South Pottawatomie Progress. (Asher, Okla.), Vol. 2, No. 16, Ed. 1 Thursday, July 4, 1912 Page: 2 of 8
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<=«W - jNOVEIZED FROM T/IE
GOrtEDY OF T/iE SAME
/NAME. T T T
I LEUST/iATE^D EftQM
PHOTOG/dAPHS OF
THE PEAY A'S PA?OT>UCED
MENRY W. SAVAGE-.
£X>PY»iaW tfll Jt, f\. K.FX.V COfc
Lieut. Harry Mallory Is ordered to tha
Philippines. He and Marjorie Newton
decide to elope, but wreck of taxicab pre-
vents their seeing minister on the way to
the train. Transcontinental train Is tak-
ing on passengers. Porter has a lively
time with an Englishman and Ira Lath-
rop, a Yankee business man.
CHAPTER II. (Continued.)
He resigned himself to the despot,
and began to transfer his burdens to
the seat. But he did nothing to the
satisfaction of the Englishman. Every-
thing must be placed otherwise; the
catch-all here, the portmanteau there,
the Gladstone there, the golfstlcks
there, the greatcoat there, the rain-
coat there. The porter was pulling
like a donkey-engine, and mutiny was
growing In his heart. His last com-
mission was the hanging up of the
bowler hat.
He stood on the arm of the seat to
reach the high hook. From here he
paused to glare down with an attempt
at Irony.
“Is they anything else?"
"No You may get down."
The magniticent patronage of this
wilted the porter completely. He re-
turned to the lower level, and shuf-
fled along the aisle in a trance. He
as quickly recalled by a sharp:
‘‘Pawtah!’’
“Ynssah!”
"What time does this bally train
start?"
"Ten-thutty, snh.”
“But It's only ten now.”
“Yassah. It’ll be ten-thutty a lit-
tle later."
"Do you mean to tell me that I’ve
got to sit hyah for half an hour—just
waitin’?”
The porter essayed another bit of
Irony:
“Well,” he drawled, "1 might tell
the conducta you’re ready. And meb-
be he’d start the train. But the time-
table says ten-thutty."
He watched the effect of his satire,
but it fell back unheeded from the
granite dome of the Englishman,
whose only comment was:
“Oh, never mind. I'll wait.”
The porter cast his eyes up in de-
spair, and turned away, once more to
be recalled.
“Oh, pawtah!"
"Yassah!”
“I think we’ll put on my sllppahs.”
"Will we?"
“You might hand me that large bag.
No, stupid, the othah one. You might
open It. No, It’s In the othah one. Ah,
that's It. You may set It down.”
Mr. Wedgewood brought forth a
soft cap and a pair of red slippers.
The porter made another effort to
escape, his thoughts as black as his
face. Again the relentless recall:
"Oh, pawtah, I think we’ll unbutton
my boots.”
He was too weak to murmur "Yas-
sah." He simply fell on one knee
and got to work
There was a witness to his helpless
rage—a newcomer, the American j
counterpart of the Englishman In all
that makes travel difficult for the fel-
low travelers. Ira Lathrop was zeal-
ous to resent anything short of per-
fection, quick and loud of complaint,
apparently impossible to please
In everything else he was the op-
posite of the Englishman lie was
burly, middle-aged, rough, careless In
attire, careless of speech—as uncouth
and savage as one can well lie who is
plainly a man of means
It was not enough that a freeborn
Afro-American should be caught kneel-
ing to an Englishman. But when he
had escaped this penance, and ad-
vanced hospitably to the newcomer,
he must be greeted with n snarl
"Say, are you the porter of this car,
or that man's nurse?"
“I can’t tell yet. What s yo' num-
ba, please?”
The answer was the ticket.
“Numba se’m. Heah she is, boss.”
“Right next to a lot of women, I’ll
bet. Couldn't you put me In the men’s
end of the car?"
"Not ve’y well, Buh. 1 reckon the
cah Is done sold out ”
Witt a growl of rage, ira Lathrop
slammed into the seat his entire hand
baggage, one ancient and rusty valise.
The porter gazed upon him with In
creased depression. The passenger
lilt had opened lnausplclously with
two of the worst types or travelers
the Anglo-Saxon race has developed.
But their anger was not their worst
(rail it "orter’s eyes. He was, In
a limited way, an expert In human
character.
When you meet a stranger you re-
veal your own character In what you
ask about his. With some, the tlrst
question Is, “Who are his people?"
With others, "What has he achieved?"
With others, “How much Is he worth?"
Each gauges his cordiality according
to his estimate.
The porter was not curious on any
of these points. He showed a demo-
cratic indifference to them. His one
vital inquiry was:
"How much will he tip?”
His inspection of his first two
charges promised small returns. He
buttoned up his cordiality, and de-
termined to waste upon them the ir-
reducible minimum of attention.
It would take at least a bridal
couple to retsore the balance. But
bridal couples In their first bloom
rarely fell to the lot of that porter, for
what bridal couple wants to lock It-
self In with a crowd of passengers for
the first seventy-two hours of wedded
bliss?
The porter banished the hope as a
vanity. Little he knew how eagerly
the young castaways from that
wrecked taxicab desired to be a bridal
couple, and to catch this train.
But the Englishman was restive
again:
“Pawtah! I say, pawtah!"
“Yassah!"
“What time are we due in San Fran-
cisco?'
"San Francisco? San Francisco?
We are doo thah the evenin’ of the
fo’th day. This bein’ Monday, that
ought to bring us in abote Thuzzday
evenin’.”
The Yankee felt called upon to
check the foreign usurper.
"Porrterr! ”
“Yassah!"
"Don’t let that fellow monopolize
you. He probably won’t tip you at
all."
The porter grew confidential:
“Oh. I know his kind, sah They
don’t tip you for what you do do, but
they’re ready letter writers to the
j Sooperintendent for what you don’t
do."
"Pawtah! I say, pawtah!”
"Here, porrterr.”
The porter tried to imitate the
j Irish bird, and be in two places at
j once The American had a coin In
i his hand. The porter caught the gleam
I of It, and flitted thither The Yankee
I growled:
“Don't forget that I’m on the train,
and when we get to 'Frisco there may
be something more.”
The porter had the coin In his hand.
Its heft was light. He sighed: "I
hope so."
The Englishman wns craning his
head around owlishly to ask:
"I say, pawtah, does this train ever
get wrecked?"
“Well, It hasn’t yet,” and be mur-
mured to the Yankee, "but 1 has
hopes.”
The Englishman’s voice was queru-
ous again.
"I say, pawtah, open a window, will
you? The air Is ghastly, abso-rlpplng-
lutely ghastly.”
The Yankee growled:
“No wonder we had the Revolution-
ary war!”
Then he took from his pocket an
envelope addressed to Ira Lathrop &
Co., and from the envelope he took a
contract, and studied It grimly. The
envelope bore a Chinese stamp.
The porter, as he struggled with an
obstinate window, wondered what
sort of passenger fate would send him
next.
CHAPTER III.
In Darkest Chicago.
The castaways from the wrecked
taxicab hurried along the doleful
street. Both of them knew their Chi-
cago, but this part of It was not their
Chicago.
They hailed a pedestrian, to ask
where the nearest street car line
might be, and whither It might run.
He answered indistinctly from a dis-
creet distance, as he hastened away.
Perhaps he thought their question
merely a footpad’s introduction to a
sandbagging episode. In Chicago at
night one never knows.
“As near as I can make out what he
said, Marjorie," the lieutenant pon-
dered aloud, "we walk straight ahead
till we come to Umptyump street,
and there we find a Karara car that
will take us to Bloptyblop avenue. I
never heard of any such streets, did
you?"
"Never,” she panted, as she Jog-
trotted alongside his military pace.
"Let’s take the first car we meet, and
perhaps the conductor can put us oft
at the street where the minister
lives.”
“Perhaps." There was not much
confidence in that "perhaps.”
When they reached the street-carred
street, they found two tracks, but
nothing occupying them, as far as
they could peer either way. A small
shopkeeper in a tiny shop proved to
be a delicatessen merchant so busily
selling foreign horrors to aliens, that
they learned nothing from him.
At length, in the far-away, they
made out a headlight, and heard the
grind and squeal of a car. Lieutenant
Mallory waited for it, watch In hand.
He boosted Marjorle-s elbow aboard
and bombarded the conductor with
questions. But the conductor had no
more heard of their street than they
had of his. Their agitation did not
disturb his stoic calm, but he invited
them to come along to the next cross-
ing, where they could find another car
and more learned conductors,
He threw Marjorie into a panic by
ordering her to Jettison Snoozle- ms,
but the lieutenant bought his soul for
a small price, and overlooked the fact
that he did not ring up their fares.
The young couple squeezed Into a
seat and talked anxiously In sharp
whispers.
“Wouldn't it be terrible, Harry, If,
Just as we got to the minister’s, we
should find papa there ahead of us,
waiting to forbid the bands, or what-
ever it is? Wouldn’t it be Just ter-
rible?"
"Yes, It would, honey, but It
doesn’t seem probable. There are
thousands of ministers In Chicago.
He could never find ours Fact Is, I
doubt if we find him ourselves."
Her clutch tightened till ho would
have winced, If he had not been a
soldier.
“What do you mean, Harry?"
“Well, in the first place, honey, look
what time it is. Hardly more than
time to get the train, to say nothing
of hunting for that preacher and
standing up through a long rigma-
role.”
"Why, Harry Mallory, are you get-
ting ready to jilt me?”
“Indeed I’m not—not for worlds, |
honey, but I've got to get that train, :
haven’t I?”
“Couldn't you wait over one train— j
Just one tiny little train?”
“My own, own honey love, you
know it’s impossible! You must re-
member that I’ve already waited over
three trains while you tried to make
up your mind.”
“But, Harry, you wouldn’t desert
me now—abandon me to my fate?"
“Well, it isn't exactly like abandon-
ment, seeing that you could go home
to your father and mother In a taxi-
cab."
She stared at him In horror.
"So you don't want me for your
wife! You’ve changed your mind!
You’re tired of me already! Only an
hour together, and you’re sick of your
bargain! You’re anxious to get rid of
me! You—”
“Oh, honey, I want you more than
anything else on earth, but I’m a
soldier, dearie, a mere lieutenant in
the regular army, and I’m the slave
of the government. I’ve gone through
West Point, and they won’t let me re-
sign respectably and if I did, we’d
starve. They wouldn’t accept my
resignation, but they’d be willing to
courtmartlal me and dismiss me from
the service in disgrace. Then you
wouldn’t want to marry me—and 1
shouldn’t have any way of supporting
you if you did. 1 only know one
trade, and that’s soldiering.”
“Don’t call it a trade, beloved, it's
the noblest profession m all the
world, and you’re the noblest soldier
that ever was, and in a year or two
you’ll be the biggest general In the
army.”
He could not afford to shatter such
a devout Illusion or quench the light
of faith in those beloved and loving
eyes. He tacitly admitted his ability
to be promoted commander-ln-chlef In
a year or two. He allowed that glit-
tering possibility to remain, used It
as a basis for argument.
"Then, dearest, you must help me
to do my duty."
She clasped his upper arm as If It
were an altar and she an Iphlgenia
about to be sacrificed to save the
army. And she murmured with utter
heroism:
"I will! Do what you like with ]
me!”
He squeezed her hand between his
biceps and his ribs and accepted the
offering in a look drenched with grat-
itude. Then he said, matter-of-factly: ,
"We’ll see how much time we have
when we get to—whatever the name
of that street is.”
The car jolted and walled on its
way like an old drifting rocking
chair. The motorman was in no hur-
ry. The passengers seemed to have
no occasion for haste. Somebody got
on or got off at almost every corner,
and paused for conversation while
the car waited patiently
Mallory looked at his watch, and
Marjorie’s hopes dropped like a
wrecked aeroplane, ior he grimly
asked how long it would take them to
reach the railroad station.
“Good Lord, the train starts in
twenty minutes!"
During this tense Journey the girl
perfected her soul with graceful
martyrdom.
“I’ll go to the train with you, Har-
ry, and then you can send me home
in a taxicab."
(TO BE CONTINUED.)
WOULDN’T TAKE HIS WORD
Health Bulletin Given Out From Pul-
pit Only Arouses Skepticism In
One Mind.
“The new preacher in our town was
progressive enough to enliven even
that humdrum performance of reading
the notices of the day," said the su-
burbanite "After mumbling over the
services for the coming week, the
dates of two approaching marriages
and the purpose of the day's collec- I
tion, he said in perfectly distinct
tones:
" ‘I am glad to announce that Mrs. ,
Hollis was able to sit up a while last {
evening, that a very favorable report
was telephoned in this morning from |
the sick room of Mr. Grant, and that I
j the temperature of Mr. Williams has
been reduced to 98.'
“Then he preached a sermon, but
nobody knew what about, for all the
congregation was revolving In their
minds the phyiscal condition of our
sick parishioners. Many, like myself,
went away believing that the minis-
ter's innovation would be of inestima-
ble value to sick folk, who are pes-
tered to death by people inquiring
how they are; of Inestimable value,
| that is, unless too many of the con-
gregation shall share the skepticism
of the woman who walked down the
aisle ahead of me. Said she:
“‘I don’t believe that Sarah Hollis
was able to sit up last night. I was
there at noon and she couldn’t lift a
finger them I’m going right up to see
about It.’ ’’
Virtue Is Its own reward, but there
are lots of people who don’t seem to
care about the reward.
THE PORTER FELL ON ONE KNEE AND GOT TO WORK.
rTASTY, tempting and
appetizing.
Corned Beef
Fine for a light luncheon or a
hearty meal, Ready to serve—no
cooking odor to permeate the house,
and economical as
well. Makes excel-
lent corn beef hash.
At Every Grocere
Libby, McNeill
& Libby
Chicago
WENT BACK ON THE SHELVES
Crowning Insult to His Beloved Books
Was More Than the Professor
Could Stand.
Perhaps the bitterest moment in the
life of a lover of books is when he
finds that his treasures are valued, by
no one but himself. The late Prof.
Churton Collins once tried to weed
out his books, after he had become
convinced that either the surplus.or
their owner would have to move out
of the library.
The weeding was a painful process,
hut at last the second-hand book-deal-
er was invited to name his price for
the uprooted “weeds.” "They’re no
good to me,” was the disconcerting re-
ply.
“What, none of them.”
“No, not one.”
Some one suggested that as the
books had to go, the dealer had bet-
ter have them for nothing. It was a
bitter moment for Mr. Collins, but
finally he assented. The man then re-
marked:
“That’ll be half a dollar.”
“What do you mean? What for?”
exclaimed the victim in a restrained
tone of voice.
“To take them away,” said the man.
That was too much for Mr. Collins.
The dealer was driven forth with ob-
jurgations, after which, with a sigh of
relief, the owner replaced the books
upon his shelves.—Youth’s Companion.
Only One Fault to Find.
Lambert Kaspers, Chicago attorney,
told the following story, at a recent
Y. M. C, A. banquet:
A Kansas farmer, a Dane, applied
for naturalization papers. The judge
asked him: “Are you satisfied with
the general conditions . of the coun-
try ?”
"Yas,” drawled the Dane,
“Does the government suit you?”
queried the juflge.
“Yas, yas, only I would like to see
more rain,” replied the farmer.
Make your failure tragical by the
earnestness of your endeavor, and
then it will not differ much from suc-
cess.—Thoreau.
<>
Ever Notice
A Field of
Indian Corn
in the glory of its growing?
The best part of selected
pearly white Indian Corn
is used in making
Post
T oasties
This food is carefully
cooked—in a factory that
is clean and spotless—not
a hand touching it at any
stage of the making.
Post Toasties with cream
and a sprinkle of sugar are
an ideal dish. Serve some-
times with fresh straw-
berries added.
“The Memory Lingers’*
Sold by Grocers
Pottum Cereal Company, Ltd,
Battle Creek, Micb.
V_ V
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Putnam, Henrietta. R. South Pottawatomie Progress. (Asher, Okla.), Vol. 2, No. 16, Ed. 1 Thursday, July 4, 1912, newspaper, July 4, 1912; Asher, Oklahoma. (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc859088/m1/2/: accessed April 19, 2024), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.