Tombstone epitaph., 1915-02-14

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 thin e trickle of blood oozed from the larger object, which was St. Louis Pete: while the smaller one. which was United States mail-pouch. sustained a rent in its side and most Of its con tents were scattered under an adja. cent baggage-truck.
 At quarter past three Pete sat up and gingeriy felt the end of his nose with his finger-tips.
 "Youse kin main me-" he mur- mured, but youse can't kill mel" Then. with groan. he rose to his feet and tentatively shook out his legs.
 No bones cracked" he said, "and 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 of his ragged shirt.
 "Dsy sure gifts a heavy mail in dis hurE," he continued. and slunk down the track to where a switchlamp cleaned on the freisbtsiding.
 There he crouched beside the light and carefully drew the letters from his shirt. The first two bore the i'm print of a mail-Order 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 Ee 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:
 lam sending you a collar this week not two because my wife is sick and I aint got the two. This makes q
 
 note. and three 3ols. interest what we agreed on. Respectful.
 ANSON BCRRITT. Pete picked up the envelope. It was addressed to Hiram Towners, Columbia X-Roads."
 The next missiye was a postal card directed to Miss Ethel Towners. and ,o.Si,g a= foiinWS-
 Cyprus. Pa. Dear Niece:
 Expect your aunt and me home on Saturday. I must tell you that our cousin. Charles Parshall. who you have never seen. is visiting East from Oklahoma, and will probably stop off 10 inc y-Roads on No. ? tomorrow, Friday. He is a 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 TO money enclosed. Again he applied himself 10 the deciphering of the script which. for Pete, was task Of no mean proportion He made it out thTs:
 Dear Cousin Hiram:
 When I seen you in Cyprus yester- day I thought as how I would pass through Columbia Crossroads on Fri, day. Well. Hiram, I can't do it, but must be in N Y. City on Friday. so write to tell you that can't. l am sorry about it. but will write you be- fore I leave for Okla.
 am your cousin.
 CHARLES PARSHALL- Pete looked up into the sky. where fat October moon was paling to the dawn.
 -I am your cousin. Charles Par -A.uB- he quoted "Dere aint narten do matter with dat idea, neider.
 sounds of tuneIess whistling came so.,, the road which skirted the ,r.ct and Pete gathered up his plum aer He limped hastily toward the .s,,on pIatforn and replaced the two ,,.s,-order letters and the postal card .Sdressed to Miss Ethel Towners in che torn sack. Then he lodged be- xs.s inc small shanty that served as waiting room and ticket-omce'
 T.a tuneless whistle drew nearer. a ., length embodied itself in the ,o, H of Henry Wouters. the post rsster of Columbia Crossroads,
 ..Pusted agin." said Henry in mat
 os.sscf tones. as he picked up the pouch . ,.esrs and the