Sioux County pioneer. (Fort Yates, Sioux County, N.D.) 1914-1929, 1915-02-05

At three o'clock Of a mild October
morning two dusty, brown objects,
one large and one small, were cast
from the Harrisburg Limited at Co.
lumbia Crossroads. The limited was
making good twenty miles an hour,
and both packages bounced violently
and then sagged together into a small
heap on the station platform. Each
suffered from the impact. A thin
trickle Of blood oozed from the larger
object, which was st. Louis Pete;
while the smaller one, which was a
United States mail-pouch, sustained a
rent in its side and most of it's con-
tents were scattered under an ada
cent baggage-truck.
At quarter past three Pete sat up
and gingerly felt the end of his nose
with his finger-tips.
"Youse kin MAIN me-" he muir.
INJURED, but youse can't kill mel"
Then, with groan, he rose to his
feet and tentatively shook out his
legs.
mo bones cracked" he said, land
holy cripes, wot's dis?"
He stopped and grabbed the torn
pouch, whereat two letters and a pos
tai card tumbled upon the platform.
These he gathered up, together with
the three envelopes beneath the
truck, and thrust them into the bosom
of his ragged shirt.
"Dey sure gifts heavy mail in dis
burg!" he continued, and skunk down
the track to where a switch-lamp
cleaned on the freight-siding.
There he crouched beside the light
and carefully drew the letters from
his shirt. The first two bore the i'm
print of a mailorder house, and these
he laid to one side. An oath Of pleas.
urable surprise marked the opening
of the third, for crisp dollar bill re-
posed inside. He pulled out the green
back, together with its accompany
ing message, and spread the letter on
his knee. It was headed Denmark
Center" and read:
Dear Sir:
I am sending you dollar this week
not two because my wife is sick and
I amt got the two. This makes a
balance of five dollars on the third
note, and three dolls interest what we
agreed on. Respectful,
ANsoN BuRRITT.
Pete picked up the envelope. 1t
was addressed to Hiram Towners,
Columbia X-Roads."
The next missive was postal card
directed to Miss Ethel Towners, and
reading as follows:
Cyprus, Pa.
Dear Niece:
Expect your aunt and me home on
Saturday. l must tell you that our
cousin, Charles Parshall, who you
have never seen, is visiting East from
Oklahoma. and will probably stop off
to the X-Roads on No. tomorrow
Friday. He is bit hearty and rough
in his manner, but give him the spare
room and get Eleeza Wouters to sleep
with you. He will wait till We come.
Your uncle,
HIRAM TowNERs.
Pete next examined the remaining
envelope, and the chuckle with which
he recognized the name of Hiram
Towners merged into grunt of dis.
appointment when he found no money
enclosed. Again he applied himself
to the deciphering of the script
which, for Pete. was a task of no
mean proportion. He made it out
thus:
Dear Cousin Hiram:
When l seen you in Cyprus yester
day thought as how would pass
through Columbia Crossroads on Fri.
day. Well, Hiram, l can't do it, but
must be in N. Y. City on Friday, SO
write to tell you that l can't. am
sorry about it, but will write you be.
fore leave for Okla.
am your cousin,
CHARLES PARSHALL.
Pete looked up into the sky, where
a fat October moon was paling to the
dawn.
II am your cousin, Charles Par
SHALL" he quoted. Deere amt narten
de matter with dat idea, neider!"
Sounds Of tuneless whistling came
down the road which skirted the
track, and Pete gathered up his plum.
der. He limped hastily toward the
station platform and replaced the two
mail-order letters and the postal card
addressed to Miss Ethel Towners in
the torn sack. Then he lodged be.
hind the small shanty that served as
a waiting room and ticket-oface.
Tho furo1ooo vphicf1o drow nooror