THE MONROE JOURNAL, FRIDAY, MARCH 23, 1923.
PAGE TWO.
PAGE TWO.
it?
1
1 1
rim mitmiiH
1 m I
me
Custard I
Cup
Florence Bingham Livingston j
I
Copyright by Gtors H. Dortn Company
SYNOPSIS
CHAPTER I. Living in a barn, con- ,
verted into a dwelling, Mrs. l-tiitiejd is
manager of aa apartment building Known
as the "Custard Cup," originally ' Cloister
Court." Her income is derived from
dry work, her chief patron hems a Mrs.
Hnratius tteallierstone, whom she has
never seen. Living with her are "CriuH " '
and "Tliua," 'homeless small boys whom
he has adopted. They call her "I'enaie,"
Tliad tells Fenzie a strange n.'an was in-
BUirinjf 'for her under her lnaiuen nanie. j
CHAPTKK II. A tenant, Mrs. Uussie
Bosley, induces Penzie to take-vharg ot'
a ' puoaage, which she does witn touie
misgivings.
CHAPTER III. Searching a" refuse dump
for things which might be of value, Criuk,.
veteran at the game, encounters a sni.U)
girl, Letlie, who proves a foeman wormy .
of his steel. He takes her to l't-nsie, ;inJ t
Lettie is adopted into the family. ,
CHAPTER IV. The stranger proves to i
be Mrs. Peiitleld's uncle Jerry. He an-
nounoes lie is going to remain in the
vicinity of The Custard Cup.
I
CHAPTER V. Uncle Jerry arranges to
occupy the loft above Mrs. Pentield's
abode.
CHAPTER VI. Uncle Jerry meets Pru
dence Hapgood, no longer young, but at
tractive, and the two appear to "hits it
oft" well. Lorene Percy, young friend of
Penzle's, tells her of her engagement to
Pick Chase, also a mutual fr.end.
CHAPTER VII
What Can You See in Him?
Lettie was in the .midst of a finan
cial enterprise. Sirs. Catterliox, a
leader in penny prodigality, hud of
fered the jol of watching her two
children till dinner time, at one cent
per head. Lettie had not only ac
cepted, hut had used this as "a lever
with which to pry off further sain.
Whatever other qualities niiirht he de
batahlw or in abeyance, Let tie's tnist
worthinpss was jrenerally conceded.
Successfully, therefore, she had inter
viewed tired mothers, until she had
assembled nine youngsters in the
drlvewny, each representing n cash
vjilue of one cent. When Mrs. Ten
field entered, they were about to be
conducted to the back yard, there to
be vigorously nnd (Conscientiously en
tertained for an hour.
"We're going to play animals," an
nounced Lettie, vastly excited.
"Animals?"
Th-lmh. Out of that lihr'y book
you been reading us."
"Lettie." called Mrs. PenfUM, as
the child danced away, "remember not
to play too hard. You're big and
Strong compared with "
Lottie pirouetted momentarily while
. . . .
Lettie Pirouetted Momentarily.
She quieted this misgiving. "Huh,
trust me ! It's just little animals
we're going to play."
Mrs. I'enfleld w ent on Into the house.
Uncle Jerry was there before her ;
also Frank Posley.
- "I thought jou wouldn't mind,
Cnr'llne, If we walked into your living-room
for a minute."
. She nodded pleasantly. '. "You're per
fectly welcome." The words were hos
pitable, but not so cordial as Mrs.
I'enfleld herself could have wished.
She could not entirely conquer a feel
' ing of irritation upon finding in her
house a man whom she Instinctively
distrusted. A foolish feeling, she
thought to hersolf. She had not a
ihred of tangible evidence against
Frank JJosley, but the repulsion was
strong. Her delight In finding a rela
'tlve hera In California had been great
ty temj ered by tha frlendnhlp between
theBJ two men, unaccountable, per
sistent. "Don't hurry because I came," she
said, waving the guest back to his
seat. "I'm going on into the kitchen
in a minute." She opened her shabby
leather bag and took out a smell box,
wrapped in paper. '"I'll just give you
this, as long as yeu're home again."
She passed it over.
Frank 'Bosley" took "the box mechan
ically and turned it about as if bewil
dered. "Whtit is it?" There was no
doubting his surprise. ..'
"I'm sure I don't know. Valuables,
I s'pose. Your wife brought it in for
me to keep w hile she Was gone,"
The red of swift anger surged into
his face, "Gussie brought it in!
What in h I M she do that for?"
Mrs. I'entield sniled. "I don't
know. Fur safety, was all she said.
And of course a burglar would be
rather low in his inind 'fore he'd try
this place."
His anger mounted steadily, blazing
now jn his prominent eyes. "1 n !
She makes me sick, always getting
the jumping jimmies ! I'll see that
she doesn't bother you any more,
Mrs I'entield." ; : j
"Oh, 'tisn't that I count it a bother, j
Mr. 'Bosley; but, land, there ain't any j
great protection here."
''And, '.-great Scott, you carry this"
i lie turned the box 'over in. his hands ;
"these rings or whatever 'tis
'round with you when you go any-
wl.cveV"
. J hain't never done that' before,
but going out -of The Custard Cup al
together And even so, what if I
lost it?"
"I sUmhi say!" His w"'ds cut the
air with violence.- "Believe me, I'll fix
this"
Jerry Winston, whose 'merry eyes
had sharpened with alert interest,
broke in with a careful drawl. "Ain't
you a bit bard on nerves. Bosley?
Likely your wife's had a dream or
something."
This lightened version seemed to
restore Frank Bosley's composure.
"Likely," he agreed glibly. "Been;
reading the newspapers, I presume. ;
Got her .mind full of robberies, and
thinks she's going to he the next in
line."
Jerry Winston nodded. "Worst
thing in the world for nerves," he said
sadly. "Women need lighter food'n
that.'"
Mrs. I'enfield started for the kitchen,
Frank Bosley's voice followed her.
"I'll be ambling along, Winston.
See you again in a day or two."
Mrs. I'enlield, emptying the linked
beans into the saucepan, shook his
head. "Wouldn't that beat you?'' she
murmured. '
She put the saucepan on the stove
and went to the back door. Lottie's
game was in full swing. There were
now ten scraps of humanity, because
; Tliad had been annexed to the party
as a family courtesy and was travel
ing deadhead through its joys. Each
one of the ten had been assigned the
pisrt of a creature of feathers or fur
and was practicing the new charac
ter with vociferous spirit.. Tinimy
Catterliox. as tiray Squirrel, was eat
ing an imaginary nut with increasing
grace, to the accompaniment of ap
propriate noises; his little sister, as
Men, was strutting and cackling in a
way that would have been illuminat
ing to untrained poultry. Babbit was
represented; also Cat nnd Dog and
Mouse and several others all small,
as Lettie had promised; all active, as
one might expect.
Mrs. I'enlield, satisfied by her mo
ment of supervision. vtnt back to her
supper preparations and the ironing
which further utilized the supper tire.
Uncle Jerry tramped through the
living-room and paused on his way
through the kitchen, Mrs. I'enfield
was far from understanding why he
had come info her home. It had
seemed natural - enough at first, but
the supposition that he wanted to
participate in the home life of his
own kindred "was being rapidly dissi
pated. He had fitted up the loft with
a few ' pieces of plai furniture and
had constructed a reasonable sort of
stepladder that made it easily acces
sible; but Mrs. I'enlield was beginning
to., wonder why he had taken the
trouble. He rarely had a meal nt
Number 47; there were days at a time
when The Custard Cup never saw him
at all. ,
Nevertheless, when he came breez
ily back, bringing some offering of
food which he ostentatiously claimed
to have secured at a tremendous bar
gain, .brimming with stories of the
Oregon woods that delighted the chil
dren, full of rough but jolly kindness
then Mrs. Penfield appreciated hitp
without reserve. But there were
other times' times when reticence
was uppermost, about his absences,
his business, his companions. Then
hare snpper with us tonight"
"Can't, Car'liue. Sorry, hut I got
to see a mat. Heavens, what's going
on in your yard?"
Mrs. rentield explained. She had
to lift her voice, because Undo Jerry
had opened the door, and. the game,
now at its most vocal stage, filled the
air with diverse calls and squeaks and
clucks. Jerry Winston's footsteps on
the board walk that ran around the
house were' lost In the din.
The animal game was drawing
nearer. A zealous participant had
discovered his habitat to be in the
tree that Overhung the lean-to kitchen.
By the squeaky calls It was Gray
Squirrel. AbJO, Gray Squirrels leap
from branch to branch. Mrs. I'enfield
set down her Iron and started for he
door, with the intention of curbing
the hazardous realism, ven Crash
Mill Grove News i
....March 22. Mr. S. C. Foard has !
been on the sick list for the past !
week. - . i
Mr. Mack Simpson is moving near
Union Grove from Charlotte,
Miss Mary Ford was the guest of
Miss Lona Ormand Wednesday night,
Mr. C. A. Foard has purchased a
new Ford touring car.
': Mr. Harrison Yandle visited ; his
cousin, Mr. Willie Ormand, on night
this week.
' Miss Lena Lemmond visited Miss j
Eva Foard in Charlotte this week. j
Mr. J. N. Ormond is prepared to do;
barber work at his home every Sat-!
urday. . .
Most ail the students are looking!
forward to an entertainment at the ; '
close ot the term this year. How ,
many of them can say that they have
done their best in school this term?
' We should all try to consume all the
school hcurs in hard, honest s;udv;
Maybe by next year the patrons of
Mill Grove and Furr schools will
make a move to try and have their
schools consolidated. Some people
ro-jert to consolidated schools, but if
: they knew Lhe pood that comes from
i them there would be more of them in
Union county. What do vou say, fel
'' lew ci.ir-cns? L-.'t us advance our ed
ucational work along this line of con
solidation. Lone Star.,
GOING ON AN
EASTER TOUR
to the country or visiting friends?
Then you will probably need one of
our tires as a "spare" and perhaps
you will want two if the roads are
bad. Motorists who start with our
tires always buy them thereafter.
MONROE AUTO
SERVICE STATION
J. E. LILES Proprietor. Phone 40.
' ' God . will not look over you for
medals, cicurees and diplomas, but for
.-cars. Alien.
R. L. PAYNE, M. D.
Office Orr Union Drug Co.
Residence Phone - 466
C1ZZ2 Phone 4S3
Gray Squirrel Came Hurtling Through
the Thin Roof.
Splash Gray Squirrel came hurtling
through the thin, roof between two
supports and lan Id in a tub of soak
ing clothes. During the descent he
instantaneously forsook the duckings
of the wild and shot out his furry -personality
as the parachute drops from
the balloon. He became all at once
a human baby, full of human shrieks
and screams, bent on airing his
troubles to a listening neighborhood.
"My goodness land!" Mrs. Penfield
made a dive for the floundering, yell
ing Tmimy and extracted him as
lightly and swiftly as if he had been
a breadcrumb on the tablecloth. On
the instant a mob of children poured
.into the kitchen, not so much aetn:
nted by fear as eager to obtain choice
posts of observation fm which the
downfall of Timmy might be fully en
joyed. Shakespeare knew .what he
was about when he wrote tragedy for
the delight of audiences.
Lettie stormed through her group
of followers, as a tornado plows Its
way through a populous landscape.
"By jiminy !" she shouted. "Wouldn't
that jiggle your pins? There goes one
cent. I won't never get paid for
Timmy." ;
"Lettie, get me thp blanket off my
bed. And hurryi Hush, Timmy, dear;
you ain't hurt a speck. We'll have
you warm and dry in no tim0." With
the protesting Timmy in one arm
h-s. I'entield rummaged in the cup
board for towels.
Lettie switched back with the blan
ket, her resentment flaming higher
than ever. She snapped her teeth at
Timmy.
"You little stupid ! Don't you know
a roof's to keep you out. 'stead of
leaking you in? By jingoes, s'pose
Mrs. Catterliox won't pay me for
Susie, either. That makes two cents
gone. Ain't that luck?"
"Lettie, be still. Stop flunking bout
money when you 'most broke a fel
ler's neck. ' Now clear out, children.
- Land, if I wasn't so busy, I'd spank
every one of you for enjoying your
selves 'cause Timmy here fell Into
misfortune. Step lively. I got to
have elbow room and sudden."
! The company, thus explicitly un
' wanted, Initiated a fade-out. Lettie
shooed them vigorously.
"Run along, babies," she command
ed. "You're going toxplay hop-scotch
In the driveway darned if you ain't!
I'm going to have that seven cents
or bust." She turned back and stuck
her nose into the hitchen. "Say, Pen
zie, what you going to do with him?"
A scornful twirk of her thumb indi
cated the suffering Timmy. '
YOU ARE RIGHT
When you make up your mind to
purshase y
FRESH MEATS
HERE
Our offerings are wholesome and
tasty and kept under the most san
itary conditions, while our prices
are always right. Just give us a
trial to-day.
G. H. LEVY'S
MARKET
PROMPT DELIVERY
Phone 572
Franklin St.
J6v
CLIP YOUR HORSE
One of the greatest improvements ever introduced into
stable management, : according to the opinions of leading
veterinarians, is the custom of clipping horses in the spring,
which has now become so common. A clipped horse will not
only do a greater amount of work, on the same "amount of
food, than a horse with his natural coat will do, but he will
also be fresh and full of vigor, while the horse with the
heavy coat will be dull, out of condition, and seldom or never
dry or clean. Clipping removes the tendency to sweat, and
there is no comparison as between a long, wet coat and a
short, dry one. When tlyfe long coat, is warmed up and the
horse is being worked regularly, it is next to impossible to
thoroughly dry the coat, and this causes the animal to lose
flesh in addition to making him a'prey to a multitude of ills.
Big companies which require hundreds of horses in' 'carry
ing on their business, have experimented and found that
where their horses , were clipped, coughs and pneumonia
have been practically eliminated. Clip your horses in the
Spring if you want to keep them healthy and in good condition.
MONROE HARDWARE CO.
Phone 11. MONROE, N. C.
"Dry him out," replied Mrs. Pen-
she was puzzled and disturbed," even ' field tersely. "We can't return, him
piqued. soaked-. I expected to Iron tonight,
"Well, Car'line," he began, "I didn't but I didn't s'pose it'd be Timmy.
know you had a safety vault for the And now, Lettie, you remember to
neighbors. That's 'bout the last thing keep all them kids on the. ground.
Pd expect you to start." j Moreover, you'n III have a quiet little
She said nothing. j talk when things clear up a bit." -
"Mrs. Bosley must have the fidgets," "Yes'm." Lettie gulped from the
he continued; and as his tone grew depths of a great comprehension ;
lazier his eyes grew keener. "Say, then flew. to the pursuit of whatevei
wasn't he mad? I'll bet they've had pennies remained,
trouble over that box. It was a box,1 TO BE CONTINUED
wasn't it? Does she always bring the . '
same package?" i Mrs. A. "What a lot more thing3
Mrs. Penfield, testing the heat of cost than before the war." . ,-'( -the
Irons, turned In astonishment. Mrs. B. "Yes, a simple cry used
"My goodness, Uncle Jerry, how'd it to ? a new gown. Now I have to
come to int'rust jou so?" f hyrfenc-Boston
He shrugged. "Jist making conver- . " .. ;.
satlon. Hasn't nothing else happened
to talk about."
"That's bo, too," 'he agreed. "Well,
no, 'tain't always the same package.
Sometimes It's thin and soft. I guess
she's got dlffrunt ways of saltln;
down her jewels. Why, arc you going
93 a gals? I thought nebbe you'd
H.D. STEWART, M.D.
Office engagement ,
any time by appointment.
Regular hours 11 to 1 and 3 to 6.
Thorough examination and advice.
Phone 141 day or night.
J'.-.'' ' '.'. :'
I
. I
Eat Cabbage, one of the earliest and most palata
ble vegetables.
EVERYBODY LIKES CABBAGE
I. have made arrangements with a Cabbage-Plant
, "' '' ' ".'''.'''',:.'
grower, and I will have on hand a quantity of
fresh, open grown, frosl proof Cabbage 'Plants
that I will furnish to any, at ORIGINAL COST
OF 15c PER 100 PLANTS.
- Everybody should put a few hundred plants for JJ.
early Cabbage for home consumption, or for ear
ly marketing. New Cabbage today is selling for
7y2c per pound.'
Lee Griffin
PHONE 195
U: --.' :'' 3:': ''
THE FANCY GROCER.
ill