The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-04-08

pike road. That Is, he was trampng
in the stage route between Mllers-
burg and Olane. Missouri.
lie had no object i'm view; to see life
was his excuse for leaving his good
country home and Just now he saw
green and black beetles. dragging
through the dust. and occasionally he
would see a snake ana sometimes the
very reptile itself and that was more
an exciting life than Jim liked,
Looking back over the road which
he had just traversed he saw the hol-
lows i'm the road made by his own
feet, and it voNed him very much to
see the dragon-tlies hanging over and
around them as if they were Il rare
curiosity, seldom to be found i'm that
part of the country.
The neighbors to Jim's folks called
dragon-lles snake feeders" and 1t
was a common saying that wherever
YOU could see one you could find a
snake not far away.
I'm glad I'm getting out of this kind
of run country" Jim half muttered to
himself and to the wide fields
lie Travelled along the lonely road
until he capc to a little ravine. He
sat down and took out bit" he had
.dNeh from ms mothers cupboard
There was ragged slice of soft gin
ger bread, and as he ate it sweet vis-
ions of his mother as she went about
"V, N"IN came before hlh'
Mothers good as gold. she is" he
remarked again to his roomy surround
lngS. "T'aint her" and his voice
i"'''u "Ii 'hI" teHuer SOD as pc
.uIe VI ms i,'"'ntr appeared Just as
''c S'oou III thc kitch'h doof' her low
,I,, ~ e Nn'u'S ''' la'e Nalcilhs III
,m iU' MS n"'''c-'oIillhS from ScHoui.
'r any INV leIioN can ne
~ ~S,''N ~ ~ "c 'l'u "oWh 10 nome al
,, l,n,ic o'u h'ie hill' VINO
az, yme W 1%''l"InS ""en ne was only
,'Sh anu ne ll'i as ulrl now. fueSS
ms l"'hS al nome never say anything
,'I'' ,,," % ms ru''''ii on cause the
, 'o'c l"'''iiS vi EN- poor as an Ola
u ray,
'iel'SS' Jim almost wished he
p''' lv'ui !" niS country nome nut
WHICH, ildu urSeu MS going
anu ,i'u urousht MN thuS iar' Whls-
pci'u' ~" amt game IL you don't
:" on
l can ger To olahe tonight you
a.. "n pe' your SWEEP me l steep cause
III must Wa'keo To death.
Looh'"S pack along the tran whence
'a'''' ne sd" III the distance a
Hna,p's moving ron OF duSI ana he
Nno" that the staEecoach would over
an MN
ms "iSt luea was personal safety
,' ",lo ne 'a'u uo"h III the TAN prairie
nN' grass pet"ceh some Eopher NILS;
n' "''lp''u' ana ms heart peat against
''r e'rln qui'k ana heaNN'
van 'hihN l"r ihe me or me
why III so scarE' reel dreadful, and
,"''' IL amt no NOISE anywhere 10 he
hcaFd c'nt the stage.
ne mahas'd to raise his head lit
up anu looked up the stage was Just
'oiil'HS OUT OF the nttle dlp OF the ra-
N'he' Ihere We're two men ON the
ufiVef seat jim dropped his head
on ms hands.
presently ne heafd the rustling of
the WheelS dlStihctly ana he managed
To take ahother look
for minute ms heart seemed to
iairly burst for there straight and
grave, beside the driver sat his father.
Even anna the clouds OF dust and in
the brefness of the time Jim could
see his rather was white and his eyes
sad
The driver was hollering at the tor
or his voice, hurrying up the span of
erays and some of the words reached
the shivering boy.
Jest you rest easy there squire, If
ne 5 tux TINS road were bound to ketCh