The Farmville herald. [volume] (Farmville, Va.) 1890-1934, 1901-06-21
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
A BROKEN ROMANCE
By EDGAR S. BRADLEY.
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Copyright, 1901 Dy Authors syudicateJ

ifAt 1 WIS Dldllltls ana SO WAS rIf,
And that was the end of the romance
THE rollicking humniing of these
words attracted my attention
as / sat in the cushioned seat of
a Pullman attached to the Overland
Flyer. west-bound for Denver We
were passing through the "sandhill'
region and the time was dragging
heavily. Furthermore the singer. Of
so he might be styled, was a pleasant
/ appearing man and then anyway.
acquaintances are easily made on a
train. So ! leaned over towards him
and remarked:
That's a catchy sort of tune YOU
are singing What is the rest of it?"
The laughing eyes whirled over me
and their jocoseness became more
humorous.
"Oh, the rest of it is a story" he
said, and, led on by his infectious hui
NOR, begged him to while away the
time by relating it. The readiness
with which he complied showed the
amount Of pleasure he obtained from
the recounting. which shall attempt
in his own words. so far as possible
"Remember we passed through
village called Silver Creek a hundred
miles back? Yes; well. that is the
scene of the story, and every time !
pass through that place ] cannot help
repeating that refrain. which ! con-
iured as the finale of a little incident
happening about seven years ago.
81 arrived at Silver Creek one after
noon late, intending TO call on some
farmers on the south side of the
Platte. Getting up bright and early
the next morning. I went to the livery
and engaged team, which was TO be
hitched while I ate my breakfast.
Never thought TO tell the liveryman
where ! was going until got back TO
the stable. Well. ! was pretty much
stumped when the liveryman told me
the bridge had been washed out by
the last spring flood, as were all the
others between Columbus and Grand
Island. A quick calculation told me it
was 90 miles around TO get TO the
farmers whose Outbuildings loomed
up on a knoll not four miles away
but across that confounded Platte.
While 7 was mumbling something I
would not care TO have the ladies
hear the liveryman asked why | did
not swim the team across.
"'Can it be done? asks I. And he
answered yes. with a team OF bron-
chos he had in the stable, though IL
had not been done since the seventies.
when bridges were not common in I
these parts and fording was the fash
ion. So I said: Let her rip
"Arriving on the opposite side 7 |
quickly drove to my destinations. and /
then recollecting several other places 4
on that side OF the river where I .
wanted to call, went on and made a (
day of it. 1t was about five o'clock /
when I arrived again at the south /
bank of the river, and it struck me a
change had taken place. but was not 4
sufficiently impressed to make a eau
tious survey.
"But ! soon found out that change
had taken place. and a decided one at
that. It was June. and during the day
one of those sudden rises which come
down the river from the westward.
occasioned by the breaking through
the canyons of melted SHOWS from the
had reached this vicinity.
! started into the water at the exact
point where l had driven out mp
sloping sandy bank. quicksand. Of
course, but aifording footing for the
bronchos if they moved quickly
When I started in. however, the rise
had Slowed around to that side of the
river and instead OF going down a
sloping bank. as ! expected. my bron-
hos took a sudden plunge and were
swimming for dear life. The buggy.
which hoated like a cork. was swirling
down stream. and turning their heads
10 the westward, or mp the stream.
and they had all they could do TO
keep from being washed down 10y the
force Of the current against the dash
board But they made il after
great deal Of putting and snorting. and
shouted a jolly 'hurrah as they
landed on a bank OF quioksand. about