Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1908-12-16
Percy ard Ha1Cld
Their Adventure Ina
swgst Potato Paioh

lng against Tree In n sbadeful woods
One ~ them WIS reading a newspaper
and III othor vas thoughifullt puiIlng
~ y ahou clay pipe The bandanna
handkerchief nat contained their
wardrobe WAS hanning on bush, and
close by wefe the fatlOns that had
been accumulated along The back door
ronfp
percy, old follow" remarked The
suiokeful tramp, lazlly pushing piece
Of wood on the Are with HE foot. NO
that he wouldn't have 10 get up. II
have Just been thinking Of the poor.
Did Il ever occur to you how greatly
they must envy us7 Did II ever occur
To you--"
at has, indeed. Harold" interrupted
Percy. gancing up from his newspa.
per. "and while | deplore their condi.
ton can see no way in which It can
be helped As long as the world en-.
dures there must necessarily be differ
ent classes of society. There must be
the rich and the poor, and sometimes
1t grieves me that the less fortunate
cannot camp in the woods as we are
camping and enjoy life that brings
one so close to the glory Of nature"
That's right. dear chappie," yawn-
fully assented Harold There is moth
Ing like camp life. would rather lis
ten to the song of the birds than the
seven o'clock whistle any day in the
week. BY the way, what are the Fred
die Smiths and Billy Swintons doing?
The last time was at the club Fred
| die"
"They are camping, too, old fellow"
interjected Percy. "Freddie's party
Is in the Adirondacks, and the Billy
Swintons are in the Catskills This
Oaper gives quite an account of their
camp, as well as a picture of dear
Mrs. Freddie In the act of landing a
fish from the lake She is
Every time / see Mrs. Freddie"
smilingly broke IN Harold, Il think Of
bale of hay If she wasn't pressed
In and tied up she would occupy more
space than a circus tent"
This camp life is making you shock
ingly rude, my dear Harold" said
Percy. why can't you act just as II
you were at the club or in your apart
ments? AS for dinner, we are having
roasted sweet potatoes tonight A good
friend of mine who lives over the hill
yonder has a beautiful patch of the
tubers, and he insisted that l should
call on him and get some. We will be
starting just as soon as / have read
this delightful story about Mrs Porter
Griggy, who takes her sweet little dog
Fido OUT in go-cart for an airing
every day at Newport"
Thus the conversation continued I'M
til the woods grew dark, and then the
hoboes rambled down the road and
stealthily climbed over the fence into |
the sweet potato patch Of Percy's dear
friend.
Two minutes later they were indus |
triously digging, and Percy had mined |
five potatoes and Harold six, when a
farmer with wicked-looking gun and
dog to match bulged from behind
the bushes.
i've got you gosh-dasted tramps at
last" said the farmer, raising the ham,
mers of his gun and walking up to
the surprised hoboes, AN If Their con-
sarned coroner O. this county was a
Republican, instead of Dimmycrat,
would give him job here right now.
l."
Pardon me-" put In Percy, who
quickly recovered his composure. but
would thank you to be more choice
of your epithets. will have you know,
sir, that we are not tramps, but SCI
entists, and that we are investigating
the different stratas of earth In this
locality with a view of discovering q
valuable clay deposit and"
Is that so?" sarcastically interject-
ed the farmer. well, If yer so gosh.
darned fond O. clay, s'pose We jes' pick
a few Jumps O dirt an drop them
sweet pertaters. / don't mind We takin
all Their gravel We want, but at Their
present price sweet pertaters is too
darned good for hobo grub. Now, then,
march straight fer Their house, an
since yer scientists an like ter dig in
Their earth, I'll let We play around all
day termorfer."
Il regret, my dear man." protested
Percy, that we will be unable to &C.
cept your kind invitation. We have q
previous invitation which We"
Hike straight fer that housed" per-
commanded the farmer. III
yer don't splash We full o. shot, even
I the coroner is Dimmycrat!"
There was no help for 1t, so the
loboes marched for the farmhouse,
where they were locked In corn crib
or the night with a half dozen growly
logs placed at the door to prevent
heir escape.
On the following morning they were
AIKEN back to the sweet potato patch,
Ind all day long they were compelled
o dig while the grinful farmer sat on
he fence with his gun in hand and a
crappy dog lowering near At sunset
hey were given six potatoes apiece
nd told to sneak.
Harold" piteously moahed
'ercy, as they reached the woods and
ank beneath tree, wasn't it awful?
ust think of working In the field like
common meniali / was so afraid