The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1907-02-06

steaming boots. which were planted
against the bulging center of the sta
ton stove, and turning toward the
boy at the lunch counter.
Yes. sir" said the boy He had
taken off one worsted mitten and held
five cent piece clutched tightly in
his red fist
The station agent wrapped the pas
try in a piece of newspaper and hand
ed il to bis customer.
The boy, youngster of about twelve
years of age. with a freckled face and
q pair of bright gray eyes, took his
turnover to the settee In the corner
Of the waiting room and began to eat.
lie had on a worn cloth cap with an
attachment that could be pulled down
to cover the ears and shabby over
coat of mans size, very much too
large for him. As he munched the
greasy crust and the thin layer Of
"evarorated'' apple he looked around
him with interest.
The station itself was like the aver
age railway building on Cape Cod.
LACtHj 10E lIlt S@SIA I1dIIllSC tIIdt
hung outside ~ might have been the
station at Wellmouth. which he had
seen SO often Battered settees
around the walls: Autographs of
steamers. time tables and year old
announcements of excursions and coun-
ty fairs hung above them; big stove
set in a box of sawdust-all these
were the regulation fixtures Regula-
ton also were the Refreshments on
the counter at the Sde-''turnovers'' ar
ranged dollhouse fashion under a glass
cover, with a dingy Washington pie
under another cover and jars of strip
ed stick candy. with boxes of Jaw
breakers and similar sweetmeats be-
tween.
II was showing hard, and in the
dusk of the winter evening the flakes
rustled against the windows as If I'M
seen old ladies in starched summer
gowns were shfvering in the storm and
crowding to get peep within The
air in the shut waiting room smelled OF
bot stove sawdust, wet clothing and
Mr.. Clark'S cigar. To this collection
of perfumes was presently added the
odor of kerosene as the station agent
lit the big lamps in their brackets on
the wall
F From outside came the sounds of
creaking wheels and stamping horses,
the stamping muttied, by the snow
which covered the ground.
The door opened, and big man with
face of which gray whiskers and red
nose We're the most prominent features
came stamping and putting into the
room. He jerked off pair of leather
gloves. playfully shook the CONCEALED
moisture from them down Mr. Clark's
neck inside his collar. tossed Il long
whip into the corner and, holding his
spread fingers over the stove, began to
sing Whoa. Emma with enthusiasm.
Mr. Clark being too busy clawing the
melting SNOW from his neck to open
conversation. Mr.. Bodkin observed:
Hello, Barney Small. How's the trav'l
in? Have "a rough time drivin' over?"
"Oh. middljn'. middlin,,' replied the
driver of the Orham stage, unbutton-
Ing his overe@at and reaching for his
pipe. but this earth's vale of tears
anyhow. SO WHAT'S the odds SO longs
you're happy. Hello. DAM" The last a
shouted greeting to the station agent In
the little room whose answer was a
wave of the hand and sidel0ng nod
across the telegraph instrument
Whats doin' over in ,Orham, Bar
DeyI7 inquired Ms CLARK.
'Prissy and Tenpy's: adopted a boy"
The agent evidently was interested.
"The old maidsT'7
"Ynp, the old maids. l s'pose they
come 10 reelize that they needed a man
round the house. but as there want
no bids in that line they sort of com
promised Oh a boy
You don't mean the Allen old maids
that live down on the lower road do
your asked MIR. BodkiI.
''Sartin. ] said the old maids, didn't
-. ]? There's plenty Of single women in
Orham, but when you say the old
maids in our town everybody knows
you mean Prissy and Tempy"
What about the boy, Barney?" said
the station agent coming into the
waiting room.
why said Mr. Small, Its this
way; Seems that Prissy and Tempy's
father. old Cap'n D'rius Allen-hes
been dead six years or more now-had
a niece name of Sophia, that married
Cap'n Ben Nickerson over TO Well
mouth. Capn Ben and his wife had
one son. / think the boys names
Bradley. Anyhow Cap'n Ben and his
wife was drowned off the Portuguese
coast two years ago when Bens bark
was lost. Maybe you remember? Well,
the boy was left at home that voyage
with Ben's ha'f brother, Scion Nicker-
son, SOS the youngster could go to
school When his folks was drownded
that way the boy kept on livin' with
Scion till bout three weeks ago Scion
was took with pneumony and up and
died. Prissy and Tempy's the only re-
fQfl0nc W. CO