Evening star., 1922-03-12

I Clara. But g. little hard work will be
good for me, guess"
''You don't go travelling. like you
was wishin', eh?" suggested Inez.
'Not this year." says,I.
| "Where you wanna go, Trilby May?"
asks Uncle Nels.
| whats the use?" says I. But I
don't suppose, there's any harm talk
ing about it? Don't laugh either Of
you, and Ill sketch out my plan. You
see, I'm kind of fed up on the brand
of weather we've had handed to us
lately. Billiards.. and sleet storms,
and this above stuff. I haven't had
a touch of the flu yet, but I haven't
ducked it by any wide margin. For
two weeks now I've had a bark that
| I haven't been able to shake and 1t
Just seems as though If I could get
out in some real warm sunshine for
a few days that it would be heavenly" Z"
Maybe the sun comes out tomor-
row." suggests Inez.
"Yes, and maybe we'll have some
more drizzly. foggy days. or another
cold snap" says I. "And Bob Stayles
was telling, just before the wedding.
of how nice it was about this time
of the year on the west coast of
Florida. You know. Inez? He told
about the soft warm breezes of the
Gulf of Mexico. the orange trees all
in blossom, the new growth on the
live oaks, the mocking birds singing
in the moonlight, and everybody
going around in thin summer clothes.
Say. he almost made me SICK"
How you get there. to this
lFlorida?' asks Uncle Nels.
"Oh, you can run down by rail in
36 hours" says I. Think of that!
A day and a couple Of nights and
you've Jumped into next summer. But
my idea would be to take coast
wise steamer and drop into it a little
more gradually. I've always been
| crazy to take a steamer trip. anyway.
Why. I've had the steamship PAM
phlets for a month and read every
word in 'em. I've even picked out
Ill show YOU
| co Dug out the folders. with the
pictures Of palm trees and bathing
girls on the cover, and spread 'em
out for Uncle Nels and Inez to in
! spect The old boy seemed quite in
| terested. too.
Its too had you can't CO." says he.
| ''You amt got money enough, eh?"
! WELL" says 1. with what Inez has
saved up and the windfall that's just
| como my way, l expect we could make
it and get back without going stony
broke. But it would be silly thing
Ito do. Inez might not get her job
back at the Maison Noir, and there's
no telling how hard scratching it
would be for me a month or so later
on. with times getting harder. No.
we'd better burn those steamer PAM
phlets and forget Florida"
| / was about to toss 'em into the
fireplace, but Uncle Nels wouldn't
have it. He said he wanted to look
at the pictures some more and read
over about this place where the sun
was always shining. He's simple
old soul He patted both Of US
friendly on the shoulder before he
tleft for his little room across the
hallway.
! And the next day I padded around
| in the slush and fog trying to connect
| with a pay envelope. having about as
much luck as if I'd been hunting
| for dollar bills on the Sd avenue
sidewalk. 1 wasn't so chirky when
came in along about o'clock and
started to get dinner, Uncle Nels
didn't seem such a dear old boy either.
as he shuffled in and camped down in
| the easy chair.
/ "Trilby May" says he," IL been
thinkin' about Florida"
Have you?" says I. kind Of crisp.
as 1 lighted the gas stove. well.
i I'll say you were indulging in use
less thoughts"
"They gotta steamer that sails next
Saturday" he goes on.
"Oh. keep it up" says I. Break
my heart"
4 was down to the office and
talk with the man." says he.
| What nerve" says /. That's what
1 call having very little to do"
IL dunno as you'll like it. Tribly
May" says he. but 1 told him to save
that room you picked out, and a place
for me, too. For Saturday"
| "Wh-a-at?" says /, gaspy. "Say.
have you gone dizzy In the dome? Do
you know what a trip like that will
| cost?'
| * X X X
"NES," says Uncle Nels, pulling out
| an envelope. 1T aint so much
when you get return tickets, See?"
F! "Eh? says l, gawping at him. You
you don't mean that you've gone
and bought three round trips? What
with?'
At that 1 gets a merry flicker from
those shrewd old eyes of his. "Oh."
says he, 1.-The man at the bank let me
have some money"
| But see here" says I. II thought
you were busted. down and out; and
that you'd lost all you had?"
"Me? says. he, shaking his head.
mo, 1 said I was foolish old man to
go away. And by Stockholm a feller
gets me to buy lottery ticket that
don't win any prize. On the steamer
tcomin' back, too, a slick stranger asks
me to play cards and I lose nearly
three dollars on high, low, jack. But
got some left, I guess" Then he
tchuckles.
Il might have known they couldn't
| separate you from any amount" says
| 1. "But you sure looked like a poor
! relation when you showed up. What
| was the big idea of the disguise. any
way?"
'sWhy," says he, ST just wanted to