Licking Valley courier., 1921-12-08


shacks. "Piebald" is q sort Of an elias
tic word, as the dictionaries define 1t,
and 1t might apply to almost any
east-markings out Of the ordinary.
But the horse l was gaping at fell cas-
lily within any or all Of the definitions;
it was true "calico," white and light
sorrel in grotesque patchings; unmis-
takably "piebald," II purist in the
use of the mother-tongus-like Cousin
Percy, for example-wished to call 1t
so.
Before l could rush back to the
stewards sentry-box in the vestibule OF
the car our train was chasing along
again.
'HeyW shouted; whats the name
Of that place where we stopped to wa
ter the engineer
"Atropla."
"Death-sleep," I translated with a
grin. ut fits, all the way down to the
ground. What are the Industries of
Atropia?"
II don't get you"
Excuse me; I'll try to put 1t in
simpler form. Why is Atropiai"
He appeared to have reached the
conclusion that was an escaped luna
tic, safe enough, most probably q
harmless one. He looked first at the lit
tie colored slip sticking In my hat-band
and then consulted a notebook drawn
from his pocket.
"H'n; ticketed to Angels" he NUT
tered half to himself. And then to me |:
"Was you expectin' to have friends
meet you at Angelsf
This was too much, and, anxious az
l was to find out something more about
Atropia, I felt It an imperative duty
fool-like-to do my small part toward
enlivening rather sad world. So I
said, solemnly;
u shall be met BY q parade Of the
Angels hre department, In uniform.
and with the apparatus, headed BY .
brass band. But this 10 irrelevant to
the present burning question. What I
am thirsting to know ls why there
should be q dog with q face half
white and half black standing on The
Atropla station platform, and . pie
bald pony hitched to the horve-raek
on the Atropia public square"
That finished him.
Say young feller. you've got EN-
bad" he commented. "But that1l Be
all right. Just you wait till we get to
Angels, and then you can find out all
these funny things you're so dead anx.
ious to know"
Hold on a minute" interposed az
he was trying to escape. "Atropis
hasn't always been as dead az It Il
now, has itl What was It's name wher
It was alive and able to sit up and take
nourishmenti"
"Huh?" he Queried; and then: "oh
l get you, now; 1t used to be called
Placervllle."
THANK you; that helps. Now how
much farther Is It to Angelsf"
"'Bout twenty miles"
"All right. And when will there b
a train coming back to this Atropi,
placer
"Way-freight - tomorruh mornin'-
eight.thirty out O. Angels"
"Good. Now II those Are people an'
the brass band don't miss me"
couldn't resist the temptation to Civ,
him a Anal shot, and It hit the bulls
eye. As he edged away could see b.
his expression that he still thought M
crazy.
When l got back TO my Pullman
after luncheon perceived at once tina
the train conductor had -promptl
passed the word about the episode 4
the dining car. The Pullman conduC
tor evidently had his weather eye o.
me, and the regro porter SHE'D ever
time he passed ny section. This wa
rich, but II l could have known tn
tenth part OF what was going TO po
out Of this Pandora box that ha
foollshy dug up In the dining car. tn
amusement feature would speedll
have been forgotten In prett
strenuous efftrt to straighten thinG
oul while thue was yet time.
, 1.-THE next instalment Of this d
! lightful and absorbing story, "Tl
Girl, Horse and a Dog" will appeI
in the next issue Of the Courier.
! your are not already subscriber g
J.lyour nme on our list and get the who
, story