Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1913-11-21


went to the Philippines, and got stuck
there and had to sell books to get
home. He had little money, enough
for a grub-stake," he said, and all his
folks were dead. Then college friend
Of his wrote rural play called Sweet
Peas Great title, don't you think?"
he asked-7and he put up all the money.
1t would have been hit, he said, but
the kid in the playAthe one that
unites its parents in the last act just
before he dies of tuberculosis-the kid
took the mumps and looked as if, in
stead of fading away, he was going
to blow up. Everybody was SO afraid
of him that they let him die alone for
three nights in the middle of the
stage Then the leading woman took
the mumps, and the sheriff took ev-
erything else.
Well, of course, the thing failed,
and he lost every dollar he'd put into
it, which was all he had, including
what he had in his pockets.
They seized my trunks" he ex-
planned, "and sold my fur-lined over
Of the girls back home. It's hard for
the women A fellow can always get
some sort of job-I was coming up
here to see if they needed an extra
clerk or waiter, or chauffeur, or any
thing that meant roof and something
to eat-but suppose they don't need
a jack-of-all-trades."
No. / answered, 'but I'll tell you
what think they're going to need.
And that's an owner!"
=
I'm not making excuses. did it for
the best. If Mr. Thoburn had not been
there, sitting by to see the old sana-
torium die so it could sprout wings
and fly as summer hotel, I'd never
have thought of it. But was in de-
spair.
got up and opened the door, but
the snow came in in cloud, and the
path was half foot deep again
But the angel of providence ap-
peared in the shape of Mike, the bath
man, coming down through the snow
in tearing rage The instant saw
Mike knew 1t was settled.
Am I or am l not 10 give Mr..
Moody a needle showers" he shouted.
almost beside himself And I saw he
had his evercoat over his bath cos
tune, which is Turkish towel.
"A needle shower followed by salt
rub" said !. Hes been having them
for eleven years What's the matter?"
THAT fool of a young DOCTOR"
shouted Mike, 'she told him before he
left that If he'd been taking them for
eleven years and wasn't any better it
was time to stop. Amt business bad
enough-oaly four people in the honse
takin' baths regular-without his but
| TIM in!"
Where's Mr.. Mecdy?'
"In the bath. I've locked up his
Clothes"
You give him needle shower and
a salt rab," ordered, ~and IL he
| makes fuss Just send for me. And,
Mike l said, as he started out, TASK
Mr.. Van Alstyne to come out here i'm
mediately'
| Mr.. Van Alstyne came out ON the
run, and when he saw Mr. Pierce by
| the fire-that was his name, Alan
Pierce-he stopped and stared. Then
he said:
| You Internal young scaMp!" And
| with that Mr.. Pierce jumped up, sur
prised and pretty mad, and Mr.. Van
Alstyne saw his mistake.
'.I'm sure / beg your pardon!" he
said. "The fact is, was expecting
somebody else, and in the freight J"
you surprised me, that's ALL" said
Mr.. Pierce. Under the circumstances,
Pm glad I'm not the other chap"
You may be-" assured Mr.. Sam
grimly. You're not unlike him, by
the way. A little taller and heavier,
but"
Now it's all very well for Mr.. Sam
to say originated the idea and all
that, but as truly as am writing this,
as / watched his face saw the same
though come into it. . He looked Mr..
Pierce up and down, and then he
stared into the fire and puckered his
mouth to whistle, but he didn't. And
finally he glanced at me, but was
looking at the fire, too.
Mr.. Sam got up and began to walk
the floor, his hands in his pockets.
He tried to get my eye, but still I
looked in the fire.
"All trafic's held up, Minnie" he
said. "The eight. o'clock train is
stalled beyond the junction, in drift.
I've wired the conductor, and Carter
| isn't on it."
1 'Well?" said I.
4 IF we could only get past to-day"
Mr.. Sam went on; eff Thoburn would
only choke to death, or-if there was
somebody around who looked like
Dick. | dare say, by tomorrow" He
looked at Mr.. Pierce, who smiled and
looked at him.
/ "And I resemble Dick!" said Mr.
i Pierce well, if he's a moral and
| upright young man"
'He isn't!" Mr.. Sam broke in saw
agely. And then and there he sat
down and told Mr.. Pierce the trouble
we were in, and what sort of cheerful
idiot Dicky Carter was. And then Mr..
Pierce told about the play and the
mumps, and how he was stranded.
When Mr.. Sam asked him outright II