Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1906-01-04
A Reporters
Blind Luck
Being q
Plain Tale
From the
Newspaper Field


Office. hurried to the livelyman, and
hired both rigs, and had the horses
hitched up. Then l sat i'll one and
waited.
Sure enough, the three arrived soon
afterward and the liverynlan referred
them to me when they tried to get one
that had a fad for collecting rigs. and
that l couldn't part from them. but
Id he glad to drive them wherever
they might wish to go.
They grinned and said that they
guessed not. We SPARED for Il while,
until one of the men said: What's
your object, anyway" Then l told
them who was and said:
Nov let me in ON this and you can
have one OF these rigs and welcome
IL YOU don't want to make I, bargain,
why, you'll have to hoof it two miles
up the road, for there isn't another
rig in the village, as you know"
The elder of the three men laughed
merrilN. II don't know what YOU take
us for said he, but we're not going
to do anything that would interest n
reporter. We're cider makers, and
we're just going around the farms here
to look over the prospects for the APP
pie CROP
SELF" said l. Jump in und III drive
YOU around"
NO" said he, we prefer to go
alone. And we wdnt one of those
rigs"
l got out and then said, Take Your
choice. lay my hand down.
They thanked me, and drove off. As
soon as they had turned the bend in
the road I MAS after them; and had
taken good care to keep the fastest
horse for myself.
But alas! The moment i rounded
the bend, ran almost on top of them.
They had pulled their rig up In the
bushes and evidently We're waiting for
just such q meeting.
All. A fine day" said i. Aren't
YOU afraid that somebody will get
ahead of YOU ON that apple deal if YOU
don't hurry
Mo- said one OF them. ITO tel you
the truth. we've got as much time as
You have. You'd better go back to the
village and be good. If you don't you'll
find the apple business unhealthy"
saw then that l couldn't du any
ching with them, and it wasn't policy
To make them angry. You can't fool
more than about so much with the
secret service. So laughed lit was /:
painful sort of laugh, l guess) and
threw up my hands. passed the
cigars and Tried to make dickcr to
get the news when they returned. but
couldn't; do even that They insisted
that i WAS wrong and that they wern't
ANYTHING but cider makers. Bu,
knew better and turned away, feel
ing pretty blue.
From the bushes watched them UNI
Til they Mere out of sight. couldn't
imagine where they We're going. TO-.
l,p,
ordinary farming country and the only
places ON II Mere typical New England
farms. AS l knew from my troutng
trips.
decided that the only way To ge, "A
line on their possible destination was
to iind some one who knew every inch
of the country. and my thoughts natur-
ALLY ran To Hiram Burt. So J. Turned
the horse toward his place.
AT the entrance / met a boy Who told
me that Hiram WAS in the barn: su |
drove straight to- the big red building,
jumped out, and said to the man in
The doorway
Well, Mr.. Burt, so I've go, sou at
last
Never before had any of my little
Jokes met with such proud success.
Hiram l;urt Went white as Il dying man
and stood there, swallowing and gulp-
ing before he could speak Thcn he
said
'Well. I'm glad it's over Ever since
| Saw YOU the other night. ! knew that
YOU had me-
BY some unaccnnntablc mercy of
providence. suppose that | didn't look
as stupid as l felt. III my face. had
mr,orcd family 'be foolish condition
OF my brain. even Hilan Burt, scared
as hc Was. would havc perceived that
didn't know what he MAS talKIng
about
imagined that he was crazy, and
that his Wild talk WAS merely IL, line
With his queer actions when | had
tried I" see him ~ night. So, To sootlc
him. J said: Il don't wan, To ,ln any
| thing I" sou. An want YOU 10 do is
TO tell EIe something's.
II viii: VIM said he. Il want 10
get ii OFT my mind" He picked up a
piece of iron casting as III spoke and
turned ii IerNously in his lsnd. This
is the only piece that is lief, on Tho
place" said he; II threw all the pest
| away
1t began 10 TICKLE through even m,
thick skull tina; there was something
queer here. said on u venture: 81
you SAN me around your house nights
eh!''
Yes" said he. II been seeing shad-
ows and things every night, aud Il
seemed to me as IL there MAS some.
body hiding in every corner So af,e,
| l spied YOU With the lantern arounG
the barn got so scared that tool
| the press apal, and hitched ,,p m,
wagon and drove up Cherry lane. Wher
| l got into the woods threw the part.
! unt here and there as far as could
| heaNc them into the hushes"
Well, even Il person who WAS pl4 wing
| blindlS in such DUN" luck az i. with.
out having sense enough to know il,
couldn't help but see u great light
/ when he heard the word press" Sc
! bored st my man. quick and shar,
| with questions, and the result was ,ha,
in :boui ten minutes l was making th,
I old mare hump herself for old Joh,
Gorman's farm, q mile up the road
Just as ! got within sight OF il,
saw three men come up from the lit.
1 tie ,hicket behind the house and enter
| When ! arrived at the front door OLD
her hands clasped. She WAS almost a.
pale as Hiram Burt had been. jump
ed down and held out my hand TO her
| for j had become acquainted with hel
on my trouting trips.
| oh, dear me- said she. so you
were one of them, too! Then you vii
| tell them that We didn't know anythint
about ii. won't YOU? Dear, dear me,
| What :: disgrace 40 have il happen il
| our house!"
But ] didn't pay much attention IL
her. heard loud talking upstairs. ane
] rushed up.
There WAS AS pretty q COMMUNICATING
story as any man could wish. all LAID
out for me real dime novel den, cvel
To the low, arched doorway and tn
heavy wooden door with great staples
bolts and padlocks. Inside OF il STOOD
my three cider makers and two other:
--one n dapper. black bearded, middle
aged man. and the other Il fat. souchy
heavy jowled. red-faced fellow ~
about 20. The younger man wa.
scowIing and swearing. The old MAJ