The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1904-04-05
path between ranks of touch.me.

ceivcd by Eva, who directed him to
the rocking chair.
An embarrassed pause followed,
which was oon broken by the en-
trance of the old maid with a buckle /.
of fresh water and a gourd.
Eva paled and then Redeemed at the
sight of the gourd and arose, crying:
Don't drink out of that! Let me
get you a goblet"
mo, indeedi No goblet for me
when / can get n gourd to drink
FRONT The Lord made the gourd and
man made the goblet. Ah-e-m! The
gourd gives cold water a nectarinc
flavor that makes the tongue culver
joice together"
Though this was the first time
Elmer had ever tasted water from a
gourd, his little eulogy spread a com
mon ground on which he and those
ladies could alphabetically meet.
What a brilliant as well as hand
some gentleman he isl" thought Eva,
who had gone to the high school Mt
Salyersville.
Il like that fellow" thought the
old maid, us she carried the bucket
of water into the cook room. "Ef he
has got on fine buds, he amt no high
ferlootin' foolI"
A little later, sounds were heard on
the outside like the alternate lift
ing and dropping of mauls on wet
sod.
ssnod,s no-;osu .uolo AZ Ill ..oia
Yes, papa thinks it's about his
dinner hour" Eva supplemented.
A second later something struck
the edge of the veranda and made
planks culver from one end of it to
the other. Then the doorway dark
ened and Elmer looked up to behold
q great, tall, broad man with grim
II amt got no objections ter yer
stayin' all summer, eff yo can put up
with II grubv'twon't cost ye moth
in'-but, by gum, l can't see how we
cud be tired and wore out teachin'
school-sottin' in the house an dom
nuthin'! Shoh! Serpose We had ter
work? Serpose We had ter pillow err
mule in the new ground with roots ever
few steps. knockin' feaks of hide from
yer shins as big as dollar bills?
"Why, papa*" cried Eva, laughing
through a scarlet face.
"Never yo' mind bout me" returned
the old fellow, affecting anger, "you
skin out in that kitchen an go ter
mobilizin' the eaterbils-I'm hungry.
Now here is a character for my
novel," thought Elmer as he lay i'm
mersed in a fat feather bed that night,
"oddest, strangest character / ever
knew, in or out of fiction"
And he began vaguely to group
characters and incidents around this
central figure. But, alas. every time
this character would 20 out for a sub
ordinate character, it would come
home leading sweet Eva McElroy.
Every incident was the meeting of
himself and Eva beneath n great
spreading oak and exchanging vows Of
everlasting love.
Three months later Eva and Elmer
sat beneath a big oak near the house
in signing p~erplexity.
Elmer had asked the old fellow for
his daughters hand, and had been re-
pulsed with ~thunderous threats. He
had said: "No bandy-shanked, eder.
Gated. no count cuss gifts a gal OF
mine! What could you do at a pillow,
clearin' ground, or raisin' terbacker.
Don't try ter steal her nuther; I don't
want to be bothered by bein' arrested
an payin' fines for shootin' a man in
harvest time!"
rs your father superstitious? %
asked Elmer, the light of a great dis
covery in his eye
Very" returned the girl.
Then Ill fix him!" cried the young
man, rising with enthusiasm. eve
got a g~raphaphone at home and / will
send for it,"
a week later, as the old nan lay
tossing in his bed, he heard a sound
that made his bones quake and the
cold sweat break ont all over him:
Hear ye. oh, McElroy and heed
what say this night" The voice was
the room He arose, hastily lit a
match, but saw nothing. He lay down
again shivering. Then the unearthly
sounded again.
Hear We, oh. McElroy. and heed
what | say this night. Let thy daugh.
ter, named Evaline, and the young man
tarries in thine house be married
the morrow. And give them thy
blessing, and your hotel property in
the place called Salyersville. Do YOU
Il do, oh Lord!" cried the trembling
old sinner. And he arose early in the
morning and went forth and brought
Goodin' who performed the
ceremony.
Six months later Elmer got back the
manuscript Of his book. rot" was
the only editorial comment. Elmer
laughed, threw the manuscript in the
hre, embraced his beautiful wife and
down to count the money which
had been registered in the hotel bar.
room.
Masculine View of II.
Mrs, Wederly-What Impossible
things one sees in the newspapers
For instance, here is an account of nm