Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1908-11-25

said couple of friends of his wanted
to come W a place in the country
where twas quiet. Did know of such
place round here? Well, course l
wrote back that twas nice and quiet
right at our house. There want no
lie in that. was there, Sol?"
NO" 1 says. Il should say
'twouldnt be shaving the truth too
close if you'd said there was more
quietness than anything else down on
the Neck road"
Well he goes on, not noticing the
sarcasm, Il wrote and never got
word back. Me and Hubby had given
UP hearing. And then, yesterday
morning, they come-both Of EN-.
Nice lookin' young fellers as ever you
see, they are; dressed just like the
chaps in the clothes advertisements in
the back Of the magazines. The big
gest one-they're both half as tall as
that mast, seems so-he- took up his
hat and says. kind of lazy and grand
like a steamboat capt'n:
Mr.. Scudder?' he says
That's my name says l. l was
kind CT suspicious; there's been Sc
many sewing-machine agents and such
round town this spring. And yet I'd
ought to have known he want no sew
ing-machine agent
'Ah!' he says. You've been ex-
pecting us, then. Has the luggage
come?
What in time did l know about his
luggage, rs he called it?
"'No,' says l. "Taint'
"'Oh, well, never mind he says. Just
as if ton or two OF baggage didn't
count anyway. Can you give us two
sleeping rooms, two baths, a setting
room. and room for my man.?
Two baths?' says l. Can't you
take bath by yourself? You seem
20 be having lots Of funny jokes with
me. Would you mind saying what your
name is and what you wants?
He looked me over sort of odd.
Beg pardon, he said L thought you
were expecting us. Here's my card
Il looked at it, and there was the
name Edward Van Brunt,' printed on
it. Then l begun to get my bearings,
as you might say.
"'Oh!' 1 says. L see
So glad, I'm sure he says Now
can you give us the sleeping rooms,
the baths, and the room for my man p
Hump says |, lookin' back at the
house behind me; if me and Hubby
bunked in the henhouse and the chore
boy in the cellar, maybe we could ac-
commodate you, that is, all but the
baths. You'd have to take turns with
the washtub for Them says.
He laughed He was so everlasting
cool about things that it sort of riled
me up.
Perhaps you'd like to hire the
whole shebang?' says l, sarcastic,
pointing to the house.
He looked at it. 1t looked sort of
cheerful, with the syringa over the
door and the morning glories hiding
where the whitewash was Off
Good ideal he says. would
Well, that was too many for me-,
l went into the house and fetched out
Hubby Ann-she's my wife There
amt many women in this town can
beat her when it comes to managing
! and business, if 1 do say it.
How long would you want the
house fOr?' says Hubby, when 1 told
her what was going on.
a month"; says Van Brunt, turn,
ing to the other city Teller. Hey, Mar
| TIM T'Other chan nodded
All right says Van Brunt How
much?'
Thinks l, I'll scare you, my fine fell
| Ter And so l says, a month? Well
l don't know. Maybe, to accommo
date, l might let you have it for two
| hundred l sort of edged off then
thinking sure he'd be mad; but he
wa'n't-not him. Two hundred ii
is he says, and fished out a little
blank book and one of them pocket
| pens.
Names Scu4der?' he asks.
Yes says l. Nathan Scudder
One I in Nathan.
And l don't know as you'll believe
ut, SOL" says Nate, finishing up, but
| luoI InttOS OuI d CACCh IOT IWI
hundred and passed it over to me like
twas a postage stamp. What do you
| think of that?''
/ didn't know what to think of it
On general principles Id say that q
man who wanted to board with Nate
and Hubby Ann Scudder was crazy
anyhow; but of course these fellers
| didn't know
TT beats me. Nate" says What
| do you Think
blessed if l know" says Scudder
with another of them long breaths
"All I'm. sure of is that they're uI
home, with the parlor blinds open and
the carpet fading, and me and Huldy's
living in the barn. She's doing the
cookin' for 'em till this man of theirs
comes. Land knows what Kind OF q
man he is. too. And that check was
on New York bank, and I've just
been up to Trumet here with 1t and