The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1915-02-12

At three o'clock of mild Octobe
morning two dusty, brown objects
one large and one small, were cas-
from the Harrisburg Limited at CO
lumbia Crossroads. The limited wa
making good twenty miles an hour
and both packages bounced violentl.
and then sagged together into a small
heap on the station platform. Eacl
suffered from the impact. A thir
object, which was st. Louis Pete
while the smaller one, which was e
United States mail-pouch, sustained E
rent in its side and most of its con
tents were scattered under an ada
cent baggage-truck.
At quarter past three Pete sat VI
and gingerly felt the end of his nose
with his fnger-tips.
"Youse kin main me-" he muir
INJURED, but youse can't kill mel"
Then, with a groan, he rose to his
feet and tentatively shook out his
legs.
mo 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
truck, and thrust them into the bosom
of his ragged shirt.
"Dey sure gifts a 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 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. He pulled out the green
back, together with its accompany
ing message, and spread the letter on
his knee. 1t was headed Denmark
Center" and read:
Dear Sir:
am sending you dollar this week
not two because my wife is sick and
! 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 a 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. 2 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 7
envelope, and the chuckle with which
be recognized the name of Hiram
Towners merged into a grunt of dis
appointment when he found no money
enclosed. Again he applied himself
to the deciphering of the script
which, for Pete, was task of no
mean proportion. He made it out
hus:
Dear Cousin Hiram:
When | seen you in Cyprus yester-
lay l thought as how I would pass
through Columbia Crossroads on Fri
lay. Well, Hiram, can't do it, but
must be in N. Y City on Friday, SO
write to tell you that l can't. I am
orry about It, but will write you be-
ore leave for Okla.
am your cousin,
CHARLES PARSHALL.
Pete looked up into the sky, where
fat October moon was paling to the
avn.
st am your cousin, Charles Par
hail." he quoted. Deere amt narten !
e matter with dat idea, neider!"
Sounds of tuneless whistling came
own the road which skirted the t
.ack, and Pete gathered up his plum r
er. He limped hastily toward the
alton platform and replaced the two
'ail-o-der letters and the postal card
1dressed to Miss Ethel Towners in
lie torn sack. Then he lodged be-
ind the small shanty that served as r
waiting room and ticket-oflce. O
The tuneless whistle drew nearer, 81
i'd at length embodied itself in the b
arson OF Henry Wouters, the post
aster Of Columbia Crossroads. a
Busted agin!" said Henry in mat d
r-of-fact tones, rs he picked up the "
,uch.
He slid the two letters and the o.