-
ganlzed county. A proposed" rail
I road was suspected of an intent tt
come in that direction. Would-be
citizens arrived daily, and aided il
, booming" the boom Among thu
corners was a slouching, reluctant
looking man-Miggles Then hi:
b carriage was little more erect, hi:
beard less like the whiskers on {
cocoanut and his drawl less d,aWly
and accentless than now; but thest
: characteristics were suffi GENTLY pro
nounced to warrant would-be wit il
, clubbing him ''Miggles," a hickman,
that seemed to fit him so exactly thai
it was at once adopted, and his rea
: name forgotten by the few to whom
, he had told it.
t GARNER had forgotten how many. Fo1
awhile Summer had doomed in tn
, way that many another settlement ha.
doomed. Real estate rose rap: dly
2 and 'Miggles saw his few lots increas.
2 in value. He displayed more energy
5 looked and acted little less of tn,
I SLOUGH, and said something now ant
+ then about setting out when price:
a got little better, and going cas-
. somewhere to somebody whom he haa
left behind
, Suddenly the extinguisher wa
:, clapped down over the flame of Sum
b ner's prosperity. Centropolis spran
UP, mushroom fashion, almost in
= night, and, backed by capitalists iron
= the east, doomed as Sumner ha
. never done. Wise heads, taught b
= previous experience, recognized afa
= the signs Of the speedy eclipse Q
Sumner and began to remove to Cen
tropolis. Miggles did nothing Blu
SIOTch aimlaSS1y aho11t and coo hi