American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1911-04-29

Of your good sense. I have not been
making love to Miss Holbrook!" l de-
clared, angrily, and knew in my heart
that / lied.
We'll, Irishman," he exclaimed with
entire good humor; "let us not bring
up mine host to find us locked in NOR
tai combat"
What the devil did you bring me up
here for?" l demanded.
"Oh, just to enjoy your society. l
get lonesome sometimes. l tell you a
man does get lonesome in this world
when he has nothing to lean on but a
blooming button factory and a step
mother who fits among the worlds ex-
pensive sanatoria. know you have
never had Button, button, who's got
the button?' chanted in your ears, but
may l ash whether you have ever
known the joy of a stepmother? l
can see that your answer will be an
unregretful negative"
He was quite the fool again, and
stared at me v%acuously.
my stepmother Is not the common
type of juvenile fiction. She has never
attempted during her widowhood to
rob the orphan or to poison him. Bless
your Irish heart, no! She's a good
woman, and rich in her own right, but
| couldn't stand her dietary. She's
afraid I'm going to die, Donovan!
She thinks everybody's going to die.
Father died of pneumonia and she said
ice-water in the finger-bowl did it, and
she wanted to have the butler ar
rested for murder. She had a new
disease for me every morning. 1t was
worse than being left with a button
works to draw a stepmother like that.
h ate nothing but hot water and
zweibach herself, and shuddered when
demanded sausage and buckwheat
cakes every day. She caught me one
a clearing up a couple Of chickens
n a mug of Bass with the gardener,
n 1t was all over. She had noticed.
she said, that l had been coughing of
iate-l was doing a few cigarettes too
many, that was all-and wired to New
York for doctors. She had all sorts.
Donovan-alienists and pneumogastric
specialists and lung experts.
! The people on Strawberry Hill
thought there was a medical conyen-
uon IN town. l was kidnapped on the
golf course, where l was about to win
tne eastern Connecticut long-drive
cup, and locked up in a dark room at
nome for two days while they tested
me. They made all the known tests
They tested me for dis.
eases tnat haven't been discovered
yet, and for some that have been en-
tinct since the days Of Noah. You can
see where that put me. | was afraid
TO night or sulk for fear the alienists
would send me to the madhouse. 7
was AFRAID TO eat for fear they would
tnink mat was a symptom. and eyery
time asked for food the tape-worm
man looked intelligent and began nra-
scribing. while the rest of them were
terrioly chagrined because they hadn't
scored first. The only JOY | got ont
Oh the rumpus was in hitting one of
those ailenlsts a damned hard clin in
the ribs, and I'm glad ! did IL He w,s
feeiing my medulla ~oblongata at the
moment and as I resent being man.
handled l pasted him one-he was a
young chap, and fair game pasted
MIN one, n then grabbed a suitcase
and slid. l stole away in a clamboat
lor New Haven, and kept right on nm
into northern Maine, where 7 vtovad
WIN Inc indians until my fathers re-
hct went of broken hearted to Rad
Neuheim to drink the waters. And
! here ! am. BY the grace of God, In