The Cook County news-herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Cook County, Minn.) 1909-current, 1922-03-09
AIR
BY -MYRTA ALICE LiTTLE.l
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G., 1921 by Mcclure Newspaper Syndicate
The exasperated chairman of the
state fair room committee. mopped
his tortured brow and faced the main
causes of the torture. There were two
Of them, Hepzibah' Pepper chunky,
bespectacled and determined, and her
husband 1chabod-lank, scared, long
suffering victim of Helps notions,
chiefly her notions about air.
II can't find you folks any room in
this city with four, windows in it.
All taken. Move on, Mrs. Pepper
Give the rest of the felix's chance"
Hepzibah glared. Her voice doomed.
II tell We, we've come ter this state
fair, and I've entered my pound for
pound cake and my crazy silk COM
Portable, and we've got four winders
in our room ter home. I was brought
up with four winders. I'll die without
'em. 1ch, he promised if I'd come with
him-he'd-"
A feeble tap from Ich's nervous
fingers only added zest to Helps IT,
rade. 81 tell We, Mr. Chairman, I'll
plant m'self right here b. this desk
O. yourn, this time, till ye tell US
where we en- go ter find tibet room
with four winders in it."
Here, madam; here's your room J."
A change had come over the irate
chairman. In his hand he held a key.
Mrs. Pepper, I'm sending a woman
over to show you your room.''
-Four windows?" interrupted Hep
zibah Pepper.
ION my word of honor, four win
dows, Mrs. Pepper grinned the chair
man. "Now, go!'
) Hep went, footsore, but triumphant,
dragging her trembling spouse behind
her.
Cali imagination!' grumbled 1ch,
spasmodically. Air! Air! Air!
Hope it's to the poor farm she's takin'
us, er ter the Jail! Serve yer right !"
"Shet up!' said Hepzibah scorns
fully.
Their destination proved to be
pretentious frame dwelling in the sub
urbs, whose parlor was indeed pro-
Vlded with bed lounge, stuffed
chairs and glass bookcases, but prin-
Glpally with the four windows. Hep
dropped into chair. The woman
opened the bed and vanished. There
was a grin on her face.
Don't yer light the gas! There's
light 'nough from the street." Hep an
nounced. "An' yer amt goin' ter
drag me roun' ter look at no hens ter
morrer. Go ter bed, eff yer so beat
out; I'll tend ter the winders."
Ich went, and slept directly the
sleep of the suffering just. He was
aroused by>a terrific clutching in the
region Of his arms.
: Get up an open 'em, Ich; I can't
find the fasteners, I'm faintin'. Get
up"
"Plenty of air comm in roun' the
casin's," murmured Ich sleepily.
Hep's ready fists came into use.
"Shet up an open them winders," she
snapped.
Ich arose and began fumbling around
in the half darkness. "Tll fix EN-"
muttered Ich Pepper. "Ev'ry last
winder!" There followed the awful
sound of crashing, splintering glass.
Il can feel 1.-THE good fresh air
from all four winders,'' she breathed.
we've saved my life, Ich, we've saved
-" Helps response to the crashes
and the consequent floods Of ozone
was complete. She slept like a nice
gray cat till morning.
1t was a morning Of revelations.
Helps pound for pound cake wore a
blue ribbon, and her crazy comforter
wore red ribbon, and the room COM
mittee chairman wore a life-size grin
that expanded with every word which
Ich Pepper spoke to him. Moreover,
the chairman accepted the greenbacks
which 1ch offered, though he made
the cryptic remarks: "Worth it, the
bother, the laugh I've had. I start
for Florida tomorrow. Family been
there a week. s why my house was
shut up. knew you folks were all
right. Looked you up. So 1 let you
in. Sure, the windows were fastened
down, but your wife didn't specify
the opening variety to me-
The chairman's remarks ceased being
cryptic when the news spread over
the fair grounds that the glass which
Ichabod Pepper, half asleep and
wholly desperate, had demolished to
let in the ozone that had saved Hep's
life, was not in one Of the four win
dows, but in the glass doors of the
book cases which lined the walls of
the parlor bedroom.
"Reckon well hev a reasonable lot
O. air in our room the res o. our
lives," Ich chuckled.
"Shet upi" advised Hepzibah, grim
T.. * =
"Don' hev ter shet uni" declared