Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1915-02-11

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At three o'clock Of mild October
morning two dusty, brown objects
one large and one small, were cast
from the Harrisburg Limited at Co
iumbia Crossroads. The limited was
making q good twenty miles an hour.
and both packages bounced violently
and then sagged together into small
heap on the station platform. Each
suffered from the impact. A thin
trickie OF blood oozed from the larger
object. which was st. Louis Pete;
while the smaller one, which was q
United States mail-pouch, sustained d
rent In ftB side and most of its con-
tentB were scattered under an ada
cent baggngetruck.
AT quarter past three Pete sat up
and gingeriy felt the end Of his nose
with his flngertips.
"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.
''No bones cracked" he said, "and
holy crtpes, wot's dis?"
He stopped and grabbed the torn
pouch. whereat two letters and pos.
tai card tumbied upon the platform.
These he gathered up, together with
tho three envelopes beneath the
truck. and thrust them into the bosom
OF bis ragged shirt.
'Dey sure gifts q heavy mail In dis
hnrgis he continued. and skunk down
the track TO where q switch.lamp
cleaned on the fraight.siding.
T'here he crouched beside the light
and carefully drew the letters from
his shirt The first two bore the i'm.
print OF q maihorder house, and these
he laid 10 ono side. An oath of pleas
urable surprise marked the opening
OF tho third. Tor crisp dollar bin 70.
posed inside. He pulled ont the green.
hack. together with its accompany.
ing message. and spread the letter on
bis knee. ft waa headed Denmark
Center" and read:
Dear Sir: ....
arm sending you q dollar this week
not two because my wife 10 sick and
I ain't got the two This makes a
balance Of FIVE dollars on the third
note, and three dola. interest what we
agreed On. Respectful.
ANsoN BuRRrTT.
Pete picked up the envelope II
was addressed to Hiram Towners,
Columbia x.Roads." ~
The next missive was q postal card
directed 10 Mlss Ethel Towners, and
reading % follows: ~
Cyprus. Pa.
Dear Niece.
Expect your aunt and me home on
Saturday. must tell you that our
cousin. Charles parshall. who you
have never seen, IL visiting east from
Oklahoma, and win probably stop of
TO the S.Roads on No. 3 tomorrow
Friday. He 10 BIT hearty and rough
in bis manner, but give him the spare
room and get Eleeza Wouters to sleep
with you. He win wait Till we come.
Your uncle.
HIRAM TowNERs.
Pete next examined tho remaining
envelope. and the nhuckie with which
he recognized the name OF Hiram
Towners merged into q grunt Of dis
appointment when he found no money
enclosed. Again he applied himself
90 tho deciphering OF the script
which, for Pete. was q task Of no
mean proportion. He made Il out
thus:
Dear Cousin Hiram.
When I seen you I'm Cyprus yester.
day thought az how I would pass
through Columbia Crossroads on Fri.
day. Well. Hiram. can't do II. but
must be In N. Y. City ON Friday. 90
! write 70 tell you that can't. am
sorry about It but viii write you be.
fore I leave for Okla,
j am your cousin,
n CHARLES pARSIAi.IA
Pete looked up into the sky, where
q lat October moon vas pallng to the
dawn.
z am your cousin, Charles Par>
SHALL he quoted. "Dere amt narten
de matter with dat idea. neidert"
Sounds Of tuneless whistling came
6cwn the road which skirted the
track. and Pete gathered up his ptun.
der. He limped hastily toward the
station platform and replaced the two
mail-order letters and the postal card
addressed to Miss Ethel TOWERS In
the torn sack. Then no lodged be-
hind the small shanty that served as
o waiting room and ucket-ofece.
The tuneless whistle drew nearer,
and at length embodied itself In the
person OF Henry Woutera. the post,
master of Columbia Crossroads.
Busted agin!" said Henry Tn mat,
ter-offact tones, ~ ne picked up the
pouch.
He, sid the two letters and the