The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1901-06-26

as per schedule.
Mrs. Colline and the mother.in.law's
nerves were not calmed, any way, by
the wakeful night. II was the harder
for them when they found three large
toads in their rooms that day. To
have a toad hop at you from dark
corner Is not nice. IL is still less to
step on one and crush 1t. II gives a
peculiar sensation. Mrs. Collins found
| IL so. There was lizard in the milk
bottle, and another on the back of a
chair, whence 1t climbed into a moth.
er-in-law's hair. Big spiders infested
the place.
Toward noon Drayton came down.
stairs carrying on the end of a pin.
and examining it critically, a cent?
pede. Large, isn't it?" he asked. with
some pride; II 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
foored, he explained.
Did he always stay up until 2
o'cl9ck?"
lie 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 O. NJ, as Q. Ms. go. That's
his reputation"
1t did not run as smoothly ms 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. Il was the thinness of the
walls and floors, and that was mani.
| festly the governments fault. AS for
his insomnia. the blame of that lay
with the doctor, he 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 a
house so overrun with reptiles. There
were lizards in everything. There were
frogs and toads in dark hooks. They
hoped into your lap when you were
least expecting it. They were 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 a 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 a 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
| fNf 10
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 dead
rattler," he had said. IL didn't know
as you could use him. But l found
him, and you can have him for q
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. Their
he had gone to the mmandant and
Bartlett. He was heavy-eyed fol
want of sleep. The whole family was
that way; and Drayton was. too. In
all humanity he asked the favor Of be
ing allowed to change has quarters
Any other quarters would 90. provided
there were fewer insects. He was MOI
particular at all. He asked so little
in fact, that Bartlett took pity or
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 JUS
been inspecting the premises, anC
there hasn't been much harm done
They are still the best quarters in tn,
post. The kids have knocked few
holes in the walls and the woodwork
little scratched. But I'll give yol
some paint, too"
Paint was Bartletts idea Of tn,
: panacea for all earthly ills. He hat
hot much else in the world, being |
second-lieutenant; but he had paint
and he was liberal with that.