Evening star., 1920-07-11

GadSden, Ala. Inc sweet youh5 ehi,ie
has written another play which she
wants me to read and tell her why II
isn't Just as good as mine. And then
we have-why, hello! Something from
South Tinkham."
News from home. eh?" says I.
We'll, that shouldn't get you starey
eyed
on Dudley You see, I've rather lost
, touch with the South Tinkham folks
| In fact. / believe this is the first let
| ter I've had from them sincle Uncle
| Henry died. and that travelled all over
| the country before 1T reached me. 1
| felt rather badly about that at the
! late to telegraph for flowers to be
sent. l wonder what's up now. Some
| one else dead. 1 suppose
"We'll forgive you if you take a
| peek" says J.
"Ah-er-thanks.'' says Dudley, un-
| buttonin' the envelope with the han
die of his teaspoon. "Well. we'll. Quite
the contrary. A wedding! And listen
| to the way they announce the even.
to me. This is from Aunt May. Wy
dear Dudley she writes, 4 trust you
| will be interested to hear that Elsie
that's your Cousin Nancy's girls to
be married next Wednesday. the loth.
Anyway I thought l would let you
| know. Good for Aunt May"
| "Then you are Interested" asks
Pinckney.
| why, certainly" says he. "Of
course, I've never seen this young
person, Elsie. but I remember Cousin
Nancy quite vividly. One would, you
know. She was that kind A year
or 50 older than | was. so she used
| to boss me around a lot when l was
! living on the farm But | got even
by teasing her about her red hair
| rather liked Nancy, though. Odd she
has never written me. But. then, one
| forgets. And now she has daughter
old enough to be married. Think OF
that! must send the youngster some
| thing handsome"
why not take it?" says I.
i "Eh?" says Dudley. starin' at me.
| 'You mean that I should-should go
there myself, back to South Tink-
| ham?'
! Its being done. amt it?" says l.
J Folks do go back to weddins ana
SO on. And it strikes me that if you
did you'd tickle 'em to death. You
now-distinguished uncle right from
| New York. You might add some class
to the affair, give the neighbors some.
thing to whisper about, and all that
''But-but it's more than twenty
years since I have seen any of those
people" protests Dudley. 1--we
changed such lot, and 1 suppose
they have, too. doubt if I should
know what to say to them, or how
| to act
"Tommyrot." breaks in Pinckney.
That's just what you need, as Shorty
says. And think how pleased they
would all be to have their celebrated
| relative, the great dramatist. author
of Tut, Tut. Tessie" back under the
old roof-tree. Great stuff. D. K"
But Dudley insists on balkin'. No.
he couldn't go way up there alone and
| face 'em.
Very we'll" says Pinckney. Shorty
and I will escort you. We will drive
up with you in your car. Eth, what?"
| Say. what you draggin' me in for.
Pinckney?' I demands.
US up" says he Lets see, when is
! that wedding to be? Wednesday?
| Well, if we run up early tomorrow
that will give you almost whole day
to get acquainted. Perhaps we shall
not be able to stay for the ceremony,
Shorty and 1, but We'll get you nicely
| started on your family reunion before
we leave, and then you can stay as
| long as you like"
'Oh. / sayn' protests Dudley, look
| in worried.
But when Pinckney starts to put
| over anything he sure is a persistent
| cuss. He wouldn't even let me off.
so about 9:15 am. next mornin' which
| Pinckney. they called for me with the
limousine and we goes bowlin' off up
the Boston post road all set and
primed for a back-to-the-farm scene,
with Dudley being coached for the
star part. He was loaded with pres
ents for everybody.
II shall feel like a back number
Santa Claus. distributing all that
junk" says Dudley.
Never mind" says l. IT'S bound to
get you in right with your relations
You're due to make big hit. D. K.
Eth. Pinekney?"
Absolutely" says Pinckney. I'm
almost envious of him now"
no h1rr. bra i
strikes back into the country over the
rolling hills. BY noon we were in a
reg'lar jay district, nothing but farms
and fields and straight through on
Main-street towns here and there. and
at 2:15 we raised a sign post which
said that South Tinkham was only
2 miles away
Most there. D. X" says I. Bet
ter be workin' UP that fond -greetin'
smile of yours
We could even see the white spire
of the congregational Church. ac-
cordin' to Dudley when we fetched
up against red flag and one of those
highway signs announcin' that the
buildin bridge, with an arrow point
in to a detour.
Looks like a tough one, too" saws
the chauffeur. Not much more than
a COW patch: Hope we don't bust a
"Oh. say sings out Dudley.
There's the old farm. just across the
fields. See! Up on the side Of the
well, why not hike across and
send back for Sour. bas later"
of course" says Hnkney: Come
along
So that's how we happens to come
stragglin' up the road on foot instead
OF arrivin' IN the machine. And the
nearer Dudley gets to tho oJd 49,
the more enthusiastic he grows.
They have new concrete siIo.
though. And here's the little brook
that runs through the lower meadow.
Used to fish for trout there. See that
stone. wall? I helped lay that IN.
This is the cross road that runs down
to the village, you know and-well
well! Some one waiting for us at the
gate wired. of course. but / didn't
| it can be?" "'
/ Looks like reception committee,
all right, says l. Taking n caIn
| and easy, amt he?"
| He's long lanky built Rube cos
| TUNED careless in faded bIue oversIIs
a gray flannel shirt and an old straw
hat with fringed brim He's parked
himself comfortable on the stone wall
| IN the shade and is chewin' spear
"Hello!" says Dudley. extend;,. +ha
fraternal hand Il suppose Won don't @
| know, who I am. eh % 0''
Il en- guess" says the Rube. you're
one at the parties that wrote nm
aoout sp,, % buyin' the farm, aintcher?'
but you might be expeetingRerw
somebody else
only fool cousin of mine" says
the gent Dudley Kipp. Ever hear