The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1901-08-16

u began by q suggestion az 10 a
better way TO throw "a stone. and It
ended with a bargain struck. Then"
said Drayton IF I promise 10 puy yoG
two bits for every centipede, four bits
tor every tarantula. ten cents for every
lizard. a nickel for every toad and
cent for every biz spider. you will
catch all you can and bottle them for
mc?'
Jimmy nodded solemnly.
And you won't say anything about
Il 10 any one?' A quarter was pressed
into q chapped and grimy hand.
Nit" said Jimmy, the instinct OF
a political race to the fore. There was
another race instinct strong in Jimmy
too It was that Of the contractor.
The very next morning before guard
mounting. ne elambered up the stair
way TO Drayton's rooms. Drayton was
only just dressing. He had kept late
hours. Bartlett had helped him, and
until 2 o'clock they had alternated
pacing heavily to and fro with drop
ping weighty bodies on the floor.
The Collinses we're kept awake.
ITS a question of endurance, be-
cause we are two" said Drayton; but
! expect VIC can hold out"
He inspected Jimmy's first catch.
There was a centipede, two lizards and
three toads Jimmy's pockets bulget
with bottles. There were also five
large and unpleasant spiders.
Good boy" said Drayton, and paid
as per schedule.
| Mrs. Colline and the mOther-inlaw's
nerves were not Gained, 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. It 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 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 a great deal of
noise last night, Mr.. Drayton," she re-
preached.
Drayton looked concerned. These
government quarters were SO thin
fiOored, he explained
Did he always stay up until 2
o'clock?"
He admitted being of a 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. l should say that 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 PARTED every
thrust. Il 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, 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 bC
reached officially.
1t was plain that the insomnia
aroused the supicions of the Collinses
But the insects did not. They hat
never-not even in Texas-seen {
house so overrun with reptiles. There
were lizards in everything. There wer,
frogs and toads in dark hooks. The!
hoped into your lap when you wert
least expecting it. They were always
getting under your feet and-squash
ing. Spiders spun webs and dropped
from the ceiling and the walls. AnC
as for more venOmous things! da!