Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1882-11-08

heels, in the other. She was casting
about in her mind for some suitable
way Of addressing him; being entirely
ignorant Of the etiquette of the moon,
she was afraid Of seeming impolite
But at length, nothing better occurring
to her, she said, blandly:
"How do you do, manP"
The man responded. civilly, but
rather gruffly, that he was las well as
poor folks could expect to be.
II suppose you don't have bread at
home," remarked Stella.
mot much, that's a fact" said the
man.
"But il you live on cheese entirely,
won't you eat the moon all up some
day, and tumble down to the groundp"
That was a problem that had been
troubling Stella ever since she had first
heard that the moon was made OF
cheese.
The man gave her rather puzzled
look. and laughed little. "Eat the
moon upP Well, l be hunger-bitten
enough to do it, sometimes, that's a
fact. And I'm pesky fond Of cheese.
/ like the looks OF that ere piece in
your hand.n
81 brought it on purpose for YOU"
said Stella, presenting it, and making
a low bow, 10 show her respect for Sc
exalted parsonage as the Man from
the Moon.
The man devoured the cheese with
such great hungry bites that she was
more than ever convinced that it was
his natural food.
"How did you come DOWN." was her
next question.
"Well, come down on broomstick,
but I'm going home around by the way
OF Norwich" he answered.
| On broomstick ! Stella wanted to
ask whether he was any relation TO the
old woman who went up on one to
sweep the cobwebs from the sky, but
she was afraid it would not be quite po-
lite. She might be only poor rela-
ton, OF whom such great man would
not wish to be reminded. But, surely,
there could not be many people who
could ride on broomsticks She and
Percy, her youngest brother, had tried
it, and they hadn't gone up Bit
She was anxious to ask no questions
that were not strictly polite, so she was
very slow and deliberate.
'Have you any childrenp"
'Four on 'em," answered the man,
between his bites.
-Four! That is very few; there are
nine OF us. But perhaps it is just as
well /; they might fall of"
''Fall Off" repeated the man, with q
start. Fall off of whatp How come
you to know"
"Why, of the moon, of course you
live in the moon, don't you?"
The man gave her long, puzzled
look then he tapped his head signili.
cantly, with his fore-finger. "7etchcd,
as sure as you're born ~ he said to
himself. Though never did see such
a little one fetched. Mebbe the big
one, that give me the dry bread, was
loony, too that might be what made
her SIGH a spitlire. 1t might be lu
matte hospital and he arose and looked
back at the house, rehectively.
"Oh, yes, live in the moon," he
said, seating himself again. Starting.
ly, l live in the MOON"
A shadow of painful doubt had been
creeping into Stella's mind (; he was so
very much like other people his man,
ners were not elegant, and he was very
badly dressed; but his own assertion
was satisfactory. She heaved great
sigh OF relief. Only the fear that he
would vanish before she could return
prevented her from going in search OF
Jack, the unbelieving, who certainly
would have to believe now, she thought
She resolved to extract from the MAJ
all the information possible, and to use
II to convince Jack.
"What kind of cheese is greer
cheesep" she inquired.
"Well, it is sage cheese" answered
the man, after some dcliberation
"Cheese with SO much sage into it tina
it is kind of greenish complicated, so tC
speak,"
"That is what thought !" cried Stel
la. "But Uncle John thought it wa:
new cheese"
There's nobody knows much abou
the moon, but them as lives there
said the man in tone and manner full
of mystery.
ut must be very funny, but you
haven't burst, have youp You dom
look very limpsy. Jack says peopl,
there must be just like my balloon afte
he stuck a pin into it, because there
isn't any air in the MOON"
-"Airp bless you, there's air enough
Air and water-thats about all there i,
that's plenty where l liver' and thu
man laughed harshly.
Stella resolved to enlig hten Jack OF
that point, the very first thing.
| Presently, she asked: "Did you sc,
the cow when she jumped over ?"
That was another important point OF
wS,ich Stella wished to obtain testimo
ny, for Jack boldly declared his opin
ion that Mother Goose was not faith
full historian.
1.-The COW Cows bein' such plen
tiful animal, l can't rightly tell whicl
one you mean."
Stella opened her eyes wide with as
tonishment'
Don't you know
Hey diddle diddle the cat and the fiddle,
The COW jumped over the moon?"
"Oh, to be sure ! That ERE even
occurred some time ago, and it ha,
kind of slipped my mind Yes, SO,
her. She gin the moon clip with he
heels when she went over, and knocke,
1t kind OF slantwise. Mebbe you've no
ticed. sometimes, that it looks kind O
slantwise."
"Yes, l have ~ cried Stella, eagerly
Surely such proof as this would con
vince even Jack, she thought.
"Oh, wish l could go to the moon
You couldn't possibly take me, coul,
you, and bring me back againp' sh
added, with a sudden thought of home
"I'expect they think good deal o
you to home, and mebbe they wouldn'
want to spare YOU" said the man.
yes they do. am the youngest
Papa says he wouldn't take a million
dollars for me. But, of course, coul,
; come back again."
'Of course. might take you alon,
with me now, il you was good gir
and didn't make no noise, and / coul,
bring you back before they MISE,
vOu " said tho man