Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1916-12-27
An Original
Expedient
Bv Al AN HlNSDAlE

a position with a maker Of artificial
limbs. Travelled through the country
selling legs and arms and other sur
gical contrivances to the small deal
ers.
lone day l was driving along road
with my wagon load of samples when
I overlook a pretty girl walking the
same way I was going. asked her
If I couldn't give her a lift. She &C.
copied the offer and got in on the
vacant seat beside me.
"Her name was-let me see, what
was her name? Well, We'll call her
Susie. That was the first girl who
ever Struggled up to me, and tell you
I stuck to her like kitten to foot
warmer. In truth, it was one of those
cases of love at first sight, and
couldn't tell you which fell in love
with the other first. She was going
to town to do some shopping, and
arranged with her to drive her back
the same afternoon.
Il didn't 60 into the house with her
when we reached her home. You see,
it wouldn't look right that l had pick
ed up Susie on the road. But the
next time I went over the route
called with letter Of Introduction
"Who from?" interrupted Eva.
'Well, didn't intend to say any
thing about that, but since you want
to know Susie gave me the name of
friend Of hers, and wrote the letter
myself, signing the friends name. l
called on Susie, presented the letter,
and she received me as a stranger.
OF course that wasn't a nice thing
to do, but Susie had told me that her
father was a cranky old man and she
couldn't make young mans acquaint-
ance without his asking innumerab;e
questions about how. when and where
she had met him."
"When does the elopement Begin"
asked Johnnie.
1T begins right here. l visited Su-
sic and courted her. From the first
her father opposed me, and when l
asked him for his daughter he refused
me point blank. Susie wouldn't give
me up, and there was nothing for it
but to run away and be married. By
this time winter had come on, and
that winter there was great deal Of
snow. After big storm l started on
a business trip in sleigh. Susie had
written me that her father had been
called on to serve on a jury and was
awav mnSt ~ tho. <ir,,o uor ,no%hor
sympathiZed with Susie and me, SO
she didn't count against US. l drove
up to the house one afternoon, and,
the father being at the county seat,
Susie and concluded that it was as
good a time as any to go off and get
married. Susie's mother didn't object
and we started.
I'VE hadn't been gone long when
Susie's father came home. He asked
her mother where she was, and the
poor woman looked guilty. He forced
her to admit that Susie and had gone
of to be married and to tell him
which way. Then he got into the
sleigh he had come home in, and away
he went lickety split after us to head
us of before we could get married.
Susie was looking back all the
while, and presently, when We were
on rise, she saw her father coming
some two or three miles away. Then
| knew l was in for chase"
did you lick your horse?" asked
Johnnie
"You bet did, my boy. But he had
no speed in him. used him simply to
Jog through the country, carrying me
and my samples. stopping here and
there, and for this l didn't need a fast
horse. The consequence was that Su-
sie's father. having the best animal in
his stable, gained on us.
Il was full Of expedients, and as !
drove on racked my brain for one to
delay our pursuer. remembered that
there was a bridge ahead, a small.
rickety affair. If could have time
to ruin that bridge behind me l could
keep my pursuer from getting over it
and In that way might escape. Then
an idea struck me how to cause the
delay.
Passing from a rise down into a
place where there was a deep snow
drift beside the road, l pulled up, took
couple Of artificial legs from my
samples and asked Susie for her shoes.
She took them of, and l put them on
the wooden feet, got out Of the sleigh,
and stuck the legs in the snowdrift,
leaving only the feet and ankles expos
ed. Then I got back into the sleigh
and started on again.
What's that for?' asked Susie.
Hell see the feet sticking out o.
the snow, think you're buried head
down and stop to pull you out. If he
takes enough time doing it I'll be able
to send that bridge sailing down with
the current
THE bridge was beyond the next
hill and, after crossing it, got out
and worked like beaver till had
loosened the supports and dropped
them into the stream. OF course they
couldn't be replaced in q hurry, and
when l had completed the wreck ]
oreathed easy. l was driving away
when I saw our pursuer on the rfse
behind us: But the race vas over.