Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1906-08-18

WhatIsaTerrapin?

By KATHERINE MANN.

| Who? Ole man Tarrypin? Is you
drowndid when 20 ma tucks yo' In de
bed2 Ole man Tarrypin wuz at home.
/ tell You, honey. Mountaineering
The company Of Britishers clapre
their hands at the close Of the reel 4
ton by the small boy.
But what Is a terrapin?" asked tie
! hostess, who always spoke as If the
had cold in her head. Il thick hy
I. self 1t is kide Of bowl"
"A how'll" exclaimed the man at hei
side, but, my dear Mrs. Dudgeon, e
| bowl, to begin with, hasn't tall"
| Excuse be, Blister Bacfarlade, but a
bowl certaidly has tail, Why, We
caught wud Id our garded yesterday
"0h! of course-beg pardon. | wa.
! thinking of china bowls" ~
"Ah! yes, shouldedt wodder if they
were d.fferedt i'd Chida."
Il hardly think it could be mole,
remarked the only young lady of the
| party, because it didn't drown when
Brer Fox let it sink in the water"
NO, it only went 'Kerblinkty-
, blink. piped the voice of little girl.
"Barjory, dod't Interrupt What is
your cpidiod of the terrabid, Bliss sib-
| bods?"
The lady addressed was a small, ner-
yous-looking spinster 81 imagine 1T
must-be of the rat species"
Here all the ladies screamed.
- Il,
| that"
Not unlikely" added an evidently
| uninterested man Of 40.
The next suggestion was made by a
youth.
Il think a t-t-t-terrapin is a k-k-kind
OF ot-ot-ot-otter"
Indeed, | shouldn't be surprised If
Mr.. Tnpper's conclusion is correct"
spoke again the uninterested man.
An old gentleman of learned appear
| ance, with long, white hair, apparently
thought it was his duty to say some
thing.
These Americans" he began, give
such peculiar names to common OBJ
jects, that per IT'S, after all, terrapin
may merely L badger, weasel, a
| wild duck, frog, or even a cat
Yes, a cat can swim; but kittens
can't, because we tried"
Here the small Girl was silenced by a
look from her mother.
After having delivered his category
of possibilities, the old gentleman nod
ded Familiarity to an austere parsonage
of the opposite sex.
Go on, my dear, what do you make
of it?"
Il am not playing" was the curt re-
ply. y hate games.
At his threatening juncture the I'M
interested man darted a sympathetic
look at the last speaker, but on be-
holding her withdrew it again imme-
diately. The hostess lost not a mo
ment in deity diyerting the general
, attention. Ia y,a --.------~---,--
Now, Bisses Weakly, it's really yoIr
turn!"
Thereupon all eyes were fixed on the
unfortunate Mrs. Weakly, who whim-
pered IN an aggrieved tone:
Il really can't think of any other
| animals; all those l had in nv mind
have already been mentioned-unless
| unless it could be a buffalo"
"Oh, dear, no! surely mott" exclaimed
several voices.
"A Sheep" said some one from a
back seat.
This opened up new train of Ideas,
. for Immediately there ensued shouts
OF Dog" Wolf" Lamb" Cow"
The attention of the company was
at last captured by a Frenchman, who
had been distractedly fumbling in his
pockets for some time, and who had
now risen to his feet
| Madame he calculated. 81 hef
| seen terrapeen" On the instant there
was silence. Mats oui, hat seen
terrapeen yesterday" Most of the
| guests had also risen to their feet
| "Yees--in my dictionnaire." There
was a collapse upon the chairs.
Vat a peety leaf it behind to-
night! / cherche for re yorrd terre-
| Ia terre-and | find ground, CART.
vorrld-and-and- vas four words
| ground, cart. world, and globe
| yees, globe Bon, | see terrapeen on zee
same page-but hat no Of it attention
paid. Eat ees zee way, madame, cen zis
| world Wee not learn ling ven wee
hat zee chance, and ven zee chance
| ees-ess partie, wee desire to take her.
lis terrapeen resembles moch see
vorrd terre, zen link zee terrapeeu
ees an animal vat goes on zee ground,
! world, globe. Eat is vat | link ter
rapeen ees."
Sitting down, he mOpped his brow.
, The others followed his example
Capital explanation" said the IN
! interested man, as he crossed to the
: hostess apd murmured that he must
j., slip or to catch his train.
Soon afterwards the party broke up.
/ and everybody went home vowing To
hunt dictionaries, natural histories.
| and, if necessary, museums, in order
| to solve the difficulty