The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1875-01-07
GRANNY CAGES GIFTS.
" Dick e-e-e-ep'
" In a mmitr'

shed in search of lost skate strap. The
minutes passed, and Dicky was still
humping about in the shed: another
-another-anoth-
Dick Drake"' short and brittle
How many years do you intend to keep
ME waiting?"
Not more'n six" And then: I've
found it!'
And Dicky came clambering over the
board fence which separated the Bings'
backyard from that of the Brakes. The
two started around the house.
Always have to wait for you
Always, said Dicky.
A feller's got to tie his dog, amt
he? And when he amt got anything
else he must use his skate-strap, mustn I
he2 And when the dog pulls away and
loses the strap, he must hunt it up,
mustn't he? And, besides, Mister Bings.
who waited for you half an hour last
night, after SCHOOL,"
This was something of a squelcher,
and Jacky was long time shutting and
fastening the gate.
" Who did, Bings?" reiterated Dicky,
Indignantly.
"'Spose you did ~ reluctantly, and
then defensively. Guess you'd be kept
after school if the teacher had given YOU
the lakes and rivers of Maine to learn
I've been kept eight nights now and no
knowing how many more are TO come
for | can never learn EN-, neUer Twisted
my tongue round twice on one river
yesterday; and when | stopped to IN,
twist and draw my breath, so as to start
fresh on more twists, the professor sung
out, Failedn and | had to remain after
hours. | say it's wicked! awful
Wouldn't | like to catch the man who
christened those lakes and rivers, though
Id-Pd-ld dash up to him and-and
jump right up six or eight feet and light
plump on his corns!"
"O-o-om in a Mortified voice from
Jacky.
BY this time they had descended the
hill and reached Mud Creek and were
buckling on their skates. forgetting all
about such troublesome things as Maine
rivers and lakes in lively and enthusi
astic discussion as to the merits and fail
ings of " creased" and smooth bot
toned skates, and the superiority of
screws over "corks" When their
skates were on, off they tioundered and
wobbled down the twisted creek and
out OF sight. 1t was rapidly growing
dark when they returned to the bridge
tired and weary with their afternoon s
frolic and covered with purple and red
! blotChe5 from head to foot
Tell you, Pm hungry" exclaimed
Dicky, tossing his skates over his Shout
der
Guess | am, too, most starvcdm said
Jacky, blowing his fingers and stamping
his feet Let's cut across lots"
"O-o-o" rolled out of Dicky's
mouth. " Across Granny Cages garden?
She'll catch us-she's witchm
Let her catch if she cam Besides
| don't b'lieve she's a witch; mother saws
she amt and she knows"
Jacky crawled through an aperture in
rickety board fence, and went plung-
ing through the deep snow in Granny
Cages garden, followed by Dicky at a
distance. In spite of his words Jacky's
boyish superstition was greater than his
faith in his mothers assertion as to
Granny Cages not being a witch, and
they were both scudding past the back
door when it began to creak on its
hinges. Dicky plunged into a snowdrift
| behind currant bush, and Jacky fol-
lowed, their timid hearts beating against
| their ribs like two energetic little trip
hammers. Cautiously they peered from
their covert and saw an old, wizzled-up
bit of a woman with thin, gray hair care
! fully patted down, coiled back and held
by an old-fashioned comb, descend the
two steps. She shivered and gathered
her scanty clothes about her bent form
and began to poke in the snow with her
poorly-clad foot, searchingly. Finally
she hit something, bent over and picked
up an icy stick of wood. She hunted
Nt-IJ 10 ed IL, II. l.
found II all, shambled to the steps, drew
her stiff, rheumatic body up, and passed
! in, closing the door behind her
only seven sticks, and it's going to
be an awfully cold night" said Jacky
! pltylngly. They crawled from their hid
ing place and sped home
The next morning Jacky ran over to
| DR. brakes barn, where many loud
orders and shrill whistlings proclaimed
that Dicky was Harvesting his fathers
small rony, Tom After their Hal
! looed" salutations Jacky opened CONVEX
sation with I'm going to chop up that
| hickory log over by our stable to-day. "
ALI" grunted Dicky, standing on tip
toe to check up Tom, without much
show Of interest
" And Pm going to draw the wood
down to Granny Cages" Dicky gave a
jump, pull, and Tom was checked
Garry wood TO that old wizard? She'll
eat you up. 'Spose next thing you'll be
| fitting yourself for a Fejee missionary.
I'm disappointed in you, Bings. Step
over, Tom" emphasizing his order With
a slap on the pony's launches, and look
| ing sorrowful.
Praps may. Sorry YOU think rs
you do about Granny Gage" opening
and shutting his jack knife Poor old
woman. She's had a hard life to live.
ma says, so sad and so discouraging.
You amt fooling, arg you, Jackys
Whoa Tom
No; and mother says she'll tell me
her history this evening"
viii she? Back up, Tom! Wish l
could hear it
" You can if you'll help me chop that
wood and pull it down there"
" Well-get up, Tom! Gee. I'll think
about it. Hickory makes tip-top fire
wood Tom was driven out and hitched
to the doctors yellow and red-striped
sleigh, with lis fancy colored shield and
eagle on the back. The prospect of a
story from Mrs. Bings, whom Dick knew
to be splendid story-teller, decided
him. The two boys whacked and Clipped
away with their axes, and whiZzed and
whirred away with their saws, working
Ike majors" Jacky's father said, if you
know how that is. Once Dicky jammed
his thumb with a stick and once
scratched his hand with his saw, and
Jacky came pretty near smashing his
toes by dropping the AK upon them; but
they did not seem to mind these painful
hurts, chattering and as merry as two
whlsking squirrels busy gathering their
winter store of nuts. If you have ever
done good deed-and hope you have.
many OF them-you know just how these
little boys felt: it's an all-over- goodish-
ness not to be described
BY supper-time the wood was all cut
and piled up on Dicky's old homemade
sled, which had row of stakes on either
side, to hold it on. Mrs. Bings donated
bag of potatoes and Mrs. Drake a sack
of flour, while Dicky-whose heart during
the day had unconsciously warmed to-
ward Granny Gage-thoughtfuIly pro-
cured basket of kindlings
They drew the sled to the gate and
then adjourned to the dining room, where
they found the table loaded with their
pet dishes Quickly the winter night
came down The air was crisp and
stingy; the sky was running over with
shivering stars and crescent moon hung
of in the west The two BOYS pulled
the sled into the road; the load was