The suburban citizen., 1902-03-08

| Sllus
Friend, I'm Daniel Jephson. I'm
-"
"Well, what of itY growled tho
young man, opening his receipt book
and glancing over it
where's the 'bus?" said the Door
old fellow, looking around.
"They amt no bus for this train, "
said the agent "It don't generally
stop here lessen l hag it,"
"Well, do we have to walkT'
"You kin run T you're stuck on a
slow track" suggested the agent
pointing downward along the muddy
road,
And so they trudged away toward
the town.
Lets dropsin on old man Hawkins"
suggested the father, as they reached
Main street Il know right where that
Is. It's the drug store right over yam.
der" And he pointed across the
square.
Daniel saw the sign above the drug
store long before his father saw 1t, and
his heart smote him as he read It;
Case & Tong, Druggists. Paint, Oil
Glass and Stationery"
They were in the drug store before
Daniel knew what TO say.
Squire Hawkins about?" asked the
old fellow, rubbing his hands.
Hawkins" murmured the curly
haired young man at the counter. 81
don't know anybody named Hawkins" :"
Then u pale, freckled young man
came out of the dark and said:
You mean Squire Hawkins that
used to own this store?"
That's who 1 mean," said Jephson,
''old Enoch Hawkins! How's he get
ting on?'
"Oh, he's been dead for eleven or
twelve years." said the spotted clerk,
coming out. "He was my uncle, you
know. He died in 1889, 1 think it
was"
Old Jophson's face was solemn now.
He asked for the Fittses and the
Joneses, for everybody and anybody
he could think of, but the druggist
didn't know any Of them.
"Some of them names are familiar"
he explained, "and there is a family
named Fits living out toward SKINNY
on the west pike. The only Jones 1
know Of is the station agent. His
name is Jones all right, but he just
come here last year"
1t was with much misgiving that old
Jephson then broached the name of
Cal Jlnkins, his ancient and desplsed
enemy.
"Know such q person as Cal jim
klns" he said, trying to modulate his
voice so that Dan wouldn't hear him,
SIS poor, old Cal here yet?"
pete" bawled the freckled druggist
to his partner, "ain't that old fellow
Hopkinses are keeping named jim
| kins"
yep" roared the other, "that's him.
Crazy CAL the kids call him."
"And where is Hopkinses?" asked
the old man.
Last house to the end Of this street
on the left side. Got iron deer with
one horn broke off in the yard"
And the old man from Cappville,
H., started for the door. His son. ut
torly wretched and puzzled, followed.
"They all seem to be gone but old
Cal" explained the sire. Remember
me telling you about old Cal Jinkins,
Dan"
"oh, yes. The fellow you put down
so often. The fellow you licked ut the
barbecue?"
That's him. He's living-down to
Hopkinses-iron deer-poor old Jink."
The old fellow was talking to him
self. They walked along to the yard
with the iron deer, and there in the
yard they saw lean, driyeling, weak
old man sweeping the snow from the
board walk. His feet were wrapped In
burlap, the frost was in his frowsy
beard and the light of his eyes was
gone.
Hello, Calg said Daniel the elder.
"Who be yeou, callin' me CalT whln-
MED the old sweeper, passing a dirty
mltten across his chin.
TITS me, Dan Jephson, CAL" ex-
planned the visitor.
"Oh, it's yeou, is itT the old ralcor
was in the piping voice. did ye come
all the way to New Manchester to crow
over me? Well, ye can go ez you come.
Ye allus wuz a bully"
Young Daniel was going already.
The old man, bowed now and silent,
followed.
by ging, Daniel" said the old fell
low apologetically, when they were
seated in the train that bore them
away that afternoon; "by ging, clean
forgot. 1 might have known that most
o. them would have passed away be-
fore me. allus was the strongest,
heartiest man in New Manchester"
And they rode back to the West,
where all the world is young.-John Fl.
Raftery, in the Chicago Record Herald.
South Afrlca's Fruit and Climate.
Tho enOgonq in Soufh ft.ioa aro