The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1912-06-01
Adventures Of Average Jones
BY SAM'L HOP T<INS ADAMS.
Copyright, 1911, by Bobbs, Merrill co.,

semi-servility of which seemed
distinctly out of tone with the
quietly clear and assured voice.
Its the insects"
1.-THE WHAT?"
| 1.-THE bugs, miss"
He extracted from his pocket a
slip of paper, looked from it to
| the numbered door, as one veri-
Tying an address, and handed 1t
to her.
From yesterdays copy of the
Banner, miss. You're not going
back on that, SURELY" he said
somewhat reproachfully.
She read, and as she read her
eyes widened to lakes of limpid
brown. Then they crinkled at the
corners, and her laugh rose from
the mid-tone contralto, to a high,
bird-like trill of joyousness. The
infection of 1t tugged at the young
mans throat, but he successfully
preserved his mask of flat and re-
spectful dizziness.
at must have been Uncle" she
gasped finally. "He said he'd be
quits with the real estate agent
before he left. How perfectly alb
surd! And are those creatures in
that box?"
1.-THE first couple, of hundred of
'em, miss"
1.-TWO hundred" Again the ac-
cess of laughter swelled the
rounded bosom as the breeze fills
a sail. where did you get
them?"
"Woodpile, ash-heap, garbage
pail" said the young man stolidly.
ANY particular kind preferred,
Miss Ackroyd?"
The girl looked at him with
suspicion, but his face was blank
ly innocent.
I'm not Miss Ackroyd," she
began with emphasis, when a
Querulous voice from an inner
room called out: Whom are you
talking to, Sylvan"
"A young man with boxful of
beetles" returned the girl, adding
in brisk French: "Il est tres anus
ant ce farceur. Je ne lie COM
prends pas du tout. C'est une
plague, peut-etre. 81 on rinvitait
dams la maison pour un moment?"
Through one of the air-holes,
considerably punched in the card
board cover of the box sturdy
crawler had succeeded in pushing
himself. He was, in the main, of
a shiny and well-groomed black,
but two large patches of crimson
gave him the festive appearance
of being CARRIED in a brilliant sash.
AS he stood rubbing his -fore-legs
together in sef-congratulation ov-
er his exploit, his bearer adj
dressed him in French quite as
ready as the girls:
"Permettes-moi, Monster lie
Coleoptere, de vous presenter mes
excuses pour cette demoiselle. qui
s'exprime en- langue etrangere
chez elle."
Don't apologize to the beetle
on my account" retorted the girl
with spirit. you're here on your
own terms, you know, both of
YOU"
Average Jones mutely held up
the box in one hand and the adj
vertisement in the other. The
adventurer-bug flourished a fare
we'll to the girl with his antennae
and retired within to advise his
fellows of the charms of freedom.
Very WE'LL" said the girl in
demure tones, though lambert
mirth still flickered, golden, in
the depths of the brown eyes. "If
you persist, I can only suggest
you come back when Judge Ack-
royd is here. You won't find him
particularly amenable to humor,
particularly when perpetrated by
a practical joker in masquerade"
discovered" murmured Aver
age Jones. 81 shouldn't have
Wanted my poor French. But
must really take my little friends
all the way back? Yop suggested
to the mystic voice within that 1
might be invited inside.
"You seem decidedly uncon-
ventional person." began the 9th
er with dawning disfavor.
"Conventionality, like charity,
begins at home," he replied quick
ly. And one would hardly call
this advertisement a pattern of
formal etiquette"
True enough" she admitted.
dimpling. and Average Jones was
congratulating himself on his di-
plomacy, when the querulous