Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1909-11-18

1.-TWO on Trot." think that's atun'
ny name for bicycle story. Uncle
said to call It 1.-TWO on q Tire" but
you know how stupid Elfrlda is, and
30 she said, "Oh, but it's not q tan
DEM" They were going to Couliboeuf,
too, but we couldn't go together be-
cause they were travelling third-class.
Elfrida says they are seeing Europe
nicely on less than a dollar day, and
uncle said "Great Scottl"
While we were on the train 1t be-
gan to rain and then 1t poured. Uncle
became very gloomy and said that is
just what we might have expected. ]
didn't expect rain, and / didn't see
why should have expected 1t, so /
only nodded. Uncle didn't like my
nodding, and said shouldn't take such
a pessimistic view of life at my age.
While he was talking ! suddenly re-
membered the umbrella and asked
him where 1t was. and he had left 1t in
Argentan! Then there was no more
conversation.
We had to change cars at Couli-
boeuf, and we reached Falaise about
noon. Elfrida and her sister got right
on to the wheels AMI bumped gayly
away over the cobblestones at once.
The rain was over and the sun was
shining, but uncle said he had lost all
faith in France and wanted to buy an
other umbrella the the very first thing.
We went to q store, and he said to
buy cheap one, as would be sure to
lose It. / asked for q cheap one, but
the woman was quite indignant and
said that she did not keep any
cheap umbrellas-that the lowest she
had was two francisco cents. had
to translate It to uncle, and he was so
amused that he bought one for three
francs and gave a franc to her baby
that was tied in a high chair by the
window.
Then we took a cab to the castle
and paid the man at the entrance and
let him 60. There is a lovely sloping
road that follows the curve Of the
outer wall up to the summit Of the
hill, and we forgot how tired we were
in thinking how pretty 1t was. These
old castle Enclosures are all 80 big.
This one contains college at one
end, and then there is quite a wood
which you must walk through before
you come to the castle itself at the
other end.
The castle is wonderful. 1t is splen'
did and big and old and strong and
Norman. 1t is built out Of the red
rock, and It has oubliettes and wells
and pits and towers and everything OF
the kind that heart could wish to see.
We saw the room where Prince Ar
thur was imprisoned for seven years
and the room where William the Con-
Queror was born.
Uncle enjoyed the castle immense
"; he took the deepest interest in
every inch of 1t, and when the con-
cierge showed US the window from
which Robert the Devil first saw Ar
lette, he planted himself firmly inside
in and almost thought he was going
to stay there forever. My feet ached
so that was glad enough to lean up
anywhere for q minute, and honestly
believe that It was ten before he
moved. Then he gave himself little
shake and said: well, to think OF
owning this place, and being able to
stand In a window as high up as that
one, and then to look down as far as
that well is, and then only to need to
say, Bring her up!' and to know
she'd got to come! Great Scott! No
wonder their son conquered England.
I'm only surprised that he didn't wipe
Europe on the face Of tire continent"
Then he shook his head for quite
little while, and we got under way
again and went to Talbot's Tower.
It's high, and uncle wanted to climb
It. didn't mind his climbing 1t, but
he wanted me to climb it, too, and
some one was ringing the bell, so the
concierge had to leave us and go back
before anything was settled. Uncle
said It was rather hard when he was
doing SO much to try and finish me
up Che meant finnish me on" think,
for me to be so lukewarm about being
finished so / started in to climb, al
though my knees felt like crumpled
tissue-paper. The steps were so worn
that It was awful work and uncle
would go up as far as any one could.
He had the umbrella and had the
candle and often we had to step two
and even three steps at once. When
we came to the place where the. steps
ended, he stood and peeked out Of a
window (imagining himself Lord Tai
bot, / reckon-) and then we started
back. The coming down was awful
I was honestly frightened. Uncle went
first and / stepped on his coat twice
and split candle-grease on his hat.
Uncle found It easier comins down