John Henry Smith: A humorous romance of outdoor life — John Shaqi
John Henry Smith: A humorous romance of outdoor lifeAdams, Frederick Upham
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John Henry Smith: A humorous romance of outdoor life
Adams, Frederick Upham
Humorous stories; Outdoor life -- Fiction
"That's what I am!" declared the millionaire, as Bishop came toward him,
a curious smile on his tanned face. "How are you, Jim?"
"Well; I'll be jiggered! How are you, Bob?" and they shook hands across
the fence. For a moment neither spoke.
"It's thirty years or more since I've seen you," said Harding. "When did
you move to this country?"
"Over twenty-five years ago," said Bishop. "And what have you been doing
with yourself all these years? I surely hope you've found something
better to do than play this here fool game an' knock people's heads
off."
He tenderly rubbed the lump on his forehead.
"I just took this game up," said Harding rather sheepishly. "I've been
building railroads."
"Are you Robert L. Harding, the railroad king that the papers talks so
much erbout?" demanded Bishop.
"I guess I'm the fellow," admitted Harding.
"Well; I never would er believed it!" gasped Bishop, and then they shook
hands again.
They sat on a rock and talked about Buckfield and their boyhood days for
an hour. It seems that they were born and raised on adjoining farms, and
were chums until Harding's father died, at which time Harding went West
and found his fortune.
Not until the horses became restless and started to go home did Bishop
note the passing of time. He cordially invited Harding and his daughter
to come and call on him, and Harding did not hesitate in accepting the
invitation.
Now that I think of it, none of us gave a thought to that ball, and I
suppose it is out in the road yet. Harding said that was all the golf he
wished that day, and so we went back to the club house.
"Talk about driving a ball six hundred yards, Smith," he said, as we
came to the eighteenth tee. "I knocked that ball so far that I hit a boy
in Maine, and that's hundreds of miles from here."
ENTRY NO. VIII
DOWNFALL OF MR. HARDING
I do not know whether to be annoyed or amused over the result of my
second golf game with Miss Harding. It was not in the least like my
anticipations.
Our first game was so romantic. It was as if the kindly skies had raised
a dome over earth's most favoured spot and reserved it for our use. It
was different to-day.
I presume it is necessary that beautiful maidens shall have fathers. I
raise no doubt that Mr. Harding is a wonderful financier and railroad
genius, and it is likely he is entitled to a vacation and to that
relaxation which comes from taking exercise, but this does not justify
him in--well, in "butting in" on our game. I don't use slang as a rule,
but no other term so accurately describes the conduct of that gentleman
this afternoon.
As for Carter--I have no words to express what I think of Carter.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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