Westport High School - Herald Yearbook (Kansas City, MO)

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22 THEAWESTPORT HIGH SCHOOL HERALD. wlcnt well until after they' had gone to bed in tliesleeping-car. Samantha wanted the win- dow open and Josiah wanted it shut. Saman- tha 'knew she would sutfocate if it was not opened, and Josiah knew lic would freeze to death if it was. -' N ow, Josiah, there hain't no use in talk- ing 5 it 's got to be opened. I canpt get my breathf' ' . J A Very well, ,hev yer own way, as usual. When ye bury me, you ,ll know it was just yer silly notions that sent me to my grave? The window was opened. -6'We-ll, that is something like it, how lovely that air islf' Samantha breathed a sigh of relief. ' Achoo lt' sneezed Josiah. 'CGoshl how cold it sis. It 's more expensive-achoo!-to bring a dead corpse back on the train than when it is alive-achool! ' . After all this talk they awoke next morning to behold to their surprise that the window was still shut, they had only opened the inner one. J osia.h looked' at Samantha and Samantha looked at Josiah, who drawled: Wall, S'manthy, I reckon we're a couple of old fools? About an hour later Samantha and Josiah started for the dining-car. Josiah was sure he knew the direction, so he led the Way through two cars, and when 'the third one was not the one they were in search of, Samantha sug- gested that he was going wrong. ' N ow, S'manthy, how could I go wrong- all you have to do is to follow yer nose? Then in this case I reckon yer nose is on the wrong side of yer head. I im sure the car is at the other end of the train-anyway, I ,rn going to ask. But, Simanthy, I saw--U began Josiah. 2ZSay, Mister, can you tell me the way to the eating-car C? asked Samantha. . 9'Why, yes, it 's four cars that way, said the stranger, pointing in the direction Saman- tha had wished to- go. Now see, Josiah,'J said Samantha, with a.n 'CI told you so nod of her head. Well, licre we are, said Josiah, as they entered lthe dining-car, 'fthat little walk just give us an appetite fer breakfast. You don't need to walk to iind yours,f' said Samantha, grimlyi I donit ever remember a time when ye had to hunt fer itf' Samantha ended her order by saying to the waiter: And bring me a biled pertater with- out the 'a la' on it. I 'im used to eatin, mine without. ' They .ordered a good breakfast, but when the bill came around, Samantha was scandalized. HA dollar an' a ha'f fer that little grub, she said, Nnever Ifd be fool enough ter pay thirty-five cents fer'a biled pertaterfv They went back to their car, and in a short time Samantha began to get nervous. C'AinJt we ,most to New York, Josiah P Yes, said Josiah, consulting his time- card, in about an hour. Air ye tired 'Pi' 4'Well, I'd sort of like to git my feet on firm ground fer awhile. They sat silent for seine time, then the brakeman came through the car, calling N ew York. Samantha and Josiah put on their things and got their grips down. Well, said Samantha, why don't they stop and let- us off 195' Q They will when we get to New York. 'fHe told us ten minutes ago that this was New York? Just then the porter came through the car and picked up their grips and started on. Say, look here, darkey, where air ye goin' with our things. We may be from the country, but ye canlt take our things right out from under our noses like thatj' Samantha said. f'Why, Sjmanthy, he 's just goin' ter take them out so we wontt have to carry fem. M ' Very well, let him go then, Josiah, but if that fellar steals 'em, donit ye blame me fer it, and remember that I warned ye. I never did trust them niggers anyhow. The train began to slow down, and when it stopped they got off. Samantha had never

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rfection ite pur- on each l which 2 strict io sym- t neces- storate. ar light io abso- tagnant ,li drops of this .lone in suggest- of 'his .f'05. AND ogether on the Saman- :rsation Josiah seemed what to yellow hiskers, deeply. , good- ord for ogether ly, with knot at is, fidg- Le. AH Nas not 1 as to Josiah It was THE WESTPORT HIGH SCHOOL HERALD. 21 not his nature to be sudden. He looked up at Samantha and said, with a slow drawl: aSay, Simantliy, we've been married just thirty-two years to-day? Right ye air, J osiah, right ye air, and wejve-lived right here on this old farm ever since, and we ive been right happy, too. C4That is right, we have, Simanthy 3 but donft you think it 's about time we ire going on a wedding-trip? You know we-D GA wedding-trip! the very idee! To go away an' leave this farm to go to rack an' ruin an, have our children a-running wild without no mother-why, Josiah Hodunk, who is gone an' put such a notion in yer head ?', uNow, Simanthy, there ain't no use in yer flaring up like thet. We 've got plenty of money and that we didn't have when we got married, ani I think it is about time wejre a-goin, somewhere, so let's pack our duds an' go up to New York fer a couple of weeks? They had to argue about so long, o-f course, before they came to- a conclusion 5 then Saman- tha, who was longing to go but thought it her duty to stay home, said, after thinking a short time: Well, Josiah, since ye hev set yer mind on going, I 'spect I 'll hev to go 'long with ye to take ca.re of ye. There is no telling what you 'd do when ye get up there with that crowd? 'fNow, S'manthy, yer talkin' sense, now-'F f'Well, ye needn't git so 'lated over it that ye hev to tangle my yarn all upfi C'Say, Simanthy, I reckon ye hain't never been out of this little vill-D Why, Josiah Hodunk, hainit ye got no memory? Didnit I go up to J akersville thir- teen years ago, an, that 's eighteen miles from hercfi So ye did, I'd ,most forgotten about it, but ye know it ainit a big place-7' Not a big place? Why, Josiah, it is got three grocery stores? Samantha leaned back satisfied. HWcll, S'manthy, ye hainit never been to New York, ani I hey twice. Ye know the first. time I went I got kind of broke in ter the ter- rible crowds always in the streets. The next time, ye remember, I took Uncle Hiram with me. He ain't never been there before? Here Josiah chuckled softly to himself and began to stroke his whiskers meditatively. When we got down town on the main streets .the usual crowd was there chasing back and for'ards, and Uncle Hiram, he walked on just bewildered for awhile. He ainit never seen such crowds before 3 but suddenly he gasped for breath -Josiah stopped again to chuckle more a.udibly this time-athen he just sort of plant- ed himself and said: :Ye look here, Josiah Hodunk, I may be a big fool, but I hain't a-goin, to take a nuther step till this procession gits byfi' Here Josiah let out two or three guffaws and went out to tell Bill and Maria, the head farm-hands, about the coming trip. Just one week later Samantha a.nd Josiah found themselves on a train going at full speed. Samantha was quite nervous and did not at- tempt to hide it, but Josiah sat beside her with the air of a man who owned the whole railroad. He had been to New York twice. c'Say, Josiah, see tha.t ,ere cloud yonder? That looks like rain. I wonder if Maria will remember to shut the chickens up in the north coop, the other one is leaky, and I 'm sure Bill 's goin? to forget to 'give that medicine to the sick cow, and, oh-'P N ow, Simantha, whatis the use in a-wor- riing over things that can't be helped now, if- ' Josiah Hodunk, hev you gone an' lost my sky blue umbrellar that I've had ever since Mary Susan died ? I Well, S'manthy, I put it here in the cor- ner of this here seat, but I don't- Oh, here it is I said Josiah, with a sigh of relief. It7s slipped under the seat-I 'll fish her out , come on, come on-Gosh I here she is. NI hope Maria wonit put Sammy's best shoes on every day. I hev told her not to, but she 's- Oh, dear! where's my campfire bot- tle? Josiah, hev ye gone an' lost that? That bottle 's been in our family over fifty years. After some time Josiah found it and all

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THE ARTLQ-ROOM.