The Cook County news-herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Cook County, Minn.) 1909-current, 1922-01-19
s5.-'; !. : =
AIR.
-
~ MYRTA ALICE LlT-TLE.

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 IchabOd-lank, scared, long
suffering victim of Helps notions,
chiefly her notions about air..
Il can't find you folks any room in
this city with four windows In 1t.
All taken. Move on, Mrs. Pepper.
Give the rest Of the folks a chance"
Hepzibah glared. Her voice doomed.
II tell ye, 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.> was brought
up with four winders. I'll die without
'em. Ich, he promised If I'd come with
him-he'd-" -
A feeble tap from Ich's nervous
fingers only added zest to Hep's IT,
rade. Il tell We, Mr.. Chairman, I'll
plant m'self right here b. this desk
O. yourn, this time, till We tell us
where we en- go ter find thet room
with four winders in it."
Here, madam; here's your room r.
A change had come over the ,irate
chairman. In his hand he held key.
Mrs. Pepper, I'm sending woman
over to show you your ROOM"
-Four windows7'' interrupted Hep
zibah Pepper.
ION my word Of honor. four win
dows, Mrs. Pepper" grinned the chair
man. snow, go!"
Hep went, footsore, but triumphant,
dragging her trembling spouse behind
"All imagination! grumbled Ich,
systematically. 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 scorn-
fully.
Their destination proved to be q
pretentious frame dwelling in the SUBJ
urbs, whose parlor was indeed pro-
vided with a bed lounge, stuffed
chairs and glass bookcases, but prin-
c:pally with the four windows. Hep
dropped into a 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
of
out; I'll tend ter the winders."
Ich went, and slept directly the
sleep of the suffering just. He was
aroused by terrific clutching in the
region Of his arms. ~ >
"Get up ant 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 sleep!ly.
Heps ready fists came into use.
"Shet up an open them winders." she
snapped.
Ich arose and began fumbling around
in the half darkness. ''Pll fix 'em,"
muttered Ich Pepper. "Evry last
winder!'' There followed, the awful
sound Of crashing, spintering glass.
II can feel 1.-THE, good fresh air
from all four winders," she breathed.
we've saved my life, 1ch, we've saved
- = Helps response to the crashes
and the consequent floods Of ozone
was complete. She slept like nice
gray cat till morning.
It was morning Of revelations.
Helps pound for pound cake wore q
blue ribbon, and her crazy comforter
wore red ribbon, and the room COM
mittee chairman wore life-size grin
that expanded with every word which
Ich Pepper spoke \t to him. Moreover,
the chairman accepted the greenbacks
which. Ich 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. I knew, you folks were all
right. Looked you up. So I 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 Helps
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 sparlor bedroom. I. .i, s B. + e" d !:
4Reckon wen hev q reasonable lot
O. air In our room the res o. our
lives" Ichs chuckled. III y =, =. 1:2:G&.t
5 "Shet up r advised Hepzibah, grim
nv. SIS :5:s ~
stDon' hev ter shet mp r declared
Ichabod. talk when i like an what
IS like 8: Shet up yerseln Now come
an look at the Plymouth Rocks 81
Hep came and looked. Ish had come
to his own. s.1s.s Us IS.