The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1939-06-29

least it looked different 10 Louise.
What's this stuff" she asked
oh, poison IVY said our host.
Are you immune to it" Immune,
Lord, she didn't know. but took no
time to give it wide berth and
then waited snxiously for "symp-
toms" to occur. His nonchslance
in the face Of the evil weed was
upsetting.
The nestness of our host and his
dooryard prepared us for the neat
ness we found within. But how
frugally furnished was his little
domain. No curtains hung at any
window, but the panes were clean.
The stove, small table, washstand,
and few chairs furnished the
kitchen. The dining room boosted
only square, oilcloth-covered
table. Nothing else was in the
square room. A bed and bureau
supplied the bedroom. Everything
was swept clean and everything
was in its place.
An EN-Tacoman
Supplying eggs, potatoes. bread,
butter and coffee. our host busted
himself here and there while Louise
cooked Then, when the table was
set. he took over the stove and
fried himself some eornmeal mush
for his own supper.
We were most embarrassed but
he insisted that ii was what he
wanted for supper, inasmuch as he
wouldn't be there on the morrow
and the cornmeal had to be eaten
then. He refused. positively. to
take helping Of potatoes or an
egg. But he did bring forth bread
he had baked himself and wild
gooseberries he had picked and
canned last fall.
Our little visit seemed to please
him immensely and he talked a
good deal. He chuckled most flat
teringly over our sallies and bent
over backwards to make us COM
Portable and welcome. His life must
be lonesome one, although neigh
bors are rather close. He had lived
in Tacoma during the war and
piled us with questions about the
City of Destiny. He was a Jolly
sort and we felt as though we had
known him a long time.
Income Source Mystery
Sleeping quarters We're at a pre-
MUM in his tiny house. but the
question was solved by blowing
up our air mattresses and spread
ing our bed on the kitchen floor.
where we slept the sleep of the
eontented and conscience-free. Be-
fore the moaning wind lulled lis to
slumber we were entertained by
the SHORES and groans eminating
from the room beyond.
What our congenial host did for
living We never found out. He
had no cattle, no crop. just a small
garden that the grasshoppers were
feeding upon. Yet he had acres
of fertile river bottom. In the i'm
mediate vicinity of his house were
numerous sheds, barns and corrals,
but nothing was sheltered in them.
Evidently, at one time he had
stock, but during the drought had
sold it to the government and now
found himself financially unable to
restock. So he lived on, subsisting
on eggs, potatoes, cornmeal, and
coffee. What he hopes for in the
future is a mystery.
The Rain Again
We were up at six-thirty to sit
down to a breakfast OF delicious
buttermilk hotcakes, coffee and
gooseberries. But our early rising
was rather useless, for the skies
were overcast, a strong wind was
blowing and rain was in the air.
At eight o'clock our host de-
parted with a neighboring farmer
to do some odd job somewhere else
and left us in charge OF his house
hold, with instructions to treat it
as our own.
The rains came and we whiled
away the hours listening to the
radio. A thorough search of the
house brought forth only one read
able book-'"The Key to Culture"
and we amused ourselves with
this old volume. learning the proper
methods of courtship, entertaining.
reading what dreams meant and
how to read character by the face.
Try Fishing
Louise decided. after consulting
the hook. that Bob was an idiot.
and he decided she was weak
sister. especially when all she could
rummage for lunch WAS five pieces
of French toast. We couldn't find
a grain of coffee or a leaf OF tea
for beverage and 30 drank water.
Later. We learned the coffee was
kept in the coffee grinder.
And SO another day passed, and
again we slept on the kitchen floor,
where we ''froze to DEATH" for the
night was cold and the floor
draughty. But we had managed a
more substantial dinner by trek
king down to the canoe and bring
ing up some victuals. While by the
river We did a little fishing. but
all We caught was a minnow-a
skinny one at that.
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