Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-11-29
West Wind Drift
BY GEORGE BARR McCUTCHEON
Copyright, 1920, By George Barr MoCutoheon

|IH IINI" Itf1dL, you hllOW. 4 JusI IhOuBnt
maybe you'd--Gosh, never saw IL snow
]ike this up home, did you? Funny, too,
when you think now tropical we ought
to be. There was bad blizzard II coupla
years ago in Buenos Aires but
Come 20 the point, Buck. What's
upr'
Buck lowered his voice well, you SEQ
it's this way. I'm thinking of getting
married. Tomorrow, II possible. Don't
laugh don't zee anything to laugh
at H."
II beg your pardon, old chap. I could
not help laughing. It's because I'm
happy. Don't mind me. Go ahead. You're
4 thinking of getting married, .eh? Well,
J what's to prevent?"
do you approve of It? That's what
] want to know"
"Suro. or course, I approve OF It."
n Il just thought I'd make sure. You
see. ncbody's ever got married here be-
fore, and DIDN'T know what you think
/ Of me-er---sort of breaking tho Ice
don't you see"
"Shes finally said yes has she? Good
girl Congratulations, old chap-thou-
sands of 'em---milions."
Va well, that takes some OF the load eff
MY mlnd said Buck. as they shook
hands, Now, there's one or two things
more. First, she says she won't come
and live In a hut where flve men besides
myself arc bunking. don't blame her,
DO you? Second, she says IL we ever
get rescued from this islrnd, she won !
let me go TO the war--not step, she
swears. / put up holler right away
says to her ! was on my way TO tle
war before / ever met her, and then Snn
savs aio't got anything on her. She
was going over to nurse. But she says
II she gets married she's going to claim
exemption, or whatever they call 1t, ana
she says i got to do the same-caus"
we'll both havo dependents then. Then
says the chances are tho wars over by
this time anyhow, and she says fcller
In the Argentine told her on his word
pf honor IL wouldn't be over tor five
years or more. But that's n minor point
What's rustinB me 10 this: How am
soins to t. get rid OF them five guys in
Have you told them you're going to
be married.
"Why, they're the ones that told me-"
Its pretty rough weather TO turn men
out into the cold unteelins world
Buck scratched his ear in deep per
plexity. 'Well, It's got me guessing" He
slumped into an attitude CT profound
detection. What we'd ought to have
done, A. A., was to build n hotel or
something like that II We had a hotel
here, thcre'd be 80 blamed many wed.
,dings you could't keep track OF 'eu.
That's the Only thing that's holding peo-
pie back. Why, half the unmarried rel
iers here are thinking about getting
married They're thinking, and think
ing and thinking, morning. noon and
night And they've set the girls think
sAng. too--and most of the widders and
Old maids besides. I don't see how q
smart Teller like you, A A.. happened
10 overlook the possibility Of Just this
kind Of thing happening
what have I got to do with it?"
why. darn It all, you'd ought 10 have
& "By George, Puck, I've get It." cried
Percival excitediy. Have you thought
Of q wedding Journey"
~ what?"
"Wedding trin-honeynoon."
.i "Well, we might walk up and down
.tthe main street here n coupla times"
oeid Buck sarcastically. "Or take stroll
along the beach or something like that
M whats tho matter with a nlco long
''say. I'm not kidding about this
,ng,'" exclaimed Mr., Chizler. hristling.
Mn in dead earnest"
Nv HAS It occurred to YOU that the Do
,araine is lying out there IN tho har-
bor--. Hero! Look out! I don't like
4beins hugged by"
III my gosh. a. A.! Oh my goshr'
barIsed the ccstauc brldegroom-anpar--
Cent 'FIow did YOU happen to think OF
Fsuch beautiful wonder ful----"
"IIow did happen TO think Of ~"
shouted Percival, Just ms ecstotlcally.
why darn your eyes, why shouldn't I
think of Il? Why did old Nohh think
Of tho Ark? Why, ! ask you?"
"Iio didn't" said Buck succirctly.
Of 4" .,, . :. ~, r, ~.
three hours yet before school is out"
"Sny, are you off your bAse-lcinmo
smell your breath. You act like Wait
a second! There's something clse want
TO speak 70 you about,
'Is it's It all right for me TO get
o. X. before she'll move an inch She
saws nobody can do anything around
4 here without YOU say SO. So I"
w. RSs Yek tell Hfr boy sYf give SeT so6d sa kas
for me, and say I'll speak to Captain
Trigger this afternoon about passage on
the Doraine,, By, George, Ii think I'll
sDeGK obFs TO n bosS so0uI By u E0s2
ere a brick, There amt anything you
Won't do for a friend; ia there?.,Y 49,
EPerclval blushed and stammercd. 1T
I've got, to, see him anyhow, Buck
FIN about II, / suppose might as we'll
speak to Parson Mackenzie, eh? On Is
II TO be Father Francisco? And that
reminds me, ITNhavo to see Malone. and
and out about Ne legalty-got to have
the law on oui Nside, you sec, Buck
Something in thAform OF q license
United states of America and all that
md also see about fixing up desirable
quarters on board the Doralne, | may
have TO transfer quite n lot of--cr-fur-
niture and so forth from my hut to tho
Gee whIz. a. A.. YOU mustn't go 10 20
blamed much trouble for me-" gasped
the delighted Buck.
"Eh? What? Oh. tho devil take you
Beat it now, I'm going to be mighty
"f'n do as much for you, A. A., II you
ever get married" cried Buck. once moro
wrinEing tho others hand, Then he was
on up the road like a schoohoy,
Shortly before the noon recess, PercI-
val returned from the DOrane. by this
time, the news had spread through the
camp that thoro was 70 be n wedding
Every one he met hailed him with the
Say, have you heard the news?"
what news?"
"There's going to be wedding"
self "They must have been pecping
through those windows after all"
Finding that he had ten minutes to
spare before school was out, he decided
received him with icy politencss.
IT have been expecting YOU" sho said.
rYour friend Mr.. Shav honored us with
n visit yesterday. My niece Is at the
school. VIII you sit down and walt for
II beg your pardon, What was that
YOU said about Shay?"
= "I said he came to see us"
Percival stared. "IIe did?'
"Please sit down, Mr.. Pcrcval DO u
not ask me to tell you anything more
about Mr.. Shay" she went on hurrlcdIy. |
=