The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1903-10-23
Mr.. WILLIAM
BUNTN SMITH
BY G. a. Ogden
Copyright. isc,. by T. C. Mcclure

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To designate Smith from Smith. both
being named William. the people OF
Tow Head Junction resorted TO the
primitive expedient OF rechristening
them according to their distinct physic-
al characteristics. William Smith. the
i widOwer. was tail. so they gave him
the name Of Shanghai; William Smith.
the bachelor. was short. and for twen-
ty years they had spoken to and OF him
as Bunty. Neither enjoyed middle
name. and neither was resourceful
enough to supply a distinguishing ini-
tiaL The postmaster at Tow Head
Junction never knew whether a letter
was for Shanghai or for Bunty. He
could generally place postal cards In
the proper box by studying their con-
tents.
Bunty. by reason OF lack OF expert
ence. had matrimonial aspirations.
Shanghai. who lived at the other end
OF the village street. was resting in full
enjoyment Of the respite death had
given him from n somewhat overstren-
uOus term In the yoke. When he tired
OF his own cooking. he went and stayed
with his married daughter a week.
Bunty had been seriously considering
the Widow Dunnigen for three years.
He had gone over the ground and knew
she was ready to become a member OF
his household upon invitation. Just as
he had made up his mind to make his
formal proposal he received matrimo-
NAL paper through the mail At least
he got il oft OF the post office. and IL
was addressed TO William Smith. The
sender may have intended 1t for Shang-
hal.
That papsr opened new perspective
to Bunty- He never dreamed that the
matrimonial market offered such possi-
bilities. 1t became plain TO him that
he had been fooling away his time with
the Widow Dunnigen. faded, somewhat
wrinkled and owning but twenty-five
acres of bottom land. Here were la
dies-the paper spoke Of them always
as ''ladies"-who appeared willing to
marry anybody. and some of them had
$4,000 in cash. Bunty opened corre-
spondence. To make sure his letters
would not fall into the hands of Shang-
hal. he directed the ladies to address
them thus: William CBunty) Smith"
William (Bunty) Smith soon began to
receive no fewer than two letters from
each mail. The superscription was so
Enthusiastically feminine that the post
master mentioned it to the loungers.
They twitted Bunty and told him he
would prejudice his chances with the
Widow Dunnigen IL he persisted in his
/. | frifingr rx-ith la1fnS- hu
Bunty laughed. He could marry the
Widow Dunnigen any day. he thought.
What he was after was bigger fish, He
finally sifted the choice down to two.
According to their uncontroverted
statements one was widow with S12,-
, 600 in mining stock, the other a maiden
lady of means. Her mysterious reserve
ON the question of means led Bunty tc
believe she must at least own bank.
possibly u railroad. To these ladies he
sent his photograph. taken ten years
previously. when he attended the
Grand Army encampment. He also
: gave them to understand that he was
able to support wife as wife should
be supported and that he did not sc
much value means as faithful heart
anu lace
Bunty made progress. He arranged
with the two women to meet him ON a
certain day In the city. twenty miles
from Tow Head Junction. one at the
union station at cne hour. the other AT
2 the post office at another. One was to
wear a pink. the other white rose.
Bunty marked himself apart from all
mankind by tying red ribbon in his
lapel buttonhole. He did not go tc
the post Office that morning. but took
the $40 train for the city. When
I Shanghai went after his mail the post
master handed him letter. Amt fol-
Bunty. reckon" he said, 'as it's ad
dressed jist William" Shanghai
opened the letter and read:
Dear wIlliam-Looising at the map.
see Tow Head Junction Is very near ths
city. find the first train from the city
reaches Tow Head Junction fifteen min
utes before the train you will leave OF
gets there. so | have decided to go tS
4 Tow Head. Meet me on the station plat
form. ! will wear pink CAROLINE
Must be for Bunty." Shanghai re
fiected as he set out to look him up
Jim Daniels said he saw Bunty at the
depot and that he heard him ask for 9
ticket to the city. Before Shanghai got
there the 9:10 came. but the train from
the city had not arrived At the depot
they said 1t was thirty minutes late
Bunty was TO meet Caroline at the
union station in the city at 10 o'clock
Caroline was the maiden lady will
means He had named l o'clock as the
q hour for seeing the widow who hell
lhe mining stock mt the post office. Th'
q widow also consulted time tables anC
b maps. She found that she could get ;
II train to Tow Head Junction tina
IS would put her down there at $50 ant
that she could return to the city a
noon. She decided to run out and lool
the place over. So when the train from
the city which should have arrived n
Tow Head before Bunty left stoppe'
b two women got off. One wore a pin
a pinned to her bosom, the other a whit
rose. The one adorned by the rose wa
+ fat. short. broad faced and masculine
The tail woman scanned the men o
8 the station platform. There was not
gleam OF red ribbon ON any of them.
'Is Mr.. William Smith here?" sh
asked the agent.
THAT tall gentleman over there" b
answered pointing out Shanghai. who
having missed Bunty. had forgotte
the letter and Caroline. The fat We
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