The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1912-05-24

stood were the citizens Of a great and
powerful nation. dry and humorous in
their manner, addicted TO the use or
the bowie knife and revolver and in
the Ks bit OF talking through the nose.
he decided to abandon the shattered
dying machine. he wandered through
the trees for some time and then
struck road that seemed to his urban
English eyes to be remarkably WIDE
but not properly made
Presently Bert came 10 big wood
en- house standing casually among the
trees. Ii looked a bleak, bare box or
q house to him; no creeper grew on Ii;
no hedge nor wall nor fence parted 1t
off from the woods about It He stop
ped before the steps that led up to the
door, perhaps thirty yards away. The
place seemed deserted. He would |
have gone up TO the door and raped. /
but suddenly a big black dog ap- 1
peared at the side and regarded him. |
Ii was q huge heavy jawed dog OF
some unfamiliar breed, and 1t wore a |
spike studded collar. 1t did not bark I
nor approach him; it just bristled
quietly and emitted single sound Ike
a short, deep cough.
Bert hesitated and went on.
He stopped thirty PAGES away and
stood peering about him among the
trees. IF | 'aven't been and lef' that
kitten he said.
Acute sorrow wrenched him for a
through
the trees to get better look at him
and coughed that well bred cough
again. Bert resumed the road.
Shell do all right" he said. Shell
catch things.
She'll do all right" be said pres
emily without conviction. But II IL
had not been for the black dog be
would have gone back.
Bert came TO houses of the same de-
tached. unwalled, wooden type, but
adorned now with enameled adver-
tisements partly in English and partly
| In Esperanto Then he came TO what
he concluded was a grocer'S shop. 1t
was the first house that professed the
hospitality of an open door. and from
|
| sound. "Gaw.' he said, searching I'D
his pockets. why, l 'aven't wanted
money for free weeks! | wonder II L
-Grubb 'ad most Of it. Ah'' lie
produced handful of coins and re-
garded it-three pennies. siXpence and
a shilling. That's all right he said,
forgetting a very obvious consldera-
ton.
He approached the door. and az be
did SO a coInpactly built. gray raced
man in his shirt sleeves appeared in
it and scrutiniZed him and his cudSel.
"Mornin'," said Bert. Can ! get any
thing TO eat r drink in this shop:
The man in the door replied, thank
heaven. in clear. good American
This. sir is not q shop. it is store.
oh" said .5ert. and then. wen,
can get anything to eat!'
You can" said the American in
tone of confident encouragement and
led the way inside.
The shop seemed to him by his Bun
Hill standards extremely roomy. well
lit and unencumbered. Some men were
[
woman of perhaps five and thirty
leaned with her elbows on the counter.
All The men were arm ed win rifles,
and the barrel of 4 gun reeped above
the counter They We're all listening
idly, inattentively. IL cheap. metal
lie toned gramophone that occupied a
table near ut hand. From its brazen
no
qualm of homesickness. that brought
back in his memory Il sunlit beach. Il
group of children. red painted bicycles.
Grub and an approaching balloon:
Tins-a-ling-a- ting-a lin ga -ting-a-Ang-
tang
What price harpins now?
A heavy necked man in straw hat
= who was chewing something stopped
the machine with a touch, and they al
: turned their eyes on Bert. And all
: their eyes were tiredSeyes.
Can we give this gentleman any
!. thing to eat. mother. or can we nOtT
2 said the proprietor.
l lie kin have what he likes" SAID
t the woman at the counter without
moving right up from a cracker t
2 square meal" She struggled VIII
: a yawn after the manner Of one who
e has been up all night.
: Il want n meal. said Bert. but
: avent very much money. ! don wan
D TO Civ, morn shillin.
Y "More'n a WHAT said the proprietor
Il sharply.
a "NIore'n a shiIlin'." said Bert. with ;
e sudden disagreeable realization COMING
5 into his mind.
, Yes said the proprietor. startle'
l. for moment from his courtly bearing
e ''Rut what is a shilling
HE means q quarter said a wis
p looking lank young man in ridin
CATERS.
Bert. trying TO conceal his constel
nation. produced coin. That's
- shilling" he said
He calls store a shop" said IN
: proprietor. land he wants a meal fo
el;1lfpo Nav Won OF W ha