Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1912-08-06
coer1Eo'.r v,s r. Ak.rrr co

- IIIII
And then he sauntered out, leaving
the clergyman's head swimming. DR.
Temple turned to Mallory for explana
lions, but Mallory only waved him
away. He was not quite convinced
himself. He was convinced only that
whatever else anybody might be, no
body apparently desired to be clergy
man in these degenerate days.
The conductor returned and threw
into DR.. Temple the glare Of two basil
isk eyes. The old man put out be
seeching hand and began:
my good man, you do me grave
injustice
The conductor snapped back: "Yo,
say word to me and I'll do you worse
than that. And II spot you with 8
pack Of cards in your hand again. III
tie you to the cow-ketcher."
Then he marched off again. The
doctor fell back into chair, trying tc
figure it out. Then Ashton and Eos
dick and little Jimmie Wellington and
Wedgewood strolled in and, dropping
into chairs, ordered drinks. Before
the doctor could ask anybody to ex
plain, Ashton was launched on story;
| His mind was suitcase full Of anec
dotes, mostly Of the smoking-room
| order.
Wherever three or four men are
gathered together, they rapidly organ
/ lie a clearing of off-color stories
The doctor listened in spite Of him
self, and in spite of himself he was
amused. for stories that would b
stupid If they were decent, take on q
certain verve and thrill from their
very forbiddenness.
The dear old clergyman felt that II
would be priggish to take flight, but
he could not make the corners Of his
mouth behave. Strange twitchings OF
the lips and little steamy escapes OF
giggle-jets disturbed him. And when
Ashton, who was practiced racon'
teur, finished drolatic adventure
with the epilogue, "And the next
morning they were at Niagara Falls
the old doctor was helpless with laugh.
ter. Some superior force. the devil
no doubt, fairly shook him with glee,
ooh, that's bully" he shrieked, II
haven't heard a story like that for
ages"
"Why, where have you been, DR..
Temple?" asked Ashton, who could
not imagine where a man could have
concealed himself from such stories.
But he laughed loudest Of all when
the doctor answered.: "You see, live
in Ypsilanti. They don't tell me
stories like that"
"They-who?" said Fosdick.
"Why, my pa-my patients" the
doctor explained, and laughed so hard
that he forgot to feel guilty, laughed
20 hard that his wife in the next room
heard him and giggled to Mrs. Whit.
comb:
Listen to dear Walter. He hasn't
laughed like that since he was IA
medical student" Then she buried
her face guiltily in book.
Wasn't it good?" DR.. Temple de-
manded, wiping his streaming eyes
and nudging the solemn-faced English.
man, who understood his own nations
humor, but had not yet learned the
Yankee quirks.
Wedgewood made hollow effort at
laughter and answered: Extremely
very droll, but what l don't quite
get was-why the porter said" The
others drowned him in roar OF laugh
ter, but Ashton was angry. why, YOU
blamed fool, that's where the joke
came in. Don't you see, the bride
groom said to the BRIDE" then he
lowered his voice and diagramed the
story on his fingers.
Mrs. Temple was still shaking with
sympathetic laughter, never dreaming
what her husband was laughing at
She turned to Mrs. Whitcomb, but
Mrs. Whitcomb was still glazing al
Mrs. Wellington, who was still writ
ing with flying fingers and underscor
ing every other word.
Some people seem to think they
own the train." Mrs. Whitcomb ragged
THAT creature has been at the writ
ing desk an hour. The worst of it is,
I'm sure she's writing to my hus
band"
Mrs. Temple looked shocked, but an.
other peal Of laughter came through
the partition between the male and fe-
male sections of the car, and she
beamed again. Then Mrs. Wellington
finished her letter, glanced 1t over, ad.
dressed an envelope, sealed and
stamped it with elaboration that
maddened Mrs. Whitcomb. When at
last she rose, Mrs. Whitcomb was in
the seat almost before Mrs. Yelling.
ton was out Of it.
Mrs. Wellington paused at another
wave Of laughter from the mems
room. She commented petulantly:
What good times men have.
They've formed a club in there al.
ready. We women can only sit around
and hate each other"
why, don't hate anybody, do
you" Mrs. Temple exclaimed. look.
ing up from the novel she had found
on the book shelves. Mrs. yelling.
ton dropped into the next chair:
"On long railroad journey l hate
everybody. Don't you hate long jour.
ncys?"
ITS the first I ever took" Mrs.
Temple apologized. radiantly, "and I'm
having the-what my oldest boy would
call the time of my life. And dear
Walter-such goings on for him! A
few minutes ago l strolled by the door