Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1902-02-14


sleighing of the preceding weeks to
an untimely end, and the gray clouds
seemed to be weeping over the calam-
ity, thereby augmenting it's dolorous-
ness, as undue liquid lamentation has
way of doing. The old green and
yellow stage ''body' had been trans
ferred from the runners on which it
had glided so gayly over the smooth
white road to the summer running
gear" with broad-tired chocolate-col-
ored wheels that labored along with
subdued rattle and asthmatic
creaks, throwing such profuse
splotches and streaks of mud over
the dingy panels and cracked win
dows that even the steady downpour
was unequal to washing them.
By the way, the unusual bulginess of
the old mail bag may have had some
thing to do with a certain pleasant
twinkle in the old stage drivers gray
eyes, and the frequent whistled
snatches of kathleen Mavourne en-
and "Black-Eyed Susan" with which
he shortened the tedious way and
helped himself to ignore the small
but persistent rivulet that was trick
ling down his back through the aper-
ture in the rear of his tarpaulin's
brim.
I cannot say that the state of the
mail bag was not responsible also for
the pathetically hilarious flourish
with which Romulus and Remus Ga
miliarly known as ROM and
"Reem'O, the wiry veterans who had
drawn the old stage for IA years, took
the sharp ascent from the main road
and drew up before the implanted
building that was village store and
post office combined.
Caleb Sldpp, selec'man, storekeeper
and postmast ter, came out in the lat
ter capacity with a friendly salute.
"Keep yer settin', Elb! 1'll take out
the mail Git home an intew dry
duds quick az We ken. Sairy'H be on
pins an needles till We devil Sho,
now'' Oifting the mail bag); "heavy,
amt it?'
"Thank'ee, Gale. Heavy? Of
course! Thirteenth O. Febewary, We
know. Young folks will be young
folks-human natur' about the same
as twas 40 year ago."
'Jes' SO! Dorry's been talkin'
| val'ntines all day"
"Guess she won't be disapp'intid
| whoever else is" responded the old
| stage driver, with a gallant touch of
| his tarpaulin in the direction of Dor
| ry Skipp, whose rosy face just then
| appeared in the doorway. "G'lang,
| Romi Git, Reem!" and with pro-
| digious splash and clatter the stage
| disappeared around Wilkins Bend
-
| young folk, well protected with wa
| terproofs, rubber coats and rubber
boots, were already waiting for Their
mail around the rusty box stove.
Owing to the one delivery a day,
Meigs valentines always arrive on the
| afternoon of the 18th; for it would,
of course, be too much to expect that
the Meigs boys and girls could wait
until the last part of the day itself.
| At last, amid much laughter and
| good-natured teasing; the merry
| group dispersed and no reinforce
ments appeared, nor would they until
later in the evening: for the Meigs
supper hour had come, and of course
| the postmaster and his family wished
TO spend it undisturbed, as well as
other people. Mrs. Sllipp was distrib-
ut;ng the remnant of mail; and Dick
and Derry, ''the Skipp twins" occu-
| pied the long wooden settee and
| talked alternately about skating and
Observation-Disclosures in general and
| valentines in particular.
"Wall, now!" suddenly calculated
| Mr.. Skipp from behind the tiers of
post Office boxes. s.Er here amt a
| letter fer old Miss Jerushy Dunlop!