Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1873-08-22


the exclusion of all thought of Jake. But
late one twilight afternoon, as we sat hud-
died in the windows of the long school
room waiting the supper.bell to ring, we
saw him issue from the outhouse. Oh, hor-
rorl Oh, apparition of terror For with
its tails nearly touching the ground its
long sleeves overlapping his hands, Jake
wore, without doubt, the missing coat,
boldly marching i'm his stolen finery down
toward the road in sight of us all.
In sight of sharper eyes, too, ii seemed,
for not far from the house Mr.. Squimps
himself pounced upon him.
Poor, kind, light-hearted Jake! We held
our breath that day and next, for Jake had
been marched off TO prison, and Mr..
Squimps's eloquence and morality were in
full flow. He said a longer grace than ev-
er at dinner, and we were all glad when,
hungrily eyeing the scanty board, we heard
the visitors bell summon him to the par
lor. I think We were in better appetite
than usual that day, and left little behind
us for our Mentor as we filed upstairs to-
ward the school room. Passing the parlor
door there rushed out upon us a little fig
ure in trailing silk dress and bonnetful
of nodding French flowers. 1t was Aman-
da Liza.
"Oh, girls - she cried hysLercaly, be-
wildered with an apparent desire to em-
brace the whole troop. "Poor Jaker
Mr.. Squimps, tall and solemn, rose with
dignity, and closed the parlor door upon
their further conference. We heard him
make this consoling remark,
81 always knew he'd come TO no good r.
II seemed that Amanda had learned of
JIkes mishap through some stray news
paper, where the well-known name of the
virtuous and vengeful Squimps had met
her eye. She comprehended the situation,
and came to the academy TO plead for her
old friend.
We waited the news OF Jake's fate breath
lessly, nodding and whispering among our
selves. For there would be trial or some
thing terrible of course, we hardly knew
what. Mr.. Squimps was away all the af-
ternoon, the classes were demoralized, and
we stood idly gazing out Of the window al
four o'clock, when carriage came up the
box, elate and erect. lie sprang down and
open ed the door witt: a. flourish, and out
stepped Mr.. Squimps.
1.-THE girl pleaded so hard that have de.
cided not to prosecute" said Mr.. Squimps
| and if a splendid new coat fresh from The
talor's and plump silken purse of un
known manufacture had any thing to dc
H. nt in n
| it.
"And I'm going to live with Miss Man.
dy Liza foreverr - cried Jake, when he came
among US, his face lit with glory as if hi
were departing for heaven.
Would Amanda Liza dress him in blu,
coat and brass buttons, and make him hel
coachman at good wages? All, what rise
for poor Jake! Amanda Liza was hi!
saint, his angel, the hem of whose carmen
he touched reverently. There was no com
monplace element about.such love as this
and Jake would be content TO let down hel
carriage steps and look after her pt nies al
the days of his life, we thought. And tha
was the last we saw of him at the Squimps
es'.
But years after, when l was travelling il
Australia with my husband, Mr.. Smith anC
myself were invited TO the ranch of one o
the IN magistrates there, whose broad estates
covered miles of mountain and meadow
and who owned almost literally "the cattl
upon thousand hills.h In the lady of th
mansion, delicate and dainty parsonage
l recognized with cry of delight and sur
drise my old school-mate, Amada Liza
but did not know the portly dignitar.
upon whose arm she hung until 1 hear
her laughing whisper-"Oh, Jake, dom
you remembered Squimps's ?'::