Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1875-07-01

E u
highly-respectable shower was pattering
and rattling down, while Tom jumped up
and down in a perfect ecstacy of delight.
All at once the front door bell rang.
g wonder who that is?" thought Tom.
He listened.
"Oh, there's Uncle Georgem he cried;
. I'm going down to see him this minute"
and, forgetting all about poor Noah away
he scampered, slamming the bathroom
door behind him, and leaving the water
still running.
His uncle, with whom he was great
favorite, was waiting in the haIi.
& Well, young monkey" he said, as
Toms curly head appeared at the top of
the stairs, do you want to take drive
to the park with me?''
"Oh, don't /, thought" cried Tom.
''PleaSe may | drive the buckle ?' by
which he meant being allowed to hold
the reins where they were buckled to-
gether. -
Yes; just as you like--only hurry.
don't want to keep the horse standing
Away flew Tom, but only to appear
again in two minutes, and TO scramble
into the buggy like lamp-lighter, when
off they went. Meantime the water was
rising higher and higher in the bath-tub,
and presently brimmed over and began to
trickle slowly upon the floor 1t ought to
have passed off through the top-drain, but
unluckily the day before Master Tom had
amused himself by plugging up the little
holes. Soon slow but steady stream was
creeping under the door, and making lit
tie alternate puddles and waterfalls down
the front stairs. And still nobody came
home.
After about an hour of this, John, the
black waiter, came into the dining-room to
lay the table for dinner. He was just
standing by the e-bCard arranging an
elegant pyramid of fruit in a glass dish,
when crash, bang! down fell big, square
yards OF plaster on top of his poor pate,
and knocked him flat upon the floor. The
water had gradually soaked through the
boards, and plaster ceilings will melt you
know, if not quite as easily as sugar, yet
just as surely if you keep at them long
enough.
Up rushed the cook, leaving the roast
ing turkey to take care of itself; and
when she saw the condition of the dining
room, and poor John lying senseless on
the floor, she began to scream murder,
fire and thieves at the top of her voice,
which so alarmed the housemaid that she
dropped her best buster into the parlOr
fire, and rushed all the way down the
street calling for the police before it oc-
CURED to her to find out what was the
matter. .s.
1T this moment Toms mother and Sis
tiers returned, and when they found the
front door wide open and a stream of
water running along the entry and down
the front steps they were very nearly pet
rifed with establishment. Just then up
came Tom and his uncle, who were walk
ing home from the stables, where they had
left the horse and buggy.
Why, what is the matter here? ?" ex-
claimed his uncle; "have your pipes
burst, that you are all overlooked like
this?''
Poor Tom! he turned as red as beet
and then as white as this paper, but he
was truthful little chap with all his
faults, and in minute he burst out with:
ooh, mamma! oh, uncle! | did tits
nay deJuge! oh, oh!''
Your DELUGE?"
Yes; | set the water running in the
bathroom to play deluge with my Noah's
ark, and [ went out to ride and forgot all
about iti'
odd ever [ hear-!' shouted Uncle
George, and, rushing upstairs two steps
at a time, he flew into the bathroom and
turned off the deluge in double-quick
time
1t took all TOMS pOcket-money for ever
so long to pay the doctor who came to
mend poor Johns broken head, and I
don't know how much of his papa's to
replace the carpets which were ruined by
the catastrophe. AS for Noah's ark, every
bit Of the paint was washed off, and the
animals sWelled so they couldn't be got in
at the door. But that didn't make much
difference, for the ark itself soon fell to
pieces; and as for Master Tom, he be-
haved beautifully for a whole week after
that day.-Mrs. IL. HUDSON Holly, IN ST.
Nicholas. for JuIy.