Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-11-02
SPEAKING OF RAIN-''
Continued from page s

Old gentleman, an | was about decided to
try the drygoods store next door when |
hears yell down the street.
Il looks, an sees the Old Man comm in
his buggy, followed by the hull population.
He was drivin' Potiphar!
Il didn't have to yell or wave my hands
to attract their attention. Potiphar might
not be able to see; but he could still smell,
an he smelt me. In minute the Old Mans
rig was drawn UP in front of the clothing
store with shriekin' mob around it. fed
Pot1phar some sugar, an turned to the old
gentleman.
"'Now you see for yourself says l. You
see what a elephant like Potiphar can do.
He's better than all the fence an newspaper
ads in the world. What'n you give for him.
"The Old Man was motionin' me to hurry
up, an by the looks of the sky | knew what
he meant.
"Whatll you give for Potiphar?' says |.
"Nothin',' saws he Il wouldn't give
even five dollars for him!
II looked at the Old Man, got the nod,
and says, Will you give five dollars for the
biggest, finest elephant in captivity, a ele-
plant what cost three thousand dollars in
Calcutta two years ago, a elephant what =
AYES says the old guy, an I'll give no
more
a looked at the Old Man. an saw that he
had unhitched Potiphar an was movin his
horse into the shafts.
"'Gimme the fve!' says I. of all the
bargains you ever heard tell of this is the
dangdest. A ree-thousand-dollar beast
for FIVE dollars! Sufferin' codfish He'll be
the makin's of the hull State, let alone the
town. He'll
TUST then the old Whiskers shoves five
> dollar note into my hand. Mr.. Van Horn
Is
come on. | edges through the crowd, slips
handful of sugar to Potiphar, 4 climbs
in with the Old Man. He cuts mis- horse
with the whip, an we was gettin' clear of the
crowd when | hears Potiphar cough an
sneeze all to once. A rippin' clap of thunder
an lot of lightnin' started the rain just
then, an yell from the crowd makes me
turn an look. was just in time to see Poti-
phar shake like the mischief, rise on his hind
legs, an fall over deader'n door nail!
"'He's dead! yells in the Old Mans ear.
1t was rainin' an thunderin' SOS you could
scarcely hear.
ais he?' says he, an starts beltin' the
horse like all get out.
I'm minute we was to the train. The
Old Man told the trainmaster to start as
soon as the rig was aboard, an him an |
ducked for cover.
q Joe,' says he when we got inside, Joe,
you've saved my life. Gimme that five!
This is all the money between me an star
walton. 1t took eight hundred and forty
five dollars pay in advance to get this outfit
home an buy grub enough to last till we
get there had exactly eight hundred and
forty dollars, an by borrowin' five-spot from
Grogan managed to produce the amount
"Then,' says l, why sell Potiphar?'
"'Why sell him?' says he Why sell
him? Cause he was goin' to die the next
time he saw rain, an it was about to start
rainin' any minute! An when he died I'd've
had to pay the State seven dollars to bury
him. That's the law down here. It'd a left
me seven dollars short an water-logged,
wouldn't it? Instead of which we're on our
way home, amt we, with a crisp new five
dollar bill in our pocket? figure that deal
made me exactly twelve bucks
"The Old Man fell to langhin', an for
half an hour | couldn't make him stop. The
train was under way, an | sat there an
watched the rain pour down while he
laughed an laughed an laughed. The tears
rolled out of his eyes, an he kept slappin'
his sides like he was goin' to die. He got on
my nerves.
"What's ailin' you, Governor? says
when couldn't stand it no longer.
aim laughin', says he, rollin' back for
ads in his chair, to think of that fellow hav-