Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-07-25

OF it. l was right there with my fork in the air.
Better try some says Duff, holdin por-
Bah! Onionsl' says Mr.. Sloane. shudderin'
He was goin to take a chance on cup OF
coffee, until he got glimpse of the smoky old
pot it was made in. Then he quit on that So
he makes meal off one bareback that he dusts
careful with clean handkerchief while Duff and
| eats until we has to let out our belts.
Duff, says |, as a cook your all to the
good Now how about the sleepin' business,
AIM got any foldin cots aboard, have your"
HE hadn't but he says there's plenty of seat
- cushions. Well it's fine mild night with
half moon; so don't mind. We brings all
the cushions ashore and spreads EN- out on the
level spots, and Duff and | stretches out with
our faces turned up to the stars.
Wally. he don't do much but grumble.
Every other minute he finds something new to
fuss over He knows he'll starve before morn
in: he won't lie down for fear of wrinkln his
clothes: and he wonders if the folks won't be
worried to death about his not shown up.
" There's the party he whines. They are
probably waiting dinner for me. And here
am, on a beastly little island. hungry. and
wretched. and
"Ah forget it and go to sleep" says l.
DON'T know how long he kept it up; for I
got settled conf table on the cushions, and
went to poundin' my ear as industrious as If
good six hours of it. too, for when woke up it
was broad daylight. lay there minute, tryin'
to figure out where was. Then puts out one
hand and feels gravel, and remembers.
Neither Duff nor Wally was in sight. First
hears hammerin' coming from the boat.
next l hears a scrapln' sound. and l can't
make out what it is-scrape. scrape. like some
one on the next block shoveln' a sidewalk.
l gets up and looks down towards the rocks
we'd used last night as cook stove.
And what do YOU guess. There's Mr.. L.
Wally Sloane still wearin' his Fifth-ave.
clothes and his shammy gloves but down on his
hunkies with that old irwin pan between his
knees. scrapin' off the relics of that pork and
potato stew-fry. and stowin' it away as dexter
Gus as a ward heller at beefsteak party. l
slips over behind him easy.
Lookout there l sings out. "Onions!
Wally, he never lets go for minute or misses
a stroke. :" know" says he. between mouth
fuls. Talked like bally ass last night. didn't
1. 1t is good though isn't it,"
And say. when Duff crawls out of the boat
few minutes later and says he's rugged up
home and wants to know shall we start right
away. or wait and make some coffee first.
Wally comes right to the front
"Oh, let's have some coffee first. by all
means" says he. and say. old chap how
about making another painful of that fry. Best
dish ever tasted. really"
lid that get 'em together Why. before we
was through breakfast they was ch1nnn
blue streak to each other. Wally maxim up for
lost time and bein as agreeable new step
mother And when we fin lily lands at the Cutler
Island. along about nine o'clock, it's Wally
walking up the path with one arm over Duff's
shoulder like they was old college chums
Miss Peggy is the first to spot us and come
running down. She takes in the brother act at
glance. . 1t did work, didn't it. Duff says she.
"Worried? Not bit. Wally. I knew Duff
would fix them. too. So we kept everyone here.
and we're going to have the party tonight"
And say. l shouldn wonder but marryin' into
tnat tam ~ was going 10 90 any lou OF gooo-
who knows how human he'll be after Peggy has
had real chance9