The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1908-11-26

next wednesday morning,
much elated, I showed Happy Jacks
correspondence under Charley's nose
n pointed to the first item:
I'VE are having some fine weather
this week"
A little below there was another:
Everybody had a good time at the
Buckeye Bridge picnic Sat"
Charley was plainly crestfallen, but
rallied. Perry is merely out doing
the people this week. He'll be in Sat
urday night, and Their watch out"
l did watch out, and when / opened
the next letter from Happy Jack the
very first item gave me that sinking
sensation:
I'VE amt had a good rain in this
part for a month. Crops are nearly
ruined"
On the next page / read:
There was a small turnout at the
basket dinner Sunday. People are
getting tired of them"
\ hung the items on the copy-hook
and went out before Charley got to
them.
In a short time the arrival of Happy
Jacks letter became the most exciting
event of the week in the News office.
OCCASIONALLY he rallied, but things
mostly went Charley's way. The
weather grew steadily worse, the pic
MICS were nearly all failures, and
finally he began to find fault with The
road overseer aud the government.
1t got so"that | hated to open his let
tiers. 1t had passed beyond a joke
with me, and | had become so inter-
ested in the fellow l felt sorry for him
from the bottom Of my heart. Per
haps a former experience of my wn-
we'll, anyway, | felt for him.
In his letter for the second week in
July he Enclosed a little personal note,
asking if | knew where he could get a
good book on etiquette.
| did. had a siX-hundred-page work
that told how to do everything from
the soda fountain to the altar. 1t
was n of these six-dollar, red
backed affairs hat are priced six dol
lars, but given to editors for 40 cents
in advertising. l hurried it to him
by the first mail, with my compli.
mentS.
But it did not seem to help him one
bit. In fact, the more he read 1t the
gloomier he seemed to get, until Char
ley crowed over me every week. l
had reached the point, however, where
l did not care anything about Charley;
it vas Happy Jack that worried me.
l knew things were going badly, but
l did not know how really serious
they were until / received a second in
quiry. This time he asked, Where
one could get a reliable detective to
look up some ones record"
The next week no Items came-the
first time in nearly two years that he
had missed. But Friday came a
pathetic little note addressed to me
personally:
Dear Editor: / guess you will have to
get somebody else to furnish you items.
as / amt feeling very well, and am go
ing away for a spell. Much obliged for
all your kindness. Your friend.
II. j.. LANE.
! really believe i did not sleep two
hours that night. l had never seen the
poor fellow, but / did not need to; l
knew him like a brother. Clean,
strong, simple hearted fellow, his very
loyalty would ruin him, if he failed.
So | wrote:
Dear Friend: Let me give
you a little advice-I ave been
there, you know. Don't go off.
Stick ii oct. You are losing because you
are trying to play his game. You have
been trying to talk and act and be like
him. Quit it and play your own
game.
He has you bluffed so you don't go
to see her any more. She may be crying
every night because you quit coming.
Then he has been going around making
sport of you, talking about your man
ners, and telling things to make the boys
laugh at you. But you take ii like a
lamb.
Now light out this very afternoon
and unit him up and when you meet
him wipe W the road will him.. After
that go home, hitch up your best team,
put on your best clothes, and go after
her. Tell her you have come to take her
for a drive, and take her. Don't get back
until IL is dark, and as you. go through
the bottom, squeeze her up tight don't
mind consequence and ask her how
soon she will marry you,
Notify me when you are engaged. and
bring her and a couple of friends up and
we will give you the finest banquet ever
put up in Greenfield.
The following Wednesday We got =
big fat news letter from Sugar Creek.
How is that?" l asked e~xultantly,
showing the first page at Charley, who
was trying to read over my shoulder.
He whistled softly at the first item:
Amt this the finest weather you
ever SAW"
At the second one he groaned:
Perry Rider, the sewing machine
agent, left Monday for Ill. He is not
expected back"
"Good-by, Perry" said Charley woe
fully, you have cost me two weeks
salary, but I'm glad you are gone, SO
the weather can clear up a little"
At the last there was a note to me-:
Dear Editor: / lone it. Well be up
Sat, night. Have 1t fine, for shes the
daisiest girl you ever saw.
h.L# ..