The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1922-11-08

dy. But the people of that commu-
nifty being born scofrers, have changed
the name of the Big Muddy in COM
mon parlance to MUD Crick," and,
transformed by the alchemy of popu-
lar depreciation, the name of the town
Itself has shriveled into "Wlller
Creek" It might have been some
thing of town, as towns go in the
West, hut instead of pulling with his
neighbOrs for the success Of the town,
each Of its founders spent his time
making fun OF the pretenslOns Of 9th
ers. when there was talk On the Part
of cold man" Mead, the pIimeyal post
master. Of securing the government
land office for Willow Creek. the In
dian trader, and the saloonkocper, ana
the blacksmith, made great sport %
the old mans ambition. \ ic% Yeas
later, when civilization had crowded
in with Il hotel. lumber yard. q r"w
saloon, and a barber shop someone
spoke of starting newspaper: but
the laugh that went up from Nlllo"
Greet, was the only unanimity dat
greeted Editor NlcCray when lis lach
was turned. But the newspaper ""wc,
and so did the people. and they kept
coming, until. when the "hocul' O. The
later eighties struck Kansas T found
Willow Creek with about Two thou-
sand scotlihg inhabitants,
But, in one way or another. the
boom seemed to bring wealth 10
Willow Greek. Aud with wealth,
came some attempts at the orgHnl-
cation Of polite society. There were
mnumerable young real estate ageu's,
young doctors, young lawyers, and
clerks all from the East, in the vii
lage; and these, With the daughters o.
the early settlers and such friends rs
they CHANGED to make In The high
school, constituted the aristocracy Of
the town. 1t was Il vulnerable ar!S-
tOcracy, and the scOlferS made sad
havoc with H.
1t was said of Flora McCray, vino
went to boarding school and came
back, timid, retiring, and distinctly
unsocial that, "She needn't hold her
self so high II her father would only
pay back the money he stole in the
school land fraud she would be us
common as anybody But the girl
paid no heed to these rumOrs, If she
heard them. She quietly .illed her
small sphere. h.UHdcd on one side by
her mcch-yoiccl mother and her busy
father, on another side by her church
and her "church social" al a third
side by very brief glimpse of a very
big world and hcr memory of ii, aud
on the fourth side by occasional day
dreams and night thoughts, pretty
much the same as those which come
10 any youn- girl Of good health, good
spirits, and twenty-one years, who has
never had sweetheart.
As the reaction, caused by the de-
csdence OF real estate prices set In,
Willow Creek became poorer. AS the
young men, who paid for the orches-
tras, ana halls, and flowers, gradually
left town, the young women, who for
merry frcuHe.yai receptions, parties,
and balls, were seen more and more
often aL Oh, "chureh socials.' After
two years lgIyDJual struggle VIII
low Greek an.o r. un the town could
10 longer support TWO branches 81
society. and the church crowd and
tee "dalce crowd merged iuto one.
when it was announced that the
entire -oc.a. body of Willow Creek
was COINS ul. 90 Bobinsou's for
"taffy pull one Saturday night, the
rest of Willow Greek laughed. The
town people ~.eerel at the young wom-
en- win, had planned the party, and IN
timatcd rbnt the NIGHT ride ont to Rob
msou's lA. back was II heroic meas
ure; ana they laughed at old man
Robinson 1ad his family for t0leratlng
people who would enub them II they
came to town, and lastly they laughed
Mt the young men who would have to
pay the livery bills.
Saturday morning, john Howard,
Mr.. McCruy's partner in the stock
business, came UP from the farm on
Dry Creek and after going over some
details OF business. McCray asked his
partner 10 Sunday dinner, as was his
custom, when the Young man was in
town, and the invitation was accepted.
During the "boum' Howard had made
money, lie had mingled with what is
known as the swell set" Of Willow
Creek, aud though not fuyorltc at
the food of the "boom," the very fact
that he had the social instinct made
him II necessity in society AZ Its ebb.
Soon after leaving his partners Of
fee, he had learned of the plans for
the "taify pull that evening. lie was
urged TO 20, and finding that all the
"rigs" were full. and that all the girls
Of his "set' were provided with es-
corts, In moment of despalrlng In
splratiOn the young man sent n note
70 his partners daughter, asking for
"the pleasure Of her company" His
invitation was accepted, and late that
afternoon. Flora McCray stepped into
a buggy with the first beau she had
ever had. and headed long process
sion for ROblnsOns.