The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1912-08-13
az ESTHER GRIFFIN WHITE.

i
ing herself of her automobile veil.
your ability to come back, my dear
SAL" grinned the cynic, has always
been one of your overwhelming fas-
cinations"
81 was in hopes this time" murmur-
ed SAL that I'd break the record and
disappoint you
do you want to disappoint me?"
reproached the cynic.
It's the dearest wish of my heart,
replied Sal, casting her hat on a chair
and throwing herself into the ham,
mock II want to disappoint you be-
cause l know l can't" she added.
Don't spring these cryptograms on
me just before the Chautauqua," ex-
postulated the cynic.
THAT isn't a cryptogram. It's
fact-no, it isn't either. 1t isn't any
thing. You can't deny, however, that
you haunt the fringes of the Chautau-
qua tent in search of sustenance.'
Not sustenance," protested the
cynic
"Well, amusement, then" said Sal.
"The Chautauqua is something like
sweetened water, you know, when
what you really want is good, stiff
toddy."
Thou vert ever apt, my SAL grin
ned the cynic in turn.
"Oh-apt enough daresay. But
it's the truth that l honestly wished
I'd never see this old burg again when
left in June"
"And me here all this weary while!'
deplored the cynic ungrammatically.
isn't it funny the way things CO."
continued Sal. Many and many a
time I've Strengthened up my desk on
Friday evening and think that maybe
I'd never see it again. On Monday l
go back just the same.
"And every time l leave town take
last look round thinking maybe I'll
be killed in railroad accident or
something. Nothing ever happens to
me"
"Touch wood" cried the cynic.
"Once I was on a train that ran
over a cow" said Sal. That's as near
as l ever got to being hurled into
eternity or smeared all over the track.
1--WE even turned round to speak
kindly to the neighbors sitting out on
their front porches and taking minute
stock of me in my new travelling cos
tune because 1 wanted them to re-
member that I was always one for
pleasant word in passing.
when l get back, there they still
sit
And greet me with chessy-cat
smiles the while they hypocritically
chant they're so glad to see me back,
and no doubt l will find it very dull
after the gay and busy marts.
"They say that old man Tompkins
died the day after l left, that Jones's
cat has been sleeping in my petunia
bed, that Smith and his wife had a
quarrel in the back yard and threw
things at each other. and that the Cas-
ey girl who lived in the delapidated
house the other side of Finklestein's
has disappeared and nobody knows
where she is.
That Edna Robinson has been car
rying on perfectly awful with book
agent and hasn't deceived a person on
the square by purchasing set of Car
lyle bound in half calf with board
backs. The very idea! AS though
Edna knew or cared a thing about
Carlyle or anything else except man.
Well, for their part, If they had to
rely on the society of agents and other
sojourning gentry, they would-yes.
indeed. Sampson baby is not a bit
well-think it caught something from
the Jones children-and yet Jones's
are never sick-it's too bad, too, be-
cause Sampson was just beginning to
get along and now he'll have all those
doctors bills to pay-it's a wonder
Mrs Sampson wouldn't be more care
ful-yes, she gets as much as one hun
dred pounds of ice, for my part Idon't
see what they do with it-what oh
yes. they keep beer in the house
SIMPSONS drunk half the time
Yes, Mrs. Smiths aunt was declar-
ed the way the Smiths treated her.
They brought the ambulance and she
fought and screamed something aw-
full. thought maybe they'd have to turn
the hose on her-oh, yes, Green's au-
tomobile burned up-didn't you hear
about it?-no insurance-and they'd
mortgaged the barn to buy it and now
well. the way some people did! Yes,
Ed Bingham married that grass Wild
ow and his folks won't have a thing
to do with her-came in the day after
the wedding and they slammed the
door rkGht in thar hooo-And tho vas