Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1908-12-16
SYNOPSIS.

Mr.. Solomon Pratt began comical mar
ration of story, introducing Jwell-to-do
Nathan Scudder of hts town, and Edward
'VaniBTunt and Martin. Hartley. two rich
New, Workers seeking rest. Because Of
latter pairs lavish, expenditure of money
Pratts! first impression was connected
with lunatics. The arrival of James
Hopper, Van Brunt's valet, gave Pratt
the desired information, about, the New
Workers. They wished to live what they
termed 1.-THE Natural Life.n Van Brunt;
1t was learned, was the, successful sutton
for the hand of Miss Agnes Page, who
gave Hartley tp.} 1.-The iHeavenlies" hear
long story of the domestic woes of
Mrs. Hannah Jane RurTis, their cook and
maid, Of all work., Decide to let her go
and engage age Sol Sol Pratt as chef .,,-.
CHARTER T1I.-contlnued. ~,
"And while we're; giving you the
story of our lives, skipper" says Hart
ley, with. one of his, half. smiles, :" n
want to say right here that our pres
ent surroundings aren't all that fancy
painted EN-, They're toe, much in the
lime light" This was, Just one of his
crazy ways of saying things; I was
getting used to 'em little by now.
We're too prominent he says, The
populace are too friendly and inter
ested."
Also" says van,~ jeethe select bunch
Of feminines from the hotel have
taken to making our front walk a sort
of promenade. Martin and are naturl
ally shy; we pine for solitude"
. There was more of this, but I man
aged to find out that what they wanted
was a, quieter place than Scudder's. A
place off by itself, where they. could
be as natural as picked chicken. 1
agreed to try. and help 'em find such
a place. And 1 said, too, that I'd think
about the cooking idea. Money didn't
seem to be no object-I could have my
wages by the bod or barrelful-j as
see fit.
We'll" says I, getting up to go.
'1'll see. Let me sleep on it for a
spell, isame's'y you fellers have done on
Mates pin-feather beds:' But 'ain't
so sure about your staying all sum-
mer. How about that goungn daddy
friend of yours, Mr.. Van Brunt? She
may take a notion to send for you to
introduce her to the kingsof ,Chiny
or the grand panjandrum with tthe' lit
tie round bottom onstop. Then you'd
have to pack UP and cut your cable.%9'a:
Il Van he looked hard at me for, a
minute. I thought, first he was mad
at me for putting my oar in. where it
want supposed to be. Then he
laughed. sol.""..says- he. that young
lady and I are kindred spirits. For a
year I'm natural and happy, and she
can nurse her Hooligans and go on
charity sprees. Then-well, then we
fall back on our respected parents and
wedded-er-bliss. Hey Martini" :
;, Hartley, in the shadow of the vines,
lit another cigar and nodded But he
didn't say nothing no- .:..,s:.-. -......
For the next three or four; days L
chased around trying to. find house
and lot where them Heavenly lunatics
could be natural. l located couple of
bully summer Places all . trees and
windmills> and posy beds, and hot and
cold water and land knows what. But
they wouldn't do; they "smelled of
coupons Van said What they really
wanted, or thought they wanted, was
a states prison in a desert, 1 judged.
For a week or ten days we kept the
hunt up, but didn't have no luck.
Whenever I'd think I'd uncovered a
promising outfit the Heavenlies would
turn to and dump in a cargo of objee.
lions and bury it again. After five or
six funerals of this kind 1 got sort of
tired and quit. 1t got to, be July and
their month. at Mates was, most over.
/ was, up, there, the evening of the third
land I happened to ask 'em if they
wanted me and the sloop for the next
day. There was to be a Fourth of July
celebration over to Eastwich and some
of the boarders wanted to go and rsee
the balloon and the races and the
creased pig chase, and such like. II
the Twins,didn't care I'd take the job
l said. But they took a notion to &C
themselves. g. Van said 'twould be an
excuse for me to give 'em another
chowder, if nothing more So, on the
morning of the Fourth we started, me
and Van Brunt and Hartley and Lord
James, in the Dora Bassett- Tall
about cruises. If I'd known-and YET
out of it come-But there! let, me tel
you about it. @ ~ aclb1 <
|, tf'a'a-r5 a'-- 5-zt III.
1a.sa CHAPTER ssla
H. 49, .rThe Pig Race. ipr az
don't cal'late that ever had &