The Somerset reporter., 1909-01-28
COve||' S Joke
BY WILLIAM MORRIS. JR.
. Copyrighted 1908. by Associated
Literary Press.
ss****s..*4sa*........s...s.. e. 81.


Colonel Coyels joke good one. The
Betterleys were excepted because the
joke was on Dan and the talk across
the bar of the Brindle Pup saloon was
hushed on those rare occasions when
Betterley favored the place with his
company. AT other times men slapped
each other on the back and roared as
Coyel detailed the progress of events.
The joke had sprung from careless
remark made by Rob Henders when
Julie Betterley had refused to marry
Howard Wetton on the ground that
she did not want to leave Ben alone
to keep house In bachelor discomfort.
"Some one would do Wetton q per
sonal favor by marrying off Ben," sug-
gested Henders. and the rest of the
crowd shouted with delight at the idea
of the silent Benjamin marrying.
"But he wouldn't know how to ask
a girl" suggested Colonel Covell.
'some one would have to pop the
question for him. BY John Rogers"
he added, ~ think I'll do 1t for him!
I've a maiden aunt back east who's
been crazy to get married for more
years than I've lived Her names
Adora Dedrick, and she must be about
sixty now.
"Shes got little money, and she
may think that he's marrying her for
that, but she'll take him. Well carry
along the game until we've proposed
for him, and then we'll let Ben get
the answer or else we'll bring the old
lady on and let him fight it out with
her"
THAT would be great" declared
Henders approvingly. Let her walk
right up to him and put her arms
around his neck and say Darling" I'll
bet that will scare him into talking"
"I'll be one to help pay the old lady's
travelling expenses on this here excur-
sion," broke in Denver Bill. who dealt
bank. "What will 1t cost?"
"Say S400." suggested Covell as be
took off his hat and threw in $50. In
q few minutes more than the needed
sum had been realized, and, calling for
pens and paper. Covell wrote the first
letter. while the rest of the crowd
looked on.
Betterley was not disliked in Bal
moral, but his taciturn ways and his
refusal to make one of the crowd that
nightly thronged the Brindle Pup
marked him man apart from the rest.
Hence the crowd was willing to pay
for the pleasure of seeing his amaze
ment when his undesirable bride elect
should appear.
Unmindful Of all postal regulations.
the postmaster agreed to let Covell
have the letters addressed to Dan Bet
terley should any come from the little
New England town where Miss Adora
Dedrick lived. Presently it came. a
heavy letter In which Miss Dedrck ex-
pressed a willingness to correspond
with n man so well recommended by
Cousin Covell.
81 guess she's forgotten you, COL"
suggested Henders when this line was
reached. but Covell merely grinned ap-
preciatlvely and continued to read.
There was little to laugh at In the
letter. Indeed, more than one in the
crowd wished there was some one
back east who would write letters like
that to him. but Covell's vivid descrp-
tion of Miss Dedrick's overripe charms
and the thought of what Dan would
say when she arrived kept the joke
alive during the correspondence that
followed. Finally when Miss Dedrick
wrote that she was sending her pic
ture and the accompanying photo
graph proved to be that of comely
girl scarcely out of her teens Covell
rolled ON the floor In his delight.
cousin Adora was that old before
they knew how to take pictures" he
insisted "She must have begged this
of a photographer. l think that it's
time to spring the joke now. Well
send her the money to come on with
and ask her to start at once. Dan will
see this picture, and when Cousin
Adora comes l reckon he'll be some
surprised"
Coyell iaboriously indited lengthy
letter, in which he declared Dams in
ability to wait longer for his bride and
begging her to come west at once.
few days later a telegram tele-
phoned from the railroad town to
camp announced her start, and when
they had learned the sense Of the
message the plotters allowed 1t to be
delivered, while at the same time Miss
Adoras last letter and her picture, In
closed in the original letter, were
placed back In the postoffice and de-
livered to Dan that evening
The Brindle Pup kept open until
o'clock In the morning that the earll-
est news might be learned. but Dan
gave no sign that he was disturbed
A scout reported that his shack was
In darkness.
81 don't think I'd lose sleep my
self" admitted Henders with regret
81 suppose 1t took him rather sudden
that some ones done his courting for
him, but he's willing to make good for
his unknown friend with the original
of that photograph"
"Wait until he sees what he draws"
reminded Covell He'll go some shy
of sleep when Cousin Adora gets after
him with all those letters. She'll new
er believe that he didn't write them"
The thought cheered the disappoint-
ed ones, and even when Dan went
quietly to his claim on the morrow
and did not even ask the postmaster
about the letter they chuck led as they
thought of the awakening that was in