The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1878-06-01
TOMS EXECUTION.

The children had been looking for.
ward to the first day of May for a new
excitement ever since the first day OF
April, for they were going to move from
house in block to a house standing
all by itself, in green yard, with a
barn and Il hen-house in the rear.
And, now that the day had really
come and they had had the grand fun
of eating their breakfast of bread and
milk from the top of a packing box,
and their dinner of gingerbread and
cold boiled eggs out Of market-basket,
there seemed nothing left for them to
do.
Tom and Dick had carried all the
looking-glasses and wash-bowls and
pitchers from the house in the block to
the house in the yard; and Susie and
Kate had trotted behind, dragging
brooms, mop-handles, clothes-lines, and
anything else they could lay their hands
on that was unbreakable.
Now that they had done everything
that they could-and, as they thought,
had worked very hard-it did seem
rather cruel that they should be sent
out of the house and told to amuse
themselves and keep out of the way I'M
til the dining-room, sitting-room and
mammals bedroom carpets were tackled
down.
Tom marched out to the barn and
perched himself on the fence, whist
ling; and Dick and the little girls fol-
lowed at his heels.
Dear "men' whined Susie 81 wish
we were back in the old house, by man.
mas CRATE, and hadn't moved at all.
Don't think it much fun"
DEAR me!' echoed Kate. "My dol
ly'S hoods lost, in all this fusion; and
| think l might 90 in and look for it. D"
Don't see what they turned us out
for" growled Dick. "Guess, if they'd
had any man to bring their looking
glasses, they'd been all smashed to
pieces fore this
"Yes, sirn' Tom chimed in. "You
may depend on it; there wouldn't have
been much moving done without us fell
lows. Girls don t amount to much, any
way; but Dick and worked like troop
ers, and | think it's pretty small bust
ness to kick us out, and just when the
fun comes i'm
wen, never mind" said DICK.
Lets have some fun. Let's look for
eggs in the hen-house."
"You Donkey" said Tom. "Do you
s'pose they left their hens here to lay
eggs for us?'
"Well, let's look for artichokes."
And Dick took shingle and began
poking in the soft dirt
THAT'S funr' said Kate, dropping
Miss Nancy face down in puddle and
catching up another single. Papa
likes artichokes."
Tom laughed contemptuously.
"Do you s'pose you're going to find
artichokes in that mud-puddle?" said
he. Before I'd be such ninniesr'
"You know mamma don't like you
to call names, Tom,h Susie said.
Tom muttered something under his
breath which sounded very much like
"Who cares?' Then he jumped off
the fence and sauntered into the barn
with his hands in his pockets.
Susie found pointed stick, and COM
menced grubbing in the dirt, too; and,
although they found no artichokes, they
did find something better-several long
roots of horseradish.
Dick ran for spade and dug bravely
away; Susie and Kate pulled until
their hands were red; and they had
just got the last one out, and were
carrying them to the pump, to be
washed, when Tom came out of the
barn door.
"W ell, you are pretty-looking thingsr'
he said. "What'll mamma say to you,
I'd like to knowp"
Susie looked down at her muddy
dress and Kate's boots and stockings
Don't caren' said Dick. "We've
got something papa likes as well as arti-
chokes."
drop that, now" Tom said. GIVE
q Dmething to tell you"
on Just wait till we've got it
ed. Come on, Susie"
Tom, much against his lordly will,
was obliged to wait until the horse
radish, all ready for grating, was left
in the back porch, and the children had
come back again. Then, pushing his
cap ONeI Ollc ell dllu SJIIhllS an dlll-
tude against the hen-house wall, he
said:
"Do you remember story, a true
story,in last weeks paper, about boy
who found there was nothing left in
life for him to do? His friends had all
deserted him. So he made up his mind
that he'd hang-what do you s'pose?"
1.-The cat?" Dick suggested.
"His sisters dolly?' said Kate, think
ing of her black Chloe's fate.
mo, sir!' Tom said, solemnly.
"His own self"
"Poohr' said Dick.
"How awfulr' groaned Susie.
"And that ism It all, Tom continued.
"Pve made up my mind I'm in just
that fellows condition; and I'm going
to do just what he did, and hang my
self from the hen-house chimney"
"rll go tell papa!' screamed Kate,
starting to run to the house.
Stir at your peril" shouted Tom,
disappearing through the hen-house
door.
Don't go, Katie" Dick called.
"He's only fooling."
So Katie, trembling with fear and ex-
element, turned back, and stood with