Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1903-12-22

Tile party W lGHtS. SuhhSS ~
old place beside Alice, while Mandy
sat on the front seat with Ezekiel.
1t was a beautiful moonlight night,
and the ride home was a most enjoy
able one.
Il am sorry said Quincy to Alice,
that you could not take part in more
of the games. I2enjoyed them very
"oh, Mrs. Mason kept me informed
of your actions" said Alice with a
laugh.
Hallway to Hits grocery they pass
ed the Professor. and Abner walk
ing home to Mrs. Hawkins boarding
house. They called out, Good night
and pleasant Dreams and drove rap
idly on. In the Square a number of
the party had stopped to say good
night again before taking the various
roads that diverged from it, and anoth-
er interchangessof Good nights" fol-
lowed.
When Strouts and Abner reached
the Square it was deserted. There
was no light shining in the boarding
house. The Kerosene lamps and
matches We're on a table in the front
entry. Strout nghted his lamp and
went up stairs. Strout's room was n
flight up, while Abner's was up two.
AS they reached Strout's room he said,
.sCome in, Abner, and warm up.
Comm out of that hot room into this
cold air has given mesa chill: He
went to a closet and broughtiou a bot
tie. a small pitcher, and a couple of
spoons. Have some rum and mo.
.~lasses, nothin' better for a cold"
They mixed their drinks in a couple
of tumblers, which Strout found in the
closet. Then he took a couple of Gig
ars from his pocket and gave n to
Abner. They drank and smoked for
some time in silence.
At last Abner said, How are you
satisfied with this %epenin's perced-
in's?"
"wall all things considered" said
Strout, 81 think it was the most sue
cessful party ever given in this ere
town, if i did do it,"
"That's So" said Ahner sententious-
ly. "Warn't, you a bit struck up when
that city Teller come I'M"
mot a. bit" said Strout. you know
when / come back, you see it a so
cussed hot, yer know 4 said it was the
heat, but l knew they wuz there. Mrs.
Mason told me-"
Ibid she?" asked Abner, with wide
open eyes. I thought 1t was one on
you"
when 1 went down to the road be-
fore the bugle was blown" said Strout,
Mrs. Mason told me%they was there.
You see, Hubby didn't suspect nothin'
about the party and SO she asked them
over to tea. She sorter expected they
would go right after tea, but they got
singin' songs and tellin' stories, and
Hubby saw they had come to stay
But" said Abner, that city Teller
must have known all about it afore-
hand or how could he git that cake
and frozen stuff down from Bosting so
quick?"
Didn't you say" said Strout, "that
you seen them going over to Eastbor-
ough Centre about 5 o'clock?"
Yes" replied .Abner,. .'but how did
he know when@itw was? Some one
must have told him, l. guess"
There are times. Abner Stiles" ex-
claimed Strout.,iiawhen you are too al
mighty inquisittye."
wall, I soniyswanted to know, so l
could tell the truth when folks asked
me-" said Abnef.
"That's all right" said strout. "Cud-
dent you guess who told. him? Twas
that Hiram Maxwell. I've been pump
ing him about the city chap, and Of
course, I've had to tell him somethin'
for swaps. But tomorrow when 1
meet him I'll tell him 1 don't want
anythin' more to do with a tittle-tattle
te~ll-tale like him.
what dye think of that poem bout
the bumblebee?n drawled Abner.
"Oh, that was a put-up job" said
Strout.
tHow could that be-" asked Abner,
when you took 1t out of your own
box?"
well" rejoined strout, hell find
I'm the wustest kind of a bumblebee
If he stirs me up much more. When
my dander's up a hornets nest amt a
patch to me-"
81 kinder fancied," continued Abner,
'that the reason he had them fancy
boxes sent down was because he sort.
er thought our pound packages would
be rather ornary."
II guess you've hit 1t bout right
remarked Strout; them city swells
would cheat their tailor SO as to make
a splurge and show how much money
they've got. / guess he thought as
how I'd never seen ice-cream, but ]
showed him I knew all about it. I eat
three sasserfuls myself"
Il beat you on that" said Abner; II
eat a ~sasserful of each kind"
AS Abner finished speaking he emp
tied his glass and then reached for
ward for the bottle in order to replen
ish it. Strout's glass was also empty
and being much nearer to the bottle
than Abner was, he had il: in his pos
session before Abner could reach it
When he put it down again it was be
yond his companions reach. Abnel
turned some molasses into his tumblel
and then said, Don't you think twas
purity plucky of that, city Teller to come
to our party tonight?"
mo, / DON'T" said Strout, she jest
sneaked in with 'Zeke PettengiH ant
his sister. He'll find out that I'm M
SLOUGH here in Marlborough. When
marry the Deacon's daughter and gi
the Deacon's money, and am elected
tax collector agin, and buy the grocery
store, and I'm app'inted postmaster a