The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1876-12-21


looked. Bangs sat still, though it was
his class which was being called.
"Jenny Bangs!"
The boys began to giggle.
Miss Clara ran to the superintendent
nd whispered something.
"James Bangs"
.*Ye ant a gal after all. Be you,
old fellow o.
"Jenny, how are you?''
"Bangs, wasn't you feared you'd
have to put on petticuts
Every boy had something to say.
But Bangs stood up gravely, and oh !!
when the present was found, what
should it be but doll-a beauty of a
thing in silk and lace
Bangs colored, the superintendent
stopped, and the boys screamed.
"No use, Bangs pants won't save
you!''
''Take your gal, Bangs"
"Ye're purwided with soon-hey,
Bangs!"
Bangs turned round and gave them
such a look, and then said to the puz.
zled young lady who had approached
him with the doll:
"1ll take her ma am she's beauty,
and tankey.''
Bangs sat a moment amid ieers of
the boys and then, holding the doll
in one hand, he kicked two or three,
got a handful Of hair out Of one head,
and was preparing further to distribute
gentleman teachers rushed in and Miss
Clara bent over him.
"Don't Jenny! You'll make these
people think you have very bad teach
er."
Bangs sat down then, and didn't
speak another word, though the boys
whispered all the provoking things
they knew so we'll how to say.
That night Bangs carried his doll
carefully home. "Clara," he called
her to himself, and when he went to
bed, laid her carefully down by him,
until morning, when he could find a
place to hide her.
Then he watched the starlight and
thought and thought.
''1t'll be purity nice to have Clara
here. Somethin' clean, like other peQ.
pie. Il don't believe there wuz ever a
clean thing up these stairs afore, -
Jlngs, but won't she be somethin' to
come home to, if granny don't find her
I'll never dare to leave her lynn round
promiscus. But it'll be lonesome for
her, days. I'll have to fix her in bed
She'll think she's sleepin.' I'll git a
clean piece of white stuff. A lady like
her ought to have decent bed"
Thor, p0rnc nh nj MT F0rp h n,of4
by the starlight inspected her again,
smoothed out her dress, and took her
curls tenderly in his finger, saying
under his breath, ''Real ones. Hi
That's good one. just like Miss
Clara's." Bangs chuckled a good
while over this discovery, then exam.
ined her fingers, her boots, each arti.
Gle of dress, looked into her round rosy
face, then raised it to his lips.
'No, golly! Bangs amt no such a
spoony," and he took her down and
reverently placed her on his pillow,
his face blushing at his soft.hearted.
ness.
The next morning before his granny
was astir, he had placed Clara in a
afe place ,and as clean a one as he could
find, and was off to see what the day
had in store.
How Bangs did work! He swept
crossings, ran Of errands, held horses.
Wherever penny could he turned,
Bangs turned it, never once taking
time to fight during the day, and pass.
ing his cronies with careless word OF
two. When evening came. he had
some very small change and a dirty
ten.cent note. Bangs regarded this as
mine Of wealth. Going up to one of
the city hydrants, he washed his face
and hands with great care, finally dash.
ing the water over his hair and comb
ing it with his fingers.
''Purty clean thing 1t'll never do
to go home to her dirty
The toilet made, Bangs went into q
little corner store and bought half.
yard of cotton cloth, and tore it in two.
SCOT any spare box, missus! I'd
like to buy one:;''
After some deliberation he selected
a good.sized box put in the muslin, and
went home earlier than he had been
known to do in many a month. For.
tunately granny was out, gossiping. So
Bangs drew Clara from her hiding.
place, first looking to see if his hands
were still clean, and spreading the cot.
ton over his arm, sat down on q stool
in perfect content.
''Clara, I've brought you q box ia
live in, you purity thing, and I've
brought you some clean sheets too
How could a lady like you stand gran.
ny's mussy ways! Now you set there,
| and III make your hed."l :~*~ =. -