The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1910-12-02

shoulder, urging me on.
What is It like? How many rooms?
Where Is it?' she inquired. all In one
breath.
Where was the blamed thing? What
did it look like?, How did l know?
She could search me. could feel my
ears getting red. Presently braced
and mumbled, mo more details till
the castle is completed, then I'll coax
you out there and let you revel."
"How soon will that beg" she asked.
Tomorrow? Yes, John, tomorrow"
NO." whispered croupily, "in-in
about a week."
wanted time to arrange my earth.
ly affairs.
ooh, lovely!" she said, and kissing
me rushed away to break the news
to mother.
felt like a rain check after the
sun comes out.
Suddenly hope tugged at my heart
strings and remembered that had
week in which to beat the ponies to
pulp and win out enough coin to buy
six Swiss cheese cottages in the coun.
try.
Day after day waded in among the
jelly fish at the track. but the best
ever got was an So win
Eight dollars wouldn't buy dog
house.
I was desperate. Every evening I
had to sit around and listen while
Clara j. told Tacks or Uncle Peter or
Aunt Martha or Mother what she in.
tended doing when we moved to the
country.
They had it all cooked up. Uncle
Peter and Aunt Martha were coming
to live with us and Tacks would be
there to let us live with him.
/ Uncle Peter intended starting
garden truck farm in the back yard
and Tacks figured on building chick.
en- coop somewhere between the front
gate and the parlor.
Aunt Martha and Clara ]. almost
came to blows over the question OF
milking the cow. Aunt Martha In.
sisted that cows are MIXED by ma.
chinery, and Clara ]. was equally posi-.
tive that moral suasion is the only
means by which a cow can be brought
to a show down.
In the meantime I was dying every
half hour.
Finally the day preceding the long.
talked of country excursion arrived
and began to figure on the safest
and least expensive methods of sui.
eide.
went to the track in the afternoon
and threw out enough gold dust to
paint our country home from cellar to
attic-but never a sardine showed.
Frost-bitten and suftocatetd by the
odor Of burning money, I crept into
a seat in the car and began to plan
my finale.
!. Presently an elbow poked me in
the ribs and looked into the smiling
face of Bunch Jefferson.
"still piking, eh?" he chuckled;
"you wouldn't trail along after your
Uncle Bunch and get next to the can.
dy man, would you? Only $500 to the
good today. Am the picker from
sPicklesburg, son Of the old man Pick.
ick?-well, guess yes!"
Then In that desperate moment I
broke: down and contested all to
Bunch.
& Then Bunch beganEto laugh-a long.
loud, discordant laugh which ended
in, :"John, I'll help you make good!"
and then began to sit up and notice
things. e
y ','m away ahead Of this pitty-pat
game at the merry-goround," Bunch
went on, land it so happens that re
Gently. I-peeled the wrapper OF my,
roll and snapped it for country
home for my sister and her daughter:
She's a young widow, my sister is
and one of the love1iest. little ladies
that ever came over the hill. And she
has daughter that's regular plate
of peaches and cream"
Still sat in darkness, and; he went
on:
"Now, my sister won't move out
there for a day or two. so tomorrow.
promptly on schedule time. you lead
your domestic feet over the sandbars
to that house and point with pride to
it's various beauties-are you wiser,
| "But, Great Scott. man, it's not
mine!" gasped.
4 "Roll small pill and get together"
admonished Bunch, with seraphic
smile. Cant you figure the trick to
win? All you have to do is to coax
/. your gang out there and then break
the painful news to them that you've
suddenly discovered the place is
haunted and that you're going to sell
It and buy a better bandbox- getting
wise?"
Bless good old Bunch!
/ offered to buy him q quart q.
Ruinart but he said his thirst wasn't
working, so had to paddle of home.
That evening for the first time in
several weeks felt like speaking to
myself. y 4! il. \. .3.a;
It was cinch, assured myself,
that the ghost story / had broiled M
Ito tell on the morrow would send my