The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1910-12-01

old John, And that's what you've
been doing with all your money, just
to surprise me, Bless your dear good
heart! Oh. I'm so glad and so de-
lighted. Won't 1t be simply grand?"
could feel the cold, spectral form
of Sapphire leaning over my left
shoulder, urging me on.
What Is ii like? How many rooms?
Where is it?" she inquired, all In one
breath.
Where was the blamed thing? What
did it look like? How did I know?
She could search me. / could feel my
ears getting red. Presently / braced
and mumbled, mo more details till
the castle is completed. then I'll coax
you out there and let you revel."
How soon will that be-" she asked.
Tomorrow? Yes, John. tomorrow
NO" i whispered croupiIy, "in-in
about a week"
wanted time to arrange my earth
ly affairs
"Oh, lovely" she said, and kissing
me rushed away to break the news
to mother.
i felt like a rain check after the
sun out.
Suddenly hope tugged at my heart
strings and l remembered that / had
a week in which TO beat the ponies to
a pulp and win out enough coin to buy
six Swiss cheese cottages in the coun-
try.
Day after day I waded in among the
jelly fish at the track, but the best |
eve got was an IS win.
Eight dollars wouldn't buy a dog
house.
l was desperate. Every evening !
had to sit around and listen while
Clara J.. told Tacks or Uncle Peter or
Aunt Martha or Mother what she in,
tended doing when we moved to the
country.
They had it all cooked up. Uncle
Peter and Aunt Martha were coming
to live with us and Tacks would be
there TO let us live with hin.
Uncle Peter intended starting a
garden truck farm in the back yard
and Tacks figured on building a chick
en- coop somewhere between the front
gate and the parlor.
Aunt Martha and Clara J.. almost
came to blows over the question OF
milking the COW. Aunt Martha in.
sisted that cows are MIXED by ma
chinery, and Clara J. was equally posi-
tive that moral suasion is the only
means by which a cow can be brought
to a show down.
In the meantime | was dying every
half hour.
talked of country excursion arrived
and / began to figure on the safest
and least expensive methods of sui
eide.
I went to the track in the afternoon
and threw out enough gold dust tc
paint our country home from cellar to
attic-but never a sardine showed.
Frost-bitten and suffocatetd by the
odor of burning money. / crept into
n seat in the car and began to plan
my finale.
Presently an elbow poked me In
the ribs and | looked into the smiling
face of Bunch jefferson.
"Still piking, eh?" he chuckled;
you wouldn't trail along after your
Uncle Bunch and get mex to the can
dy man, would you? Only $500 to the
good today. Am 1 the picker from
Picklesburg. % of the old man Pick
wick?--well, l guess yes!"
rrbo, IN that aocparafo mnmant I
broke down and confessed all 10
Bunch.
Then Bunch began to laugh-a long,
loud. d~iscordant laugh which ended
in, John. I'll help you rake good
and then i began to sit UP and notice
things.
I'm away ahead of this pitty-pat
game at the merry-go-round." Bunch
went on, 'and 1t SO happers that re
Gently / peeled the wrapper OF my
roll and snapped it for a country
home for my sister and her daughter,
She's a young widow, my sister Is
and one of the .loveliest little ladies
that ever came over the hill. And sh
has a daughter that's q regular plate
of peaches and cream"
Still l sat in darkness. and he went
n
Now, my sister won't move out
there for a day or two. so tomorrow
promptly on schedule time, you lead
your domestic feet over the sandbars
TO that house and point with pride to
its various beauties--are you wise?'
But, Great Scott, man, it's not
mine!" / gasped.
Roll a small pill and get together"
admonished Bunch, with a seraphic
smile. Cant you figure the trick TO
win7 All you have to do is to coax
your gang out there and then break
the painful news to them that you've
suddenly discovered the place is
haunted and that you're going to sell
II and buy a better Misunderstanding
wiser"
Bless good old Bunch
l offered to buy him a quart of
Ruinart but he said his thirst wasn't
working. SO ] had to paddle of home.
That evening for the first time in
several weeks ] felt like speaking to
myself.
It was a cinch. I assured myself.
that the ghost story I had broiled up
to tell on the morrow would send my
~suburban-mad family s%currying back
to town.
Many times mentally ] went ove
the blood curdling details and I fat
tered myself that / surely had a lot Of
shivery goods for sale.
I couldn't see myself losing at all,
at all. So me for Jiggersville In the
morning