The Coolidge examiner., 1934-09-28

SoD3D4E sure tlat none OF ms Flslls
were prearranged.
And each day Mrs. Metcalf came
across the street 10 report the tre-
mendous strides In the growth OF
her lizard.
Twice Ars. Hodgson went over TO
look at the strange beast.
on the last occasion she fed In
mortal terror For the lizard had
grown. in two weeks time. into a
fuu.sized crocodile, and was chained
up IN a pen in Mrs. Metcalrs cellar.
Mrs. Mescalcs delight was some
thing to wonder at
And 10 think. she'd say. only
two weeks ago he was a little bit OF
fellow that you could hold in the
palm OF your hand"
Il was all very puzzllng.
We didn't know whether the WON
an had gone insane or not
But facts were facts. There was
a lizard. Mrs. Hodgson had seen
II And Miguel didn't deny that be
was the donor. But. on the other
hand. lizards don't grow into man
eating crocodiles In two weeks
time
We agreed II was a very rare spe-
cies.
Suddenly n change came over Mrs.
Metcalf.
For more than week Mrs. Hodg-
son saw nothing OF her. although
Miguel was seen making his usual
calls az the house.
After two more days had passed.
Mrs Hodgson decided to run over
and see II things were all right II
was. I am inclined 10 believe. curl
oslty 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. a hag-
gard look about her face. Ques-
tloued. she replied IL was the lizard.
AIRS. Hodgson was aghast.
The IIzard7 what's happened to
the lizardT'
Hes growing smaller. Every day
he reduces in size. quite as fast as
he increased"
Mrs Hodgson became alarmed.
She wondered whether or not II
were best 10 summon a doctor.
But upon being shown the lizard
she was forced to agree that It's size
had shrunk. IL was no longer a
crocodile. In fact. IL was nothing
more than a falr-sized lizard.
Thereafter Mrs Hodgson made
daily trips across the street. And
each day she reported that the lizard
was growing smaller and smaller.
II was truly a remarkable thing.
IL 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
concerned with the widows plight.
Mrs Hodgson did what she could
and az last revived the victim.
Immediately upon regalnlng con-
sciousness. Emily burst into a tit OF
weeping.
After considerable questioning she
announced that the lizard had be-
come 30 small as TO be scarcely dis
cernIble. and then had vanished al
together. She admitted. also. that
Miguel was angry and had said he
would not come 10 see her any
more.
Miguel remained In town two
weeks longer He had become tre-
mendously popular and was dIscov-
cred TO be quite a fun-loving and so
clal sort OF person.
on the last day of his stay |
1FVppGA AA nk AA& AbdN NlAUtHl To S& y
farewell and was surprised TO find
the place filed with a number OF
boxes In sizes varying from one an
inch square TO another ten feet high.
Miguel was lndustriously pounding
Stats over the top OF the largest.
lie 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 looked
In one OF the boxes Al sight OF q
great crocodile reposing inside |
drew away In some alarm.
Miguel and | stared at each other
for some time. Finally he said !:
Down In Mexico we go TO great ex-
tents TO have our fun"
he grlnned and extended my
hand. Friend" I said. "come Wis
IL US again."