Griggs courier. (Cooperstown, Griggs Co., Dak. [N.D.]) 1885-1902, 1899-01-19
HAD AN ARMY APPETITE.
yi.,. Brother Gomez. hack from the
War with an Aching and
Limltless Void.

JaM'0 BE0thee Comes HACK 1eOm the
War with an Aching and
Limitless Void.
"Beats ALL" said the Third Bookkeep
er, carefully wiping the old linked pen
he had been using in the carroty locks
of the Fourth Bookkeeper, who was
used to it by this time and didn't mind;
"beats all the appetites, these fellers
bring back from the army"
He laid down the pen and revolved
the top of his stool until he faced the
Second Bookkeeper, and then pro-
eeeded to explain: !
'My brother-got a head for figures,
you know. like me; runs in the family
enlisted in the engineer regiment from
New York and went to Porto Rico.
Came back the day after Thanksgiving,
You know. Twas mighty glad to see
him safe and sound, you bet; but ae
didn't give me no surprise not till
Sunday. Spent all day Saturday get
ting OFF his sea, legs, but Sunday he
cut loose. and you'd oughter seen that
Teller eat!'' And the Third Bookkep-
err lost himself in rapt memory for
few minutes, till the Second Bookkeep.
er dropped a ruler and brought him
out of his trance. ~
1--WE had stuffed fresh ham for din
ner, and it was lucky my wife and
don't eat much, because my brother
eat it all. anyway, and sent his plate
up for four helps of the other things.
He said he hadn't been starved in the
army, but had got in the habit Of eat
ing pretty hearty when he had chance
in case it would be long time before
he got another. I told him to keep
right on, but he didn't need any en-
couragement. He kept. The hull aft
ernoon he loaded in popcorn and pea
nuts and candy, SO as to fill in the
chinks, he said. He said you didn't
go in for nourishment in the army,
only for filing. What man wanted
was to get so that he couldn't put his
belt on. but that he hadn't got that
way any too often. wondered If he
hadn't used up all his reasons now for
gorging himself. But he hadn't.
"Along about $3.50 in the evening,
a couple of hours after supper-anl
supper wasn't no mean meal, either
he said to me: "Jim. I used to lie on
my back down there in Porto Rico
and try to think and think of the things
I'd eat when I got back home, but !
never got much past ice cream. I
hated to say anything about 1t all day,
because it's showing and blowing, and
it amt ice cream time. But. Jim, all
those times I thought of ice cream
down there in those tropic heats have
Just accumulated, and can't stand it.
I've got to have ice cream or bust.
Don't you know a good place near
by where you can 60 out and get me
some?'
81 told him he was more likely to
bust if he got it, but it wouldn't do. He
said his tongue was going to protrude
in another minute If didn't get start
ed, SO went. and never felt so much
like blamed fool as did that night,
blowing through the snow and strug-
Cling against the wind, hunting for
ice cream. But I'd made up my mind
that my brother should have two or
and just swallowed my pride.
81 thought he was done for the day
when he got that cream down, and
along about II o'clock we were abed
and asleep. But do you think he was
done? Not bit of it. A little after
midnight 1 heard what sounded like
rapping on my door. and got up to
see what it was, and there was my
brother in his stocking feet and
candle in his hand. :Jim,' he says,
Jim, where does Bella keep the. or
anges? I've been hunting for them all
over. I didn't want to disturb you,
but I Just must have those oranges.
They were the only good things we had
to eat down south. and the recollection
was too much for me. I've been banker
ing for them for the last hour
~ felt little as though he was
crazy. didn't know but what his
experience in the army had been too
much for him, and didn't know but
what he'd kill himself eating. But
1 thought he might as we'll di. happy,
so I prodded up the oranges. and ]
didn't hear any more out of him that
night.
"Was he sick? He'd oughter been,
oughtn't he? Well. he wasn't. Beats
me how he pulled through. Isuppose
the simple life of the army gives man
the stomach of an ostrich. Anyway,
my brother came back with one," add
ed the Third Bookkeeper. reflectively,
as he turned to his ledger again aid
squinted along the ruler to see if he
had laid it straight.-N. Y. Sun.
Cinnamon and Microbes.