The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1914-08-10
CHAPTER I.
The Masfara


Bassett, untangling fish lines.
my sakesl Mr.. Pratt" says
she; have you heard about Nate
Scudder? mean about what
a him and his wife has Just done?"
Amt been giving his money
to the poor. has. her" says /.
'Oh! amt you the funniest
thingi" she squeals. mo indeedi
He's let his house to some city
folks, and"
EN- slime kited off after the
s7milk, only stopping long enough
to yell back: Folks say they're
dreadful rich and stylish"
1 went over to Trumet In the
sloop that very day. And I'm
blessed if there want Nate Scud-
der himself, setting on a mackerel
key at the end of the wharf and
looking worried.
Hello, Mattel" I hailed, as the
: Dora Bassett slid up to the
wharf.
Hello, Soil" he says, sort of
mournful.
Hear you got some boarders." l
says.
YES" says he.
l made the Dora Bassett fast
and climbed on to the wharf.
Are they cal'lating to stay
-long?" l asks.
"Hey?" says he. "Oh-er =
yes"
"Humph!" l grunted, starting
to walk off. well, be careful of
yourself; look out it don't devel-
OPP into nothing worse"
What do you mean?" he
sings out.
oh" says I; 81 judged by
the way you kept your mouth
>shut that you had sore throat and
was afraid of getting cold. Good
day."
Would you believe it, he got up
off that mackerel keg and chased
after me.
Hold on, Soil" he says, kind
of pleading. Don't be in such a
hurry. wanted to talk to you"
Look here, Nate Scudder," l
says, for a man that wants to
talk you make the poorest fist at
1t of anybody ever l see."
You was speaking of them
boarders of mine," he says. They
come day afore yesterday =
early"
He fidgeted a minute or so
more. Then he took me by the
arm and led me back to the keg.
SOL he says, set down. /
want to ask you something. BY
gum! l got to ask somebody. I'm
I'm worried"
fes?" said, giving him a lit
Tie OF his own medicine.
Yes. Them boarders = thew
WORRY
till nigh eleven O'Clock last night
talking about 'em. She thinks
maybe they stole the money. and
1 don't know but they're crazy.
run away from an asylum or
something.
Twas this way" he went on.
II got letter from the Teller i'm
New York that l sell eranberries
TO. He said a couple of friends of
MS wanted to come to a place in
the country where twas quiet.
Did l know of such a place round
hereY Well, course | wrote back
that twas nice and quiet right at
our house. And then, yesterday
morning, they come-both of 'em.
Nice lookin' young felIers as
ever you see, they are. The big
gest one-they're both half as
- tall as that mast, seems so-he
says:
Can you give us two sleeping
rooms, two baths, a setting room,
and room for my MANI"
Two baths?' says 1. Can't
you take bath by yourseIf2 II
me and Hubby bunked in the hem
house and-the ehore boy in the
cellar, maybe we could aecommo-
date you, that is, all but the
baths"
"He laughed. He was so ever
lasting cool about things that IL
sort of riled me up.
Perhaps you'd like to hire
the whole shebang?' says 1.
Good ideal" he says. 4
would
We'll, that was too many for
mel l went into the house and
fetched out Hubby Ann. There
can beat my wife when 1T comes
to business, IL / do say it.
How long would you want
the house for?" says Hubby, when
=. j told her what was going on.
"A month"; says him as calls
himself Edward Van Brunt, turn
ing to the other city Teller. Hey,
Martini T'other chap nodded.
All right says Van Brunt.
How much2'
Thinks I, I'll scare you, my
. fine feller.' And so | says, A
month"; Well, don't know. May
be, to accommodate, / might let
you have ii for two hundred
Two hundred IL is he says.
and I don't know as you'll
believe IL, Sol, says Nate. finish
ing up. but that Teller fished out
the cash and passed It over to me
like twas a postage stamp. What
do you think of THAR"
ut beats me, Nate" I says.
What do you think2"