The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1909-09-15

oOouA. 1 lint W nave uliu out O1 tuit
cubby hole for about two minutes!"
But the conductor will know all
about it" consoled Mrs. Bowser.
IF he don't I'll punch his head!"
The officials head was safe. When
asked to explain he said:
Lille station at Violet Hill was
closed for lack of business. A con-
tractor was going to build fifty villas
there, but he went broke
but there are villas there"
perhaps. l never looked ont to see.
You'll have to get off at White Rose.
but there's always a man there with
a wagon. You car get a good view of
the country as you ride with him."
Mrs. Bowser was not in the least
disappointed. She had her mind made
up to failure right away after the
telephone message. She sat and look
ed from the car window at the land
scape, and Mr.. Bowser sat and grum-
bled and swore. A feeling was coming
over him that he was going to be done
up.
Offers Some Consolation.
= AANy NuAA OuS La I1kuI, S0lU
Mrs. Bowser as he grumbled away. "A
man who was surrendering everything
to his creditors wouldn't deceive you.
Perhaps the railroad people shut up
the station to spite him or something
Of the sort"
Violet Hill was passed without any
n seeming to know it. The depot
building might have been taken for a
1sherman's shanty. White Rose was
all right, though. There were seven
houses there, and two COWS were lying
asleep on the track, and the train had
to stop whether or 40. The Bowsers
found a wagon and two mules loafing
around, and when a boy had found the
owner and driver Mr.. Bowser said to
him:
How much will you charge to drive
us over to Violet Hill and back?"
ANY waitin' over there?" queried
the man.
perhaps an hour"
Lets see. There are two persons
Of you. a man and a woman. It's
three miles there and back, and the
roads amt a bit good. You'll ask
questions all the way out and swear
all the way back. Wen say Sc for the
trip"
"Why. man, you are a robberw
shouted Mr.. Bowser.
A Cheaper Arrangement.
"Waal. s'pose you don't go over?
S'pose you gimme a dollar to hear all
about it instead? Some prefers that
way. 1t saves your being bounced
around in a wagon"
do you mean that any one has
wanted to 60 over to Violet Hill this
SUMNER
"'Bout a hundred"
For why?"
ITO see Ocean Blue and then came
back"
"Um! Here's your dollar. What sort
of a villa or mansion or cottage is
Ocean Elue?"
ITS kinder farmhousy."
"And what river is it on?"
cts on Jim Crow creek when there's
any water"
"And what about the grounds around
the house,"
"That's where the old owner used to
raise frogs
"Why don't the trains stop there
now"
"No steady man to git on or off. The
railroad makes all the suckers come
here first"
"And what do the folks say whom
you drive over to Violet HIP"
"Thay make things look mighty vio-
Lefty coming back. and most Of them
pick a fight here at White Rose and
git licked before they take the train.
Is that all?"
That was all. There was two hours
to wait in the depot, and the Bowsers
waited. 1t was twelve miles back to
town, but they spoke no word on the
Journey. Mrs. Bowser was almost
gone in her efforts to prevent her lips
from saying, "Sold again." and MI.
Bowser was figuring on the number of
murders he would commit on the nor
row. He strobe into the house ahead
Of her. but turned in the hall to say in
a low. tense voice:
MADAM. you have driven me to the
dead line at last. Tomorrow morning
you can go to your mothers and wait
the divorce proceedings. You have
shown your fine italian hand once too