The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1898-07-22


redden up like Ben Davis apple and tell
him. And, of course, the whole town was
ON the lookout for Minnie, from the kid
who sold apples at the depot to Judge
Coombs, who used to leave his seat in the
courtroom and walk over to the window
when the train came in, for they looked
for her more than one day, and poor Jim
! said he didn't know whether he was "a
widow or an orphan, because he didn't get
any letter and didn't know what to ex-
pect, SO he waited around for pretty near
! " a week, eating his head off at the hotel
and nothing to show for it, and finally he
! made up his mind that he'd have to 90
back to the cabin again all by his lone, !
some. 81. vs.. IL y
But the very night that Jim made up +,
his mind that he'd have to go buck the |
next day something did happen. The |
train was late that night, and Jim had got |
so discouraged waiting that he didn't |
think there was any Use of sitting up, so
he went off to bed early, When the bus
came up to the hotel from the depot, some
body says to the night clerk, she S come"
And sure enough she had, and nobody had
any doubts about who "she" was
She WASH more than 80 years old, kind
of chunky and not SO very bad looking for
the kind, as the fellow said. But the worst
thing about her was her complexion, which
was coffee color, and If fellow had that
color Of coffee he wouldn't kick on there
, being too much water in it either. Then
she had pretty thick lips, and her hair was
black and shiny like piece of wet coal.
"Negro, by jiminyV' says the night
clerk, but she wasn't. At least the straight
hair didn't look that way, and there's o
> whole lot of Indian blood among some of
those North Carolina folks, so I've heard.
Well, there she was anyway, and some
of the folks who had seen photograph of
Minnie that Jim used to carry around said
she didn't look any more like that picture
than the least little bit in the world.
|. 81 believe she is postage stamp girl,
said the night clerk, and everybody around
agreed that they thought so too. What's
postage stamp girlI No, it isn't a young
lady that sells stamps in a postotfice. A
postage stamp girl is girl that answers
advertisements in a newspaper: Wanted
"A young woman of not much sense and
considerable money" and get married
through the postc1lice V..
So Just to make sure about it, the clerk
put up job OH jim, and besides, he want
ed to punish him for the yarns he'd been
telling about the little sweetheart Of his
boyhood days, and the golden haired dar-
ling with curls that used to sit across the
aisle from him In school Next morning
Jim got up earlier than usual, because he
was going back to the cabin and ordered a
- big breakfa fast of everything there was, be-
cause he kind of hated to settle down again
to his own cooking and after he was about
half way through, here comes Minnie
promenading along into that dining room
like mulley COW into a corntield, and the
pr waiter brings her along and sets her down
A. SQUARE in front of Jim, and on the Other
st side of the same table, and Jim never sale
IN a word only kind Of sized her up ant
went on eating his breakfast and thinking
o. to himself probably that he was glad tina
as "Ninnie" wasn't that sort and wondering
81 what kind of a man would get her for
husband. And she didn't know him either
u because some of the women in the hote
ID who were on to the game had told her tina
m. Mr.. Reed hadn't come in from the min
y, yet, and she had said the same yarn abou
ne being sOhoolmhtes, and so on, 30 they mus
have fixed 1t up between them to tell
the folks
Jim was, so she got through almost q
soon as he did, and when she came out II
to the office the clerk called to Jim, an
when be came up the clerk says: Mi;
Watson, permit me to introduce Nj
Reed" For minute Jim didn't seem
catch on at all, but when he did he nev'
The staggered bit, nor let on that 1t WASH
,irl exactly what he had been expecting.
ev- But when they were alone in lit
ray parlor, Jim says, you've deceived me.
rye Flows that, says she.
10. 1.-The photograph you sent ME wash
IN, yours, " says Jim.
;ets AND the photograph you sent me WASH
on yours, " says she, and no more 1t was, b
t of cause when they first began writing lette
hat Jim didn't know that 1t would CIV
the amount to anything, and as he was livil
it so far away from town that 1t wasn't co
venient to have his picture taken, he Sc
soft along one of a good looking fellow w
ex- was cowboy down Rocky Ford way.
fter Now, see here" says Jim, II cal
day marry you, that's sure But Ill tell y
,ed, what will do. I'll pay your oxpens
hat and I'll give you $50 besides If you'll
,kle back to North Carolina.
2 to Jim Reed" says the woman, and
tier eyes began to shine like you've seen
lble fire creeping up through lumpof ligni
"Jim Reed, says she, ''for reckon tina
r 1t your name, according to what these fo
,tan out here told me- l didn't come out y
-ork for no $50. Maybe amt no fine la'
or a and maybe amt no orange blossom
snt beauty, but am an honest, hardworki
Jim ing girl that hasn't got anything to
stof- ashamed Of unless it is this yere fool tr
n to that I'm playing now. I've done S
that goodby to all the friends I've got in
was world, I've done spent all the money
own earned by hard work a-flxin up for
bors yere trip I've done pawned my trunk
arp the railroad company to get me to
old place, ] done come all the way out to
vhen orado for love Of "a man l never seen
hem marry you and be a good wife TO you,
9th fore the Lord Mr.. Reed, Ize g'wine
d see do it,
And she did.
ID to The ceremony was performed by
that minister in the hotel parlor. Jim paid
she last $40 bill to get the brides trunk n
I'd he the grasp of the unfeeling corporation,
other the newly married pair started for
mar cabin at the coal mine.
,bnrs There isn't much more to tell, e1
n DO that she did make Jim good wife. II
4, - H,At pO111fOrta