Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1914-02-27


there and had to sell books to get
home He had little money, enough
for grub-stake,' he said, and all his
| folks were dead. Then college friend
of his wrote a rural play called Sweet
Peas"-"Great title, don't you think?'
he asked-and he put up all the money.
1t would have been hit, he said, but
! the kid in the play-the one that
unites its parents in the last act just
before he dies of tuberculosis kid
took tho humps 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
coat for eight dollars. which took one
of the girls back home. It's hard for
the women. A fellow can always get
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 roof and something
to eat-but l suppose they don't need
a jack-of-all-trades."
NO." answered, "but I'll tell you
what l think they're going to need.
And that's an owner!"
I'm not making excuses. l did It for
the best. If Mr.. Thoburn had not been
there, sitting by to see the old sana-
forum die so it could sprout wings
and fly as a summer hotel, I'd never
have thought of it. But l was in de-
spair.
l 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 it was settled.
Am l or am I not to give Mr..
Moody a needle shower?" he shouted,
almost beside himself And l saw he
had his overcoat over his bath cos
tune. which is 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, che 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-only four people in the house
takin' baths regular-without his but
tin in!"
Where's Mr.. Moody?"
I'm the bath. I've locked up his
clothes"
You give him needle shower and
a salt rub" I ordered, "and If he
makes a 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 f1re-that was his name, Alan
Pierce-he stopped and stared Then
- 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 l beg your pardon!" he
said. "The fact is, l 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
grimly. You're not unlike him, by
the way. A little taller and heavier,
but"
Now it's all very we'll for Mr.. Sam
to say l originated the idea and all
that, but as truly as | am writing this,
as l watched his face saw the same
thought come into 1t. He looked Mr..
Pierce up and down, and then he
stared into the fi.e 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 trafic's held up, Minnie" he
said. The eight o'clock train is
stalled beyond the junction, in a drift.
I've wired the conductor. and Carter
isn't on it."
"Well?" said /.
IF we could only get past to-day"
Mr.. Sam went on; "if ,hoburn- would
only choke to death, or-if there VAS
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.
Pierce. We'll, If he's a moral and
upright young man"
HE isn'tl" 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