Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1911-11-29
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 man that it paid to cul-
tivate. Conrad was glad they were
crossing the lake on the same boat,
for there was the chance Of a 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. Il can't get berth, let
alone a stateroom! Guess I'll have to
sit up all night"
Conrad eagerly grasped this chance
to do a favor for a friend of Ellis.
You can have a 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. FL
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 a 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 a 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 I offered to share with
your"
obi" said the blinking man, com
prehendingly, sitting down. Then he
| rolled over and went to sleep again
Suddenly Conrad gave a howl
What have you got in here?" ht
asked.
The sleepy man sat up and regard
ed the floor On which Conrad wa
dancing. "Oh," he said, and seemed
amused. They've got out, haven
they? 1 must have kicked a hole Il
the paper covering! There's a hun
dred of those crabs!"
Then there are just hundred to-
many" Conrad announced as he mad
a leap for life.
| "You see," said the other passer
ger, socially, I'm going over to visi
a friend, and he's daffy about eatin
little fresh water crabs He aske
me to bring him some. l put 'e1
in basket"
well, put 'em back!" Conrad q
dered, ferociously.
Crouched on the edge of the bertl
he watched the other man try to CO
raj those agile crabs. He chuckle
and shooed and coaxed and dive
headlong and at last had most of thel
back in their basket. Then he promp
ly went to sleep once more
Vastly irritated, Conrad retired H
awoke later to find himself bein
violently shaken by two strong hand
Don't you see it? Don't you Sc
it," shouted a voice. Can't yc
stop it?"
; Are those crabs loose again?" Co
rad cried in horror, making a spri1
for the electric light switch
: ''No, MOI" moaned the voice. 9Th
: automobile! It's topping over al
: they'll all be killed."
Conrad shook the sleep walker vi
! lently. Where am -" the man ask,
= when he came to.
. You'll be overheard in the lake
3 you repeat that performance" CO
rad told him. II want to get l
s tie Sleep
8 In an hour yell once more sc
Conrad to his feet 1t seemed that
!. crab which they had missed in t
!. roundup had assembled a blanket