The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1911-03-17
| John Henry
- PAL !
By GEORGE v. HOBART
PAL.

| Seven thousand simoleums to the
bad!" echoed Bunch Jefferson, as we
sat in the club and made rapid passes
at light luncheon.
"Surest thing you know" an
swered. Poor old Uncle Peter is pad
ding after the ponies and his pocket
book is leaking like scuttled ship"
Busy Uncle Peter, of all the come
ons! 1t sounds like pipe paragraph,
it does, john" laughed Bunch.
Its the goods, Bunch" answered.
Ever since that little FLY, Peaches,
win the big race and Clara J. acct
dentally tore off $4,000, Uncle Peter
has had colts in the hat-block. The
old man is certainly horse-haunted.
He spends all his time at the track.
dipping out hot-air to the stable boys
and jockeys and trainers, and the
only win he has made so far is so
cents car fare the day he had to stay
home and nurse his rheumatism"
Bunch laughed so earnestly that one
VI tAC AduAO CAlOpo AOppCu OA SAO pAoLO
and started to leave the room.
And you, John?" he inquired when
he got back, what have the captains
of industry been doing to you since
saw you three months ago."
ITO me-" answered, throwing the
chest out foot and giving Bunch the
busy glare, Never no more! Every
penny l have is nailed to the floor,
and the floor goes in the safe at sun
down. 1 admit freely that for quite
| some time l travelled with the Andrew
Carnegie push and tried to give my
coin away, but I'm through. I've
| stopped splashing."
Still living at Ruraldene?" Bunch
inquired.
"Yes," I answered. "Still in the
! foothills. You must come out and
camp with me in the bungalow for a
week or two, Bunch. The fresh air
will do you good"
Thanks, John; l do need rest af-
ter that South American trip. Very
likely I'll take a long breath and rush
out your way the latter part of next
week." Bunch responded
Latter part Of next week." I ech-
oed; "oh! yes, now I remember.
Uncle William Gray and Alice are ex-
pected home from Europe about that
time and they have castle in the
corntleld next to ours-tush, Bunch,
tush!"
Bunch put on little pink around
the gills.
when are you and Alice going to
trot in double harness, Bunch?" 7
asked. Seems to me you've been
! lodging the minister about long
enough now!"
I'm for a license the next minute
after l overcome Uncle Williams OBJ
jections," Bunch answered, mourn.
fully. HE says Alice is too much to
the kindergarten to leave home yet.
Say, John, I'm afraid the old gentle.
man handed out the setback just be.
cause he doesn't approve of me-"
Saw that off, l said; why, you're
white all the way through, Bunch, and
Uncle William knows it. Alice is the
apple of his eye and he likes to have
his apple where he can see it; that's
all, Bunch. You'll get her all right, if
have to go and drag her away my.
SELF
Bunch laughed and changed the
subject.
And do you mean to tell me you
fell heir to fancy dust-thrower like
that Peaches fllly and never sent her
out after wad of real money!" he
inquired. why, somebody ought to
take you by the ear and scold you!"
mix, Bunch" l answered.; II sold
Peaches to Murf Higginbottom, the
trainer; soaked the rake-off in a slice
of real estate and today I'm away to
the good. Honest, Bunch, I'm now
about six blocks up Easy street. and
walking fast. Sometimes when l think
of that little bunch of bills in the
bank l get so stuck on myself want
to run over to Philadelphia and laugh
at the mint"
ooh, slice your cake, john" chirped
Bunch. 1--WE seen you with a bundle
of money before now, but the snow
drifted in the safe, nevertheless"
Bunch is the original Human Frost
1t tickles him to throw icewater on
the warm babies.
1T strikes me queer" Bunch went
on after a pause; that you'd sell
Peaches after she got so busy in that
big race and handed you out such a
fancy f1nish!"
II didn't exactly sell Peaches"
answered. ''Murf Higginbottom, the
Kentucky ge'man, hauled in a large
wad on that very race, so for a cash
consideration I let him have Peaches
for three years. He'll treat her white,
you can bet on that. Clara J. and
intend to save up, and at the end of
three years we'll have home for
Peaches, and she won't have a thing
to do but pull a six-pound dog-cart
once or twice a week, and bite her
way through all the hand-painted oats
she wants for life!"
1T seems pitiful," sighed Bunch,
Ito see man get his hooks into a
streak of luck and then let go of the
| hooks"
Blame it all on the wise little
Gazaboine who answers roll call when
you mention Clara j." 1 answered.
"She figured it out that the amount
she won by accident just about broke
even with the various sums I've lost
by design, so john says she, cut
your cables and drift away! drift
away!'"