The Argosy, Vol. 61, No. 4 — page 67: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

JUST FOR SPITE. your yard instead of at the ball-game this afternoon?” “That’s what I’m going to do,” said Hicks. “ Now that you’re pretty sure of being the president of the beautiful and pleasant suburb of Oak Forest, you ought to set an example to your con- stituents by having the best lawn in town.” “Say, that’s a good scheme. Ill get all fixed up for election day. Besides, that family I was telling you about is coming to look at the place next week. They’ll rent it for July and August if it looks good to them, and I don’t like to leave it vacant while we’re away this summer, so I guess I’d better fix it up so it'll be sure to please them.” “Tell you what I’ll do,” began Hicks. “What?” ‘“My porch is settling. I’ve got to get a lever under it and put a few bricks in to hold the post. What do you say to exchanging labor, as farmers do in the harvest season?” ‘““ Good scheme,” enthused Pierce. ‘* We'll catch the one-five, and do both jobs this afternoon. It'll make the work pleasanter, and two can always do more than twice as much as one, anyway.” Talk diverted into other channels dur- ing the ride to town. ‘“Spooner was over again last night to make a last appeal for me to run against you on the ticket,’ remarked Hicks. “It’s mighty good of you, John, to let me have a clear field. We'll stick to the agreement. You help elect me presi- dent this year, and I’ll turn about and help you in next year. There’s nothing like a close corporation.” “Sure, Dicky,’’ answered the other. . “JT guess it would take a pretty big thing to sever our friendship. I don’t think there’s ever been any jealousy be- tween us; and we never had a fight.” ‘““No, we’ve been pretty lucky,’ re- plied Pierce. “‘‘ Wait till I’m president of the village. We’ll have a new asphalt road on our street, you can bet on that, and we’ll buy an automobile together.” “That'll be fine.” The friendly suburbanites caught the one-five train for home together, and an hour later they appeared in ragged trou- sers and shirt-sleeves ready for work. 4A 625 On Hicks’s suggestion that they should get the easiest job done first, they tackled the task of raising his slumped front porch. For half an hour they gathered planks and hunted bricks, in the effort to form a lever. “ Let’s trade off like this every Satur- day afternoon,” suggested Hicks, enjoy- ing the novelty of the work, and feeling a sort of satisfaction in knowing that the bothersome porch was to_be finished up and off his mind. ‘‘ Might be a good scheme,” acquiesced Pierce, with a shade of doubt, glancing at his still-standing pear-tree, and wrap- ping his handkerchief around a fresh blister. Another half hour of toil passed. At last Pierce’s mechanical ability had constructed a lever that would lift Hicks’s porch. Hicks was sitting on it, while Pierce, on his knees in the mud, sawed at the ragged bottom of the post; for Pierce had taken manual ‘training at school, while Hicks had elected free-hand draw- ing, and just now he rather prided him- self on his choice. ‘Tf you work as hard as president of the village as you are on this job you'll make good, Dick,’ encouraged Hicks, as he held down the lever and watched his bosom friend sweating below. Pierce made no answer, but shoved in the bricks with an unaccustomed vicious- ness. Ten minutes later, his face, grown apoplectic from the exertion, turned right-side-up, and he rose from _ his cramped position with a look at Hicks which suddenly brought that gentleman down from his heaven of oblivious se- . renity. “There! That fool thing’s done,” growled Pierce, giving the saw a, vicious swing under the porch and wiping the drops of perspiration from his eyebrows, in order to distinguish the hands on his watch. “ Three-thirty!’’ he gasped, glancing at his sidewalk and the scrawny pear- tree. ‘Well, we'll have to hustle some,” agreed his neighbor, who had done noth- ing but hold down the lever. Then he looked down at the job. ‘“‘ I guess there’d COMICLOO© (©