Evening star., 1920-07-11

have a 1olt handed him. He'll md
we don't give gol durn FER him. any
Of u.s." ~ - 49,.
about Dudley. do you?" says .. K
"Sure we do" says Cousin Bill.
why not, But I s'pose you gents
amt interested In family matters.
What you want to do Is look over the
place, eh?'
why, yes. if you don't mindy' says
Dudley, tippin' US the wink.
Well, it looked as if the happy home
comm we'd plotted out had BEEN COM
about the farm and through the barfss
and finally into the house where we,
met the rest of the family. Bill hears
US call Dudley D. K. and so he follows
word In fact he introduces him to
his sister Nancy as Mr.. Decay. at
which Pinckney almost spilled the
beans by chucklin'
Hope you'll excuse the looks Of
some of these rooms" says Cousin
Nancy, but we've had a dressmaker
[ in the house for a week and things
are all which-way. Going to have a
wedding here tomorrow-lny daugh-
ter, Come here. Elsie, and gentlemen.
i in to help out with the cooking"
She's bunchy, waddly old girl
Mrs. Grunnet. with her gray hair done
up in little knot on top of her head
and cheeks tinted up like fall apples
She amt backward about meetin'
strangers. though. She wipes the flour
| off her hands on her apron and steps
up to give Dudley hearty shake.
! Glad to meet you, Mr.. Decay" says
she. Excuse my hands. Jest been
"um-m-m-m! Ginserbread., saws
| Dudley, sniff1n'. I'll bet it's mighty
good batch. too. 1 can tell by the
smeH.''
And you should have seen the old
girl smile at that. Say. she was his
friend for life from then on. That
was only the beginning. though. Dud-
! ley's next big stroke was when he
| asked Elsie about her beau. and how
| long she'd known him. and where
| they were goin' to live. and made her
show him the weddin gown. He got
Bill by talkin' farm stuff. and prais-
| in up some of the cows. and adnirir
| the new cream separator.
| Say. you must have run a dairy
farm yourself some time" remarks
| Bill
ooh. no." says Dudley. II fooled
around one little when I was a boy.
| though. Interesting work. isn't it?"
| And the first thing we knew it was
after 5 o'clock
Say. you fellers can't make train
Eave supper with us I'll tell Nancy"
| oh. but there's such q crowd Of
u.s." protests Dudley II will say,
though, that the smell Of that ginger
bread tempts me-"
Course you'll stay" insists Bill.
| That is, If your friends can stand it.
I! know you don't mind yourself"
| At which Dudley nudges me and
pokes Pinckney in the ribs. He seems
to be havin' a whale of time. Dud :
ley. In this disguise Of his as farm
broker from New Haven. He has
shaken of his nervous motions and
his peevish look and the more he
tramps around the farm the better he
gets He's especially tickled when
he can induce Bill or any of the rest
OF 'em to state their opinion Of this
stuek-up Cousin Dudley of theirs.
| Hope he don't expect me to do any
| cookin' for him." announces Mrs
Grunnet. Land sakes!"
| II know what I'll tell him." SAYS
Cousin Nancy. IF he goes to paradin'
Well. supper's ready and you can all
set down"
| Which we proceeds to do, taking
any place that comes handy around
| the red table cloth. Mrs. Grunnet
having put on the dish Of baked
plants herself between Pinckney and
me. and Dudley draws a chair at the
end of the table.
Somebody missing. isn't there
asks Dudley. pointing to a vacant
| place.
Aunt May" says Bill. She's dewu
to the village. Ought to be up soon.
Whew! Kind of warmish in here
| Nancy. Guess I'll have to shed the
| coat"
Good idea" says Dudley. IT think
I'll take mine off. too"
Say. you should have been poll
| tician, D. K,." says /. grinnin'.
But with him in his shirt sleeves,
and jumpin' up to get the bottle Of
mustard pickles from the pantry, and
tellin' how good the biscuits was, he
had the family with him strong.