Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1914-01-29

1 or something like that-and then he
went 10 the Philippines. and got stuck
there and had TO sell books 10 get
home He had little money. enough
for a grub-stake,' he said. and all his
folks were dead. Then a college friend
of his wrote rural play called Sweet
/ Peas Great title. don't you Think"
/ he asked-aHd he put up all the money.
! It would have been q hit. he said, but
! the kid in the play one that
uHites its parents in the last act just
/ before he dies OF tubeTculosis-the kid
took the humps and looked as il, III
stead Or fading away, ne 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 humps. aud the sheriff took ev-
/ erything else.
| Well, &C 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 l sold my fur-iined over
( coat Tor eight dollars, which took one
! Of the girls back home It's hard for
/ the women. A fellow can always get
7 some sort of a job was coming up
+ here TO see if they needed an extra
/ clerk or a waiter. or chauffeur. Or any
thing that meant a roof and something
to eat-but [ suppose they don't need
jacket -a!Ltrades"
| No" I answered. but I'll tell you
what I think they're going TO need.
| And that's an owner,"
!
/ I'm not making excuses. ] did it for
/ the best. II Mr. Thoburn had not been
+ there. sitting by TO see the old sana-
i forum die so it could sprout wings
and fly as a summer hotel I'd never
/ have thought of it. But / was in de
/ spair.
I | got up and opened the door. but
+ the snow came in in a 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
/ III a tearing rage. The instant | saw
! Mike | knew it was settled
I Am | or am not to give Mr.
! Moody a needle shower he shouted,
almost beside himself. And | saw he
/ had his overcoat over his bath cos
/ tune. which is a Turkish towel
/ A needle shower followed by salt
rub" said l. He's been having them
/ for eleven years. What's the matter?''
THAT fool Of a young doctor,
shouted Mike he told him before he
/ left that if ned been taking them for
| eleven years and wasn't any better il
was time to stop. Amt business bad
| enough-only four people in the house
| takin baths regular-Hithout his but
tin in"
/ where's Mr.. Moody"
IN the bath I've locked up his
clothes
You give him needle shower and
a salt rub ! ordered, and il he
makes fuss just send for me And,
| Mike I said. as he started out. ask
Mr.. Van Alstyne 10 come out here I'M
mediately"
Mr.. Van Alstyne came out on the
run, and when he saw Mr.. Pierce by
/ the flre-that was his name. Alan
| Pierce stopped and stared. Then
! he said:
You Internal young scamp" And
} with that Afr Pierce jumped up, sur
/ prised and pretty mad. and Mr. Van
( AIstyne saw his mistake
I'm sure l beg your pardon" he
said. The fact is. ! was expecting
somebody else. and IN the freight"
You surprised me. that's all" said
( Mr. Pierce Under the circumstances
/ I'm glad I'm not the other chap"
You may be" assured Mr. Sam
/ griply You're not unlike him. by
the way, A little taller and heavier,
but"
Now it's all very wen for MIR Sam
, to say | originated the idea and all
that. but as truly as | am writing this.
as ] watched his face I saw the same
thought come into it, He looked MIR
Pierce up and down. aud 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
looked in the fire.
All trafiic's held up. Minnie" he
said The eight O'Clock train is
stalled beyond the junction, in drift.
I've wired the conductor. and Carte,
isn't on il"
"Wen?" said l.
If We could only get past to-day. =
Mr.. Sam went on; If Thoburn would
only choke to death, or-it there Was
somebody around who looked like
Dick, I dare say, by tomorrow He
looked at Mr.. Pierce. Who smiled and
looked nj him.
And resemble Dick" said Mr.
Pierce. Well, if he's moral and
upright young man"
He isn't!' Mr.. SAM broke in saw
agely. And then and there he sat
down and told MFR Pierce the trouble
We were in, and what sort OF cheerful
idiot Dicky Carter was. And then MIR.
Pierce told about the play and the
humps. and how he WAS stranded
When Mr.. Sam asked him outright II