The Marietta journal and courier., 1918-02-01


In PenrOse's back yard, staring at
magnificent creature they had discov-
erred upon the stalk of lush bush in
the fence corner. The thing was so
Istill, it might have been a pixies con-
,certina. painted dusty green and or
namented with brilliant pool balls
from a pixie pool table. To Penrod
tahd Sam it was known as tobacco
worm" and ii was the largest and fat
hest they had ever seen. The two
boys stared in silence for long time;
finally PenrOd spoke in hushed
voice
II wonder what he's thinkin' about"
"Thinkin' about how fat he is, may
be-" Sam suggested.
81 bet you don't know which end
his head is" said Penrod.
81 bet you don't, either"
''Well whoever said didr" Penrod
retorted GROSSLY.
"Well, did say l did?"
'WelI whoever said you did say
you did?"
A movement on the part of the green
creature distracted the attention of
both boys mOmentarily.
'LoOk ~ Penrod cried. "He's
niovin'p
"Climbin' up the bush," observed
is; it's on top"
at doesn't have to be on top just
because he's cIimbin' up the BUSH
Penrod remarked scOrnfully.- 81 guess
he could back up, just as well as climb
up, couldn't hep
"Well, he wouldn't" Sam argued.
''What would he want to back up for,
when he could just as easy climb up?
His heads on top Of him, and that
proves it,"
Penrod laughed pityingly. Suppose
sumpthing was after him; he'd want
to have his head on the bottom end
SOS he could keep watchin' out to see
if ii was comm after him up the stalk,
wouldn't he? That proves it, u
guess! /"
So it did--So far as Sam Williams
was concerned. Sam was overwhclm-
ed; he had nothing to say. He dug the
ground with the toe of his shoe de-
spondently, then frightened all at
once 81 bet | know sumpin' about
grasshOppers that you don't"
go ahead and prove it,"
81 bet you don't know grasshOppers
chew tobacco"
At this Penrod yelled In consum
ing scorn.
"You wait!" Sam began to browse
In the grass searching.
"Grasshoppers chew tobacco" howl
ed PenrOd. "Grasshoppers chew to-
bacco! GrRsshop-oh, no, no !"
"Here," said Sam, bringing a grass
hopper for his inspection. "YOu watch
now"
He gave the grasshopper a command,
squeezed him slightly about the mid
die and proved the case absolutely
'Look there" he cried, fiOurishing
Exhibit A upon his thumbnail. "NOw,
say grasshOppers don't chew to-
bacco"
Penrod was beside himself, but not
Gas would have been proper) with con-
fusion; ecstasy was his emOtiOn-and
there followed a bad-quarter of an
hour for the grasshoppers in that por-
tion of the yard.
"PShaw!' said Sam. "Tve known
grasshoppers chewed tobacco ever
since l was five years old"
Penrod paused to seek further
knowledge at it's fountain-head.
"Sam, do you know anything else?"
he inquired hopefully.
eyes, | dot" replied Mr.. Williams
with justified resentment. "Lemme see.
oh, yes | bet you don't know If you
put black hair from a horses tail in
bottle and put water in it, and leave
dt there for three weeks, it'll turn into
a snake"
81 do, too" said Penrod. 81 knew
that, ever since | was" Penrod
paused; sudden light in his eyes.
''Sam, did you ever try it?"
NO" said Sam, thoughtfully. 81
guess when l heard it we didn't have
any horse, and | was too little to get
one from any other peoples hOrse-or
Sumpthing."
Penrod jumped up eagerly. "Well,
we aren't too little now!' he shouted.
"Yay!" This jubiIant outcry from
Sam demonstrated what reciprocal
fires of enthusiasm were kindled IN has
bosom on the instant. where's
hOrse?"
simultaneously their eyes fell upon
what they sought. In a side street
stood a groCer's wagon. and the gro
Ger had just gone into the kitchen. At
tached to the wagon was an elderly
bay horse. Attached to the elderly
bay horse was black tail. The pros
pectiye snake manufacturers drew
near the raw material.
The elderly bay horse switched his
black tail at a fly, a gesture unfOrtu-
nate for Penrod, upon whose eager
ss0untenance If cjIIniOafp6