The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1912-04-09

soulful content that filed his breast.
At the conclusion of his reading he carefully folded
the letter. smelled of lngerngy and tucked 1t away
deep in pocket.
~Bless her hearth he calculated; who'd ever imag-
Inc she'd consent to become Mrs. to condemned,
feather-haired cowpuncher like-Helo Kid what's up?'
A puncher was swinging himself hurriedly down
from painting steed near at hand.
aNothin much, guess; only can git tn loan o
yer handwritin minute till write letter." asked
the puncher he exhibited envelope from his shirt
bosom and fumbed it clumsily.
~Sure-but what sort?" replied Thorpe.
"Oh! Jest regulation love!" said the Kid, easily.
~An put it in warm ye kin without scorchn' tn,
paper. Here's tn gals an residence all proper
He rendered the bethumbed envelope toward Thorpe,
who took it with smile and shifted Quizzcally at
corner.
pretty healthy perfumery, en- KIDD" he asked
HIN, ya-as rather. This here's TIL attymizer she
uses" and the puncher produced largeszed plug of
tobacco that had shared the mssive's hiding place.
Got any paper. Kid"
The Kid dived into the flap of his saddle and drew
out few sheets of wrinlled paper.
Chalk" pursued Thorpe.
LEFT my fountain pen TIL pianner, Dude, an
guess it'll have to be lead pencil Peel 'er down to
razor edge an say when yer readyr
Dude Thorpe (for such he was to the boys of the
TripleO outfit smoothed the sheets of paper across
Domino's saddle-eather and prepared for action.
Fire away Kidl" he announced.
The Kids brows darkened with the effort of applied
thought and he seized his chin in strenuous grip
"Of ye lead off with 'er name an address,
don't ye? Maybe I'll have something thunk up time ye
git that DONE"
Thorpe dug into the Kids letter and ran his eye
hastily down the final page in search of the adys
name. Then-of sudden-he nearly choked. AS it
was. the Kid glanced quickly up and eyed him sus-
pieiously.
Got a spell comm, Dude7" he inquired hazily
a. -
his him up and down ponderously He then took
second survey of the and spelled it letter for
letter to the end Yes-he could not be mistaken-it
a remarkable coincidence and grand, good joke
the Kid-but Hamilton Thorpe happened to know
the lady whose name affixed to the awkward
pmcher's mssive.
Mabel Gentry, Westhampton, Virginia." he read
His eyes danced he recalled MabePs dark beauty and
bon vivant air What earth could she be doing
with individual like Kid Holton, lowly
puncher in far-away Texas? All Bessie would know
His Bessie-the girl who had promised to become Mrs
condemned, feather-headed cowpuncher-she would
solve the mystery For Bessie Winton lived in West
hampton and the three Bessie Mabel and Hamilton
Thorpe fellow alumni of the Westhampton High.
Therefore Thorpe chucl<led softly himself as he
squared himself to receive the Kids dictation.
"Feelin better now Dude?" asked the Kid, abruptly.
Fine, Kidi Whatn 60 frst1"
well tell FER have received er letter an contents
dnly noticed Fix it up smoother'n that possible.
Dude. l don't want to look too dumned ignrunt if
Kin help it, ye know
"Sure notp said Thorpe, writing swiftly.
Then break away with something about IT. descrip-
ton bein' enough to make old maverck-chaser
to file his teeth Virginia roastin something
soft an touchn' like that Tell 'er brunettes is my
favorte an always When ye git that, lei know
an I've got clineher for ye to put in"
The puncher eyed his amanuensis admiringy as his
pencil few over the paper. He was studying his
clincher" however and when Thorpe presently rested
he prepared
"Now say something like this-fYour name is sweet
as rock candy an have been sayin it myself all
last night tn lonely prairie with TIL savage
mountain lions-jest got to drag in them lions, Dude
tn savage lions a-roarn' round while sept!"
"Great idea, Kid-how about mentonin' few badgers
an woodchucks, also?" suggested Thorpe anxiously.
"Nope-them lions a-plenty for this trip. Next
time maybe I'll have grizzly bear tryin to eat
me-cant use up all my ammunition at tn start, you
know
Thorpe tackled the job manfully and after some
minutes signiied his readiness for more.
SCOT my age in there% asked Holton.
@Yep-and color" replied Dude.
"Goodi Well, tell err to write again, give my love
to tn old folks-my father Methodist preacher