Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1901-06-14
NO. 20.

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
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 should say that fort
night, at the very outside. should sec
Mrs. Collins suing for another set
any other old set Bartlett will let her
have them. He's an exceptionally
obliging O. M, as Q. Ms. go. That's
his reputation"
II did not run as smoothly as DraytOn
might have wished. The women cf
the Collins family did not surrender
without giving fight They attacked
Drayton himself first but were met
with an urbanity which parried every
thrust. II 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.
II was plain that the insomnia
aroused the supicions of the COllinses.
But the insects did not. They had
never-not even in Texas-seen
house so overrun with reptiles. There
were lizards in everything There were
frogs and roads in dark hooks. They
hoped into your lap when you wera
least expecting II. 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
IuN
they had come upon Drayton, sabre in
hand standing in the front hallway
beside the decapitated body of 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 | found
him. and you can have him for
dime"
And the RATHER 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 eommandant 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-
ing allowed to change has quarters
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 a few
holes in the walls and. the woodwork's
little scratched. But I'll 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
second-lieutenant; but he had paint,
and he was liberal with that
The Collinses moved next day.
Otogtou NditEu utlti tuO last ipaA VI
furniture was gone. and the three
women were taking their final look
around Then he came down the stairs
holding out, at the length of his arms.
two centipedes on the point of two
| large pins He exhibited them
These quarters are too. much for
me- he said. 81 d rather have a corner
If housetop alone. than a wide up
per floor with crawling things. I'm
going to go back to my own room"
A fierce light of suspicion broke in
on Mrs. Collins mind then. Il be-
ileye. Mr. Drayton. that the whole
thing was a put-up job"
DO you? Do you reaIly?" asked
Drayton. smilingly. deprecatingly.
But consider. my dear lady. consider
the centipedes- San Francisco Argo-
naut.