Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1901-07-18

as per schedule
Mrs. Colline and the motherin.law's
nerves were not calmed, any way, by
the wakeful night. 1t was the harder
for them when they found three large
toads in their rooms that day. To
have toad hop at you from a dark
corner is not nice. 1t is still less to
step on one and crush it. 1t gives a
peculiar sensation. Mrs. Collins found
it so. There was a lizard in the milk
bottle, and another on the back of a
chair, whence it climbed into moth
er-in-law's hair. Big spiders infested
the place.
Toward noon Drayton came down
stairs carrying on the end of pin,
and examining it critically, a cent?
pede. Large, isn't it," he asked, with
some pride; Il killed it myself at the
topof the stairs. They always come
in families of three. The other two
will be along pretty soon, / suppose"
The mother-in-law shuddered You
and Mr.. Bartlett made great deal Of
noise last night, Mr.. Drayton," she re-
preached.
Drayton looked concerned. These
government quarters were so thin
floored, he explained
did he always stay up until 2
o'clock?"
He admitted being of restless dis
position and given to insomnia.
"All right" he reported to Mrs.
Lawrence, shortly after. You just
rest on your oars Well have you
back in those quarters before the kids
have had time to do much damage
to the place. should say that a fort
night, at the very outside, should see
Mrs. Collins suing for another set
any other old set Bartlett will let her
have them. He's an exceptionally
obliging Q. NJ, as @. Ms. go. That's
his reputation"
1t did not run as smoothly as Drayton
might have wished. The women Of
the Collins family did not surrender
without giving fight. They attacked
Drayton himself first, but were met
with an urbanity which parried every
thrust. 1t was the thinness of the
walls and floors, and that was mani
testify the governments fault. AS for
his insomnia. the blame of that lay
with the doctor, ne should think. He
did not like staying broad awake un-
til nearly dawn any better than they
did. OF course, however, he would try
to control his restlessness. The at
tempt met with failure, though, and
the women appealed to the command
ant. The commandant was urbane,
too, but the insomnia of his officers
was evidently not a matter to be
reached officially.
1t was plain that the insomnia
aroused the supicions of the Collinses.
But the insects did not. They had
never-not even in TeXas-seen e
house so overrun with reptiles. There
we've lizards iReverything. There were
frogs and toads in dark hooks. They
hoped into your lap when you were
least expecting it. They We're always
getting under your feet and-squash-
ing. Spiders spun webs and dropped
from the ceiling and the walls. And
as for more venomous things! A day
hardly passed that Drayton did not
kill tarantula or a centipede some
| where around. They seemed to
emerge only when he was near. The
wrath toward him was tempered with
unwilling gratitude to saviour. There
had also been a garter snake on the
front porch. And one terrible day
they had come upon Drayton, sabre in
hand standing in the front hallway
beside the 0ecapitated body of a rattle
snake. They neglected, in the excite
ment, to notice that the body was not
wriggling.
Jimmy had that morning produced a
newspaper package Here's a dead
rattler,'' he had said. Il didn't know
as you could use him. But l found
him, and you can have him for a
dime"
And the rattler had proved the best
investment of all, as well as the last
straw. Captain Collins had carried
him on a stick out into the road. Then
he had gone to the commandant and
Bartlett. He was heavy-eyed for
want of sleep The whole family was
that way; and Drayton was, too. In
all humanity he asked the favor of be-
|
Any other quarters would do. provided
there were fewer insects. He was not
particular at all. He asked so little.
in fact. that Bartlett took pity on
him. He renewed his offer of paint.
"Now," he said to Mrs. Lawrence,
you can come back to your own.
They'll move out tomorrow. I've just
been inspecting the premises, and
there hasn't been much harm done.
They are still the best quarters in the
post. The kids have Knocked few
holes in the walls and the woodwork J
little scratched. But III give you
some paint, too"
Paint was Bartlett's idea of the
panacea for all earthly ills. He had
not much else in the world, being a
second-lieutenant; but he had paint,
and he was liberal with that.
| The CollinSeS moved next day.