The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1904-03-20

his tongue.
They think it's cleyer-think the
women folk like il"
Wilbur had fancied that the little
man had worn a brown sweater when
they first met But now. strangely
enough, be was not in the least sur
prised to see it iridescent. like a pi-
geons breast.
"Y' ever been down that way" in
quired the little man next
Wilbur heard the words distinctly
enough, but somehow they refused 10
iii into the right places in his brain.
lie pulled himself together. fr0vning
heavily.
"What did you say" he asked
with great deliberation. biting of his
words. Then he noticed that he ana
his companion were no longer in the
barroom, but in a little room back of
it. His personality divided itself There
was one Ross Wilbur, who could not
make his hands 20 where tie wanted
them, who said enc word when he
thought another and whose legs below
the knee were made Of solid lead;
then there was another Ross Wilbur
Ross Wilbur the alert. who was per-
fectly clear beaded and who stood off
to one side and watched his twin broth
er making a monkey of himself with
out power and without even the desire
of helping him.
This latter Wilbur heard the rides
cent sweater say:
Bust me, if y amt squiffy. old man.
Stand by Bit. an wen have a bali"
Cant have got-return--exceptional-
ly-and the round table-pull out hairs
wi tn clamShls," gabbled Wilbur's
stupeficd double. and Wilbur the alert
said to himself You're not drunk,
Ross Wilbur; that's certain. What
could they have put in your cocktail?7
The iridescent sweater stamped twice
upon the floor, ana trapdoor fen
away beneath WilburS feet like the
drop Of a gallowS With the eyes of
his undrugged self Wilbur had
glimpse of water below. His elbow
struck the floor rs he went down, and
he fell feet first into q whitehall boat.
He had time to observe two men at the
oars and to look between the piles that
supported the house above him and
catch glimpse of the bay and a CLINT
of the Contra Costa shore. He was
not in the least surprised ut what had
happened and made up his mind that
it would be a good idea TO lie down in
the boat and 90 to sleep
Suddenly but how long after his adj
vent into tue boat he could not tell, his
wits began TO return and settle them.
selves like wild birds nocking again
after a scare. Swiftly he took in the
scene
The blue waters of the bay around
him. the deck of Il schooner on which
he stood, the whitehall boat alongside
and an enormous man with a face like
n setting moon wrangling with his
friend in the sweater, no longer rides
cent.
What do you call it?' shouted the
red man. Il want able seamen. | don't
hgGer on working this boat with dane
lng masters. do /? We amt exactly do
Ing quadrilles on my quarter deck. IL
we don't look out wen step on this
thing and break it, 1t amt ought to be
let around loose without its ma"
Rot that" vocrerated the brown
sweater. Il tell you he's one Of the
best sailor men on the front. If he
amt, Wen forfeit the money. Come
on, Captain kitchell we made show
enough gettin' away as it was, and
this daytime business amt our line.
D'you sign or not? Here's the advance
note. | got To duck my nut or Iii have
the patrol boat after me-"
I'm sign this once growlcd the 9th
er. scraWing his name on the note,
but if this swab amt mp to sample
he'll come back by freight, an III drop
in on me dear friend Jim when we
come back and give him a reel nice
time, an you can lay to that, Billy
Trim The brown sweater pocbctcd
the note. went over the side and row.
ed nT.
Ito be continued