Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1920-11-11

eavesdropper get what came to get
in direct conversation.
l had my bottle of beer, and the bar
tender went back to the group, domi'
mated by the squat, laxative fellow.
He was not the comic type of con-
stable. He showed intelligence and
decision, but evidently he was fond Of
a story when he had 1t to tell. He was
saying:
II was up late because there was a
bad set at the Half Day, and Bill
Daley thought he might have trouble
with them before he got them on their
way. About one o'clock they had a
quarrel, without anything but talk,
divided into two sets and went away
in two cars toward the city. Bill and
split a bottle of beer and Bill said
he'd be going himself. 1t was nearly
one-thirty then, and thought I'd wait
up for Number Eleven at two o'clock
and see if anyone got OFF.
"Bill gave me the keys and told me
to shut the place up. had another
bottle Of beer and was playing soil
taire on the bar when Number Eleven
stopped.
II went to the s"nnt dOor of the bar
and looked over toward the station. A
man had got off, and he was headed
toward the half Day, which was the
only place showing light. / waited
AIo anA NuhnV No
up, saw he was foreigner. He had
gold rings in his ears.
ale made as If he wanted to come
in. He didn't speak enough English
for me to make out what he was say
ing. I let him in, and he went up to
the bar put down quarter and point
ed toward the whisky. gave him the
bottle and he pointed to me and
smiled. So said didn't mind If
did and we had a drink together.
thought I'd like to know what this fell
low wanted in town, so didn't sug-
gest it was closing time.
''Then was surprised to hear a car
coming along. The other fellow seemed
to be expecting it. We both went to
the door, The car stopped at the door,
and man helped woman out He
was little old shriveled fellow. She
was young and pretty.
1.-THE old fellow said something to
my foreigner, and he threw his arms
in the air, wriggled all over, laughed
and fell on the old fellow and kissed
him. The old boy struggled and
kicked, but the foreigner just picked
him right up and kissed him on both
cheeks.
"That old boy was mad when he got
loose. This is unthinkable,' he said.
Tt is beyond expression. You human
pig Dog of a man-slOb5ering beast !
Then he stopped speaking English and
said lot Of things the foreigner IN
derstood, but it didn't make him mad.
His eyes just sparkled. He put dol
lar on the bar and pointed to the
whisky again.
Bring our drinks over here said
the old boy, pointing to one Of tho
tables in a far corner of the room.
'"They sat down, and the two men
talked. The girl didn't seem to have
the language. The foreigner was ex-
cited. The old boy kept wiping his
eyeglasses. He wasn't showing as
much nervousness as the foreigner!
but he was pleased over something.
81 kept behind the bar, as near
their table as l could, and pretended
to play solitaire and wait for their or
ders, watching them as much as pos
sible and trying to make out what
they were talking about. Pretty soon
they wanted another round Of drinks
When served them the old boy want
ed to know if he could telephone to
the city. He paid me the toll, and l
showed him the telephone booth and
heard him give his number. 1t was
River 1900.
when he got his party, ne said: rs
that you, Sim? Everything is all right.
Yes, as expected. Let him go
THAT was all. He went back to the
table. noticed that he kept tight
hold all the time on a leather case.
When they got to talking again, the
foreigner kept pointing toward the
case and began to get more excited,
AS near as l could make out what was
happening, as they kept on talking and
motioning it was the black leather
case the foreigner wanted. and the
other man wouldn't let him have It.