The Washington times., 1915-10-25
The New Adventure of
]. Rufus Wallingford

The currency Is running rather low.
sir" he urged, his severe spectacles ris-
1T will begin coming in at the back
door in half an hour" promised Prime,
looking at his watch. at will come and
~ stay right here to show myself.
pesred over Wallingford's shoulder
while he scratched from 2 little book
Ss Mso fSSsn Sss as %s%s ,s list ,S Of S, ,HS..
den orphans Of their fathers fortune.
The fourth name was that Of President
Just even. ladies' chuckled J. Rufus,
anu iidty thousand dollars to the
v,Sjs; Sh we We toGE9s rat. sy;Sasny exclaimed @
the expense fund. We hiwaysw" "' "
Great Jehosophat!' Biackie Daw had
jumped from his chair as the door open
ed: and, with tale. drawn face. hal
ere%n he sp pyecS %uaST wSc 0n, ,ns o
! the girls rushed - the other window
, and, pokcd out their heads.
'Wherell ! go?' asked Toad Jessup
calmly, closing tho door and leaning
apainst It. They put me otf the street
car and had TO walk clear back from
the country. There's a man out there
has skunk farm"
I Get upstairs into the bathroom" or
dcrcd Wnilingford. gasping for breath.
| Put your clothes In n suit Gaze. and
have It sunk In the canal. Blatkie, get
a machine. Wen all go for a ride
| The girls were stiil giggiins when. as
they drove swiftly through the cool
evening air. J. Rufus began to chucklc.
| That expense fund" he explained.
wen drive straight back 10 town.
want to find that real estate fellow"
| The town awoke Unusually early next
! morning gasping for breath. There was
In the air pungcnt something which
spurred into instant activity every re-
Nulsion possible to the human system.
The town moaned. and uttered one
agonized word.
skunk
Never in all the history OF civil
izatiun. had there been such an over
whelming. persistent. devastating
oder is that which pcrmeated and
saturated the sweet breeze OF the
morning. There was no escape from
no relief. The town might as we'll
have tcen one rmed that morning
for every citizen. irrespective Of age
scN, or color, WAS compelled to use
or.an. For a time the disaster wss
so ncwildcring that its source could
only bc conjectured but at nine -hf-
teen WLllinGford'a telephone bell
rang.
"IIcllo.' responded the faint nasal
voice Of J. Rufus.
rs that you. Wal,inEford'" was the
nasal reply. "Wcli this Is Prime
"han,y next to my store with
skunls?'
\ They're necessary to my business.
twanged Wallincford. I'm, collcctinG
Chemical Company is to manufacture
the strongest disinfectant In the
world. and skunks----''
What The tone was as explosive
as pOssible to a man who was hold
ins mis- nose tightly shut, well
why can't j. It's my lot. Boush,
hundred dollar option on IT las,
night, and I'm goinf to start build
ing my. factory tomorrow"
= choking. EaspinE silence. Then:
silence: well. how much for youl
optioiy'
Ter thousand dollars. and send II
over. in currency"
Half an hour later the five stranger,
hurried out to the bus. their expcns,
money added to the restitution fund
The hotel attendants were holdins
their noses; the passers-by on the stree
were holding their noses: the motormef
on the street cars were holding theiI
noses old men and young men. it'll,
children. and women were at the sam,
Involuntary obedience to natures frs
law. It was "A city Of left elbows hel,
at right angles to the face.
The president OF the reformed Peo
pies Bank rushed out OF Primes I'm
porium as the bus started
wait q minute" he chokcd. chang
inS hands to get at his handkerchief
hc saw the Warden orphans In the bu
with Blackic and Wallingford and Toa,
Icssup. and his eyes fell while a be
wilderod expression came into his face
Were these girls at the bottom OF hi
nisfortunes. Just then the wind shift
ed. and he shook his unengaged fist.
"What arc you going to do with thes
skunks?"
J. Rufus leaned out Of the bus win
dow. and holding his nose firmly witt
| his right hand beamed genially on tn
sufferer.
"Oh, those Keebo skunks." he con
sidcred. They go with the property
Mr.. Prime.
Continued Next Sunday.)