The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1914-12-15
eRIMMICk'S OYSTERS
BY JULIA CHANDLER.


tember to boast to his friends about
the oysters. 1t was so hot that he
could scarcely raise flicker OF in
terest by relating how Albert Mac
Shane. who had moved to Texas, was
going to ship him some gulf oysters
during the winter.
They're oysters that are oysters!
Grimmick always added. None OF
your measly little eastern things, but
big, fat ones, the size Of saucer.
And flavor! Say, II you haven't ever
eaten a gulf oyster you don't know
what you're talking about! They
Lets 60 and get something cold to
drink" the person to whom Grimmick
was talking would interject about here.
| taking off his Panama hat to mop his
steaming forehead.
Later in the fall people began to be-
J tray an interest in Grimmick's oysters.
They listened and they heard SO much
about those glorified bivalves that most
| of them would have recognized the ,
| barrel on sight. No matter how dis !,
! guised, it would have been impossible
for that barrel to deceive the eyes OF |
Grimmick's friends. Persons OF deep !
designs brought Grimmick new recipes
for cooking oysters and artfuly 4,
showed him their wholehearted disin- |
terestedness. Not that they expected
to get any of the oysters. but natural
" they took neighborly interest. 1t
might be big barrel.
Even Grimmick when he first gazed
upon it was tritle appalled, at the
size Of the barrel MacShane must
. ! have misunderstood and sent him a
young hogshead Or else the crop OF
gulf oysters was unusually large.
"Beauties!" cried Grimmick when
, he got the barrel open. II can scarce
ly wait to get at them!"
The Grimmick family had raw oys-
r tiers and oysters grilled that night for
dinner and all next day Grimmick
y made a nuisance of himself telling
/. every one how good they were. He
= issued no general Invitations, how
/. ever, for people to run in and take
home a pailful Of the gulf treasures.
, Consequently, comments were bitter
h on his trail.
;. Selfish brute!" was the universal
opinion. Its as bad as though he
- owned an automobile and never took
:, any one out for ride!"
It really is amazing how far oysters
will co. After the Grimmicks had en-
s joyed oysters stewed, scalloped,
~ banned and fried to their hearts con.
70 tent they saw no appreciable shrink
10 ing of the barrels contents. There
III we're Just about as many oysters as
before.
Q. Grimmick said he thought he'd take
ID some down to the office for his part
ner. Mrs. Grimmick said that as
ly she was going over to Sister Nells
he that day she might as we'll take som'
so along. The next day she carried SOM
on across to the neighbors on either sid
of them. That evening Grimmick SUI
in veyed the scalloped oysters set befor
He him and frowned slightly. He sal
Or they looked fine, but he believed
til Mary would fry him some Of tn
breakfast bacon he'd rather have II
rst The following morning he said n
I thought It was a mistake not to shar
,at their good fortune with their friend
he and that he would speak to Beekma
Ter and bundle and Buckle on the trai
. a and tell them to stop by that nigh
on their way home and get some.
,,, The weather turned warm just thel
NV "Its a shame to waste those oysters
thy 'r'mm,cK saiu ~ne .n,., nc saw .nou,o o
,od standing at AZ degrees. Il shoul
~, think you would remember some I
~. your friends to whom gulf oyste
a. would be real treat"
"Why, I have been giving the
around" confessed Mrs. Grimmic
Somehow, that barrels terrible hal
the to empty"
urs In another week Grimmick was pc
ing ding oysters frantically. The neig
veil tors' dogs Toasted on them and
,ich the cats for blocks about congregat'
daily on Grimmick's back steps
ION cause the cook fed them freely
edi. oysters. Presently whenever Gri
IAN. mick hove in sight the men won
raise protesting hands and say tn
tlv. were obliged, but they did not wa
fur any oysters.
rom Mrs. Grimmick, five minutes aft
taking a quart or so over to the nc
led. door neighbor, saw the maid mar
is out to the garbage can and empty
pro- the gift 1t then dawned on her IL
real 1t was the fifth time in week
are had bestowed oysters on that fami
Still, she felt irritated Further,
= of mere sight Of the barrel irritated h
n il for good many oysters remained
. Rather fearfully, she served oyst'
that night at dinner. 1t was the tn
time that week Grimmick explot
and and arose from his chair and beat
the fist upon the table. He gave orders Il
read if he lived to be one hundred and
par she was never under any conditions
hite place oysters upon his table aga
ness Then. calling for the spade and an
nted ne proceeded to the back yard. Al
npty excavating large hole he buried
cked rest of the oysters and chopped