Rosebud County news. [volume] (Forsyth, Mont.) 1901-1906, 1902-02-06
but little attention, but continued our


long-distance Intercourse, as / be-
fore remarked, falling more hopelessly
in love with my new friend as the days
sped by, and often wondering II reci-
predatory feeling was not growing in
warmth at the other end Of the wire
l was a young man of but 20, very
susceptible to female charms, and as
l was then denied even look at a
pretty face, aside from fleeting glimps-
es of female passengers on passing
trains, / came to regard Miss Rankin
as my best GIRL" and her personal
Geographic signal, or" became the
sweetest sound my instrument clicked
into my ears.
Modesty, coupled with fear of be-
ing "guyed," had prevented me from
questioning the train men regarding
the personal appearance Of my manor
alta, but one day when I had orders
to hold a northIbound freight until a
belated south bound passenger had ar
rived, and the freight conductor, Tom
Armstrong, came into my office and sat
down for chat, determined to sound
him and learn little something of the
idol of my dreams.
What sort of looking girl is that
now holding down Edmond station?" l
asked
He looked at me a moment in a
half-quizzical, half-mischievous man.
ner, and replied:
Say, Fred, I've heard some of the
boys on the line say you was dead gone
on that piece, and l have an idea she
is on your trail, too, for she made me
tell her all about you while my train
was lying there this morning waiting
for No. z. Did you never see her"
"No, never had the pleasure OF
meeting Miss Rankin"
Miss Rankin? You mean Mrs. Ran
kin"
Mean wha-a-a-at?"
Mrs. Rankin. / thought you knew
she was a widow with two kids at her
mothers, up in Arkansas City. guess
she's square enough sort of woman,
but when you see her, old man, I've
an idea you won't want second look.
She's no spring chicken! Forty if
she's a day, and she doesn't need a
better protector than that face of hers.
And temper! Gee whiz! My hind
brakeman asked her the other day if
that face didn't pain her, and she
grabbed up coupling pin and let it go
at him. He'd have been dead brakey
if he hadn't been good dodger. He
never sticks his head out of the ca
boose window now while we are at that
station, for she's got it in for him."
The passenger whistled, and he hast
ened to his train to pull out as soon
as the track was clear.
How cruelty my idol was shattered
After the trains had gone, l sat as if
dazed in fact, / was so absorbed in
digesting the startling information
had cleaned from Armstrong that
neglected to report their departure, and
the "jacking-up" I received from the
train-dispatcher for my inattention to
duty served to still further increase the
i'll temper into which the conductors
story had thrown me. The snappy
clicks of the instruments had scarcely
ceased to convey to my ears the mer-
eotyped chestnut which dispatchers al
ways crack in such cases, Don't let it
occur again." ere heard a call from
Edmond. Heretofore l had fairly
sprung to the table to respond to that
call, but now I felt no desire to enter
Of Vxyifh wh0
sided at the key at that distant station.
1t was with no gentle touch that I an
swered her call.
Say, Sd" (my personal signaD, cts
too bad, but u shld tend to biz. Ha!
ha! ha! Was sleep or reading letr
I'm ur girl?"
Thus came her consolatory message
in the abbreviated conversational style
of the telegrapher, and it served to
fan the flames of my anger into fierce
heat. Had it been the nice little mai
den of my dreams who had slung such
chaff at me over the wires I would
have smiled and thought it real cute,
but that fright! Bah!
II DIT no as it interests VT I was
doing. I'm busy to talk nw''
I snapped the words off with spite
full sharpness and closed my key with
a thump that almost sprung the cir
cult breaker
well IL needn't bite my nose off COZ
DR. (the dispatcher) turned you over.
Call me up when get in cd humor
I've something to sa to IT,"
My gentlemanly instincts sharply re-
ungentlemanly manner. Had she ever