The Argosy for May — page 175: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

362 you’re comin’, and they’re all terribly anxious to meet you. That settled the matter. I packed my trunk, bought a ticket, wired Farmer Snookins that I was on my way, and boarded a Hudson River boat that very day. : I left the boat at Catskill Landing and took the mountain railroad to Merit- ville. The train ride was long, dusty, and uncomfortable; but I comforted myself with pleasant thoughts of Shady Bower Farm, honest, hospitable Farmer Hiram Snookins, and his bevy -of pretty girl boarders — especially the young lady who had won the beauty prize awarded by a New York newspaper. I promised myself many delightful hours with this proved possessor of pulchritude. “All out for Meritville!” the conductor at length. for Sayo, Hillside, Highbend, Canon- bury, and Brookdale!” Quite a» few of us left the train. There were young men, old men, young women, old women, whole families, and single, solitary persons, like myself, who stepped upon the platform,. I noticed a dozen or more farmers’ rigs drawn up alongside the little depot. Some of these rigs were quite smart looking, and all of them bore signs de- noting their destination. I scanned these signs shouted eagerly.. I read: ‘ Dow’s Fruit Farm,” “ Sherman House,” ‘Swiss Manor,” “ Hillside Villa,’ ‘‘ Hotel Canonbury,” etc., on various wagons; but not a sign of any vehicle from Shady Bower Farm could I discover. My fellow passengers who had alighted with me climbed aboard the waiting wagons, laughing and chatter- ing, and were driven away to their re- spective destinations. When the last of them had gone I stood alone upon the deserted platform, gazing mournfully at my trunk and dress-suit case, and began to feel de- cidedly dejected and uncomfortable. Farmer Snookins had promised posi- tively to meet the train and transport me and my baggage. make good at the start did not look very encouraging. ‘Change here: His failure to THE ARGOSY. At length I approached a_ shabby, dirty - looking, bearded man, who stood near a wagon which was even dirtier leoking than he was. I had noticed this wagon before; but the idea that it could be used for the transportation of passengers had not occurred to me. Its appearance indi- cated that it was there for the purpose of hauling a load of mud or coal or some such cargo. ‘“T beg your pardon, my friend,” I said to the shabby, dirty - faced man, ‘“you haven’t seen anything of a rig from Shady Bower Farm, have you?” “Sure,” he replied, eying me with surprise. “ There it is.” ‘“Good Heavens!” I gasped, seeing that he pointed to the dirty, dilapidated wagon. “Surely, not that—” ‘“That’s Shady - Bower Farm’s rig,” said he, regarding me sternly. ‘ Are you Mr. Mortimer Collingwood, the new boarder?” “Yes,” I stammered, and began to wish myself back in New York. The discovery that that wretched- looking conveyance and _ the _half- starved, weak-kneed horses attached to ~~it. were the property of my prospective host was certainly a great shock, but I quickly rallied. I thought of the young lady boarder who had won the beauty prize and the score of other pretty girls who were to be found at Shady Bower Farm, and I began to make excuses to myself for the appearance of that rig. Perhaps it was only a borrowed vehi- cle, I reflected. Maybe my host’s regu- lar conveyance had broken down, and rather than disappoint me he had pressed this outfit into service. I turned to the man with a sigh of relief. ‘“Where is Farmer inquired pleasantly. “Tam Farmer Snookins,”’ swered, gazing at me defiantly. This certainly was shock number two. The proprietor of Shady Bower Farm sadly differed from the mental picture I had conceived. In addition to being dirty, shabby, and. unkempt, he wasn’t at all in ap- pearance an honest, simple child of Nature. Snookins?”’ I he an- DOOLK (C@