The Saint Paul globe., 1904-05-22

RIDGEHAMPTON, L. l., May 21.-
- Orlando Hand, the Bridgehampton
farmer, seventy seven years old, who, ac-
cording to a telegram printed in about
every paper in the country, sent to the
Indian officials of Indian territory ask
ing for an Indian maiden who would
love him and make him happy, admitt6d
tonight~from beneath the quilts that it
was true, not that he wants an Indian
maiden, but that he wrote the letter;
but it was all a joke, he said. lie said
it about fifteen times, a little louder each
time, for his family were all in the ad-
joining room, where they could hear, and
they had all seen the piece in the PAPER,
and Orlando Hand knew It, too, although
his wife and his daughter, who teaches
the village school. and his son, Nathan,
who runs the farm, hadn't said anything
at the supper table. But Orlando Hand
did not take any chances On what might
be dropped in the course Of an evenings
conversation by the sitting room fire. J&e
went to bed at o'clock
That's how his admission that he VI ote
that note came half muff1ed from beneath
the comfortable and the red quilt. He
threw off the clothes and SIT up 10 eX-
plain to the reporter at the bcdside-that
it was just joke, and then listened w.st-
fully for any stray comments that might
come through the crack Of the door; bat
the grim silence in the sitting -roo:n wes
broken only by the creaH:ng of Mrs.
Hands rocking chair and the songs of the
school teacher.
"The Pesky Thing"
LET me see the pesky thing again."
said Mr.. Hand, as he removed from be-
meath his pillow the newspaper clipping
that had disturbed the Sabbath quiet of
Bridgehampton, and read as follows:
"MUSKOGEE, l. T., April 23.-Orlando
Hand a ia IN Rr;d
ton, L. l.. says he is sixty years old,
that he is hustler and last year raised
10000 bushels Of potatoes, 1900 bushels
of turnips. 1000 bushels of corn, and
keeps twenty cows He says he has been
postmaster and does not drink, swear or
smoke He wants the Indian officials to
Indian maidens and to give his letter to
one who will answer it. He says above
all things he wants a woman who will
love him and make him happy"
It's a pack of Iies,'' he resumed, rails
ing his voice and looking at the door
II never told them I was sixty years
old am nigh onto eighty. 1t says that
/ raised 10000 bushels of potatoes last
year. There were 10000 if there was
bushel. You see, it's all wrong The
newspapers never get things right. 1t
goes on there and says 1 raised 5000
. bushels of turnips. will eat hay if there
weren't 5000 bushels. 1 don't know about
-bthe corn; paper says 1 raised 1000 bush
els. Must have been more than that.
TIL ask Elizabeth. No, guess I won't
ask her tonight. She has probably for
gotten, too. But 1 have got twenty-five
! COWS. It's all wrong.
''As for that piece on the tail end there,
about an Indian maid (Mr. Hand took
a firm hold of the quilt as if he was going
to duck and cover), l tell you it was but
a joke. l tell you just how it was.
go away from home winters sometimes.
Some years ago 1 went down to Virginia
and tried running a plantation there for
awhile. l like the South and
A, newspaper Tatt!cd out in the other
s room, and Mr.. Hand fell back on tIe pill
low and tugged at the quilt, remarking
at the same time that it was only a joke
The noise was not repeated. Mr.. Hand
listened for a minute with his eye on
. the sitting-room door and then resumed.
What He Did.
'As was saying, 1 like the South, and