Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1917-02-06

says Marian. who wants to turn
white people blackr
"sThat's just the point nobody does
usually says Jim. However. this is
case in point. This single drop Of
Professor MacStarts famous mixture
won't mix. It's just a drop, floating in
the center of the bottle. IL can't be
seen, heard, smelled, touched, or
tasted. Now, II we divide the contents
Of this here vial, one Of us must get
the drop and one won't. IL can't be
divided. It's an original molecod-
dleole.
"Tm beginning to get you now
says /. The winner is the one what
turns black, and he gets Miss Marian
Never screamed Marian. I'm
going to marry the loser. No black
fellows for mine
"'The winner is the loser, explains
Jim Burley. In six to eight hours the
winning loser, what was white, turns
completely black, for keeps. The
Marian.
"'Not before I've had time to see
he doesn't turn black too says Marian.
"'He won't says Jim, patient-llke.
You see, he won't swallow the drop.
And he began to uncork the vial. Are
you ready. TheodoreT he asks.
Entirely So says l. You see, I
loved the girl well enough to be will
ing to turn black II l couldn't have
her
"'Then come on says Jim pouring
out the stuff into two glasses. How
they happened to be there ought TO
have puzzled me at the time, but II
didn't. 4 think I've divided fair
| says Jim, and you can take which
ever glass you want
"Tll take the one nearest you
says I. Here's health, anyhow And
so we drank. You won't make it an
other dollar, gentlemen? All right;
| just as you please, of course.
"We went home. All that night
kept feeling myself to see if l was
] black, but I felt just the same. /
| guessed I'd won then and went to
sleep peaceful. When 1 woke in the
morning ! went over TO my shaving
mirror. l was as black as the ace of
spades, gentlemen. And it wouldn't
wash off.
swell, sir, you can guess how l felt
Jim Burnley had got her for sure
What riled me more than anything
else was my having took the glass
nearest him. If I'd taken the other
one I'd have been white instead OF
black. Now l was black instead OF
white. tell you, gentlemen, it made
me sick.
81 thought of all the trouble I'd had
getting my face bunged up by Jim
and then drilled full Of holes, anJ
falling nine hundred feet out of &
blazing balloon, just as if I'd been ,
movie actor instead Of an ordinary de
cent, seif-respecting citizen, and it go
me sore.
IL had a try at alcohol. and brandy
and turpentine, but 1t seemed to have
settled too deep for anything to be OF
much use. I thought Of telephOnins
Marian to take me anyhow, but ]
knew that wouldn't go. Jim had won
her in fair fight, and-well, had tc
l5nuckle under
"Just then l heard a ring at the
door of my apartment. went and
opened it. An ugly-loOking buck mig.
ger was standing there.
"'What do you want, you black loaf.
er?' l roared. for I wasn't feeling very
kindly toward the colOred race just
then. He looks at me. What you
tooT he roarS And then saw that
il was Jim.
"'Come in says. frostiiy, but still
glad at, heart. But he didn't need the
invitation. but Just pushed me into my
room and pulled the door to after him
And he bursts into a roar of laughter,
"T don't see nothing funny in your
remarks says l. But Jim only laughs
the louder. Have you tried turpen,
tineT ne asks.
at have, and likewise suds and al.
cohol, benzine and gasoline 1 an.
swers, hufhly. Then the laughing fit
took hold of me as well. Say, Jim,
you do look like peach says. DO
you think Miss Marian will marry you
nOwT
"'That drop must have divided,
says Jim. well, there's no hope for
either of us now, Theodore
"T dunno says /. Il guess it's up
to us TO commit suicide, II we amt
death-proof, but there's one thing to
do first, and that's to bash up Per
lesser MaeStart.'
"Tm with you there says. When
do we beginT
"'Right now he says: and then the
telephone rang. Excuse me- says !.
"'Ill go with you says Jim. kind
of SUSPICIOUS.
at was from Marian. Congratulate
me boys. she says. 4 guess you're
together. I'm telephonlng you from
| Atlantic City The Perfessar and 1