Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1918-11-27
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TRUE BLUE
BY WARREN LEE BARTON.

Copyright. 1918, Western Newspaper Union.l


Copyright. 1918. Western Newspaper Union.l
''How you feeling now, Roger?"
"Snug as bug in a rugp'
"Mebbe we'd better forget digging
gold and dig back for home, hey?"
Everybody would laugh at us. No,
I'll be all right in a day or two and
We'll strike fresh trail, see?"
Thus spoke Roger Small, rich mans
son of Chesterton. fifty miles distant, to
his fides Achates, Zeb Walls. They
were in an old barn and, lying on a
heap of hay and covered to the chin
with ragged horse blanket, Roger,
with notified face, watched his chum
and nurse hustle about.
The latter had set up light house
keeping. He had small One-burner
kerosene stove, a skillet and a few
other kitchen accessories, a package OF
cereal, a bottle of milk and an old tea
pot. This was constantly simmering
on the little oil burner and gave out
an aromatic steam.
"You sec, you've got the measles"
said Zeb, land all you can do for it is
to lie still and keep warm, so l bor-
rowed the blanket without asking, and
as to the warm drinks you've got to
have there's loads of pennyrOyal in
the fields and that's the tea you're
getting. | found a letter with regu-
lar and a special delivery stamp on it
and cut them off and sold them for ten
cents and bought the cereal"
''Oh, Zeb The letter was intended for
some one"
Course it was. It's addressed to
woman and some one dropped it be-
fore it was mailed. I'll hunt her up
and deliver it,"
you're a true blue one, amt yOu?
voiced Roger in grateful admiration.
Il try to be. You would run away
from home and. having none myself,
/ was glad to join you. Now you're
sick think I'd drop you?"
Just then there were sounds of jolly
Juvenile voices outside. Half a dozen
boys peered in curiously. Its the two
fellers we heard about running away
from home" spoke their leader.
Keep out This is hospital just
now" warned Zeb.
what do you mean?" was inquired.
"Just what l say. My chum's down
with the measles and I'm nursing
him." and Zeb went outside with the
group.
Huh I" muttered one of them, Hes
lucky. Don't have to go to school.
Wish't / had his sickness"
you do?" challenged Zeb, his eye
Frightening. Look here, any of you
fellows anxious to catch the measles
so you don't have to go to school can
be accommodated at ten cents per. All
you've got to do is to pay dime, come
in and sit by my chum for an hour or
two and afOre day or Sc you'll break
out most beautifully"
Zeb laughed at his own conceit, but
the boys went away thoughtful. At
noon two of them reappeared with an
air of mystery and twenty cents be-
tween them.
Say" observed one of them, sheep
ishly, well take twenty cents worth
of your measles between u.s."
That's business" said Zeb, and saw
them seated beside his patient and pro-
ceeded down town to buy some delica-
cies for his invalid chum.
However infection did not occur
and the would-be victims missed the
opportunity of an anticipated vacation,
but the story got out. Miss Ina Blair,
schOolteacher, learned of the incident.
Il never heard of such cold-blooded
uiabOlism !" she told an assistant.
'"This Zeb Walls must be a horrible
wretch. I shall see that he and his
chum leave town at once"
She was pretty as a picture and gen.
tie as dove, but for day or two had
been laboring under disappointment
and chagrin. -Four days previous a
certain shy, but 'adoring young man
had whispered to her at tennis party
that he intended sending her a very
important letter next day, and it had
not come.
Zeb, making a fresh infusion of pen
nyroyal tea, was challenged from out
side the barn by young lady waving
her parasol at him.
Come here, you young reprobater
she called. Are you the wretch who
has been trying to scatter an epidemic
of disease through the town.
Nom" dissented Zeb, 1--WE Just
been trying to keep my chum, Roger
Small, comfortable"
well, you must move on and leave
here, or I'll have the authorities after
you. am Miss Blair, the schoolteach-
er, and must protect my charges"
"Oh, say" abruptly calculated Zeb,
I've got something for you," and he
hauled out the letter from which he
had clipped the stamps Miss Blair
sNNs, - A. n