The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-11-09

| Describe Bildad?" Graham said in
| terrogatively.
It's got a neck-also a neck-tie-red
mostly" from Campbell.
| Feet also-we see 'em through its
socks,' from Brown.
"Shucksi Socks are all holes. Why
/ don't you name its eye-W1nkers? They
are what the books call salient from
Skerry In a tone of disgust.
| THE class in unnatural history VIII
all go foot. Not one has lit on the
thing that makes Bildad Bildad," Ora
| ham said severely.
At this the rest looked mournful save
| Bildad himself. He sat up, an ami
mated Interrogation point, asking
suavely: What you please explain? Or
| had I better ask you to discriminate!
DETERMINATIONS not allowed under
| the eleventh rule and bylaw of the
camp" Campbell interrupted.
Skerry whiStled. Il think it is artl-
Gle AZ he said. Anyway, mere num-
| bers don't matter. Go on, gallant era
wherefore of Bildad.''
There is neither how nor wherefore
only a because" Graham explained.
Because Bildad writes woeful BALLADS
not to his mistress's eyebrow, but TO
her buzz wagon.
go easy, Newt We can't believe
that-not all of it, all at once" Brown
cried, hinging up his hands.
Murray, otherwise Bildad. smiled in
fantinely. IT knew envy could make
fellows do a lot" he said. still
never thought it could reduce my COM
rades of the training table, the winning
crew, quite to this
81 demand proof. I never go back on
a friend-unless it suits me- Skerry
said, standing up and beginning oou-
bic shuttle.
Graham looked anxious. eff you are
roundly insured all-moreover if there
are life preservers handy he be-
gan, waving a folded typewriter sheet. |
Murray stepped in front of him, bow |
ed to the others and began, hand on
heart: He can't prove 1 did it-but
did 'Guilty-and glad Of it!' is my
plea, friends and countrymen. Listen |
10 how it happened-then-enVy NEAL
you want to-
Tell us first what happened-this
camp has been as deadly dull as
Eden before-the-serpent," Campbell
quered.
Murray folded his arms. 1T rained-
hard-and then some-day before yes
terday. Remember" he asked.
The others nodded in chorus.
But I went a-wool- gathering in
spite of it, Murray continued. 1T is
fit and meet that 1 should have come
back shorn-of my heart"
WHO adopted it over again? 1t al
ready has nine fairy godmothers, not
to name seven sisters Sherry re-
marked.
MURRAY smiled. some one wholly
unhackneyed," he said. Somebody
stalled in a buzz-wagon, ten miles from
gasoline, with only her dog for com
pany, while the chauffeur splashed and
swore his way to the nearest farm |
house phone. She was dry and lonely, |
minutes we had struck up mutual ac- |
quaintances enough to serve as both |
introduction and chaperon. OF course |
we talked after that-had to talk of |
10 &c
some rotten verse of mine in the Grim |
son.
"She's a Harvard mani begin to I'M |
de-stand," Brown interpolated.
Murray shook his head promptly, and |
ran on: "No-but her sweetheart is
she told me all about him While We
were getting acquainted. Bert Liscom
is the happy man-you know how I |
dote on Bert"
Like pizen," Campbell murmured.
Skerry said sagely in stage aside, 'fI |
don't wonder you wrote verses to the |
buzz wagon. I'd have 1ibeled the comet |
in rhyme with just half your provoca-
ton"
''Glad you understand" Murray flung
back airily. But, children, if you keep
interrupting the preacher this sermon
won't get anywhere. The Damsel in
Distress deplores things up to date
they give poesy no chance. At least in |
her judgment-told her she was wrong
proved it by making an auto-lim-
erick on the spot, and later getting off
a full grown copy of verses. Had them
typed in the town where she dropped
me-wrote them there while I waited
for the train down. She has the
original-it's a mere base carbon irIai-
tation that Newt Graham is threaten
ing to read"
He'd better-else Wen be threaten
ing him with worse" Campbell said.
Skerry finished an elaborate pigeon
wing, and kicked the logs of the camp
fire. 1.-The man that reads buzz-wagon
verse to me, does it over my dead
body" he announced. But I will /
listen favorably to this much more
why our amiable and inimitable friend |
Dorset Murray chose to mask himself |
behind the name of Bildad?"
ct won't tell-not if you hang me-"
Murray said jauntiIy. The others
laughed. Sherry made a feint of knot
ting two handkerchiefs into a moose.
All hands had heard the verses
Graham had purloined them and read |
them in Murray's fishing time. Muir
oar-so it was joy indeed to rag him
upon this camping trip, which was the
good ending of long comradeship.
The camp was pitched in good green |
wood, upon hillside so adorably syl-
van it was hard to believe that hard |
white highway ran less than two hun |
dred yards below it. Now, through |
the waning sunset, came the burr of |
motor-an at once 1t checked. In the |
silence they caught girls clear treble |
crying distressfully:
"Bildad! o, you darling! Come back! |
Don't leave your Elsie
Murray flushed through his tan as |
he felt the eyes of the others fixed |
meaningly upon him.
Before he could speak there was a |
rushing scamper, a joyous whine
then a red Gordon setter burst up /
through the footpath and ran bark |
ing and capering straight to Murray.
Every man there knew the dog
knew him for Murray's lost pet, Lord |
Chumley.
As he precipitated himself upon his |
master, licking his face, dancing about