Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1901-07-05

night had for me no more hot rors, Cor
It was then that my little friend would
often call on me:
"Tuk-yoo-tuk-yo-o. | say, old man.,
how are you?-asleep, eh? Go away;
you shan't sleep when I'm around"
Come, come, my friend" | would
answer playfully, not in the least
meaning what said, ''it's time all re-
spectacle lizards were asleep"
"Tuk-yoo! do you call me lizard?
| am -yoo-Tuk-yoo my
name, and don't you forget it. Tux
yoo-o-o-that's the correct pronouncia-
tion."
ooh, beg your pardon, Senor Tux
10000 of course I meant no offence"
and then he would crawl up into my
hand, laughing bosterously at the
joke.
Often, during the day, especially
when eating my meals, he would
bounce up from apparently nowhere.
and seat himself on the end of his tail
beside my plate.
Hello, old chap, what you got for
uluhSI! IilCey eh! hippiihS " ~"
grains from my hand-"rice again. eh?
Why, how can you sit there eating
rice, with the window full of nice fat
flies?" and aff he would scurry to the
window for his dinner.
One day | missed Senor Tuk-yoo.
Evening came. and still he failed to
show up. My anxiety was great. Next
pi,,c nf
my beloved little companion, he sud-
denly made his appearance on the sill
with a loud, joyful shrek of greeting.
God! how happy | was! | would have
embraced him at once had our respec-
tive sizes permitted it.
But he was not alone.
"Allow me to present to YOU Madame
Tuk-yoo, my lady," he said.
l bowed very respectfully, and mad
ame, a demure little thing in green and
yellow, received my salutation with q
low, gurgling "Tuk-yoo."
1--WE were married yesterday he
observed, with sly wink at me of his
off eye from Madame, "and we think
Of setting up our household in the
neighborhood herein fact, we three
should be as one family. Well, by-by
old man lots of work now and less
play, but we'll make you a regular call
this evening sorry you can't return our
calls, you big, hulking fellow!"
And so they left me to take up their
new duties. Sly little Mistress Tux
yoo!-the way she took the gay jumps
out of her roilicking mate, and didn't
know how she did it.
Great esponsibiities-hard on a
gay young fellow like me-" he would
often remark to me. Here | have tc
catch the flies for both of US, and later
on when the family comes-oh, don't
say world"
So time passed-minutes, hours
days and weeks. OF nights would lie
in bed conversing with my two little
friends-they sitting on my shoulder
or on my arm, and sometimes crawling
up into my hair. Then the officer Of
the guard, hearing the sound Of Z
voice, would sometimes open the door
strike match. look around. shake his
head, and withdraw again, muttering
"Esta loco ese--loco-loco' (mad-
mad).
But one day crisis came
Broom, br-o-o-m!" roared tn;
guns of the bombarding warships
shells cracked overhead. crashing in
to roofs, and the town fell. Liberty
Hurrah; Liberty at last! and, with the
insurgents fleeing and the American:
entering, what wonder if, for a shor
time. forgot my two little comrades
Not for long, however. After the
tumult came the calm, and then
thought of my little cellmates. But
we were to part was to go to Manila
Closing the door of the room-no
longer a prisoner-I softly called:
-yoo-tuk-yoo-
In moment came an answer, ant
held them in my hand.
"Good-by, little comrades; you have
been dear friends to me, but now W,
must part. Good-by!"
Softly 1 pressed them to my cheek
and then set them gently down in theil
own little corner by the window The,
were as motionless as stone.
"Good-bye," l whispered again, as
held the door, about to close it good
by"
Still no answer.
Then, as l softly closed it, heart
them:
uk-yoo-o-o-o-yoo-o- faint
| ly, barely audible, like the cooling o
doves.-A. Sonnichsen, in Harper
| Weekly.