The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1902-02-07

He looked at me a moment in q
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. 7. Did you never see herr"
mo, l never had the pleasure Of
meeting Miss Rankin"
Miss Rankin? You mean Mrs. Ran
kim"
Mean wha-a-a-at?"
"Mrs. Rankin. l thought you knew
she was a widow with two kids at her
mothers, up in Arkansas City. l guess
she's square enough sort of woman,
but when you see her, old man, I've
an idea you won't want a 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 a coupling-pin and let it go
at him. He'd have been a dead brakey
if he hadn't been a 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 500
as the track was clear.
How cruelty my idol was shattered.
After the trains had gone, I sat as il
dazed; in fact, 1 was so absorbed in
digesting the startling information I
had cleaned from Armstrong that I
neglected to report their departure, and
the "jacking-up" l received from the
train-dispatcher for my inattention to
duty served to still further increase the
ill 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-
tied reproof, concluding with the ster-
eotyped chestnut which dispatchers al
ways crack in such cases, Don't let it
occur again." ere 1 heard a call from
Edmond. Heretofore l had fairly
sprung to the table to respond to that
call, but now l felt no desire to enter
a conversation with the ogre who pre-
sided at the key at that distant station.
1t was with no gentle touch that I an
swered her call.
Say, Sd" (my personal signal), "it's
too bad, but u shld tend to biz. Ha!
Ia! ha! Was u 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 a fierce
heat. Had it been the nice little mai
den of my dreams who had slung such
chaff at me owe the wires I would
have smiled and thought it real cute,
but that fright! Bah!
81 DIT no as it interests u VT I was
doing. I'm 2 busy to talk NV"
] snapped the words off with spite
full sharpness and closed my key with
q thump that almost sprung the cir
cult breaker.
"Well u needn't bite my nose of coz
DR. (the dispatcher) turned you over.
Call me up when u get in cd humor.
I've something to sa to u"
My gentlemanly instincts sharply re-
proved me for treating her in such an
ungentlemanly manner. Had she ever
led me to believe she was young and
handsome? Was she to be blamed be-
cause she was a widow, wore a carica-
ture in lieu Of a face and was the
mother of two children, no doubt as
ugly as herself? I felt a tinge of
shame for having spoken SO Grossly to
her, and with softer touch of the key
replied:
II beg pardon, madam. I've got bad
hedake today, and feel cross as bear.
Forgot / was talking to lady. W.T. u
want to sa to me?"
20, I'm real sorry ur not we'll. for
I've been ~'ticipating pleasant visit with
u. The agent here is on No. s, and I'M
ordered to Ark. City, and l thought il
twould be greeable to u I'd go up on
freight trn and stop over tr for pass
enger is eveng. / want to c the old
stain again"
TN hn ron%4nrnN