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

quite by accident, the front seat BESIDE Jak
i to Amanda Liza the rest Of the way All! th
, twilight that summer evening was warm anC
mellow, the fields were gided, the meadow
fragrant, and we heard refrain OF the CRANE
, eternal poem on the joting seat Of the ole
wagon, though Jake was silent the rest OF TIT
way, looking turtlvely now and then at TIT
girl beside him, aid being very attentive t
old Dobbin Poor Jake Amanda Liza hat
shot up clean out of his reach since them ant
what we wanted to know was whether the CIR
would remember him now in the days OF hel
elevation.
A wealthy uncle, splendid home, ant
money on her own accountant, no wonder
we had not seen Amanda since
"'rhey touched her off like a sky-rocket
and she vanished" said Jake, rucfully.
Had she vanished for good? Then poet
ical justice was a myth and Amanda's patch
ed shoes and faded dresses were not more
worthless than she. We waited. We watch
ed the windows furtively. We pricked oui
ears ut every ring Of the door-bcll, but weeks
passed. and the golden coach and'Six in which
our Cinderella was to arrive did not rattle up
the drive to the Squimps Academy.
| think we had almost given it up; and
Amanda Liza's base forgetfuncss and ingrat.
iude were becoming an old story, when one
day at noon Jake came rushing in among us,
hot and shining, and holding between his
thumb and toretlnger q dainty billet He
looked like an embodied "hurrahr at that
moment.
But, to tell the truth, Jake could not quite
make out the writing, for with all his "oppor.
tunitcs," as our worthy principal designated
his vlcinagc TO wisdom and learning in the
capacity of shOc-black, the lad was unable to
Il ir,, ha n l,p ~
he declared.
Jennie Smith read the letter for him amidst
general applause. Justice and Righteousness
had triumphed, it appeared and Amanda Ii
"a had proved herself a regular brick" as
Jennie, with beaming eyes, observed as she
handed back the precious scrap Of paper to
Jake, who carefully wrapped 1t in his ragged
The letter contained Il briefI
invitation to the lad, urging him to come and
see his old iricnd-a day WAS appointed for
the visit, and the street and number where
she could be found were written out in a round
hand 4 fashionable and wealthy
quarter of the city, where Jake was not like. |
ly to be very familiar.
Jake set himself to work, without loss of
time, about backing his boots, albeit the APP
pointed day was somewhere about a week |
ahead. But it would take a deal of fixing, he |
confidentially, TO get ready, and
he hadn't much to fix with. His normal con.
Jlltion was not that of dandy, certainly He
could only, as a general thing, be lurcd by
the prospect Of drive to red himself up"
IS Mrs Squimps said. To be ragged and let |
alone was his heaven. But this time he rose
o the greatness Of the Occasion-he brushed
md secured, washed out his sole white shirt,
luStcd and heightened his battered old hat,
nd mended his trousers,
Deeply interested in Jakc's fortunes, we
watched the proceedings
But Jake" said Jennie Smith one day,
what are you to do tor cOat?" {
Unhappy suggestion, He looked aghast
lie hadn't thought of that. Certainly he
Ouldn't make his appearance in that over.
rown cOachman's rig, in which he was wont
o illustrate the aCadcmiCal responsibility on
he road. And he had nothing else No ne.
essty had ever before developed itself for
Inythipg save shirt sleeves and a wooden
acket
An awful pause came over our delbera-
ions for Jake Miss Smith whistled and
naly suggested her interpretive were |
II ready to fling ours at his feet--but Jake
ouldnt go mutled like an Italian brigand 5
IT, shook his head
Night closed without any solution of the {
ow the lads quick wit would find way out {
t it. 9
The next morning, however, new sensa. r
on turned us from the contemplation of his Il
isasters The house had been robbed We L
ere all terribly scared, and Mr.. Squimps o
as in fever OF defamation and wrath His | Il
)at-his beStbelOvcd blue-black coat in | |
hich he was wont to dignity trustee meet {
lgs, ornament his pew of Sunday, and pay IN
sits of state TO his patrons his coat had
zen stolen. HIS coat, n man so devoted to I
e interests of education that he scarcely had 7
me to go To the tuilOrs; 10 think that an UNI :
rateful inappreciative, idle world should |
ave permitted him to be robbed, He raved, |
c stOrmcd, he threatened vengeance, he lee r
lrcd us on the dcgcneracy of the times, and v
'rgOt our Latin. I
Vague torebodings of lurking assassins, G
asked robbers and frequent skiTmishes in Il
the wardrobe and dormitOries about this q
me kept Us all in a furry to the exclusion O
all thought Of Jake. But late one twilight I
tcrnoon, as we sat huddled together in the I,
ne school.roOm we saw him issue from the h
lthouSc. oh, horror! oh, apparilion of f
rror! For, with its tails nearly touching
e ground, the long sleeves overlapping his n
lnds, he wore, without a doubt, the missing :,
Iat, boldly marching, in his stolen iinery "A
)wn towards the road in very sight of all of 81
In sight OF sharper eyes too, 1t seemed, for d
ot far from the house Mr.. Squimps himself Il
ounccd upon him. G
Poor, kind, lghthearcd Jake! We held O
ur breath that day and the next, for he had &
cen marched oil to prison. and Mr. SQuimps' $
loquencc and morality were in full flow. lie I
aid longer grace than ever at dinner. and Il
We were all glad when, hungrly eyIng the a
cant board, We heard the visitors bell sum. n
non him to the parlor. think we were in I
'cucr appetite than usual that dav, and we n
Ell little behind us for our Mentor ms we filed n
p stairs to the school.room. Passing the /,
arlor door, there rushed out upon MS little "
CURE IN trailing silk dress and bonnet full n
t nodding French flowers 1t was Amanda u
liza
"Oh girls" she cried, hystericallv, Devil. Il
cred with an apparent desire To embrace the ~
hole troop. Poor lakcw II
Mr. Squimps, tall and solemn. rose with n
ignity, and closed the parlor door upon their n
Irther conference We heard him max this t,
,py,1ipsr ,,,pnarls :,