Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1911-11-16

26HYY2
Doing Ellis
a Favor

Conrad, threading his way across
the steamboat dock Uttered with
boxes and trunks and trucks and peo
pie, saw Ellis at distance and head.
ed his way.
Ellis was Llan that il palu to cul-
tivate. Conrad was glad they were
crossing the lake on the same poat
for there was the chance Of smoke
and chat together
Great jam tonight, isn't there?''
Conrad remarked after greeting Ellis
The man with whom Ellis had been
talking when Conrad came up laugh.
ed at this. There sure is" he re.
marked. 81 can't get berth, let
alone a stateroom! Guess I'll have to
sit up all night"
Conrad eagerly grasped this chance
to do favor for friend of Ellis
You can have berth in my state.
room,' he said, cordially I'm alone
in it,"
Later on Conrad sought his room
Somehow he had lost Ellis after the
boat started. He had patiently pa
trolled the decks without finding him,
and was consequently disgruntled Ell
lis had not even seemed decently
pleased at the kindness to his friend.
The stateroom door was locked.
Conrad raped. There was no an
swer. He raped louder He repeat
ed it.
The man in the next stateroom flung
open his door GROSSLY and asked Con-
rad to stop trying to knock in side
of the boat He said he had press
Ing business in port, and if Con-
rad sunk the vessel and he had to
swim in he would be late for his ap-
pointment.
Thereupon Conrad kicked the door
of his stateroom 1t was opened six
inches and sleepy and blinking face
peered forth. Conrad showed himself
inside.
Who are your demanded the blink
ing man.
Here, wake up!" replied Conrad,
disgustedly. This is my stateroom,
and I'm going to bed. Don't you re-
member that / offered to share with
you?"
"Oh!" said the blinking man, COM
prehendingly. sitting down. Then he
rolled over and went to sleep again.
Suddenly Conrad gave howl.
What have you got in here?" he
asked.
The sleepy man sat up and regard
ed the floor on which Conrad was
dancing. "Oh," he said, and seemed
amused. They've got out, haven't
they? | must have kicked hole in
the paper covering! There's a hun
dred of those crabs"
Then there are just a hundred too
many!" Conrad announced as he made
q leap for life.
You see," said the other passen-
ger, socially, "Tm going over to visit
a friend, and he's daffy about eating
little fresh water crabs. He asked
me to bring him some. l put 'em
in basket"
We'll, put 'em back!" Conrad or
dered, ferociously.
Crouched on the edge of the berth
he watched the other man try to cor.
raj those agile crabs. He chuckled
and shooed and coaxed and dived
headlong and at last had most of them
back In their basket. Then he prompt.
~ went TO sleep once more.
Vastly irritated. Conrad retired. He
awoke later to find himself being
violently shaken by two strong hands.
Don't you see it? Don't you see
it?" shouted voice. Can't you
stop it?"
"Are those crabs loose again?" Con.
rad cried In horror making a spring
for the electrfc'light switch.
No, mol" moaned the voice. "That
automobile! It's topping over and
they'll all be killed!'
Conrad shook the sleep walker vic.
lently. Where am II" the man asked
when he came to.
You'll be overheard in the lake II
you repeat that performance" Con.
rad told him. II want to get a lit.
tie sleep"
In an hour a yell once more sent
Conrad to his feet It seemed that a
crab which they had missed in the
roundup had assembled blanket to
the berth and had fastened upon its
owners ear. No one could reasonably
objected to mans yelling under these
circumstances, so Conrad merely de.
tached the crab, threw it out of the
window and tried again to sleep, but
by that time the boat had reached
shore. Sleepy and angry, he start.
ed to dress. The other man was slum
bering as sweetly as baby He
woke up, though, when Conrad tried
to put on his shoes, because the
shoes had crabs In them.
AS he disembarked Conrad Met El
lis, who was looking fresh, rested and
vigorous. Conrad longed to smite
him