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Twice daily, curious townspeople came to the station to watch the train puff in and pull out, smoke belching, the bell clanging, steam hissing, the massive drive shafto plionging back and forth. Having overheard the conversation at the ticket window, the onlookers were more alert and curious than usual. Their interest heightened when Otto G. Olsen pulled his "hearse vagon," drawn by matched white horses, their bridles bedecked with black plumes, up to the baggage car. A coffin was visible through the small windows of the heaxse. The train watchers were accustomed to seeing "Otto G" receive from the baggage car the casketed bodies of former Ephraimites who, patriotically, had come home for their final long rest in the peaceful Sanpete atmosphere. But no one had ever seen a body shipped out. Sacrilege! "Veil veil" exclaimed Otto G in his usual highly excited manner, "Vil 30m ov you broders hjelp lift de casket into de baggage car? Mow, yoost a lille more careful der, Broder Mils Potmaker-and vil du, Broder Shingle Pete, lift your corner yoost a lille h^her? Ja, ve know, Broder Jens s^ndrup, dat du are de strongest man in Ephraim, but vy skal du lift de whole back half ov de casket ven odders vould like to hjelp?" Soon the work was done. Just before the conductor called out, "All aboard," Broder J^rgen Nielsen climbed into the baggage car and sat beside the casket holding Anne Marie* "By yingo," inquired Otto By-yingo, "Vy skould Broder Jffrgen vant to take Anne Marie for a ride in de beggage car? If dey ver in de passenger car, she could look out de vindows and vatch de sun set in Mt. Horseshoe and see de cows eating and sleeping and doink odder tings in de pastures." "Jew skal ask J^rgen's sister, Karen Skrook, vot all dis is all about. She vil know, and jeg skal telle all ov you vat is vat," volunteered False Bottom Larsen, known for his craftiness in ferreting out secrets. But no appeals to Jffrgen Nielsen's family or neigh-101 |
