Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1874-02-26

cipher manuscript" hadn't the pa
tience," he declared.
Jennie Smith read the letter for him
amid the general applause. Justice and
righteousness had triumphed, it ap-
peared, and Amanda Liza had proved
herself Irregular brick" as Jennie,
with beaming eyes, observed, handing
back the precious scrap of paper to
Jake, who carefully wrapped it in his
ragged handkerchief. The letter con-
tanned brief invitation to the lad, urg-
ing him to come and see his old friend
"a day was appointed tor the visit, and
the street and number where she was to
be found were written out In 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 appointed day was somewhat about
a week ahead. But it would take deal
of fixing, he explained confdentially, to
get ready, and he hadn't much to fix
with. Jake's normal condition was not
that OF a dandy, certainly. He could
only, as general thing, be lured by the
prospect of drive to cred himself up, q"
as Mrs. Squimps said. To be ragged
and let alone was his heaven. But this
time he arose to the greatness of the
occasion he brushed and secured,
washed out his sole white shirt, busted
and Strengthened his battered old hat,
and mended his trousers.
Deeply interested in Jake's fortunes,
we watched the proceedings.
"But, jake" said Jenny Smith, one
day, "what are you going to do for a
coat?"
Unhappy suggestion Jake looked
aghast. He hadn't thought Of that.
Certainly he couldn't make his appear
ance in that overgrown coachman's rig,
in which he was won't to illustrate the
academical responsibility on the road.
And he had nothing else. No necessity
had ever before developed itself for any
thing save shirt sleeves and q wooden
jacket.
An awful pause came over our DELHI
erations for Jake. Miss Smith whis-
tied, and finally suggested her water
proof-we were all ready to fling ours
at his feet-but Jake couldn't go muffied
like an Italian brigand. He shook his
head.
Night closed without any solution of
the difficulty but We trusted that some
how the lads quick wit would find a way
out of it.
The next morning, however, a new
sensation turned us from the contem-
plation of Jake's disasters. The house
had been robbed. We were all terribly
scared, and Squimps was in fever of
defamation and wrath. His coat-his
best beloved black coat, In which
he was wont to dignity trustee meet
ings, ornament his pew on Sunday,
and pay visits of state to his patrons
his coat had been stolen. His coat, a
man so devoted to the interests of edu-
cation that he scarcely had time to go
to the tailor's to think that an un-
grateful, inappreciative, idle world
should have permitted him to be reb-
bed He raved, he stormed, he threat
ened vengeance, he lectured us on the
degeneracy of the times, and forgot our
Latin.
Vague forebodings of lurking assas.
sins, masked robbers, and frequent Skin
mishes into the wardrobe and dormitor-
les about this time kept us all in ner-
vous furry, to the exclusion of all
thought of Jake. But late one twilight
afternoon, aswe sat huddled in the win
dows of the long school-room. waiting
the supper-bell, we saw him issue
from the clubhouse. Oh, horror Oh,
apparition of terror For with its tails
nearly touching the ground, his long
sleeves overlapping his hands, Jake
wore without doubt the missing coat,
boldly marching in his stolen fnery
down towards the road in sight of
us all.
In sight of sharpereyes, too, it seemed,
for not far from the house Squimps
himself pounced upon Linn.
Poor, kind, lght-hearted Jake We
held our breath that day and the next,
for Jake had been marched off to prison,
and Squimps' eloquence and morality
were in full flow. He said longer
grace than ever at dinner, and we were
all glad when, hungrily cycling the
scanty board, we heard the visitors bell
summon him to the parlor. think we
were in better appetite than usual that
day, and we left little behind us for our
Mentor as We fled up stairs towards the
schoolroom. Passing the parlor door,
there rushed out upon us little figure
in trailing silk dress and bonnet full
of nodding French flowers. 1t was
Amanda Liza.
"Oh, girls p she cried, Historically,
bewildered with an apparent desire to
embrace the whole troop. Z" Poor
Jake p
Squimps, tall al d solemn, rose with
dignity, and closed the parlor door upon
their further conference. We heard him
make this consoling remark:
I always knew he'd come to no
goodI"
1t seemed that Amanda had learned
of Jake's mishap through some stray
newspaper, 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
breathlessly, nodding and whispering
among ourselves. For there would be q
trial or something terrible, of course
L IL IL