The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1942-09-18
Worm-Eater
BY
VIVIAN HAYES
Mcclure syndicate-wNu Features.

had made determined effort to
induce Lucia to 'live down" the
Furbushes, and ''live up" to the
Cartrights. Not but what the Fur
bushes were nice enough people, but
they were a red-blooded lot, and the
Cartright blood was very highest
indigo.
Lucia went Cartright to crafty
ing extent, but at the birth of her
son she reverted to Furbush long
enough to insist upon the baby's
being christened John Furbush Jr.,
thus perpetuating the name OF his
maternal grandfather.
When Allan Cartright died
few years later, folks remarked
that il was q mercy he was
taken before he'd had chance
to run through all the money
Lucia's Pa had left her. They
added that it was pity she
hadn't married Jack Ward, in
stead-and opined that Lucia
thought so, too.
ooh, DEAR" sighed Mrs. Tucker,
an old neighbor, "to think that
Lucia's uncle Dan Furbush is a
rich man, too. If only he and Lucia's
Pa hadn't had that silly quarrel.
John Furbush called Dan WORM
for bein' talked into buyin' gold
mine, and Dan says to John: I'll
never forgive you til you eat your
words! I'm goin' to make fortune
out o. that mine,' he says"
He wrote five years later, just
before Lucia's Pa died, and he
says: "Well, John, there really was
gold in that hole in the ground,
and I'm ready to pass you few
nuggets when you write me you're
ready to eat that worm. P.S. call
my mine the WOrmine."
"No sign of an address, and the
post-mark so blurred no one could
make it out. Lucia's Pa allowed
Dan had left out the address
a-purpose to see if his brother had
CUTS enough to trace him from the
post-mark. Dan was great admir-
er of CUTS and that's why the
worm John slung at him hit him
so. He never wrote again, and
here's Lucia, widow, with precious
little cash, yet havin' to keep up
appearances, as befittin' Cartright.
Wish Dan could see how much John
Jr. resembles him-the spittin'
image!"
The "spittin' image" was at that
moment sprawled sullenly across the
ancestral door steps.
Jaw, Ma" he walled, II tell va
GOTTER be in the circus over at
Simpy's barn. I'm one of the freaks.
They can't give no sideshow without
me. I gotta"
ssThat will do" interrupted
the departing Mrs. Cartright
with finality, remember, you
are not to leave the yard"
Upon her return late that after
noon, Mrs. Cartright became con-
scious of a raucous voice in the side
yard.
A clothes-line had been strung
across the yard. From it fiuttered
lurid sideshow banners.
Upon a shaky "bally-ho" stand,
Simply, in his fathers tuxedo, was
proclaiming through a megaphone,
"Step up closer, -lay-deez and gen
tulmun."
In addition to the children the free
show had attracted one grown-up,
big, bronzed man, who leaned
against an apple-tree, grinning
broadly.
"Now, lay-deez and gentulmun,"
intoned Simpy, II will next intro
duce to your Notice, Perfessor
Tatoosky, the celebrated, tattooed
worm-eater from the wild jungles
of the Amazon RIV-ah-Tubby, quit
leanin' against this platform-Per-
lessor Tattoosky, lay-deez and gen
tulmun, eats nothing but WORRUMS
writing, twisting, squirming
WORRUMS! And to prove it to you.
lay-deez and gentulmun, Perfessor
Tattosly will POSITIVELY perform
for your amusement.
A loin-clothed figure scrambled
onto the stage. His blackened body
was lavishly adorned with vivid
splotches of paint. Chanting an in
cantation the "perfessor" threw
back the lid of a lacquer jewel-box.
The black fingers drew out a long,
twisting worm. The Amazonian tilt
ed back his head, opened his mouth
and before his audiences very eyes,
did, all too truly, swallow it!
Simultaneously life returned to
Mrs. Cartright's palsied limbs.
Screeching, she ran toward the plat
form. It collapsed with a crash.
A strong hand gripped her Shout
der.
Keep your shirt on, Lucia"
chuckled the big man, kissing her
souarely on the mouth. "a nice way
to greet your Uncle Dan! Well.
Lucia, said John Furbush amt
done it! The sins Of the GRANDPA
theirs, Ell, Lucia? Ho! Hol That
kids a real boy, thank the Lord.
Shake. Pardnerl How'd you and