The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1873-12-20
JAKE'S LUCK.


css! Whew it takes my breath away. VIVA
will Jake do now, | wonders"
Miss Jennie Smith was an acknowledge
leader in the Squimps academy. She ha
maintained her rotund person and round
yood-natured face IN spite Of sour bread AM
Scant rations. We thin and starving girl
looked up to her as n star of the first magni
tude We clustered around her in high con
claye, as she sat on desk in the school-roon
during the temporary absence OF our worthy
preceptor.
"Oh, a.e'U never think of Jake again" CRIED
sharpfaccd girl in the corner
"I'll bet she will,' rejoined Miss Smith
slapping her hand energetically on her old
grammar Miss Smith had big brothers,
which may partly account for the vim with
which she was wont to express herself but,
oh, don't wish it was mel TO think that
Amanda Liza, that used to lend my old col
lars to -"
"Young ladies, Miss Bmm!" cried warn
ing voice; whereat Jennie with moro haste
than dignity abandoned her lofty position,
and there was general stampede for seats rs
Miss Bimm, the head teacher, came sailing
in followed by Mr.. Squlmps, the principal
black, tall, and solemn as the shadow of a
lamp-post Now for striCtcr rules, longer
lectures on propricty, and general surveil
lance founded on certain very recent occur
rences."
What would Mr. Squimps say? Aye, TO be
sure that was always q question Of imp0r-
lance, and Mr.. Squmps always said good
deal Here was an especial theme for his
cloQuence: for this case of poor Amanda Liza,
who had been his bond.slave for ten years,
cuffed and cornered making no sign, and at
last turning out to have relations of her own
and heap Of money, and leaving his estab
Eehmpnt rfnr pppl and alp N bic ohcnnpn
was a leetlc to much for human nature as he
declared. For Mr. Squimps did not dlsGan
10 familiar cOlloQuialisms" once in while
as relief from the high mental strain of too
much Latin and lexicon.
Mr. Ssuimps should have been Il public
speaker--so his wife declared so all hisI
friends atfirmed-Only the trouble was he
would never hayc known when to stop There
was no cork up 10 Elm, the girls declared |
Once given little rope, Il small vcxatiOn, an
accidental Earring Of his arrangements and
Mr. Squimps flowed out into limitless rivers
of rhetoric. He argued his point down to the
last white, wound up splendldly, touched
up his sidc-whiskcrs looked around for ap-
plause, turned over his wristbands, and, be- |
fore you knew it, began again.
This was Il splendid opening, this of Aman.
ia Liza's-a girl whom he had taken out of
pure charity when her folks died of fever,
girl whom he had educated, brought up in |
his very family. nd-and-and-Mr. |
Squmps felt himself possessed on this par.
ticular OCCASION of all the stock in trade nee
cssary for an orator
"And Mr.. Squimps like a father to her,
too !" cried Mrs. Squimps, clevating her shriv.
eled little hands
Mrs. Squimps was a small wrnkled lady,
rustllng about of an afternoon in n vOlumn-
n ia Il, Il T..
rattle in it rs she walked, like "A withcrcd ker
acl in walnutshcIl She had had the bcnc .
NJ OF Mr.. Sqump's rloquence the greater part
~ her lie, and was much like II WORKOUT
'cXt-thin and thumbed and faded {
The good lady was humbly aware of her {
Sehciencies. y mere bit Of quartz. she did /
not attempt 10 shine even IN her husbands
refulgence All real authority in her depart.
meni was delegated to Miss Bimm, who car.
ried things with an air, taught the higher
and took the lead
Mrs Squimps mcckly took the kitchen, [
filter rs her husband declared for {
hat department, which was the foundation of a
VII others. The foundation prepared under C
Mrs, Squimps supervision was not very sub. |
'tantial, But elegance was the aim, gcntilty
he law, ut the academy, rs Mrs. Squimps Oh o
served, and no one asked twice for the same il
!lsh An army OF hungry girls, he remarked q
privately to Mrs. Squimps, would dcvOur all
before the II, unless properly restrained. Tn {
Ter this aspect sour bread and cliill pancakes d
we're iudicious v
Amanda Liza, the girl abou, whom we were "
vi just now in Il iurorc, had assisted Mrs C.
'quimpS and the maids of Il morning in the W
,itchon, likewise of an evening" between il
hese she generally sandwichcd the thin hour V
n study which was dcnominated her "educa- b
81 "a, ,..l n Ia,
hing, who never spoke up for herself and ii
4 Jake hadn't spoken up for her once in a q
while think She would scarcely have held her Ii
avn even under Mrs Squlmps mothcry way. h
"Old Jake" rs we called him, was black Il
'yed, ragged lad of Is, the factotum of the f,
school, general fac boot black, and boy.ofall
work to the establishment with nm occasion. II
Al elevation to foutnan Il
JAKE was subject 10 "A state of chronic ont. ii
break, rc'tivc, iOrgcIlu of rules. and "drcad- o.
mi sassy the mald, declared, But Jake had al
hls deal ami that ideal was Miss Manda Iii. lc
III. Her pale, patient face, her soft, Quiet q,
voice were potent with him. The Girl was tc
really poorer than Jake, lower in the scale II
md with no apparent chance Of rising from Ia
Ter bondage; but She rccited with the voung g,
aides, and il was Jakc'S high ambition toI d
lelp her through with her chores and ret her II
INTO class. Jake's guardianship Of the girl
vas an accepted fact in the school and village n
'ound about. No boy dared play any tricks 7
~ Amanda Liza.
jest YOU wait I'LL | get my luck an III 10
each ypu,' was lakes admOnitiOn, accom- /
panied by - cllnching Of his sturdy fist tha, c
ably seconded the argument. 5
The girl took it very quietly ia her gentle ,
way, ard seemed 10 have kindly regard for S
4ake-mcnding his coat occasionally or darn |
ing his stockings thing Jake calamity de
rlarcd "sht shouldn't do again; he wouldn't |
have no ladies wai,in' on him" II
Ladies! The girls used to nudge each 9th. |
nr and smile; but for all that they were very 4
good to Amanda Liza, whose faded dress and q
meek ways set hcrapart from the noisy youth |
fitness of the resi- at It's. Wencvcr bcgrudged
thc extra polish which Jake, in his capacity id
Df bOctblack, bestowed upon her shoes. and "
we did not laugh when !hosc same shoes made
heir appearance one day adorned with re-. d
'plcndeni pair oi steel buckles, which wee f
found To have been ab,tr,ctcd {.