Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1934-09-20

across the street to report the ire
mendous strides in the growth of her
lizard.
Twice Mrs. Hodgson went over to
look at the strange beast.
On the last occasion she fled in NOR
tai terror. For the lizard had grown,
In two weeks time, into full-sized
crocodile, and was chained Up in
pen in Mrs. Metcalf's cellar.
Mrs. Metcalfs delight was some
thing to wonder at.
And to think" she'd say, "only two
weeks ago he was a little bit of a fell
low that you could hold in the palm of
your hand"
1t was all very puzzling.
We didn't know whether the woman
had gone insane or not.
But facts were facts. There was a
lizard. Mrs. Hodgson had seen 1t.
And Miguel didn't deny that he was
the donor. But, on the other hand, liz
ards don't grow into man-eating croco-
diles in two weeks time.
We agreed it was very rare spe-
cies.
Suddenly a change came over Mrs.
Metcalf.
For more than a week Mrs. Hodgson
saw nothing of her, although Miguel
was seen making his usual calls at the
house.
After two more days had passed,
Mrs. Hodgson decided to run over and
see If things were all right. It was,
l am inclined to believe, curiosity as
much as concern. that prompted the
| act.
Mrs. Hodgson found Emily in a state
Of utter despair. There were deep rings
under her eyes, haggard look about
her face. Questioned, she replied 1t
was the lizard. Mrs. Hodgson was
| aghast.
"The lizard2 What's happened to
the lizardT
Hes growing smaller. Every day
he reduces in size, quite as fast as
he increased"
Mrs. HoCgson became alarmed. She
wondered whether or not it were best
to summon a doctor.
But upon being shown the lizard she
was forced to agree that its size had
shrunk. 1t was no longer a crocodile.
In fact, 1t was nothing more than a
fair-slzed lizard.
Thereafter Mrs Hodgson made daily
trips across the street. And each day
she reported that the lizard was grow
Ing smaller and smaller.
1t was truly a remarkable thing.
1t was alarming, too, because with
each passing day Emily became more
haggard looking. She had lost her
gushy and cooling ways. She grew
morose and taciturn.
And then, one day Mrs. Hodgson
came over and discovered Emily on
the floor in a dead faint. Quite con-
cerned with the widows plight, Mrs.
Hodgson did what she could and at
last revived the victim.
Immediately upon regaining con-
seriousness, Emily burst into a fit of
weeping.
After considerable questioning she
announced that the lizard had become
so small as to be scarcely discernible,
and then had vanished altogether.
She admitted, also, that Miguel was
angry and had said he would not come
to see her any more.
Miguel remained in town two weeks
longer. He had become tremendously
popular and was discovered to be quite
fun-loving and social sort of person.
On the last day of his stay dropped
in at his apartment to say farewell
and was surprised to find the place
filed with a number of boxes in sizes
varying from one an inch square to an.
other ten feet high. Miguel was in
dustriously pounding Stats over the top
Of the largest.
He grinned at me and winked.
i've been so darned busy it's just
now I've found time to send these
things back"
what things" / asked.
He beckoned to me and I looked in
one of the boxes. At sight Of a great
crocodile reposing inside 1 drew away
in some alarm.
Miguel and 1 stared at each other
for some time. Finally he said:
"Down in Mexico we go to great ex-
tents to have our fun"
He grinned, and extended my hand.
"Friend" I said come visit us again.