The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1912-02-05
The
Dnndurnrnenies

"Whachu doin'?" queried the small
boy as he peered cautiously out Of the
back gate into the alley where the
apartment house janitor was superin
tending the cremation Of a rubbish
heap. The small boys nostrils
twitched appreciatively as he shifted
the bonfire.
Mike, the janitor, looked all around
and then cautiously said: Hist" and
crooked a finger.
What is it," gasped the small boy
as he tiptoed hurriedly out and Joined
Mike on the windward side Of the
blaze.
IT'S a CELEBRATION, Of mine" the
janitor explained. Every vance in a
while go through the rites"
What rites?" in an awed whisper
Mike poked in a recalcitrant wad of
excelsior and after swatting the blaze
around the edges, put one fist on his
hip. You didn't know" he remarked,
that I was chief of the Dimdum-
mer1es before | came to this country,
did you? Well, I was"
The small boy dragged up a box
that had escaped the blaze and sat
down on it very close to Mike. Tell
me- he begged.
t'The Dimdummeries," explained the
janitor, lis a fiourishing society in
the ould country that has communica-
shuns with ghosts an fairies-an'-
an sperits in general. Whenever
Dimdummery wants to talk to a fairy
all he has to do is build a magic bon
fire on spot hit by the light of the
full moon for five minutes on a
Chuesday night. That's very i'm
portant, picking out the right spot.
And lay the first sticks pointing to-
ward the north"
The small boy peered at the base of
the bonfire, but the janitor sighed,
They amt any spots that the light
of the moon hits on a Chuesday night
in this neighborhood," he mourned.
THAT is, kept some that is occupied
by buildings and otherwise engaged.
But | say the magic words over my
fires and pretind It's glade I'm in
! and that there are fairies peeking
out"
did you-did you ever truly see a
fairy, Mike?" the small boy almost
whispered.
The janitor laughed condescending-
! ly. did l liver see a fairy, now" he
| repeated, scornfully. We'll, listen to
| that! Amt I telling you how l was
! the chief of the Dimdummeries and
what for would they be making me
| chief if l couldn't see more fairies
! than any other man in the county ?
| There was one fairy who-look out,
you'll be in the fire, now,-who used
to pop up just as sociable an smoke
/ pipe with me livery time 1 lit fire
for him. Vance he said: Mike,
| like you-youre a fine lad, an you
| may have two wishes-anything you
ask shall be granted."
81 know what I'd have asked fort"
breathed the small boy. AN airship
| AM"
"Airship." Mike repeated in dis
gust. THAT shows your needless dis
posishun, A real sensible person
would have asked for a wagon load
of money, wouldn't he? An then he
could-a got a fleet of balloons an
everything"
ooh. of course!" agreed the small
boy, much embarrassed. "Of course
| all your money, Mike? If I was as
rich as that l wouldn't work"
The janitor coughed and was very
busy stirring the fire. What did l
do with it?" he repeated, scowling
horribly. I'll tell yer-much as
hate to do it, l stuffed it into old
stockings, av coorse, and TUX a board
off the wall and chucked 'em into the
cavity. They was banknotes-an' the
rats and mice ate EN- up. 1 should
! have wished for a bank that cudn t
! fail, for my second wish, an then I'd
have been rich man today. Instead
of wishing as did for-for-''
For what?" demanded the small
boy.
Candy" confessed the janitor, sor-
rowfully. 81 couldn't think Of any
thing l wanted SO much as plenty of
candy and l got it and ate it all up
and that was the end of it,"
The small boy swallowed appre-
ciatively. Still, you had it," he
said philosophically. THAT wasn't so
awful bad Did you get chocolute an
| car'mels and lemon sticks?"
ooh, all kinds the janitor said,
loftily. 4 was sicker'n you ever
| dreamed Of being, l tell you, It kind
! Of soured me on that fairy an I gave
him the cold shoulder after that, but
it didn't matter because right away
the prettiest fairy l ever saw began