Coulee City dispatch. [volume] (Coulee City, Wash.) 19??-19??, 1924-01-25

The heads, too, were decidedly rat
like, and as the long, sharp teeth of
the pair of them grinned up at Wallie
he covered them hastily and set about
his washing
He had come to begrudge every
stick of firewood, and it took an in
credible amount to heat wash water.
A man could very we'll fill his time if
he did nothing but collect wood and
carry water
AS he set his tub and dashboard on
a box and rubbed vigorously on his
undergarments he smiled to himself
and wondered what his friends of The
Colonial would say if they could see
him at the moment. He did not so
much mind washing, it was easier
than digging postholes, but it was not
much of way to spend Christmas,
and he was desperately lonely He
wished someone would come along to
talk to-
He was so far from the road that
there were no passersby, and no one
wanted to see him anyhow, but his
loneliness became 50 great as he
dwelt upon it that@on the remote
chance that he might see someone
even in the distance he stopped wash
ing and walked to the window, where
with his elbow he rubbed a spot clear
of frost.
Looking out through the loophole,
it was white, tractless world he
gazed upon, and he might have been
in the Arctic Circle for all the signs
of life he could discover. He told
himself that he might have known
better than to hope for any.
AS he squinted he suddenly pressed
his eye harder against the window.
Did he see speck that moved or did
he imagine it? He enlarged the hole
and strained his eyes until they wat
cred. Surely, it moved-surely. 1t
would be too disappointing for words
if it were only delusion.
IL IL ulus 1uOlO WAC AOW AO
about it. Someone was COM
ing toward the cabin. Wallie shook
with excitement at the prospect of a
visitor. Whoever it might be, Wallie
would make him stay for dinner if
be had to pay him by the hour for
his company. That was settled. Very
likely it was Pinkey, but today even
Boise would be welcome.
Wallie showed his Christmas dinner
in the oven and slammed the door
upon it, stocked the fire lavishly, then
fell upon the washboard and rubbed
furiously that he might be done the
sooner. At intervals he dashed to the
window, half afraid to look lest the
rider had changed his mind and gone
in another direction.
But no, he kept coming, and there
was something in the way he sat his
horse which made him think it was
Pinkey.
And Pinkey it was, brilliant as a
in orange chaps, red flannel
shirt and buckskin Waistcoat. His
coat tied behind the cantle sug-
gested that he either had become
overheated or at only II below zero
had not yet felt the need of it. His
horse was snorting steam like a loco
motive and icicles of frozen breath
were pendant from it's nostrils.
Wallie stood in the door, suds to
the elbow and his hands steaming,
waiting to receive him.
His voice trembled as he greeted
him:
81 never was SO glad to see any
body in my life, Pinkey"
"This is onct know you amt
lynn. Got anything to eat? I'm
starvin'. 1 been comm sence day
light"
Il got something special" Wallie
replied, mysteriously. cite your
horse to the haystack. I'll hurry
things UP little"
Pinkey returned shortly and shifted
as he entered:
ct smells good, anyhow. There's
something homelike about onions.
What you cookin'?"
cts a secret, but you'll like EN-.
made 'em out of the cook book"
Pinkey threw his coat on the table
and the thud sounded as if it had a
brick rolled in it.
Here's something Helene sent
she made tits angel food or some
thin, l reckon"
Now wasn't that good of her!"
Wallie exclaimed, gratefully.
II can't tell till / taste it.
wouldn't call her much of a cook
generally" He prodded the cake as
he unrolled it and commented:
Gosh, it's hard! 1 turned my
thumb-nail back on it,"
tits frozen-that's what's the mat
ter" Wallie defended, promptly.
II think it's a bum cake" declared
Pinkey, callously.
II think you don't know what
you're talking about until you try
it," Wallie retorted with asperity.
Pinkey looked at him thoughtfully
and changed the subject.