Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1901-05-09

SAID II L pEOHhSC 10 PdJ
you two bits for every centipede. four
bits for every t~arantula, ten cents foI
every lizard, a nickel for every toad.
and a cent for every big spider, you
will catch all you can and bottle them
for me?"
Jimmy nodded, soIemnly.
"And you won't say anything about
it to anvone?" A quarter was pressed
into a chapped and grimy hand
Nit said Jimmy, the instinct OF
a political race to the fore There
was another race instinct strong in
Jimmy. toe. 1t was hat of h con-
tractor.
The very next morning. before
guard-mounting, he clambered up the
stairway to Drayton's rooms. pray-
ton wa only just dressing. He had
kept late hours. Bartlett a helped
him. and until two o'clock they had
aIternated pacing heavily to and fro
with dropping weighty bodies on the
floor. The CoIlinses were kept awake
Its a question of endurance. be-
cause we are two" said Drayton;
ssbut [ expect we can hold out
He inspeo ted Jimmy's first catch.
There was a centipede. two lizards
and three toads. Jimmy's pockets
bulred with bottles. There were also
five large and unpleasant spiders.
Good boy,' said Drayton. and PAID
as per schedule.
Mrs. Collins and the mother-in-law's
nerves were not claimed. any way by
the wakefuI night. It was the harder
for them when they came upon three
large toads in their rooms tina Gay.
To have a toad hop out at you from
n dark corner is not nice. 1t IS sun
less 70 step on one and crush IT. 1t
pives a peculiar sensation. MIS- Coi-
Inns found it so. There was a lizard
in the milk bottle, II another on
the back of a chair, from where II
climbed into a mOther-in-laws halr-
Big spiders infested the place
Toward noon Drayton came down
stairs carving on the end of a pin.
and examining il critically. a cent?
pede. Large. isn't it," he asked.
with some pride: L killed it myself
at the top OF the stairs. They always
come in families of three. The other
two viii be along pretty soon, L sup
pose
The ~mother-in-law shuddered- You
and Mr.. bartlett made a great deal
of noise last night. Mr.. D~rayton," she
reproached.
Dravton looked concerned. These
government quarters we're so thln-
f1oored. he explained
Did he always stay up until two
o'clock?"
He admitted being of 2 restless dis
position. and given to insomnia.
= = = y \
.AI right" he reported to Mrs.
Lawrence. shortly after. You fust
rest on your oars. Well have YOU
back in those quarters before the
kids have had time to do much lam
age to the place. I should say that a
fortnight. at the very outside, should
see Mrs. Collins suing for another set
any other old set. Bartlett viii let
her have them. He's N exceptionally
obliging Q. NJ. as Q. Ms 60. That
his reputation"
1t did not run as smoothly as or2y'
ton might have wished. The women
of the Collins family did not surren'
der without giving fight They at
tackled Drayton himself first. but Were
met with an urbarity which paired
every thrust. It was the thinness @
the walls and floors, and that was
manifestedly the governments faIlf
As for his insomnia, the blame O
that Law with the doctor, he should
think. He did not like staying broae
awake until nearly dawn any better
than they did. OF course hoTeVer
he would try to control his restless
ness. The attempt met with failure
though. and the women appealed Il
the commandment. The commandan'
was urbane, too. but the insomnia o
his officers was evidently not a mat
ter to be reached officially.
1t was plain that the insom1l;
aroused the suspicious of the Col
linses. But the insects did not. The,
had never-not even in Texas itself
} seen a house so overrun with reptiles
} There were lizards in everything
} There were frogs and toads in darl
5 hooks. They hoped into your lal
when YOU were least expecting II
I They were always getting under you
: feet and-squashing. Spiders spun
{ webs and dropped from the ceilin:
and the walls. And as for more ven
: nous things, A day hardly passe'
= that Drayton did not kill a tarantuli
|, or a centipede somewhere aro<nd
! Jimmy had that morning produces
a newspaper package. Here's
dead RATHER he had said. Il didn'
know as you could use him. But
found him, and you can have him TO
: a dime"
And the RATHER had proved tn
best investment of all. as well as tn
e last straw. Captain Collins had car
e ried him on a stick out into the ro@1
Then he had gone to h commandan
e and Bartlett. He was heavy-eyed 70
e want of sleep. The whole family wa
that way; and DraytOn was, too. L
all humility he asked the favor Il
o being allowed to change his quarter!
ANY other quarters would do, prcvid
2 ed there were fewer insects. lie wa
r not particular at all. He asked S
little. in fact, hat Bartlett took pit
T on him. He renewed his offer 4
e paint
Now; he said to Mrs. Lawrenc,
"you can come back to your Owl
They'll move out tomorrow. l.
just been inspecting the premises, an
o there hasn't been much harm don
e They are still the best quarters /