The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1920-09-11
The Marry
Month of May
BY o. HENRY

Copyright. 1890. bv Doubleday. PAGE
& Co.: pabisshed ty special ar
ranpsmvnf Nth the Wheelcr Svn-
6tcafs. Inc.
Prsthcc. sfnite the poet In the eye
when he would sing 10 you praises
Of the month Of May. II Is month
presided over by the spirits OF mis-
chief and madness Pixies and nib
sbertigibbets haunt the budding
woods- Puck and his train Of mid
gets are busy In town and country.
In May nature holds up at us
chidins finger. bidding us remember
that we arc not gods. hut cvercon-
ceised members OF her own great
family. She reminds Us that we are
brothers to the chowder-doomed
clam and the donkey: iineal scsons
Of the pansy and the chimpanxee.
and but cousins.werman TO the cooling
doves. the auaeking ducks and tho
housemaids and policemen in tie
parks
In May Cupid shoots biindfoldcd-
msiilionaircS marry stenogrnphers:
wfse professors woo whlfe-aproned
gum chewers behind quick lunch
counterx. schcolrna ans make big rad
boys remain after school. lads With
ladders steal lightly over lawns
r..fa~s ..-.t,. - 49, t.~ftt..c.l
window with her telescope packed.
young couples out for a walk come
home married. old chaps put on
white spats and promenade near the
Normal school. even married men.
grown unwontcdiy tender and senti
mental. whack their spouses on the
| hack and growl: How goes u. old
ik4rirs
4 This May. who Is no GODDESS. but
Cfrce. mascucrading at the dance
riven In honor OF the fair dcbutantc.
Summer. puts the kibo~h on Us all.
Old Mr.. Cotilson groaned a little.
and then sat up straight in his tn
vaisdrs chair. He had the eout very
had In one foot. n house near Ora.
mercy park. half n million dollars
and a daughter And he had house
keeper. Mrs. widdup. The fact and
the name deserve a sentence each.
They have IL.
when May poked Mr. CouIson hc
became elder brother 10 the turtle
dove. In the window near which he
sat were boxes OF Ionauils- OF hya-
cfnfhx. gersniums and pansies- The
breeze brought their odor into the
room. Immediately there was a we'll
contested round between the breath
AZ the flowers and the able and
active effluvium from gouf linimcnf.
The Imminent won easily. but not be-
fore the flowers got an uppercut 70
oyd Mr.. couison's nose. The deadly
work OF the impiacable. false en-
chansress May was done.
, Across the park 10 the oifactories
Of Mr.. Couison came other unmistak-
able cshara cteristic, copyrighted
smells Of spring that belong to the
big-city-above-the subway. alone. The
smells Of hot asphalt underground
eaverns. gasoline. patchouii, orange
pnoi. sewer gas. Albany grabs. Egyp-
S,an cigarettes. mortar and the un-
dried ink on newspapers. The in
.yowinr air was sweet and mild.
Isparrows wrangied happily every
where outdoors. Never trust May.
Mr.. courson twisted the ends Of
his white mustache. cursed his foot
and pounded bell on the table by
his side.
In came Mrs. Widdup. She was
coneiy to the eye, fair, fiustered, 40
and foxy.
"Higgins r. out. sir" she said. with
a smile suggestive Of vibratory mas
mage. HE went TO post letter. Can
DO anything for you. sir7'
"It's time for my aconite." said
cid Mr.. couison. 'Drop II for me.
The tottIe's there. Three drops. In
wafer. D. that In. confound Hig.
gins, There's nobody in this house
cares II die here In this chair for
want OF attention"
Mrs. Widdup sighed deeply.
"Don't be saying that. sir" she
said. There's them that would care
more than anyone knows. Thirteen
drops. you said, sir?"
s~Three." said old man coulson.
He took his dose and then Mrs.
Uiadup's hand. She bIushed, On.
yes. IL can be done. Just hold your
breath and compress the diaphragm.
MRS. widdup" said Mr.. coulson.
~.he springtime's full upon US"
"Ain't that rightg'' said Mrs. Wild
. dup. "The airs real warm. And
there's bock.beer signs on every
corner. And the parks all yaller
and pink and blue with flowers: and
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