Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1934-01-11
PETER PIPER'S
PICKLE
g
Ey Cosmo Hamilton
g. by Mctlur" Newspa per Syndicate.
WNIi Service

Otnef words. ne added. performing
that trick with his hat which made
all London laugh. 80 this is Paris.
Oh? And here begins the honeymoon
which We'll remember all our lives"
YES" said Pansy. who. having been
in the same musical play for little
over two years. was obliged to force
smile. Its going to be wonderful"
With boyish air Of off-stage pride
ut being a man of wealth he slapped
the place in which he kept his pocket
book--and nearly uttered scream.
The smart new leather case on which
there were the initials Of his comic
though actual name. was no longer
there. In 1t had been every cent of
his money. the money which he had
saved by dint OF gruesome economy
SO that he might give his tiny wife a
gorgeous honeymoon. Either II had
been stolen by peculiarly heartless
bandit or he had dropped II in the cab.
II the first he would be marked down
forever by the shrewd and careful
Pansy as an irresponsible; II the Sec
ond he would hear the story of his
gross stupidity until he doddered to
the grave. Something had to be done.
Something which would get him out
of this most frightful hole. He had
no father upon whom to draw, no
friends to lend him money. nothing
that he could sell. He was In a for.
eign city in which no one knew his
name. There was not living crea.
ture to whom he could appeal.
whats the matter. dear? Still
feeling wee bit giddy after that toss
ing on the sea?" little thing she
was with amazingly small bones, baby
eyes and round face. very kissable
mouth and something that passed for
nose. Noticeably and charmingly
pretty, with the fine emergency man
ner that goes with a Red Cross nurse.
''The least little Bit" he said, giving
"A beautiful imitation of land lubber
walking fitting deck. what you
need" he thought in anguish, lis time
You must earn, borrow or steal money
before Pansy knows of his. You must
one of your sleeping drafts" In a
medical voice he spoke. "Dearie,
think you ought to lie down. All this
excitement calls for quiet and rest.
You don't look frightfully we'll"
She had felt all right, though tired,
half minute ago. But nothing is so
instantly calculated to make one feel
unwell as to be told that one looks so
in a sympathetic way. BED has a
lovely sound" she said. ~ will lie
down for a bit"
And so he mixed the dose. a big
one, said that II was bicarbonate Of
soda, and hoped that she would go to
sleep for fourteen hours at least
good little man was Peter, wiry and
well-built; not much more than five
feet six on brick; very smartly
dressed. Nature. who had endowed
him with every comedians trick. had
very usefully provided him with q
tragic face. Usefully, because thus 1t
instantly awoke the laughter q the
crowd.
he kissed his charming bride and left
her lying In bed with the clothes about
her ears. What was he to do? Like
man who drops eight thousand feet
in faulty parachute he went into the
passage and walked downstairs Much
life was going on. People arrived and
departed. The inevitable crowd of In.
quirers surged round the concierge
A queue of eager women booked seats
to see the French plays that were bet
ter left unseen. Lonely men whose
wives were shopping had tea at mar
ble-topped tables in the wide court
yard. Behind three tempting martins
were three young and good-looking
Americans TO whom Paris was @
dream. And there, alone and desper.
ate, the tragic little comic without
single cent. He had read In daily pa
pers of hold-ups In the streets, Of men
who stuck a gun into peoples terrified
ribs. collected all their money and
went Off at run. But Peter hadn't
and never had had, gun. He sim
ply hated guns. And so he took his
growing headache into the busy, chat
tering streets and was clapped on the
back by cordial creature who said.
You! BY gum. what luck !" He was
English and very well dressed. He
wore the affluent and joyous air of an
extremely wealthy business man in
Paris without his wife.
Peter didn't know him, but he said
to himself, with excitement and a
great spasm Of hope, HE has seen
me in The Powdered Lady or The
Girl on the Motor Bike must have
made him laugh He's the sail on the
horizon. can touch him for a bit"
He agreed to wet his throat. He could
do with a well-mixed Side-car or a CUR
gle of vermouth.
He found himself sitting on a high
stool In the nearest American bar
And there he sat for an hour, In high
er and higher spirits with his kind
and cordial friend. The number OF
their Slde-cars would have made
traffic jam. Finally, having come to
that subtle moment when he felt that
a touch could be made, he turned to
his provldential companion and laid
his hand on his knee.
"ft's too long story" he said s'and