Evening star., 1903-08-29
A SODA WATER THIRST.

She picked up the two grass porch-mats
from, underneath the hall hatrack. and said
to him. Lets go out front"
So they did. It was very warm and
humid. The afterglow in the western sky
had the coppery look that follows day Of
extreme torridity.
''See the new moon." she said to him.
DRY looking. isn't it?'
"Uh-huh," he replied. turning his porch
mat over 50 as to find the cool side.
She adjusted her flowing white skirt with
great care and precision.
My! Even ones clothes feel as II they d
just been taken out Of an oven-as If they
were just aching to be wet down." she
said. dryly-very dryly.
some imaginary dust of one Of his shoes.
black boy passed down the street. max
ing peculiar sort Of buzzing sound
through his teeth.
Queer how those darky boys can imi-
tate. isn't % she said, as the black boy 8
odd music died away. The boy that pushed
the rolling chair we rode In on the board
walk when we were down in Atlantic City
could give a perfect imitation of the draw
ing of soda water through his lips'-and
she shot him a crafty glance out Of the tail
of her eye.
the knees SO that they wouldn't bag.
A momentary expression Of disappoint-
ment crossed her face as she drew her
handkerchief through her fingers In a cha
grinned sort Of way. A man boarding IN
the house next door began to wet down the
grass.
We'll. the grass is getting a cool drink.
anyhow" she commented. pointedly.
thick-skulled youth. trying to form three
toOthpicks that he pulled out OF his pocket
into kite sticks.
I'VE saw an odd thing when we were
In Brooklyn she broke out. trrelevAntly,
after a long pause. I'VE visited Greenwood
cemetery. you know. and among the pecu-
liar-looking monuments was that OF man
ufacturer of soda water fountains. q mil
lionaire. 1t looked for all the world hke
a huge soda water fountain. It was made
so at the express wish of the dead soda
water fountain manufacturer-he left di-
rections as to how it should be built In
his will
..Skittish old smudge wasn't he?'' COM
mented the young man. chucking the tooth
picks away impatiently, the kite sticks re-
fusing to fashion themselves properly.
She began to look quite fumey Dy TINS
time, but he didn't appear to hardly notice
it at all. Heat lightning began to glow in
the west, and a dark cloud sailed !aziy
over the crescent moon. She called his
attention to the cloud.
What a queer chocolate color 1t Is. isn't
However. he ducked.
.'Um-looks yallery-more like piece OF
cheese-to me- he replied.
I'VE had the doctor in for mamma yester-
day afternoon" she said, after another
considerable hiatus. "And what do you
think the doctor told her? He said that she
didn't drink half enough of fluids. He SAID
that the more fluids people drink the petter
il is for them-not intoxicating fluids. you
know. Of course. but-er-you know-1ust
fluids"
Real, sure-enough cut-ups. doctors, now
adays, aren't they?" he asked her. IDLY, put
he was more engrossed in fooling with the
terrier pup that came sprawling out just
then.
A locust hummed his brief lay in one of
the yard trees.
exclaimed, and her voice had certain nerv-
GUS breaks in it by this time. Makes one
think Of the droughts of Egypt, and all
that"
"Ye-eh," he replied, twisting the pup ter
rier's ears through his fingers.
She had gone the distance. and she
couldn't stand any more. She rose up.
II am going to make some ice water" she
said to him. frisidly WIN you have
Then he rose up. too. and grinned at her.
Right thirsty. aren't you. Aggie?' he
said to her.
Yes" she said, IT am-perishing OF
thirst
"Uh-huh." he said. genially. "All right.
Come on down to the chemists on the cor
ner and I'll stake you to a crock OF the
chocolate suds And. say. Aggie." this with
a very broad grin, 'I was next all the time.
Sure thing I was. But wanted to see II
you were going to frame up any new ones.
That one about the chocolate-colored cloud
wasn't SO worse, at that. And besides.
stacked up against couple OF light ales on
my way here. and I wanted to give 'em a
chance to settle before throwing any of the
missy marble-dust stuff in. Ready? Well,
come on"