Milford chronicle. [volume] (Milford, Del.) 1878-1974, 1925-04-03
SEVENTH INSTALLMENT

He was lazy, tOo-not because he
vas born So but because Nature puts
aziness into the bones Of growing boys
Once or twice he thought Of making
terms with his mother who had a small
balance in the savings bank. Though
her ms III town had melloWed some of
her country prejudices, he knew that
Ma disapprOved of every form Of the
Atricai entertainment. 1t wasn't that
which held Admah back. 1t was Mas
attitude toward the Sick family. Ma
So. thin, VenomOus woman with
races of Mabel's gypsy charm in her
jcrawny face, had taken umbrage. She
had taken umbrage with a loud noise.
The cause was of small consequence,
out results were hOrrifying. She had
returned Ma HOltz's clothes wringer by
tossing 1t over the back fence. Where
lpOn Ma HOltz, not to be outdone by
mch primitive means of exchange, had
'eturned Ma Sticks pie tins. The crash
yas heard a block beyond the Car
Barns.
That trouble WGned with winter, and
t principally concerned Admah who
became a little more clandestine and
lpOlOgetic each time he visited the
ticks porch. Mabel was the undis-
'uted belle Of Dutch Hill and she held
court every evening in the sheltered
pace beyond the HOltz fence. Her
admirers still included a number of
musical high school boys, but there were
several older men whose manners made
Admah wilt with a sense of his own |
nferiOrity. There was one of them who |
leemed quite Senile-he must have been |
iorty. He only came once, but in that |
IessiOn he beckoned to Admah as one
would summon an idiot child and asked.
DO you work around here?"
That was the night when Pa Sick
came home late from the factory and
Elared at his daughters followers with
solemn, terrible eyes. Hard faced,
Overtly muscular, he passed through the
group as if he would tramp them out
lnder his big shoes.
Won't you sit down, T..a."' .5.gal
asked nervOusly.
Nope" said Pa, can rome of the
rest Of you need stay sottn' much
longer"
During taSSe exciting, unrequited
evenings Admah, like the parasite which
a hopeless lover always is, became one {
dead in the fixity of his purpose. He
needed two dollars for tickets and
another for general expenses.
And one afternoon as he shuff1ed by S
Theater he encountered
Elmer, the boy rou6. 1t happened S
as one ends~sTers a god
stepping out of his machine.
Hot stuff, those pepmints." began {
Elmer, who had a Yankee accent and /
Knew the latest in American language. C
Il amt got no mo'-any mo busted c
mes, said Admah defensively. X
Il didn't say busted ones" Elmer's q
)op eyes were fixed greedily on the I
basket. Look here, kid. You got f
even bags left. What'u you take?" il
"Thirty-fve cents" That was sim 81
Jaw, I mean trade, see? Howdja
Ike to have couple saa1s down in the N
kestra?" n
is breath.
Sure. can take you in deadhead. d.
he IDOLS Eye-it's a frost in this hick b.
own. They're paperin' the house."
Papering the house meant nothing to sa
.dmah, save that it offered him a
lance to sit among the Big Ones d.
n nothingl Elmer was waiting. His
hole manner limited at intrigue as he sh
,rked his head nervously above blue -
iilitary collar and Kissed.
rs it a go?' sV
1t was a go, and Admah knew nothing III
the trade arrangements whereby in
liner obtained a requisition for two TO
ats from Macmurray's box office.
he candy-boy went home in cloud of Sc.
DRY; and that night, having had it out sW
it'll Ma and borrowed JOS new brown GU
ICES, he called on Miss Mabel Sick to VII
,ep an engagement which he had made gil
ith her earlier in the afternoon. He Lax
1t very formal, very much trussed up ev
his high collar and under his arm he Liza
FRIED box of caramels which he had fai
'ught of a local druggist, disdaining me
as home production. raj