Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1918-03-01

/ 49, Oh 11AnS EEuc odIu OF2cUlaf-
~. You hear my racket S0mp'n is
Ia the wind over to Barton's-shore's
I'm knee-high to grasshopper."
How come you to be so shore p
Widow Allan demanded, settling her
knitting-sheath more firmly against
her plump side. Miss Prue half shut
one eye-a devout church member of
course could not wink--set her arms
akimbo, advanced a large foot, and
said still with the oracular intona-
tions: I'D tell ye-oply I'm main
afraid yen go strowiH' all up and
down Bresh Creek neighborhood. and
Attin' me the name o. talkin' scandal"
The widow smiled broadly. Miss
Prue was known already for the head
and front of all gossip especially of
the more lurid sort. Suit yerself,s she
said TRANQUILITY. "Tell hit or keep yer
mouth shet. / know and you know |
CANT possibly want to hear things half
as bad as You want to tell 'em."
Which was fact rudely stated. Miss
Prue magnanimously ignored 1t. 81
know you're a sensible person." she
began. Besides ra'alely must have
somebody ter take counsel of. This
we're business is too much for one lone
woman ter wrastle with
@How many other ones have We done
told a'ready2" the widow interrupted.
Miss Prue looked down: II Jest sorter
sketched things to Nan Wiekfiald and
Josy Crimes" she began. The wild
ow threw up both hands, shaken with
gusty laughter. '.Ye had better wrote
hit to the county paper" she said. 'But
wonder at yo' crossings. Nan and
Joe won't rest tell you've told the
whole neighborhood. not leayin you
nobody but me"
'They come In on me in the middle
of things-while the young man was
here, asking the way-anc maxim out
like he hung on admirin' my domin-
ecker puIlets." Miss Prue protested.
They seen him--also heard. So jest
bad to tell 'em-partly-the rest"
stop beatin' the bushes, fer good
ness sakel What is the rest?' the
widow demanded. Miss Prue drew a
long breath. "Ef l but knowed the
whole full of hit; 'twould be wuth
money-a heap of money. Five hun
dred dollars pin an awed voice
Enough to send missionary clean to
China"
"Ef didn't know folks CANT git
sunstruck in the late fall, I'd think
your head was fetched" the widow
exploded.
Miss Prue looked at her loftily, Sc
verely. Make light of hit all you
wanter," she said, ''but that's the re-
ward. Herel Look at the handful !
Didn't you find one like hit in your
letter box?'
The widow read, gasping. Sure
enough there was reward--ive hun
ared dollars for information leading to
the capture of counterfeiters, double
that for capture actual. Followed de-
scriptions-three men, girl, hardly |
more than child, an elderly person,
very dark-skinned, a small boy, al |
most baby. All pictured in the usual |
CHASTITY fashion of dodgers Over the |
widows shoulders Miss Prue glared |
down at the alleged portraits. ''Them
two's at Barton's, shore,'' she said. |
her finger on the dark woman with |
the baby in her arms. "S'manthy told !
me out of her own mouth they was |
goin' to board boy-child and hits
nurse till after Christmas. Now / ask |
you, what would honest folks be dom |
sendin' a child to the country sech a
time o. the year7"
ooh, that amt nothin'. Town folks
has got so silly they don't s'prise me.
no matter what they do" the widow !
commented. you're hatchin' a mares
nest out of nothing, as usual. Pru-
dence. Your parents ought to a-named
We Im-Prudence-you talk so Wild"
sWaiti You amt heard half" Miss
Prue said magisterially. 1.-TWO Of the
men, and the gal, are at Barton's every /
little while-cOme an go In car-al-
ways on the edge of dusk else mighty /
early mornin'. And this other-him
come yisterday-he makes up the hull
three"
"Are you shore? Did he look like
them pictures?" the widow demanded.
"As much as anybody else," Miss
Prue answered, tossing her head. "But
that amt all jedge by. He actually
offered me one o. his bad bills-a
twenty, bran-new--wanted to buy a
dozen pullets. and said he hadn't no
change"
"You took hit-then you've got the
gang dead to rights the widow said
Quivering in her eagerness over the
unfolding drama.
Miss Prue aiffed. II didn't do no
sech fool thin she said. @Once is
enough for me. / amt forgot that time
took in bad dollar SOS to sell
dozen aigs-and had the bank man
shove it back at me. marked 'coun-
terfeit.' / told that thar man hadn't
no change-he might come again fer
the pulIets. / don't believe he win do
it---hiit is he shop d.