The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1870-12-19

varhahs. J" where the sensible, but some
what queer DR.. Rounder kept ms schooi.
The Doctor had fine garden ana or.
ehsrd, In which all manner OF pleasant
frnits were to be found, from the early
strawberries to the autumn ptums ana ap.
Ia reyel in these inviting pastures. He con-
sidercd that the fruit was sent to be eaten,
and that the boys Of Cloverbobs were sent
to eat it. ,,;or
All the BOYS were Of the same opinion
but Mrs. Pinnicker, the housckeePeti, WV
not agree with them now and then. Al,n,
grieyous complaints did she CARY w. ,;s;na
master Of the nursing and doctor ,Hs az zoo
from the boys eating unripe 4. e ~ ,,,nr,ieS
Scb of what was ripe. ana siie SO "oi ~
t .s ", hs was fain to let her lock the
L. a,,d .jro out such measure OF the
}dainties as She thought Ut. ,s - y. 70.
,ensad The theft of her spectacles, the
,rnssniny Of her cat, and various other
niots were made and abandoned as un-
worthy OF gentlemen and dlsgracelul 10 the
Doctors pupils. NeVertheless' solne'Htn ns
II was decided, must be done. Now,
where there's q will there's way, and that
NAV be said with strong significance 10
hoy,s will. What chance, then, had the
ho1,sekeeper against the will OF between
thirty and forty boys! .,.,,
The apples had been gathered IN Win
The plunS, which were stored tor preserN
ing, and the whole were laid IN the most
housekeeper-like order on the noor OF
large room at one end OF the straSSius oio
house. all
OF this room, into which the boys So" an
the good things 90 and nothing come out,
Mrs. Pinnicker kept the key-a great door
kew, that hung, with others, ut her glrdle:
To get the kew was impossible, ana TO get
TO the apples without it equally so, mt least
so II apDeared till accident showed 1t otner-
wise.
II CHANGED that, in game Of hide-and-,
seek, one boy, the hider, climbed the ROOF
of the house, and, creeping toward the ap,,
nle-room end, got down an UNCOVERED
chimney. The chimney was very large,
and he descended rather quicker than he
80 wished into the chamber beneath, and fell
within q few inches Of large hole III the
floor, where the CRATE had once been.
At first he was in panic; but finding he
swas not hurt, he soon recovered himself,
= and began to look about him 1t was a
2ASSngy place the window was almost coy
cred with IVY; but there was enough
light to show him that the boxes OF all the
pupils were kept there.
Having ascertained this. he went to the
edge of the hole, and, looking down, could
See nothing but flat hearth-stone.
.sThere's no fireplace there" he
thought but, while he thought and look
ed, strong Whit of apples came up, and
suddenly gave him al explanation OF his
whereabouts.
the fruit store-room."
Piling the boxes up, he soon got out
from the chimney, and, smoothing the
ivy, he descended with all speed to tell his
comrades.
Exultstions was IN every heart that night;
for. although much had to be done to carry
out their enterprise, the first step and most
important had been taken the apples were
found to be within reach without the big
key.
After many a consultation in the play
ground, measures were agreed on and the
next day the ringleaders were down the
chimney smelling the apples and scheming
how to get at them. 1t was too far to jump
or drop down but rope-therc were the
cords of the boxes-what could be more
handy?
They twisted and twined them in and
out to the size of cable, and then, letting
down the smallest of the. party, charged
him to come up with his pockets full. But
pockets-even large oneS-would not hold
many; and the small boy had small peck
cts, of course; so he had to 90 down seve-
raj times before he could satisfy his com
panions.
sour supper-basket," SAID another.
YES" said the small boy, "and it would
be easier to 90 down and come up in the
basket; the cord hurts"
Accordingly, that night after supper the
market-basket was in its ordinary place;
but the following morning nobody could
"-d il. Where it was hidden, and how, I
II but the next play-hour saw it
Ia the box.roo. -s'biity OF their letting
To nreyent the pos. "eket contained
90 The rome when the u.- W secured
their messenger or the apples, tney 'he
II round an iron bar that went across -,
window, and wound OF unWound IL as heeo
required. ,-o .ho;r donreaot;ons went
IN and now their revenge was at hand.
They knew it was Mrs. Pinnicker's time for
BRINGING fruit for the Sunday pies, and they
hid about, here and there, to watch her 60
into the room. They saw her put her
bright key into the lock, ana 20 III anu close
the door behind her.
Would She never come out? Were they
RI wait in vain for the pleasure of seeing her
horror.strickeu facey The bell rang, the
nloy-time was over, and they were forced
10 forego their delight but they saw her
in the house, in the dormitory at night, ana
she looked troubled ana perpleAed.
They were sure she had complained TO
the Doctor; but he must have told her 1t
was fancy, that the apples could not 60
through the key-hole, and that the heaps
were not any less, as she declared they were.-
Nevertheless, they thought it best to rest
awhile. and allowed her to make another
visit before they took any more apples.
THINKING now that she was satisfied, they
went to work again, and the diminished
heaps left no doubt in Mrs. Pinnicker's
mind that thieves were somewhere. She
had told the Doctor, and the Doctor had
fold her that she was mistaken, but that II
abe saw any fresh signs of theft she had
better let him know, and say nothing
about 1t to any one else.
So she went TO him again with more con-
sternation than the Doctor thought all the
anples were worth but he said he would
nee the apples and judge for himself, for by
visit now and then he would be able TO
settle the question Of theft or no theft SO
he took the key.
MRS. Pinnicker seemed so quiet about
her second loss that the boys thought they
1night venture a fresh excursion into her
traesury and, as it CHANGED, they on the
roof. hidden by its ms and outs, and the
nocfor on the walk beneath, were making
their way at the time 10 the same spot.
He had let himself in, and was looking at
the fruit, when he thought he heard a
noise above him.
He waited and heard voices.
He was almost as much frightened to ind
that he had caught the thieves as he would
have been if they had caught him.
Tn nervous expectation he waited, Won