The Monmouth inquirer., 1925-04-16
A Grin,y Panel


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ed and pug nosed. He aimed to do
his work and maybe he would have
done even a trife more if Dufie had
refrained from airy persillage. Dufhe
was fat and, the red headed boy as
serted, fat headed. 1t stood to reason
that no mere Dufiescould give HIM or
ders. especially as the latter young
gentleman occupied the same position
in the dry goods and notion store that
the red-headed boy did in the candy
store.
1t was q sunny morning and all
down the business street windows
were being cleaned and the walks
were trickling with running water.
There was a two foot raised panel on
the white brick thing wall extending
down to the sidewalk which marked
the division between the dry goods
store and the candy shop and toward
this panel Dufie and Casey of the
red hair merrily sloshed along. Now
the panel really belonged to neither
store.
A psychologist might decide wheth-
or. silence having prevailed, that pan
ell would have been secured of its win
ter CRIME by the blithe young Casey,
who liked thoroness in all things, or
by fat young DufRe, who when once
put into motion, Travelled on until
somebody stopped him.
Hurry up!" grinned Duffie to the
red headed boy. I'm going to beat
you'll You've got that panel to wash,
you know!"
There was a Quayer of doubt in
his voice which the red headed boy
failed to observe in his instant indig-
nation.
"Say!" he got out. who do you
think you are? Me wash your panel3
! guess not!"
"Betchu dol" insisted Dufhe Arm
ly.
Huh! Bet l don't" retorted Casey.
"Huh!" said Dufhe in injured tones.
"Huh!" said Casey defiantly.
Young MIR. Casey washed and scrub
bed carefully and with great vigor
each white tile on his store front un-
til he arrived at the edge of the dis
puted panel. Once there he ceased
his labors. Young Mr.. Dufie likewise
used special elbow grease until he at
tanned the opposite edge of the strip.
He, too, rested. With precise care each
gentleman gathered up his pals, rags
and brushes and turning his back
upon the other departed into his re-
spective store whistling both loudly
and out of tune.
At that instant the doctor whose
offices were upstairs across the street
glanced out of his windows idly. Il
see they're starting to wash that tiled
'front.'" he told his assistant. "Say!'
he exclaimed a second later, why did
they leave that paneled strip between
those two stores untouched? 1t is a
blot on the whole affair"
He was so irritated hat he spoke
to the confectionery shop owner when
he went in cor a cool drink.
Casey" ordered the candy man
later to his redheaded employe, Il
want that paneled strip out in front
washed"
Eyes. sir!" said Casey.
'Dufie," said the dry goods store
owner, who had surveyed his own
frontage with sharp eyes. Il want
that paneled strip washed next the
window"
Eyes, sir" agreed Duf1e, frowning.
MT 100 x-y. So. ah4nn dnwun on ON
unwashed strip and SO did the next
morrow's. The dentist as well as the
doctor across the street vas indignant
over the botchy piece of work. The
dentists wife. who was chairman OF
the relief committee, told them about
it when they met at her house and
every woman agreed that something
must be done to keep up the looks Of
the street. One of them said her hus-
band, being an alderman, certainly
could do something-maybe he could
introduce IN ordinance, The doctor
decided he would boycott the candy
store. man, and the candy store man,
looking again at the grimy panel, en-
tered his store with a rush and yelled
for Casey. IF you can't do your work,
you're fred!" he ended.
Eyes, sir" agreed Casey, collected
his wages and walked out. Outside
he ran into Dufie. He was not grim
ming. Lost my job over your fool
panel" he growled. "All your fault"
HUH" growled Casey morosely.
With one accord they turned to glare
at the offending wall. Over the entire
grimy panel Of dispute was neatly
pasted a beautiful Red Cross poster
and the man who had posted it was
vanishing down the street.
"Gee!" grinned Casey. "The old
man can't tell me to wash that off
Guess I'll go back and get my job
again!"
Well" said Dufie, smiling broadly.
II don't mind If L do, too! Say, I'll
help you when it's time to scrape that
OFF,
And that was the end of the great
excitement on that street over the I'm