St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1904-11-26
A Fool Streak
at Wigglefork
b. r. H. TALMADGE

b. r. H. TALl1ADGE
Copyright. ls'a. BY Daily Story Pub. Co.,
- IT'S a piece of dunn foolishness.
Them fellers ought to have sense
enough to know Wigglefork can't sup
port two drays. I amt certain sure
It can support one. It appears to me q
boy with wheelbarrow could attend
to all the drayin' business there is
here, and then have time to cut the
family wood.-it does, by jinks."
Ezra Rollins seated himself in the
front doorway of the Wigglefork gen.
eral store and cast a severe eye down
the street in the direction Of the rail-
way station where two drays were
racing to the accompaniment of tink-
ling bells. Inen he rubbed his nose
and continued: sEs
"Of course, just now while the quar-
Tyin' business is goin' on SO big, there's
more or less jobbin' around to do
pretty near as much as would make It
worth while for one man and . team.
but that amt goin' to last long. I
spotted that ledge Of rock down there
30 years ago. and got an expert here
to look it over. but he said 'twasn't
any use goin' into It; the stone was
practically worthless for buildin' pur-
poses. So''-he smiled dryly-"when
these fellers come along and wanted
TO buy a couple Of acres of my bluffs at
q good figure just naturally closed the
deal before they had q chance to back
out. It's been q good thing for the
town, too," he added, redectively.
They've got IL men workin', and
every one Of 'em has got good appe-
tite and enough wages to keep 1t salts
ned. The Widow Ruggles is boardin'
nine Of 'em. She says she's goin' to
take a trip back to York state this
fall" @N
Salem Tunk. who had driven into
town with load Of hoop poles that
morning and was spending an hour
with his old friend, the storekeeper,
suddenly Strengthened his shoulders.
"She is. hey?" he said. Il reckon
maybe I'd better see IL she can't pay
me for that cow sold her last fall"
1.-THE girl bought clothes with the
profits" said Mr.. Rollins. "'Twas just
about then that Bill Elliott begun to
shine around her. and when a girls
got beau she thinks she's in duty
bound to wear fancier clothes than she
would otherwise. I've got notion the
Ruggles girls kind Of fool. It's
along Of her that Bill Elliott and his
brother Jim are maxim fools Of them
selves with their drays. ar
%, 'tis?" Mr.. Tunk appeared inter
ssted. Both got hankerin' for her,
hey?"
"Seem TO have" The storekeeper
arose to wait on a little girl who
wanted nickers worth OF brown
sugar, then reseated himself in the
doorway. "Jim's been overheard to tell
Bill that he begun maxim advances to-
wards the girl first, and Bills been
overheard to reply that nobody, not
even the girl, seemed to know 1t II he
was maxim advances, and It didn't
make q dunn bit Of difference, anyhow.
'Twas Bills idea-the comm to town
and startin' up a dray line. He had .
team Of his own, and dray was the
only thing that 'peared to be in the
nature of a permanent town business
In connection with q team. I reckon ne
he had Jim fixed when ne done
II Ofcourse, you see, Teller IN town
III the time where the girl is has got
4 heap better show than the Teller that's
four miles away on his pas farm. all
other things bein' equal. But 'twasnt
lonp before Jim scraped up a team. too,
a couple of bronchos that are afraid
nf their own shadders, and he rlgged
nm a draw and come to town. Him and
hin don't speak; I don't reckon .
words passed between EN- FOR SIX
months"
"Rnt how do they manage the court
In,7" asked Mr.. Tunk. amazedly.
"well, they amt doin' much courtin'.
vou see. they can't. Sometimes Bill
meets the girl on the street and cnlns
nth her. and sometimes Jim meets
her and chins with her, but beyond
hat there amt much dom. They
son,t let each other get out OF
.ieht very long at time; when
snn hear one of their fool drays
,s;nklin' along, pretty soon youll
sa.r the other. And in the meantime,
net betwixt you and me. the voice
= Mr. Rollins fell to whisper and
.ccuish expression appeared IN MS
,sb1ike eyes-"unless things go con-
.arv = what I'm figurin', I'll be mar
Win. the widow fore them fool boys
.onne Is their senses. Don't say moth.
=, ~ It. Salem; she's kind OF Deaan
's.,,t The bush with me yet, after the
49, - oil women, but she's mine.
',nt. no fool when it comes to
customer appeared at this 5uncture
-oman who wanted calico.
r. funk sat for time impassively
.,.nr,nr at the quiet scene presented
' i .ns principal thoroushfare Of WIG !