The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1913-03-28
TRIP MADE TROUBLE.
H.. pa and Ma Stubbins Had a
OT' NM Journey Before Them,
and II Was Their First.

Mrs. MelF4A" Do bod
~ aonry hands in horror. ia nao
boln H0 o-,or something in the wood
fallsH The cat shrieked in pain. Ihen
sheo. arosb added CONSERVATION to
tbe startled woman ... ~.
w. Who'd Pa was down on the moor
"oou9 load of stove wood about hlm'
T VIII nose was bleeding and the wafer
hlS tbo overturned pail on the WASH
Hun un was damned against his over
OenVH rho cat covered under the
~l.s machine, licking tenderiy at
her bruised tall Won a.
No Josiah stubbins, what be you a
,.~,9v ebrieked Melvina sollcltously'
uU the PROSTATE man determln-
gI, nv the shoulder and striving 10
raise the groaning heap.
az. o. wuz-iest a-thinkin'-about that
.u,n of ourn," he painted, gaining MS
s a "an, stumbled over tn boot1ack.
Then the gol-darned cat got IN my
nov an | went down.
Mrs stubbins waved her hands oes-
paringly and sighed.
I'm so fdgety now from jist think
T., NJ goin' travelin'," she admitted,
"tbet | amt good fer nothin'-an
vou're worse" heaping 1t onto JOSIAH
merclessly.
sometimes l reckon it amt with
IN, candle-all this fussin' an stewln
on packin' an plannin'." he walled
uning the blood from his hickory
sbirt and looking dazed. Folks would
bp better off, l reckon, If they stayed
home wbar they wuz comfortable"
AN never seem nothin' at ALI"
agreed Mrs. Stubbins, turning the
wash bench right side up and pouring
liberal helping of water into the
basin. Wash yerself. 1t looks like
murder"
Josiah went out to the barn, feeling
ruefully of his nose. 1t was evident
that htese were perilous days in the
Stubbins cycle. Getting ready to go
travelling was sadly interrupting the
even tenor of life on the farm. Half
the countryside knew of the proposed
trip by this time, for the local CORE
spondent of the Advocate had chron-
cled the news weeks ago.
As the gala day approached. Pa and
Ma Stubbins packed and unpacked, in
creasing the tension until neither OF
them slept at night for experimenting
train wrecks The train was due at
$40 in the morning, but, in their
anxiety not to be late, the couple ar
rived at the depot before Z, fustered
and fdgety.
Better to be a little airly," COM
mented Melvina, futtering into seat
in the big, barn-like station, where
the drum stove valiantly gave out its
redolent coal-smoke odors.
Josiah took up his stand before the
closed ticket window and waited i'm
patiently. AS the minutes passed and
the agent busted himself beyond its
portals, their nervousness increased.
Josiah looked apprehensively at Mel
VIVA and shifted his big form onto
the other foot
"Gittin' most time, amt 1t, pa?"
asked Mrs. Stubbins, wiping her
sharp nose with a polka-dot handker-
chief.
Josiah consulted his watch.
i wish this here window would
open up" he complained restlessly.
We amt got more'n As minutes"
Finally Josiah could hold himself no
longer. He stepped determinedly up
to the ticket-shelf and raped loudly
on the window. The sounds from be-
yOnd stopped. The agent approached
and threw up the sash.
lEer-could We wait on us?" Jo-
slah asked alphabetically.
Which way you goin'?" queried the
agent, none too affably.
East" replied Josiah. II wuz
afeared it wuz gittin' late"
HUH" grunted the railroad man.
Plenty Of time! Where to-"
How fur is it to Harpersville p
Questioned Mr.. Stubbins, looking the
agent in the eye.
Eighteen miles"
At two cents a mile?"
Yes"
All right. Gimme two tickets-an'
return, with the air of a man about
" TAKE Niagara. "Melvina an me air
soln' travelin'!"
uioOetrotting is only relative, after