Smyrna times., 1873-12-10

ceal its deficiencies, and prcking up its tasseled
ears with quite a show of spirit, would set off
on brisk trOt, animated no doubt, by the
prospect of grassy nibble along the road. Gay
times were those Jake was at his joiest, and
we ail-Old DObbin inclu1ed-forgot our short
commons" and long lectures, and grew hiar-
lous together. Even poor Amanda Liza, quietly
slowed away In the back seat, frightened up
in the sunlight, and was meekly merry. Once
l remember old Dobbin cantered along so frisk-
lily that he upset the whsle party on mossy
bit of rising ground and, whisking his long
tail tacetlously, quietly betook himself to pas
ture,. while we picked ourselves up as best We
could.
1--WE might have had worse luck" said
Jake, as he plucked Amanda Liza out of the
heap, shook her out, and wiped the dust from
her black apron, leaving the rest of the party
to look after themselves which we did, scold-
ing and laughing by turns, and giving, quite
by accident, the front seat beside Jake to
Amanda Liza the rest OF the way. All the
twilight that summer evening was warm and
mellow, the fields were gilded, the meadows
fragrant, and we heard a refrain of the grand
eternal poem on the jolting seat Of the old
wagon, through Jake was silent the rest of the
way, looking furtively now and then at the
girl beside him, and being very attentive to
old Dobbin. Poor Jake Amanda Liza had
shot up clean out of his reach since then, and
what we wanted to know was whether the girl
would remember him now in the days of her
elevation.
A wealthy uncle, splendid home, and
money on her own accOunt-ah! no wonder
We had not seen Amanda since.
They touched her fflike sky-rocket, and
she vanished" said Jake ruefully.
Had she vanished for good? Then poetical
justice was myth and Amandas s patched
Shn III i
less than she. We waited. We watched the
windows furtivey. We pricked up our ears at
every ring of the doorbel but weeks passed.
and the golden coach and-slx in which our Gin
dorella was to arrive did not rattle up the
drive to the Squimps Academy
L think we had almost given it up, and
Amanda Liza's base forgetfulness and ngrati
tude 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 forefDger a dainty billet. He looked
like an embodied " IIurrah' at that moment.
But to tell the truth, Jake could not quite
make out the writing, for with all his "oppor-
tunities," as our worthy principal designated
his vicinage to wisdom and learning in the ca
pacity of shoe black the lad was unable to de-
cipher manuscript" hadn't the patience" he
declared.
Jennie Smith read the letter for him amidst
general applause. Justice and righteousness
had triumphed, it appeared, and Amanda Liza
had proved herself regular brick, as Jen-
ME, with beamng eyes, observed, handing
back the precious scrap OF paper to Jake, who
carefully wrapped it in his ragged handker-
chief. The letter contained brief invitation
to the lad, urging him to come and see his old
friend-a day was appointed for the visit, and
the street and number where she was to be
tOun1 were written out in round, school girl
hand. A fashionable and wealthy quarter of
the city, where Jake was not likely to be very
familiar.
Jake set himself to work without loss of
| time about backing his boots, albeit the ap.
| pointed day was somewhat about week ahead
But it would take deal of fixing, he explain
| ed cOnhdentially, to get ready. and he hadn't t
much to fix with. Jake's normal condition
was not that of dandy, certainly He could
only, as general thing, be lured by the pros
pect of drive to red himself up, as Mrs.
! SquImps said. To be ragged and let alone was
his heaven. But this time he rose to the
greatness of the occasion-he brushed and
secured, washed out his sole white shirt, dus-
ted and Strengthened his battered old hat, and
mended his trousers.
Deeply interested in Jake's fortunes, we
watched the proceedings
But Jake" said Jennie Smith one dsy,
Unhappy suggestion Jake looked agahast
He hadn't thought of that. Certainly he
couldn't make his appearance in that over.
grown coachman rig, in which he was wont
to illustrate the academical responsibility on
the road And he had nothing else. No ne.
cessity had ever before developed itself for
anything save shirt sleeves and wooden jacket.
An awful pause came over our deliberations
for Jake: Miss Smith whistled, and finally
suggested her water-proOf-we were all ready
to fling ours at his feet-but Jake couldn't 90
muffled like an Italian brigand. He shook his
head.
Night closed without any solution of the diff
Guilty, but We trusted that somehow the lad
quick wit would find q way out of it.
The next morning. however, a new sensation
turned US from the contemplation of Jake.
,, disasters. The house had been robbed. W.
were all terribly scared, and Mr.. Squimps wa.
in fever of defamation aud wrath. Hi.
coat his best beloved blue. black coat, in which
he was wont to dignity trustee meetings, orna
ment his pew OF a Sunday, and pay visits O
State to his patrons-his coat had been stolen
His coat, man so devoted to the interests o
e1ucatian that ho scarcely had time to 20 L
9 the tailor S to think that an ungrateful, inap
{ preciative, idle world should have permitted
him TO be robbed He raved, he stormed, h
, threatened vengeance, he lectured us on th
7" uegeneracy OF the times, and forgot our Latin
. Vague forebodings of lurking assassins
t masked robbers and frequent skirmishes int
the wardrobe and dormitories about this tim
+ kept US all in a nervous furry, to the exclusion
d of all thought of Jake. But late one twiligh
II afternoon, as we sat huddled in the windows @
y the long school room waiting the supper bel
c we saw him issue from the outhouse. Oh, hor
ror Oh, appartion ofterror For with its tail
! nearly touching the ground, his long sleeve
d overlapping his hands, Jake wore without
k doubt the missing coat, boldly marching in hi
IS stolen finery down towards the road in sight {
e US all.
t. In sight of sharper Oyes too, it seemed, fc
't not far from the house Mr.. Squimps himse
>. poUnced upon him.
It Poor, kind, light-hearted Jake We hel
is our breath that day and the next, for Jake ha
le b. en- marched Of to prison, and Mr.. Squimps
ID eloquence and morality were in full flow. II