The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1877-10-25
A Melon. choly Catastrophe 4!

which was filled with fine, large waite
melons. Some wicked boys of tho v
cinity succeeded in some mysterior
way in stealing one of those melons
broad daylight, and carrying it off will
out detection. Mono but Seventh c
Eighth Ward boy could have ever don
such q thing as that without bein
caught. Well, they carried off the waite
melon, and cutting off the end the
"scooped it out" and cleaned the insid
az nice rs a whistle. Filled with til
Juicy fruit, they felt just IN tho moo
for having some fun, and they conclud
ed that tho watermelon skin, which
made a first ratio box, was too good
thing TO waste. So they secured thu
neighborhood and soon caught q cat
IL doesn't take long in that part Of th'
city TO capture cat, you know. They
put the eat in the "scooped out
melon skin, and replacing the end like 6
lid, they secured it in it's place with
some wooden skewers which they pur
Joined from ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS shop.
So nicely did the end of the melon ii,
10 its place, that it would have taken
very close observation 10 discover that
it had ever been cut off. Then these
wicked boys watched their chance, and
somehow, in as mysterious manner as
they had stolen it in the first place,
they took the melon containing the cat
back to the store and placed it on The
stand the same as it was before they had
stolen il. Then they got around tho
corner and loafed about generally to
watch tho result.
BY and by along came a Celtic wo-
man carrying big market basket. She
surveyed the melons with an envious
eye and watering n.outh. "Are those
melons roipe?" she asked.
"To DO sure they are" was the reply
OF the grocer. They're as nice melons
as ye ever tasted IN yer life, and swate
as sugar.
"And how ranch are they Z" asked the
woman With the basket.
dwell, beiD' as how it's you, III let
We have it for twinty cints," was the re-
ply of the storokeeper, affectionately
laying his hand on the one that bad just
been replaced by The wicked boys.
"rwinty cints !" said the woman.
That's chspe enough, and if thought
il wor good one, sure and Ia buy it
% ye."
"l'll plug it.and show = @ that il . good"
SAID tho grocer. The truth was that
the melons had been on his hands for
day or so, and he was anxious to get rid
OF them before they spoiled.
The man got big knife and proceed.
cd to plug the melon. lie gave des-
perato dig with the carver, where-upon
he was thunderstruck at the sound OF
noise inside, such as had never been
heard from the inside of a watermelon
SINCE the days OF Adam. 1t was VERT
able "M-o-o-w.w !" He turned pale as
he looked towards tho woman IN aston.
ishment. The woman was even more
surprised than himself, and stepped
back a foot or So But he WAS not the
man 10 be scared at triaes, and with
little more caution he gave the melon
another stab.
"M-e-o-w-w. S-s.s-ph-s-s :" Mc.ow.w-
camo from the internal re-
gions of the watermelon, and the m an
jumped back in alright. ahsoIut ely
'"What the dieii's that exclaimed
tho grocer.
"May the holy vargin presarve as"
shricked tho woman, crossing herself
Add of sho started down the street in
the most abioCt fright, determined TO re-
main in that locality not a minute longer
than che could help IT.
If the grocer at that moment had look
ed towards the corner, he would have
seen half dozen wicked boys peeking
around, with their fists in their cheeks,
10 keep from yelling outright with
But no didn't. As for
him, he was anything but amused 1t
would not be very far from the truth 10
say that he was little scared Every
Dne has a grain OF superstition in him, il
nc occasion occurs to draw it out, and
We would like 10 see the man who
would not DO astonished, not TO say
to hear such noises proceed
rom tho interior Of q watermelon that
had never been cut.
The grocer called the neghbors, aud
hey he'd q council of war over tho case.
some of them winked at the grocer, and
ast sleeps eyes at the beer shop on the
corner, az if that might afford some ex.
Dlanation Of the curious conduct Of the
nan. Finally, however, some one WAS
wise enough 10 suggest that the melon
30 cut open To SEQ what was the cause
If the mysterions noises that proceeded !
rom At. This was no sooner said than /
lone, although it must DO said that they |
III withdrew foot or so when the knife
vas brought into position for the deci-
i've cut. The supreme moment arriv. !
ID, and with desperation worthy a
moro important occasion, the knife was
wiped around the melon 10 cut through /
he rine first, when with a sudden /
creech that mado them all jump out of /
# the way in establishment and alright,
he released feline sprang into their
midst and scampered away. A soon /
= they were sufficiently recovered from
heir astonlshment, they saw that the
Melon had been "scoopei oat" and the
at placed therein by some human agen-
V, bat OF course who did il they could
cot tell. The affair created quite little
xcitement for a while, and the grocer
evoutly wished that he had been slonc,
. that no one could have the joke on