Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-04-19
Only in the Land Of Dreams.

he continued. yanking Oklahoma Belle
has smashed nine punkins. ruined my
woman's petuny beds. ct all the tops
often my cane brake Words again
ture. by hockey! Then. m we've
LOOT to pay me fer it. by - he broke
out. Where dye live? Where's Yer
fathers? What's yer names?" He
glared at them in turn again. lastly at
,"W- Willie
willie what?'
"O-Osborne"
Where dye live--in town.
The captains. heart gave a thud. He
recalled how Tom Saunders had run off
to Pawnee and the police had found it
out-and put him in the cooler till his
father came.
'N-no. SIR" began Private Bill vera
ciously: we live in
Nav, we don't either interposed the
captain desperately: we've live out
! two miles-on-on a farm-|we do
| 'On a farm-be We brothers,
| The captain gasped. The mans tone
implied that he, the captain. had implied
that they were. He had evidently COM
mitted himself.
''Y-e-e-s. s-sir.''
Strikes me you n him." indicating the
aid-de-camp. ARE pretty near of a size
to be brothers-'n We don't look like
go lynn to met,
But the captain had gone too far for re-
treat. ''N-no, sir. IL wouldn't. We ain
| twins" he trembled; but we--we're prit'
near it, he wound up hopefully.
Huh! Well. what's yer name?'
! Earl
Earl what, by gracious?"
| Hilton
"Hiiton!''-he addressed Private Bill.
Didn't yet say yourn was Osborne"
| Yes. sir family.
He turned to the captain. How comes
| it yourns Hilton?'
1ne captain prepared to die. Then he
rolled upon aid-de-camp look that
ought to have solaced that parsonage for
the ingratitude of others through life.
That his middle name the aid--de-
camp was saying assuringly; he thought
| you knowed his othern.''
| We'll. I've an idee we're all lynn" de-
| clared the old man, m I amt goin' to
take no chances. I'll keep these critters,
n We en- go home m tell yer paw. n he
en- come N settle fer the damage they've
about it. too. err I'll skin 'em. I'll get
somethin' outen their burned hides. Yer
| paw got farm, ye say, n likely he S
pretty well-to-do. while ye en- see I'm
| "Awnk-ee! awnk-ee, awnk-ee"
| 1t was only the pensive voice Of Will
| liam but for some reason it seemed to
enrage the old man more than anything
else had done. He kicked the donkey with
| both feet, then turned on the terrified ur-
chins. lin poor man." he roared:
! IN l have to live on my garden truck.
You hike right now. / don't We stop till
| We tell yer fool dad to come n pay me.
or I'll have the law on all of ye."
They hiked. Painting, stumbling. Sob
bling with fright. they reached the creek.
| Here Private Bill. with a seeming genius
| for misfortune. missed the foot bridge and
lit in two feet of muddy water. They
dragged him out by his sailor collar,
which was the only thing nautical about
| him. and not until they found themselves
| in the alley back of the town did they
| slacken speed. They stole around behind
| the buildings and into a passageway be-
| tween two Of them. These happened to
be the bank and the cafe. Here they
paused to face the situation. 1t was truly
appalling; they would have to continue
| the expedition on foot, for how could they
| ever hope to redeem their noble steeds
| (the captain shuddered, lost in a sickening
vision of William skinned) and-tney
stared at one another with horror-they
| could have no supper either. Coffee, gin
ger-cookies. cooking outfit. matches. were
| all on Williams back
They dropped down on some barrels
| lying along the cafe wall The apathy
| of despair settled upon them.
| But presently Private Bill had what he
| considered inspiration Lets go into
| the hotel, n tell 'em we amt got nothin
| to eat. n ask 'em for SOmethin'." he
| suggested brightly.
The captain turned. startled. You dare
| n I'll put it all over YOU he Kissed
wrathfully. Want to get us in the cooler.
| huh? NJ l guess we amt no hoboes.
neither-a-beggin!
BY this time Private Bill was quaking
! with something besides fear. The night
was chilly, his trousers were soaked from
his baptism in the creek.
I'll have pncumony sures I'm a-livin'."
he shivered.
Have WHAT"
"Pneumony. 1t comes from microbes.
You get EN- when you're wet. I'll Just
have to change my pants he declared.
This unreasonableness greatly irritated
was still stiff and sore. We'll. change
EN-. why don't your he inquired sar-
castically
This crushed the private to speech
lessness for quite a space; but presently,
! Seems to me if we're eoin' to be des-
pradoes We ought to begin right now
when we need it," he opined. There's
some bananas out there we could reach
just as easy.
"What ails you?" demanded the cap
tain exasperated. What you take us
fer-thiefs?"
Well returned Private Bill resentful-
ly. Six Shooter SANS
You make me sick" interrupted the
captain ,disgustedly; that's diffrunt"
Above one barrel was a window i'm the
cafe. A narrow space Of light shone from
| under It's curtain. The captain climbed
up on the barrel and ventured to Deer
within. The aid-de-camp did likewise.
There was no one inside but the pro-
prietor. who sat reading.
Il 'xpect he would give us somethfn'
| If we'd ask the captain finally remarked
to the ald-de-camp with the manner of
one who advances a casual comment. in
nocent or any Interior motive. He don't
look stingy.'
encouraged.
But neither acted upon the supposition.
They wanted to, but something STAYED
| them. Who has not at some time been
| hampered by the respecta bility of his an
cestors? The captain knew what his hero
would have done. He pictured the wait
ing steed outside the door the hero at
one of the tables, six-shooter in hand
while the terror-stricken waiter laid be-
fore him the most tempting viands the
caravansary afforded. He was lost in en-
joyment of this. when suddenly he eripped
| the window sill and gazed transfixed at
something within. Down between the
tables went Private Bill He had given