Evening star., 1918-05-26
The Adventures of JabeZ Bunker :

what dfspleased, they're there. II
had a microscope I could show them 70
you"
II reckon your ma don't come up here
very often, suggested Mr.. Bunker.
'who-Mummy? I guess no&f" said
"This is Mr.. bunker" said Roxby
Ridge. "He Is selecting picture"
Kiss him?" asked Ann, and then she
added. as she looked at Mr.: Bunker's 8
cheerful, smiling, pink face: Not that It
would be a hard job. l guess I could
live through it"
Mr.. Bunker chuck1ed.
Il reckon my wife has lived through
it quite a SPELL" he said.
"Why don't you have your wife come
with you and help you decide which of
those pictures to buy?" asked Roxby
Ridge suddenly. seeing a way to help Mr..
Bunker out of his dilemma.
"Well. you see." said Mr.. Bunker, II
f1ggered on givin' her one Of these pic
lures for a birthday surprise"
when is her birthday?.. asked Roxby
Ridge eagerly.
er. and Mr.. Ridge groaned. 1t was now
May.
When he left the studio that day
Mr.. Bunker walked to the corner
nearest his boarding house, and here
he met, as he expected to meet. his
1rlenJ tNe pOilcemdH. Inc Two eA-
changed greetings.
IT wonder" said Mr.. Bunker. "if
maybe you know a right good saloon
in this neighborhood. Kind of a re-
spectacle place. I was wonderin' II
you could tell me nice barroom. You
don't happen to know none that has
a dollar-bill framed up behind the
bar over the cash register like Hank
Mullen had out to Oroduna. Iowa. be-
fore prohibition come? A dollar bill
with The first dollar across my bar
wrote under it? Reckon thaf saloon
over yonder has one?'
"Sure" said the officer. and Mr.. Bun
ker crossed the street and entered
the barroom.
The man behind the bar-who hap
pened to be the proprietor as we'll
was swabbing the bar when Mr.. Bun
ker entered. He threw the wet rag
under the bar and waited for Mr..
Bunker to make his want known.
How do" said Mr.. Bunker. Right
nice weather we're havin'. amt it?
wonder II 'twould be all right to buy
some kind of liquor off Of you in case
a feller got spell O. cramps?"
Anything you want you can have
II was just wonderin'." said Mr.
Bunker apologetically, whether my
wife would object to me buyin' liquor
in a barroom instead of at a drug
store. I've heard tell you kin git bet
ter liquor in barroom than in a drug
store"
The saloon man set a bottle on the
counter.
There's as fine stuff as is made" he
said. "and I sell lots Of it for medi-
cal purposes"
Mr.. Bunker adjusted his spectacles
and examined the bottle critically.
You might give me about a quar-
ter's worth of it," he said, and the
saloonman carefully filled a small
flask, pushed the cork in tightly and
slid the flask across the bar to Mr.
Bunker. Mr.. Bunker was gazing at
small oblong frame. above the CASH
ier's register.
Il see you got one of them dollar
bills" he said.
The sa1oonman looked at the BILL
"First bill showed across my bar
he said proudly.
1T sort of makes me think of a
young artist feller I know" said Mr.
Bunker. Hes a great hand at paint
in things to look like what they are
newspapers and old boots and I'D
dies hanging against barn doors, and
all such things. I been sort O. wor.
ried about him lately"
"Drinkin'?"
Not that know Of" said Mr.. Bun
ker. Just not sellin' nothin', as you
might say. I had mind to offer him
some money. but he amt that kind
He'd rather starve than take charity
I reckon"
He gathered up the flask and slipped
it into his side pocket.
I wonder" he said thouRhtfully
He fesitated.
"Wonder what?" asked the saloon.
man.
IT was wonderin," said Mr.. Bunker
whether I hadn't thought Of a way OF
helpin' Ridge without him KNOWN
anybody was givin' him charity. He
could paint that dollar bill onto a
canvas SO lifelike you wouldn't know
which was which, the real bill or the
painted one. Be sort Of cute to have
the two Of 'em hangin' there-the real
one and the painted one-and let
folks guess which was which,"
1.-The way times are I can't afford
the saloon man began.
We'll, / was reckonin' to pay for 1t, u
said Mr.. Bunker. "If you was to take
the dollar bill to him and say how you
heard Of him through somebody or
other, and git him to paint likeness
of that bill. and I was to pay what
ever It, COST"
Now you're talking something"
said the saloon man.
Before Mr.. Bunker left the barroom
it was all settled. The saloon man
was cautioned not to pay over one
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