Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1904-11-23

VI az NuSiHtti ttlul HIS lleTNc WIS lull-
ing, wherefore lie bent his heavy
brows on this reluctant youngster and
scowled and rasped out his disap.
prevail.
whats the matter with you, Spen.
cer-losing your nerve?"
mo, | guess not, but I'm pretty well
satisfied with the accommodation
run"
"Oh, you are, are you? Well, SO long
ms you work for the G. and G. r. you'll
go where you're sent"
OF course Harry laughed. He was of
those who would laugh and offer to
shake hands with death ut the narrow
est pass, but there was defiance in his
rejoinder.
~ guess don't have to work for the
G. and G. Il. when you get through
with me-" he said. and so it ended for
the time.
Since railroad office is leaky as any
sieve it soon came to be whispered
about that Harry had fatty refused the
mail run, and the why was a small
mystery. In the wage scale the mail
the mileage was stiff the runs were
fast and the lHy overs propOrtionately
long But Harry had reason of his
own for wanting to keep the accom-
mediation run, and of this reason none
of us knew until later. The Lone Pine
accommodation was an even days run
west from Grand Butte to Lone Pine
one day and back the next. This ar
rangcmcnt gave the crews every other
night in Lone Pine, and that of itself
was n standing grievance in the eyes
of most of us, for Lone Pine boosted
no more than a station, n stock corral,
water tank and the illimitable plain,
with here and there a ranch house to
dot it.
OF the off day crew of five men four
carried four story dinner buckets and
slept on hunks in the station, but the
fifth man-and that was Harry-bought
| a broken windcd broncho early in the
game and ambled away to the nearest
of the plain dotting ranch houses every
| other evening as soon as he had side
| tracked his train and cared for his en-
| CINE. We never guessed what the real
| situation was at Jepson's ranch until
one fine morning when Harry rode over
with girl beside him. She was pretty
enough to make the other members of
the accommodation crew gasp, and
they made instant inquiry of the sta
ton agent whether Harry was parad-
ing 1919 for the young woman's bene-
fit.
"Why, yes" said the agent; that's
Miss Cartwright. Miss Prissic the kids
call her. She's the schoolma'am from
somewhere down east, and she boards
at Jepson's. Why, good gosh, l sup
posed you all knew what took Harry
over there. He's dead gone on her
plum up to his ears'
But Harry was not .in." He was
only longing to be. longing to take the
plunge and dreading it more and more
MS time and better acquaintance paced
off the terrible distance between this
dainty, low voiced eastern product Of
good breeding and education and n
rough young fellow who knew how to
get the most out of big ten wheeler
and knew little else. Notwithstanding
he had met her every other evening all
summer he still found it difficult to
talk to her. even with 1919 for theme.
Il thought maybe you'd like to see
her." he was saying. ''rhat's why 1
asked you to ride over. Isn't she n
whale?"
| Miss Cartwright laughed apprecia.
lively.
"Some OF your railroad figures OF
speech are just too apt for anything
she said. 81 think l never saw such q
tremendously big one before, or is II
only that I've never noticed?"
ooh, don't know laughed Harry
"They are building them bigger every
year."
"Are they?" she said, and then
Don't you feel terribly afraid of II
sometimes?"
Harry laughed again. "No; haven't
come to that yet, not even with 1919
though she has scared out good many
of the boys"
Scared them out?" said Miss Cart
wright, with an uplifting of the brows
that made Harry SILVER and then turr
hot with love for her. 81. don't under
stand"
He explained, giving the story o.
1010's diabolisms, and she shudderet
in sympathy, whereat he loved her thu
more.
"Of course there is nothing to thu
superstition" she said, "but still :,
should think you would be afraid"
ITS my business not to be afraid
and, after all, she's nothing but big
gish bunch Of iron and steel. Would
you-would you like to see how sh,
rides? I've got to run out on the
and turn around"
Miss Cartwright caught her breatl
and said she wouldn't dare, but sh
ended by letting Harry help her up in
to the cab. The little spin around til
Y was the merest taste of Il locomc
!. tive ride, hut it awoke n hitherto dor
mant appetite in the schoolmistress.
ut is simply inspiring" she declared
,, with unfeigned enthusiasm. II wish
were going to be here longer. I'd com
, over every little while and ask you t
!, let me DO 1t again.
Harry's jaw dropped. "Are you &C
ing away, Miss Prissie?"
, YES; Pm going back home. Didn't
tell you? This is only a summer schoo
/, you know, and we close next week."
Harry helped her down from the ca
and up into her saddle without wore
, and on all the long days run to til
; Butte the fireman remarked that Ii
never laughed once. A week later Hal
ry had another interview with the 81
/, perintendent.
J, you said awhile back that you
9 like to put 10 on the mail" he began
|, 80 would if didn't have set @
. superstitious fools for runners" snal
ped old man Bcnce
= ''Well, I've been thinking it over an
q I'll try 1t II you want me to-" sal
!. Harry. Then he made condition
= "Id like to put in the rest of the wee