Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-09-26

He was interrupted suddenly. A man. run
ming breathlessly up the slope and waving
his hat IN frantic gestures. began to shout as he
came. MRS. Dick! Mrs. Dick" he cried at
to comei"
Mrs. Dick leaped quickly to her feet to face
the oncoming man. 1t was old Billy Stitts.
He had come from Beth
the group, toward which he ceased to run, the
better to catch his breath and yell. There's
INTERVALS a-poppin in the boarding house!
You've got to comet" He toiled up the last
remaining ascent .s at lively W stride tho o,a
are you drivin' att" demanded Mrs. Dick.
Hold your tongue long enough to tell me
what's the matteri"
Its the Chink!" exploded Billy pantingly.
They tried to run him off the place! He's
water and Chinee language like fire engine on
drunk! And now they're all a-packin' up to
quit the house, and you't have doggone
boarder left; fer they won't eat Chinee chuck!"
eat Algy's CONNECTIONS, crowd like that? BY
all the culinary gods of Worcestershire and
mustard they'll eat out of Algys hand!"
He dived inside the tent, caught up his gun,
catch her breath to utter a word of her wrath.
WELL" said Gettysburg obviously, Il hate
trouble on an empty stomach; but"
You stay in camp till you hear the dinner
bell" Van interrupted. This game is mine
and Mrs; Dicks. You'll get there in time for
dessert"
He did not wait for Mrs. Dick He started at
pace that none could follow. Mrs. Dick began to
run at his heels. calling instructions she went.
BE careful Of the croek'1y, Van! The
the chairs! And don't forgit Miss Kent"
Old Billy Stitts had remained with the Others
at the camp: Amt she the female woman"
he said. Amt she just about it,"
No one answered. The three old cronleS
were watching Van as he went.
WAN, for his part. heard nothing of what
Mrs. Dick was saying, except the name
Miss Kent. He had not forgotten for mo-
ment that Beth was at the seat of war, or that
he would perhaps be wiser by far never to be-
hold her again. He was speeding there, despite
all he felt at what she had done; for she might
be involved in trouble at the house, and-at
least she was woman.
He arrived in the midst of a newly concerted
plan on the part of dodgers and strangers COM
bined to smoke Algy out of the kitchen. They
had broken windows, overturned the furniture.
and worked up lively humor. Algy had ex-
hausted his supply of hot water, but not his
supply of language. 1t seemed as if the stream
of oriental invective being poured through the
walls of the building might have wlthered
almost anything extant; but Goldite whisky
had failed his besiegers earlier, and their
vitals were proof against attack.
Van arrived among them abruptly. What's
all this pillow fight about" he demanded in a
voice that all could hear (Which one of you
fellows is it that's forgotten he's a man?
Who's looking for trouble with my Chinese
cook and Mrs. Dick?"
He BODIED no good to any sufficiently
hardy to argue the matter to finish. The
attackers lost heart they faced about and
found him there ready for action. From a
half-open window above the scene Beth was
watching all that was done
A spokesman for the dodgers found his voice.
"Wel1. we amt a-goin' to stay in no boardin'
house with Chink showed in fer a cook
Van said, Have you tried Algy's cooking?"
No, and we amt a-goin' to, neither!'
The others murmured their assent
You're fine discriminating cluster of
bifurcated, viviparious idiots!" said Van in
visibly disturbing scorn. You fellows would
have to be grabbed by the scruff of the neck
and kicked into Eden, l reckon, even if the
snake was killed and flung over the fence and
the fruit offered up on silver platters! The
man that hasn't eaten one of Algys dinners
isn't fit to live. The that refuses to eat one
had better begin right now on his prayers"
He took out his gun and waved it loosely about.
adding, (Which one of you remembers Now
l lay me down to sleep'?"
There was no response. The ten or twelve
disturbers of the peace were stirring uneasy in
their tracks.
Van gave them chance. "A1l who prefer to
recite, NOW l sit me up to eat please raise
- 1.~~l IL Do.-1 l,<a