Hugh Pendexter

“ Hubbard, rising reluctantly from his chair.
This form of parting never varied, and Lyacus, speaking by rule, replied: “Good night, fellers. Wish you'd stay longer.”
It was at the conclusion of this ceremony and just as Mrs. Whittle stepped through the door, on time to a tick, that the unusual happened. Contrary to all precedent some one entered by the front door. Doc and Mr. Hubbard shivered in nervous joy. As no villager would presume to face Mrs. Whittle in the store after nine o'clock the newcomer must be a stranger. ”

“ Tell her you had to give twenty dollars boot, and I'll land you in Naples. It's good as done.” And another pin was employed to invade Italy.
“It—it makes me feel nervous the way we hustle along so fast,” murmured Lyacus, pressing his temples. “I don't remember seeing nothing of lay belle France. I'll be in the Orient before I know it. It's—it's almost like going round the world in a express package.”
Doc might have taken offense had not Mr. Hubbard afforded a diversion by groaning loudly and ejaculating: “Oh, Lawd! What fools we be!” ”

“ We shouldn't have secrets from each other.”
As Doc Styphen and Mr. Hubbard cautiously peered in the door and beheld Lyacus cheerily dusting the counter their amazement increased.
“Git caught?” hoarsely whispered Mr. Hubbard, while Doc slyly held up the valise and then concealed it behind his broad back.
Lyacus pointed a lean finger at the map, where an army of red and black pins was bunched on Hobb's Corner, and explained: “Not caught, but just got back. Great trip. Stormy across the Pacific. I'll show some nice picters of Italy in a day or so. Come in to-night and we'll talk it over. ”

“ Hubbard, preliminary to interposing a demurrer. “You've picked the fattest place on the globe. I want Ly to do it in good style, but being short of ready money, why not slip up north away from the equator a bit, where the earth is smaller?”
“Two cents a mile,” excitedly muttered Lyacus, furtively examining his wallet. “H'm! I've got just fifty dollars and ten cents.”
“Gimme a map,” Doc sternly commanded, rising long enough to tip over an oil-can. “Gimme one I can figger out twenty-five hundred and five miles on.” ”

“ Oh, by the way, fellers, beginning to-night we keep open till eleven o'clock.”
This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published before January 1, 1929.
The longest-living author of this work died in 1945, so this work is in the public domain in countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 78 years or less. This work may be in the public domain in countries and areas with longer native copyright terms that apply the rule of the shorter term to foreign works. ”