The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1874-12-17

her head felt so heavy that she had grea
trouble to hold il up. She would hav,
fallen asleep in spite of herself if some
thing had not attracted her attention al
of sudden. AS she saw ii her eyes
opened little, then little more, and ther
wider still, until at last they were almos
as large as Miss Prims when she was as
toniShed.
"Why, what is thisg" said Mabel tc
herself Upon my word, these ar,
pretty doings! All the letters of the
alphabet have, somehow or another. go
out Cf my book and are running about
here loose There's "A was an Archer
playing tag with II was House, anG
there's 20 was Queen trying to ge,
away from was an Urn,' who is hold
ing on to her skirt. Yesl and there i.
X was a King trundling 20 was an
Owl along like hoop. They are all
there, every one of them
Mabel could not make it out at all
There were the letters leaping, laughing
| running, turning somersaults and mixing
themselves up in all sorts of ways How
they got out of the book without being
discovered Mabel could not conceive
Yet there they were, having sports of
every kind all by themselves, and seem
ing to enjoy them. Suddenly, and right
IN the middle of game of blind man S
Dufl, Miss Prim darted in among them
with a ruler, and set them scam
pering in every direction, striking at
| them right and left all around the
arbor. Mabel got down from the bench
and ran to her governess.
Don't frighten them, please, Miss
Prim," she said They are only anus
| ing themselves; and don't wonder at it,
after they have been shut up in book
SO long"
| But Miss Prim took no notice of Mabel,
| and kept chasing the letters about, till
they hoped and skipped like so many
| tleas To get out of her way.
! Some of them got under the bench to
hide from her; but she went down on
her hands and knees to stir them out
As she did SO the remainder of the let
tiers jumped on her back and upset her
| after which they tied her hands and feet,
| and made her incapable of further mis-
chief
"Ahw said letter w, the biggest one
| of the lot, taking her ruler and standing
guard over her with it so you are not
satisfied with putting us in book but
you try to cram us into peoples heads
too, do you? Suppose | was to cut your
put us in your head any more?"
Miss Prim kicked and struggled to get
free, but she was not strong enough. w
did not cut ner head off, at which Mabe:
was very glad; but he called all the
other letters to stand around Miss Prim
while he made her say her letters over
seventy-four times. He then gave her II
spelling-lesson, and raped her on the
knuckles every time she said it cor
rectiy.
Mabel was sorry for Miss Prim but
she thought it served her right for inter
fering with the letters when they were
doing no harm. She therefore did not
make any objections; but when they got
| the poor lady into words of three sylla-
bles Mabel could stand it no longer, for
she thought that was nothing less than
cruelty. So she went up to Nv was IL
Wheel" and took hold of his arm.
Please don't punish her any more" ;"
she said, because il will make her head
ache. Three syllables are too many for
anybody. Let her go this time, because
it is not gentlemanly to strike IA lady"
Well" said w, dit isn't gentemanly
for her to go and chase us around with a
ruler and try To hammer us into peoples
heads as if we were nails. I'll let her
she ever comes here again we'll give her
words in hundred syllablcs, and So she
had better look out for herself"
They then united Miss Prim and let her
go away.
so you like Miss Prim," said A to
Mabel. :" If was in your place ! would
bother her and stick pins into her"
Mabel was going to give him a pretty
sharp answer when she saw a hump
backed letter that she did not recognize
coming toward her.
Glow do YOU do?" he asked her
"Don't you remember me? Don't you
recollect that you were introduced to me
last Wednesday,"
"Oh, yesm said Mabel "You are In
terrogation Mark You always ask
questions. Papa says it's wrong to ask
too many questionsr
"What does he know about it," in
quired Interrogation Mark, with sneer.
Is he any authority herer'
Mabel did not condescend to reply to
him but went to ., who seemed an easy,
good -natured letter, and spoke To him.
Tell me-" she said, chow you all
came to be here"
Il mustn't do that" replied O, "be-
cause then you would know all about it"
"Ohr' said Mabel, disappointed. "Tm
sure | didn't mean any harm"
81 know" answered o, land ! would
tell you, but you see we are all afraid of
Miss Prim If she finds out how we do
il she will lock us up and then we cant
come here any more. When we amuse
ourselves here we are often quite rough
and some of US get hurt There's Y,
who is limping along there, for example.
He was an III once, but he fell down and
broke his legs and now he is knock
kneed, as you see him. V used to walk
like A; but he was too fond of turning
somersaults and one day he only went
| halfway over and stuck on his head He
has never been able to get back again"
Mabel was not surprised to hear all of
this for she had suspected something of
the sort before, and was very glad to
! learn it was true.
How old are your" 0 suddenly in
quired
six" answered Mabel.
"You could be sixty if you wanted, "
o replied.
How" asked Mabel
"By adding fifty-four to yourself, )" an
swered o, looking very seriously at her.
81 would do it if | was in your place. 1t
will save you the trouble of growing"
Mabel saw that it was true, but she did
! not know how TO do it; and she was not
exactly sure that she wanted to add
! ffty-four to herself without thinking
about it,
While she was turning it over in her
mind, &c. came up 10 Mabel and shook
hands with her. He seemed quite gloomy,
/ and had tired look that made her feel
very sorry for him.
Please, sir" said Mabel TO him, kind
! ly, "are you ill.,"
Yesw answered &c, shedding tears
and wiping his eyes on his cuff
Then you ought TO take something for
| it" said Mabel.
Take what" asked &c, signing.
Take some medicine, " returned Ma
bel.
What should | take medicine for:'
inquired &c, little tiercely, as Mabel
| imagined
Dear mer' said Mabel to herself.
d" He asks almost as many questions as
Interrogation Mark. Because you are
ILL.," she said aloud, somewhat timidly.
But / am not ill.," said &c, very
positively.
- You said you were, if you please,
pleaded Mabel, almost crying with vexa
tion at being so constantly contradlcted
"If | said it, | meant it, answered
&c, growing sad again. g And now
say I'm fOt, and l mean that too"
40 dear" said Mabel, greatly puz
zled "What do you mean, for | cant
make you outg"