The Harlowton news., 1914-01-02
a IIon.'nely n:
Co,lrtshiip
By SUSAN YOUNG PORTER

1t was more than half d century ago4
that stories Of the toWpath were cur
rent. That was when the canal boat
was the chief means Of transportation
in America. At one time they were
used as passenger boats. Then. under
competition with the railroads. they
sank into freighting only, and now they
have almost entirely passed away.
In those freighting days man named
Shock drove mule on the toWpatil
which pulled boat Shock was as
homely as his name. He had never
had sweetheart, and there was little
hope of his ever having one. for when
ever a woman looked at him she was
appalled,.
There was, some three or four hun
dred yards from the canal. at about
the center Of Shocks route, tumble
down house in small lot, in one corn
er of which was pigsty. One day.
when Shock was trudging along be-
hind his mule, he saw at an open win
dow In the dilapidated trap a female
figure. She was TOO far off for him to,
see what she looked like, but she wav
ed something white, which Enoch took
to be tablecloth. Whether she was
trying to 1irt with him or was shaking
the crumbs out of the cloth he could
not be sure. Taking bandanna from
his pocket he returned the wave.
Now. Enoch was cognizant Of the
fact that he was not beautiful. His
hair was a fiery red, bis nose was
pug the color Of his hair, his teeth
were mostly gone. Had 1t not been
for this he might have made bold on
his return trip to give his mule a rest
and gone to the house awooing AS II
was. and since this was the only
chance he had ever met, he was wary
He thought it better to make some
Roadway in lovemaking before risking
showing the lady his homely person at
close proximity. So, instead Of stoR
ping when he passed again, having
provided himself with boys blow
gun, he fired wad of paper at her
which being unrolled revealed the fol
lowing note:
i seen you ut yure winder yistaday and
wood like very much to max yure ac.s
quaintenc.
The lady was watching for the boat
on it's return trip. and when Enoch
fired his note at her she saw it fall
near her house and. going out. picked
it up and read it. But by this time
Enoch had gone on his way.
When Enoch passed the house again
he saw large letters chalked against
the house, which. though it had been
originally white. not having been paint
ed In twenty years, was now dull
brown. The letters were plainly visi.
BILE from the canal, and Enoch read:
i can't see what you look like .fron,i
yere, but you may be decent lookfn fell
lor and il you aar you kin come and see
me-
This reply was rather setback to
one who knew full well that he was
homely as hedgehog. The communi
cation was brief, and it contained ex
actly what Enoch would have preferred
that it should not contain. The lady
evidently was looking for handsome
man. The message convinced him
that he was right in not permitting hel
to see him close by before he had
stirred up some sentiment which might
lead her to overlook in measure his
homeliness.
| Euoch's next love letter was written
in lampblacl on several boards nailed
| together and set up on the deck of his
canalboat facing the house of his In
amorata. 1t read:
| ii you air purity woman wood be hap
| py to stop over. Han't got no use fer
| ugly wimmen
When Enoch passed the house the
| next time the blinds were all closed
and no living thing was to be seen ex
| cept a few chickens scratching the dirt
In the yard. Enoch was disappointed
| 1t was plain to him that this was In
tended for snub. On bis next trip
/ he wrote on his boards. whats upy'
To which was chalked the reply
"Nothin'" @
Enoch reasoned that his lady love
a Iuu DScI luIllGu ul pttVlOuS Noal-
munication, thinking that he had nc
cused her of being homely. but. hay
ing thought the matter over. she had
seen his note in another light. He
began to think that faint heart never
won fair lady" and he might as well
face the music one time as another
So he wiped the lampblack off his
boards and wrote again:
lie stop over mex trip.
When he passed again he was ar
rayed In store suit that had cost him
81. His hair had been creased with a
slice of fat, and his boots had been
blacked. Stopping his mule-and the
boat when it had lost it's momentum
he proceeded to the house Of his lady
love. she had been watching him
from window and opened the door
for him.
Laws marsy!' was her exclama.
ton.