The free press. (Poplarville, Miss.) 1890-19??, 1901-06-06

night had for me no more horrors, for
it was then that my little friend would
often call on me:
Tuk-yoo-tuk-yo-o | say, old man,
how are you?-asleep, Ell? Go away;
you shan't sleep when I'm around
Come, come, my friend" | would
answer playfully, not in the least
meaning what l said tits time all re-
spectacle lizards were asleep"
"Tuk-yoo. do you call me lizard?
l am Tuk-yoo-Tuk-yoo-that's my
name, and don't you forget it. Tux
yoo-o-o-that's the correct pronouncia-
ton"
"Oh, I beg your pardon, Senior Tux
10000 of course l meant no offence
and then he would crawl up into my
hand, laughing boisterously 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.
I1tIlOs Olu Ibdp, hIaI yOU oCN 40
dinner? Rice, eh?" nibbling a few
grains from my hand-"rice again, Ell?
Why, how can you sit there eating
rice, with the window full of nice fat
fiies?" and off he would scurry to the
window for his dinner.
One day | missed Senior Tuk-yoo
Evening came. and still ne failed to
show up. My anxiety was great. Next
morning, as I sat mourning the loss of
my beloved little companion, he sud
denly made his appearance on the sill
with a loud, joyful Shrek of greeting.
God, how happy | was. l 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,
/ bowed very respectfully, and mad
anne, demure little thing in green and
yellow, received my salutation with 4
low, gurgling "Tuk-yoo."
We were married yesterday" he
observed, with sly wink at me Of his
off eye from Madame, land we think
of setting up our household in the
neighborhood herein fact, we three
should be as one family. We'll, 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
cut of her rollicking mate, and didn't
know how she did it.
Great ponsibilities-hard on
gay young fellow like me-" he would
often remark to me. Here | have to
catch the flies for both of us, and later
on when the family comes-oh, don't
say word"
So time passed-minutes, hours
days and weeks. Of nights I 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
voice, would sometimes open the door,
strike a 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 the
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 Americans
entering, what wonder if, for a short
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 softly called:
Tukyoo-tuk-yoo-
In a moment came an answer, and
held them in my hand.
"Good-by. little comrades; you have
been dear friends to me, but now we
must part. Good-by."
Softly l pressed them to my cheek,
and then set them gently down in their
own little corner by the window They
were as motionless as stone.
Goodbye" l whispered again, as
held the door, about to close it good
by"
Still no answer.
Then, as | softly closed it, I heard
them:
"Tuk-yoo-o-o-o-yoo-o-o-o-o," faint
ly, barely audible, like the cooling of
doyes.-A Sonnichsen, in Harper's
Weekly.