I
THE
CHEM AW A
17
AM ERICAN
♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦*♦♦♦♦♦ ♦♦♦♦♦♦
NOT E V E N EXPECTED
: ♦
T h e r e is a c e r t a i n v e te r a n h o te l c le r k o f a c e r t a i n
♦♦
♦
j
s m a ll h o te l u p in t h e M a in e w o o d s w h o is n o te d fo r tw o
j
t h i n g s — h is p e c u l i a r c h o ic e o f w o r d s a n d t h e f a c t t h a t
j
e v e r y d a y f o r f o r t y - o d d y e a r s h e h a s in s c r ib e d o n t h e
:
t o p li n e s o f t h e r e g i s t e r t h e p r i n c i p l e ite m s o f c u r r e n t
n e w s in t h e v illa g e .
N o t l o n g a g o a N e w Y o r k e d i t o r , w h o c h a n c e d to
b e s to p p in g a t th e
h o te l, b o rro w e d th e re g is te r lo n g
e n o u g h to c o p y d o w n t h e f o ll o w i n g e n t r i e s :
“ M o n d a y , O c to b e r 12.
in g ro u n d th e
Y e s t e r d a y , w h ile p e r c o l a t
m illd a m , G e o r g e B a te s
fe ll i n t o t h e
w a te r ; a n d , o w in g to h is w i f e ’s f a i l i n g to m a k e h im
c h a n g e h is w e t
c lo th e s , h e is n o w
p n e u m o n ia .”
“ T u e s d a y , O c to b e r 13.
t h r e a t e n e d w ith
G e o r g e B a te s is r a p i d l y b e
c o m in g n o b e t t e r . ”
“ L a s t n i g h t h is w if e s e n t f o r D o c to r L i n d e n , w h o
lo o k e d h im o v e r , c o lle c te d tw o d o lla r s , a n d d e p a r t e d ,
lo o k e d v e r y u n s a t i s f a c t o r y . ”
“ W e d n e s d a y , O c to b e r 14. G e o r g e ’s s y m p t o m s a r e
ra p id ly e v e n tu a tin g in to f a ta litie s .”
“ T h u r s d a y , O c to b e r 15.
A t s e v e n -th irty th is m o rn
i n g o u r fe llo w t o w n s m a n , G e o r g e B a te s , w e n t to h is
m a k e r, e n tire ly u n c a lle d f o r .”
“ B ru d d e r P e rk in s , y o ’ b een f ig tin ,' I h e a li”
s a id
t h e c o lo r e d m i n i s t e r .
“ Y ass, A h w u z .”
“ D o a n y o ’ 'm e m b e h w liu t d e g o o d b o o k s e z ’b o u t
tu r n in ’ de odder ch eek ?”
“ Y a s s , p a h s o n b u t h e h i t m e o n m a ll n o s e , a n I ’se
o n ly g o t o n e . ”