The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1916-04-13

kept me indoors, and l was trying to for
get my lonesomeness by reading late issue
of Judge. But somehow the lonesome
feeling would not be put aside by any of
the witty sayings which read.
| After several futile efforts to concentrate
my mind on the contents of the paper, l
threw it aside and picked up the telephone
and called up my friend Smith.
Smith, by the way, was the person who was
responsible for the lonesome feeling that
seemed 10 have taken such strong hold on
me. How did he do it, you ask?
Well, it started through his saying that
he had found the only girl, and that after
popping the fatal question, and being ac-
cepted, he felt that he must hasten around
to his old chum and break the joyful news.
No doubt it was Joy to him; but to an
old bachelor like myself, it was rather a
blow; for Smith and had long been chums,
and the thought of losing him had brought
on, what is commonly called the "blues. -
However, when Smith answered the tele-
phone, | asked him to come down TO my
apartments, or to wait in his, and | would
come up at once. He decided to run down
to my place, and as it was Saturday, he
said he would spend the night with me.
The arrangement suited me quite well. as
1 really did not care to face the storm that
was bowling outside. | sat in front of the
fire, and was beginning to browse, when the
door opened and in walked Wesley Jackson.
Jackson, by the way, was another friend
who at different times had talked of getting
girl and doing the ''happy ever AFTER
stunt.
''Hello,'' | greeted him. "Come over
and sit by the fire. Have you seen Smith,
"No,'' he replied, but l called him up
just before coming here, and he said he
would be up here within an hour"
"Wesely," l asked, 'what do you think
of Smith getting tied to petticoat?"
With big smile spreading over his face,
he said, 81 think it great, and you know
old man, he has picked a peach
eyes, she may be peach l told him,
''but you know peach will spoil if it is
uneaten, and Smith has never shown any
cannibalistic tendencies while in my pres
ence.
ooh, you are COMPOUNDED woman
| hater.
"No, am not, and to show you that
am not, l am going to make a proposition
to you and Smith,
"Well, here he comes now said Wesley,
as Smiths step sounded on the stairs.
Like most of my intimate friends, Smith
came in without knocking on the door.
"Well, old man, how is the Peach, :"
was the greeting given the prospective
bridegroom.
"Come over and sit by the fire and smoke,
while l unfold my plans for your future
life. Now, you fellows are in the same
condition that l am in; that is, you have no
near relatives, and no home except the
quarters you occupy in bachelor apart
ment.''
"Yes,' said Smith, "but am going to
have home soon."
81 am going to have home too some
day Jackson said.
''No doubt, you will both have home
or place you call home when you get tied
to the maids you are chasing; but have
plan, that will give you real home and
one that will be owned by yourselves a
Lone
edo you remember the boat we saw ad-
vertsed for sale last week? Well why not
purchase that boat and go down to the
South Seas and settle DOWN. The New
Zealand Government has control of an is.
land which it wishes to coonize. If we
get the boat l mentioned, we could make
the trip down there and settle on the is
land. You two fellows can get 'hiched' before
we start and the trip will make a great
honeymoon for your brides. The island |
have in mind is called Raol or Sunday is
land, and according to some old charts l
have examined it is an ideal place for a
home.
''But how are we going to earn living?"
asked the ever practical Jackson.
"By being farmers and sheep raisers, ~
was the reply. But says, Smith it will
take more than three of us to handle the
boat. That is one question that we had
better settle now. You both know Bah
cock and Wallace, why not take them in on
this thing? That would give US five men
on board the boat aud would make nice
little party to start over in a new country
'FBut,' says Jackson, "Smith and do
not know anything about seamanship.'
''That need not trouble US at all, if we
take Babcock and Wallace with us. Thev
are both good seamen, especially so is
Wallace. You could easily learn from