The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1923-02-14

Josh, haloed him; and with her eyer
she begged the General to drop the
subject but II was sweeter to MIN
than any sugar ever grained In his
mill.
After dinner they were In the par
lor when they saw vagabond equip
age stop at the gate, an old carry-aii
drawn by staggering horse, driven
by a ragged negro. There was one
passenger in the habilaments OF a
scarecrow, topped off with a yellow
cotton hat-enough to disguise any
man on earth save one, and this man
was the exception.
"Tycie, what did I tell you'll" cried
| the General. II knew 1t as well as
knew my name Now look at him J"
They looked at him, went out into
the hall to meet him, Tycie In con-
venient tears. The visitor kissed her
and shook hands with the men.
ut is not necessary for me to as
sert that 1 hold no commission, civil
or military" said the vagrant.
"Sit down, SIR" commanded the Gen.
eral. And then, surveying him slowly
from head to foot: "Will you please
state as to whether or not you regard
yourself a human being"
General" said Tycie, "please don't
scold him, for I'm sure he must be
hungry"
my dear, I shall not scold him; but
I don't see anything about him that
calls for congratulations"
Liberty" said Virgil, tomorrow
we'll go over and have the parish sur
veyor run you off suit Of clothes"
"NIy dear relatives, thank yeu for
these little attentions; and as to your
question, Uncle Howard, let me say,
sir, that my claims as to being hu-
man are somewhat vague. One OF the
first things l discovered about myself
was my unreality. When do we eat!''
Tycie ran out and returned with
piece of frosted cake that looked like
a corner broken off a marble mantle
piece. The General was laughing.
"Well, Liberty, We are always GLAD
to see you, anyway. 1t Is the unreal
ity, If l may so speak, that spices our
lives; and when you come with your
gilded worries, you enliven us. Where
have you been, anyhow"
1--WE been wherever there H." said
Shottle, gesturing with his cake
"First 1 went to Memphis, to the
races, and gave old Skinny Hughes
two hundred for a sure card on the |
entries. Lost ten thousand. Then l
followed the horses to Lexington, with |
nv bank account leaking like sprin-
king cart. But why linger when moth
ing can be swifter than the approach
of poverty? Finally sold my clothes
to a negro preacher and. invested my
all In lottery tickets. 1t seemed that
I possessed myself Of all the figures OF
the multiplication table, didn't see how
I could possibly miss, but l did. 1t
wasn't laid out for me to win again.
He gets to a certain pinnacle OF for
tune, slips off, and spends the rest Of
his life struggling to get back. When
do we eat?"
Long after bedtime Shottle came to
yirgil's room.
Virgil, you know I've Sot to hit on
of permanent nature. So
the question is, now that I've quit
gambling, what am going to do? II
you'll not go to sleep, I'll tell you OF
, plan. Mark me: 1 have observed,
81, dc ~ or |
nothing digs deeper after rainy-day
money than 3 circus and menagerie.
I fs known that the poor man Of the
South. and especially the negro, will
;ell his cookstove to buy circus
tcket. Now comes my plan, and mind
,ou, strive to keep 1t from being too
sudden. Attention You buy a circus,
md I'll 20 along as ring-master. That
8 the one thing 1 am really fitted for.
you never saw me crack whip, did
-ou?"
Don't believe I ever did"
"All right, you've got something to
ook forward to. Yes, I'll be
he ring-master, and"
"And bet an elephant on the turn Of
card" said Virgil.
"Ah. one Of my own, perhaps, but
ot one entrusted to me. I am not an
mbezzler Of elephants. I wouldn't
ct a garter-snake on sure thing.
'esides, I told you I'd quit gambling
that is, I'm quitting. 1t isn't wise
, expose my constitution to the shock
( sudden change. Well, good
ight."
(TO BE CoNTINUED.) {