The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1914-01-16

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lieving in early hours out our way
Hanks felt around and found his boss
and united 1t and backed It out, and
then felt around and found Matilda
and helped her into the ve-hick el., She
sOt down and jolted herself up anc
down once or twice and says she;
Mr.. Hanks. pears to me thai
there's something out O. whack with
this here buggy,
g"Oh, no. says Hanks, who by this
time was in himself and had started
the boss, its all right-little uphill
here, that's all.
Matilda still thought things wasn't
all o. K, and said she reckoned shed
have to tie weight to her feet, tc
keep from falling out back'ards.
Just you stay calm" says Hanks
We're going up old Spinner's hill
must be most TO the top" and he let
the boss jog along slow to rest it coca,
sionaIly, cause he seen it was a hard
pull. So they poked along. and Hank
said he reckoned he'd have to get out
and walk If the hill got much sleeper.
When they did happen to strike lit.
tie hill they both had to lean for'ards
and hang onto the dashboard to keep
from rolling out behind. And every
few minutes stopping to let the boss
rest.
By-andBy Matilda begun to get
spunky, and says she:
I've been over this here road be-
fore, and don't remember nc
such awful Observation-Disclosures
hill.''
"Oh, that's all right. says Hanks.
now we're goin up the Gristmill
HILL
But where was the holler betwixt
Spinner hill and the Gristmill hill2'
inquired Matilda.
Only way can figure it out is that
the road commissioners must a-f1lled
it up and made one long hill of it.
says Hanks. Cant tell what road
commissioner will do. you know"
So they poked along another half
hour, saying nothing. Then says
Hanks:
Matilda, this does seem to be a
some considerable right smart bit OF
an eminence don't altogether faith
ON the mystery of it." Then after
some more hard climbing, with boss
resting frequently, says Hanks: BET
a dollar n half we're on the wrong
road Reckon we might bear of to the
left
So they beared off still uphill
Then they beared off to the right
more hill. Then they jagged in all di
rections still up'ards. like the Excel
sior Teller Then after going for a
mile m a half straight up big hill
they started back just as steep.
We'll, hang me-" says Hanks, this
beats the Rocky mountains and the
Him Layers rolled into one Well get
out of it if it kills the hoss!" and
he hit the animal crack with the
whip and went tearing along like a
passenger train, them both freezing
to the dashboard for dear life. And
bout the time they'd travelled five
miles in miscellaneous directions. the
boss on dead run, it begun to get
some light, and they seen them there
unnatural hind wheels looming up
each side of 'em, and Hanks just sort
o. sunk back into a stopper. But Ma
tilda didn't take to the stopper notion
at all, and rize up and says she:
Stop that boss, you audacious vii
lain! Haul me around all night in such
a high-shouldered rig as this. will you,
and talk to me bout goin' up the side
of Mung Blung mountain! Lemme
Quit" and she hoped over the wheel
and struck out for home, which she
reached about sun-up. And a little
later Hanks drove into town, with the
wheels still the same, him not know
ing how to fix EN-; and by strange
coincidence me and passed. of
some 20 or 80 others which had been
to the dance happened to be on the
corner when he went past. felt we
ought to be cheerful and neighborly
to him. he having come into our
midst a stranger for his health, so
sings out:
Good morning. Mr.. Hanks! Been
out to the hop tripping the bumbas-
tic, hey? Say. what you want to do
is to trade that boss for giraffe and
have something to match your We
hick-el"
And the next dance Matilda went
with me.