Holbrook argus., 1912-04-23

Wull0 SO tdTOuSu tue
 What rites?' in an awed whisper
 Mike pol1ed 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- meries before I came to this country, did you? We'll, I wasi"
 The small boy dragged up box that had escaped the blaze and sat down on it very close to Mike. "Tell me-" he begged.
 "The Dimdummeries, explained the janitor, "is fiourishing society In the ould country that has communica- shuns with ghosts an fairies-an'- an sperits in general. Whenever a Dimdummery wants to talk to a fairy all he has to do Is build magic bon fire on a spot hit by the light of the full moon for five minutes on a 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 ain't any spots that the light of the moon hits on a Chuesday night in this neighborhood," he mourned. That is, ixcipt some that is occupied by buildings and otherwise engaged. But I say the magic words over my fires and pretind it's aSglade 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 I iver see fairy, nowi" he repeated, scornfully. "Well, listen to that! Amt telling you how I was the chief of the Dimdummeriess and what for would they be making me chief if I 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 a pipe with me livery time lit fire for him! Vance he said: Mike, I like you-you're fine lad, an you may have two wishes-anything you ask shall be grantedn"
 'T know what I'd have asked for!" breathed the small boy. "An airship an@"
 "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 fleet of balloons. an everything"
 "Oh, of course!" agreed the small boy, much embarrassed. "Of course he would! But what did you do with all your money, Mike? If I was as rich as that wouldn't work"
 The janitor coughed and was very busy stirring the fire What did I do with it?' he repeated, scowling horribly. 'Tll tell yer-much as I hate to do 1t. I 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 'em up. I 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 I did for-for-'' For what?" demanded the small boy.
 Candy" confessed the janitor, sor- rowfully. 'T couldn't think of any thing I wanted so much as plenty of candy and I 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?"
 "Oh, all kinds" the janitor said, loftily. q was sicker'n you ever dreamed of being, 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 I ever saw began coming out of rose bush that"
 "Oh, tell me all about iti' de- manded the small boy ecstatically.
 "Will-ie-ie-ie!" came down from the back porch of one of the flats.
 There's your mother now" said Mike. And anyhow-the magic fires all burned out!"