The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-08-05
THE EVENING STORY
"a Day at Ramp Krazee.' .


AS a general rule, we are not crazy
about getting up with the chickens
and breathing the pure morning air,
as people in books are when they go
to the country. 1t may be because we
sleep with the chickens (and other
live stock) and are able to live with
out them for an hour or SO. But this
morning it was different. Kin and I
slept on the shed-that is, we slept
when we weren't throwing the cat off,
or killing mosquitoes. Kin had some
trouble In sticking on, too, for the roof
is slanting, but l am an expert at the
business, by this time. Anyway, it
isn't as bad as sleeping in the tent,
for there nothing prevents the COW
from coming in and going to bed with
you If she takes a notion, which she
often does.
Well, when 1 heard Dearest's voice
this morning 1 thought L was dream
ing, but at last she awakened me and
convinced m that she was really there
She and three of her friends had come
down from Topeka in their auto
mobile-for breakfast, they said.
After strenuous efforts, I awakened
Kin, but she only went farther under
the cover, for although we slept in our
clothes last night, still. like some other
people, we do not look our best when
in bed. Then our early callers went
to the tent and awakened Juana,
Mary, Irene, Betty, and the cow ana
next moved on to the hammocks,
where the two little boys and Joe, the
only young man in camp, were sleep
ing.
They turned the cover back from
Joe's face and Dearest said, 'Oh, this
is one of the little boys and Joe
meekly answered, "Good-morning. As
they went their way, Mrs. Harris said,
'That is the Oldest looking little boy
I ever saw.
Then they proceeded to the hay loft
where Juanita and Maud were sleeping,
but they couldn't conveniently climb
into the loft, so contented themselves
with throwing things through the win
dow. By this time, mother had break
fast ready and they all adjourned to
the dining room which is, by the way,
an old cheese chest sitting in the mid
die of the grove, with logs, boxes and
barrels for chairs. By the time they
were half through breakfast, everyone
in camp was up and sitting in the au-
tomobile, as a gentle hint that they
would appreciate a little ride, but of
course it had to sprinkle and after a
short, wild search for raincoats and
umbrellas, our callers departed for To-
pel<a.
Our bitter disappointment reduced us
to the depths of despair, from which it
was impossible to raise US, until, an
hour later, Mr.. McCulloh came in from
the farm on his hay rack, and said we
could go out with him. We snatched up
a few wraps on account of the cloudy
skies, and piled in, not waiting for a
second invitation. 1 drove, because Mr..
McCulloh had his baby with him, who,
strange to say, was somewhat afraid of
! the wild crowd. We stopped at one of
the stores as we went through Richland,
and one of the four eligible young men
of the city came out to wait on US.
| All the other girls began to fix their
| hair and strike graceful attitudes, while
deplored my position as driver. Moth
ing unusual happened on the way ex-
cepting that Mr.. McCulloh had to get
out and walk with the baby because he
objected to riding with the crowd.
| There may be persons who would not
have blamed him.
AS soon as we reached the farm we d.
vested tree of its apples (green ones)
and then made our way to the hay loft.
Half of us got on one side and half on
the other, and played charades. Juana
had OF wear rubber on one foot on
our charades, she kicked me in the neck
with her foot, acting out Rubber neck. -
But she kicked harder than I had in
tended and operations ceased for a time
until the dead was brought to life.
When at last we were ready to descend,
we thought it would save time and eff
fort to slide down instead of going by
ladder, and though we broke a few
arms, legs and necks on the way down,
still, when you camp, you don't mind
little LInnRS ike that by IIllS time We
| were beginning to feel pretty hungry
eve always are) and as we had a long
walk between US and dinner, we went
to the house to tell Alma 'goodby."
She said if we'd wait until the horses
had eaten we could take the hayrack.
1t is superfuous to say we waited.
Maud drove on the way back, and
Donald got me little stick about
thirteen inches long to beat the horse
that wouldn't go. When we got into
Richland we stopped at zirkle,s again
and asked Claude if our apples had
come yet. They had not, to our sor-
row, so we proceeded to "Kamp
Krazee." The first thing we did was
to read our letters, and when Billy
found in his thai his mother had sent
him a basket of eatables, we gave an
Indian warwhoop, jumped on the hay
rack, and rushed to the depot, acting
as hungry as the chickens do when we
eat in the woods. When we got there,
we found that the station agent had
gone to dinner with the bill of lading
in his pocket, so we had to hunt him
up before we could get the basket
And we hadn't had thing to eat since
early morning Well, as we were en-
tering Richland, we met man whom
some of us thought was our man, and
at last Joe got up courage to call to
him, care you the station agent?'
That's what they call me-" he
said
tFWell. hold on a minute, will you ?"
mo; haven't got time" was the an
swer, in a not particularly jovial tone
of voice. Thought we were making
fun of him. you see.
Joe ran and overlook him, and after
much delay we secured the coveted
basket Then we drove back to camp,
fixed a picnic lunch, and started off
again in our hayrack. We again went
through Richland and stopped at
Zirkle's to ask Mr.. Zirkle where his
fathers farm was. Juana was driving
now, and it goes without saying that
she made things hum. We were get
ting hungrier and hungrier and at
every shady spot begged Juana to stop
to eat dinner. At last, when we were
only about a quarter of a mile from
our destination we halted, got out the
basket, and without even waiting to
get off the hayrack, began to eat.
There were many discomforts, but we