Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1906-07-19

yuun.tE oohA oA moM uAAA NAEAAp tM3
metropolis OF tho mid-west-a city the
creation OF which is, BY many persons
Of discrimination, held to be the chief
romance and abiding miracle Of the
nineteenth century.
Let us rejoice that one such partisan
was now at hand to stem the torrent
of abuse. AS Perclval held back the
door for his sister to pass out, q stout
little ruddy-faced man with trim gray
sidewhiskers came quickly up the steps
and barred their way with CHEEKY ag-
gressiYeness.
"AhI Mr.. Higbee-well, WELT" ex-
claimed Percival, cordially.
Thought Il might be some Of you
folks when saw the car" said Hig-
bee, shaking hands all around.
"And Mrs. Bines, tool and the girl,
looking like a Delaware peach when
the crops failed How's everybody,
and how long you going to be In the
good old town."
'Ahi we were Just speaking OF Chi
cago as you came in" said Percival,
blandly. isn't she q great old town,
though wonder!"
my boy" said Higbee, in low, SOL
emn tones that came straight from his
heart, 'she gets greater every day you
live. You can see her at it, fairly
How long since you been here?"
81 came through last June, you
know, after left your yacht at New
port"
Eyes, yes; to be sure; SO you did
poor Daniel J.--but say, you wouldn't
know the town now IL you haven't
seen It since then. Why, run over
from New York every 30 days or so
and she grows out Of my ken every
time, like five-year-old boy. Say, I've
got Mrs. HIgbee up in the New York
sleeper, but IL you're going to be here
a spell Wen stop q few days longer
and I'll drive you around--what say?
packing houses-Lake Shore drive
Lincoln park"
He waited, glowing confidently, as
one submitting irresistible temptations.
Pereival beamed upon him with
moist eyes.
"By Jove, Mr.. Higbee! that's clever
Of you-it's royal Sis and would
like nothing better-but you see my
poor mother here is almost down with
nervous prostration and we've got to
hurry her to New York without an
hours delay to consult a specialist.
We're afraid"-he glanced anxiously at
the astounded Mrs. Blnes, and lowered
his voice-''we're afraid she may not
be with us long"
"Why, Percival," began Mrs. Bines,
dazedly, you was just saying"
'Now don't fly all to pieces, NAL
take 1t easy--you're with friends, be
sure of that. You needn't beg us to GO
on. You knowwe wouldn't think of stop.
ping when it may mean life or death
to you. You see Just the way she is,
he continued to the sympathetic Hig.
bee-"we're afraid she may collapse
any moment. So we must wait for an
other time; but I'll tell you what you
do; go get Mrs. Higbee and your traps
and come let us put you up to NeH
York. We've got lots of room-ruI
Ialong now-and Wen have some o.
that. ham, the kind you have always
bought, for lunch. A. L. jackson is q
miserable cook, too, II l don't know
the truth"
| Gently urging Higbee through the
door, he stifed a systematic inquiry
into the details of Mrs. Bines' afiic
tion.
"Come along quick! I'll go help you
and we'll have Mrs. Higbee back be-
| fore the train starts"
do you know" Mrs Bines thought
fully observed to her daughter, "a
sometimes mistrust PerciVal amt just
right in his head; you remember he die
have bad fall on 1t when he was two
years and five months old-two years
Eve months and IS days. The way he
carries on right before folks facesl
That time went through the asylum
ct Butte there was a young man KEEP
going on with the same outlandlsh rig
marole Just like Percival The idea
of PeFciYal telling me to eat a lemon
ice with an ice pick, and oh, why
don't the flesh brushes wear nice, prop
err clothes brushesl' and sure and
hammer my nails good and hard after
get them manicured.' And back hons
he was always wanting to know where
the meat augers were, saying he'd JUS
bought 900 new ones and he'd have tC
order ton more II they were all lost
h don't believe there is such thing
as meat auger. don't know wha
on earth a body coald do with one
And that other young man" she con
cluded, significantly, they had him IL
a little bit Of room with an iron
barred door to It like q prison-cell."
/
CHAPTER VII.
Mr.. HIGBEE COMMUNICATES soAII
VALUABLE IMPORTATION.