Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1918-01-19
OUR BOYS F.;
and GIRLS
SHOPPING


Mrs Alligator gazed ar her husband
acfos, lhe coffee cups Manuel she
began, doubliuly. Her husband put
down his newspaper with a resigned
sign
Yes, Matilda" he said, of course
III get it Tor YOU What is it,
Its a ward and three quarters Of
pink lowered chinz 10 finish my HI
mono" replied Mrs. Alligator. sweet
l!. IN give YOU the sample
Mr.. Alligator stirred his coffee Vi
cousy 4 hate matching samples, -
hc sand. Il always get The wrong
ding
Nonsense said his VIE, plaCidly.
Here's The sample, and all You nave
10 do is % 90 to Gusham Brothers
ana ask them 10 give you yard aud
quarters exactly like this It's
twenty-five cents a ycrd You'd bet
tet ran along quick | near the train
whistle and she helped him on With
his OyerCoat
As Mr. Alligator craWlei djsmally
down the front path he said to him
self. Il declare, hats jus, ne trouble
with living so far from the cities. |
always have a hundred dozen things to
get when | 80 TO town | declare, |
think I'll spend next winter m park
ZOO
When he reached the station the
train VAS already there but he soon
found 4 baggage car with the door in
willingly open. and scuttied inside, for
being only an alligator he wasn't al
lowed to ride in the parlor car. In
fact he wasn't allowed TO ride even
in the rreisht car. and So that's why
he sc1ttled inside and hid in a dark
corner ill after the train had started.
When it Haa well under way Manuel
took off his coat, rolled il up into 4
pillow, and lay down on the itoor He
always did this, and his wife often
wondered how he got so many
wrinkles in his coat. The darkness
and the rocking motion Of the train
soon soothed him to sleep, and he was
alust dreaming that his wife insisted on
making him an oyercoat Of blue
lowered chlnz when the car stopped.
The door was hung open and the con-
ductor pat in his head
Jimmy crickets,' exclaimed the
conductor, when he saw Manuel fast
asleep in The car, and h. got broom
and poked at Manuel in a gingerly
manner
"Yard'n three'auafters of blue chm
like the sample" murmured Manuel
drowsly. as he opened one eye. When
lie saw the conductor he opened the
! other eye in hurry.
Tickets. please" cried the conduc.
tor.
He always said that when he could
not think of anything else 10 say. But
the minute Manuel took one step to-
ward MIN his presence OF mind came
back 20 him, and he turned and tore
down the platform at full speed. Man
uel was not used to being found in
baggage cars. and so he tore down the
platform in the other direction as
hard a. he could and hid trembling
under pile of strawberry crates.
The conductor would have been run.
ming yet If he had not accidentally
bumped into an old lady with green
parrot in a large cage, who had come
down TO The station TO meet her hus-
Lad. This old lady was his mother
ir-law, and tho he was afraid OF ALI
gators, he stopped to apologize.
Why. William said the old lady.
"were you coming to greet me? It's
nice 10 have you so fond of me, but
don't be so impetuous next time. Have
you seen my husband anywhere
around? We're going shopping at
Gingham Brothers. II you find him
tell him I'll wa for MIN in the wait
ong-room. and inc old lady picked up
the parrot cage and trotted off.
William did nor have time TO hunt
for the old lady's husband for just
hen the whistle blew and he had TO
jump on board.
When the station was quiet again
Manuel Crawled softly out from under
the strawberry crates and made his
way cautiously down the platform TO
the ticket Office window
Please, Mr. Ticket Man he said
politely, can YOU tell me the way to
! Bingham Brothers." For Manuel had
leG tAe sample and the address his
wife had given him in his coat pocket,
and he had left his coat in the car
Manuel was so close to the GROUND
/ that the ticket man couldn't see him.
and he thought it was little boy who
was speaking and so he said: You
see that old gentleman going down the
street there sonny? He's going to
/ Bingham Brothers. You just follow
him"
Thank Tou, kindly said Manuel
and he ambled off after the gentleman.
Now, this gentleman was Mr.. Bangs
and he Was the husband OF The lady
with the parrot. and he had not been
able to find either of then; so he was
going to Bingham Bbthers to wait
Tor them there AS he turned the cor.
ner he looked back and saw Manuel
crawling gracefully after him.
wait minute called Manuel; Il
wan YOU Mr. Bangs did not wait. On
the contrary. he walked faster than