The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1916-10-09

per"
ooh. Hopper" I says.
"Of course. 'Opper," he says.
I'm Mr.. Edward Van Brunt's
vally-'is man servant"
Well, I'd made .. mistake, I
judged. II he was a servant he
couldn't be the keeper.
II suppose you'll quit when
the keeper comes" says I.
Keeper" says he. wat
keeper"
why, the Teller from the asy-
lum. How long has your boss
and his messmate been crazy?" /
asks.
"Crazy?" he says. Crazy?
Wat do you mean?"
Look here" says I. "Ain't
Van Brunt and Hartley out of
their heads?"
"Out of their 'eads? 'Eavens,
mol" Then he commenced to tell
about the Heavenlies. and 'twa'nt
long afore / begun to see that
twas Nate Scudder and me that
needed a Keeper we was the
biggest looms in the crowd.
Seems that the Twins was rich
New Yorkers-the richest and
high-tondest kind. Both of 'em
had money by the bucket and
more being left to 'em while you
wait.
but. IL the yain't crazy what
made 'em come down here to
live?" says 1, lat Nate Seud-
der's?"
Well, that was a kind of poser,
even for Mr.. James Opper Hop
per. 1t seemed to simmer down
finally to that book, THE Natural
Life" Seem there was a kind of
craze around New York and the
cities, stirred up by that book,
to get clear of luxury and COM
fort and good times and SO on.
and get to living like poor folks.
Living the Natural Life" the
valet called 1t.
role about the luxury in which
the Heavenlies had lived in New
York. Cutting out everything
about himself and the superior
ity of England to the United
which was two-thirds of
the yarn-there was some stuff
about a girl named Page that
interested me. Seems she was
the real thing in society, too.
Had money and good looks and
fine clothes-all the strenuous
nuisances. And she was engaged
to Hartley once, but they had a
row or something and broke II
off. And now she was engaged
to Van Brunt.
but, see here" | says, puzzled.
"If she's engaged to Van why
amt he home counting herr"
Well, the marriage, so James
said, was to be arranged later
Near as | could find out, Van
and this Agnes Page had mighty
little to do with the marrying.
Twas their folks that was fixing
that up.
Agnes herself had gone to
Europe with her ma, When she
was to home she was great on
charity. Her one idea in life was
to feed ice cream to children that
hankered for fishballs and brown
bread
In another half hour or so the
Heavenly Twins showed up along
side. And then 'twould have done
you good to see that Wallets back
get timber. He bowed and scraped
and Stirred" till you couldn't
rest. They spoke to him like he
was a dog and he skipped around
with his tail between his legs
like he was one-a yellow one, at
that.
When we'd passed the point out
comes that everlasting book and
the Twins got at 1t.
YAM" says Martin, "the Nat
ural Life for mine. / envy the
lucky devils who've had it all
their lives"
'Twa'nt none of my affairs,
but | showed my oar in here
couldn't help 1t.
You fellers amt getting the
real article-not yet, says L.
There's a hotel over back Of the
village where the boarders get the
genuine simple life-no frills In
cluded," says.
They was interested right off,
where's that, skipper" says
Van Brunt. whats its name?"
WELL" says I, folks around
here call it the poorhouse."