Vernon Parish Democrat., 1921-03-03

before she found hout. I've got a
hanuerism in my cart, Willie, SO the
surgeon on the mail boat tells me, an
wen go, I'll go like-thatr' Mother
jerks snapped her cigarette stained
fingers. I'm fifty-seYen, Willie, an
since my sainted Emery passed away,
I aven't been no bloomin' hangei."
She wrung her hands. "Oh, wy in ell
couldn't them harteries ave busted in
time to save my lamb the 'umiliatin'
knowledge that she's be'oldin' to the
likes O. me for wot she's got-an' 'ow
/ got it for 'er."
Billy Geary had bright idea.
We'll" he said, "why not die-tem-
pOrarily-if you feel that way about
it? You could come back from the
grave after she's gone"
But Mother jerks shook her head.
''No," she declared. while Dolores is
self-suppOrtin' now, still, If anythink
'appened an she was to need 'elp1
'elp is somethin' no ghost can give.
Think again, Willie. Cor, lad, w'ere's
yer bralns?"
"Well," Billy countered thought
fully, apparently there's no way of
heading her off before she takes the
steamer at New Orleans, so we'll take
It for granted she'll arrive here in due
course. About the time she's due,
suppose you run up to San Miguel de
Padua for couple of weeks and
leave me to run Ell Buen Amigo in
your absence. TIL play fair with you,
Mother, so help me. I'll account for
every centavo. I'll borrow some de-
cent clothes from Leber the day the
steamer gets in; then I'll go aboard
and look over the passenger list, and
If she's aboard, I'll tell her you closed
your house and started for California
to visit her on the last north-bound
steamer-that her cablegram arrived
| Just after you had started; that the
cable company, knowing am friend
/ of yours, showed me the message and
that I took It upon myself to call and
explain that as result of your de-
parture for the United States 1t will
be useless for her to land-useless
and dangerous, because cholera is
raging in Buenaventura, although the
port authorities deny it,"
'Willle," Mother jerks interrupted
impressively, a ghost Of her old deb
onalr spirit shining through her
tears, Eyer don't owe me a blOomin'
sixpence! Yer've syved the day, syved
my reputation, an syved a lydy's
peace O. mind. Kiss me, yer precious
byby."
So Billy kissed her-gravely and
with fliaI reverence, for he had long
suspected Mother jerks of being a
pearl cast before swine, and now he
was certain of it.
"I'll send her back to the United
States and promise to cable you to
await her there" Billy continued. "Of
course, we can't help 1t if you and the
cablegram miss connections, and once
the young lady is back in the United
States, I dare say she'll have to stay
there a couple of years before she can
save the price Of another sea voyage
And in the meantime she may
marry"
"Or that haneurlsm may ave turned
the trick before that" Mother jerks
suggested candidly but Joyously. "In
course she'll be disappointed, but then
disappointment never lays 'eavy on a
young cart. Willie; an bein' disap-
pointed at not seem a person you
amt really acquainted with amt as
bad as some disappointments."
81 guess I know" Billy Geary re-
piled bitterly. "If that cablegram had
only been for me Mother, If my old
partner could, by some miracle, man
age to marry this Dolores girl, your
arteries and your aneurisms might
bust and be damned, but the girl
would be safe"
"M'ybe" Mother jerks suggested
hopefully, ''yer might fix it up for her
wen I'm gone. From all haccounts
'e's no-end a gentleman"
Hes a he-man," Mr.. Geary de-
clared with conviction. He sighed.
"John Stuart Webster, wherever you
are. please write or cable" he muir
INJURED.
CHAPTER vi.