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

Dick and Susie watching with anxious
eyes for Toms temperance.
| They could hear their own hearts
beat as they stood there in suspense,
Kate and Susie clutching each others
hands convulsively, and Dick trying to
whistle and look as if it were good
joke.
Presently the ventilator in the roof
moved away and Toms head appeared.
1t was rather small opening; but, with
several kicks and struggles, he man
aged to squeeze through and kneel
down on the roof. He never once
looked at the anxious children; but,
taking his scarf from his pocket, tied
| one end tightly to the chimney and the
other around his neck.
Now there were on this roof several
small sticks nailed at regular distances
to form steps down to the eaves-trough.
Tom had made his plan so that when
he let go of the chimney he could slide
down and rest his feet on one of these
bars, so that there would be no strain
on the scarf, and he could give the chill
dren a good fright without hurting him
self. Then,s when he grew tired of his
position, he could climb back at his
leisure. So, after arranging the scarf
to suit himself, he called out in a loud
voice:
Gone, two, three! Here goes!n
Then he threw out his arms, kicked
up his feet and slid down.
But alas! poor Tom! He had calcu-
lated his distance wrong. His feet
hung midway between two bars; the
scarf slipped up under his ears; and
there he hung, his face getting redder
and redder, utterly unable to get any
further down and too much bewildered
to try to climb up.
up and down, fully believing that Tom
was taking his last look at life in such
terrible circumstances; while Dick
rushed into the hen-house and began to
climb up the ladder.
Run, tell papa, quickr' screamed
Susie to Kate.
Don't you do itn' gasped Tom.
And Kate, always obedient, stayed
where she was and sobbed
Pretty soon Dick head and fat Shout
ders and arms wiggled out of the venti-
i"Vol 'tiu IllCH otOppcu.
g l can't get bit further, Tom" he
said. Put up your arms as far as
you can, and I'll pull you up
Tom put one hand as far as he could.
Dick stretched his down as far as he
could, and just managed to reach him.
Then, with a good long pull and one or
two kicks and struggles, Tom reached
the chimney, which he embraced low
ingly, while Dick unfastened the scarf.
1t was happy moment for the little
girls when Tom and Dick, red, dusty,
and covered with cobwebs and straws,
appeared in the hen-house door.
Kate threw her arms around Tom
and Rugged him; and he, for wonder,
submitted, instead of pushing her away.
90 Tomr' said Susie. Il thought
you were going to be killed, and 1
thought I'd die too"
''Poohn' said Tom.
Just then mamma, utterly uncon-
scious of the play which might have
been a tragedy which had been going
on in the back yard, came out on the
back piazza and rang the tea-bell.
"Mind you don't tell" was Toms
parting injunction, as they all ran to-
ward the house.
Mamma and Bridget had worked
wonders. There was a bright fire in
the dining-room CRATE, a red cloth on
the tea-table, and the canaries chirped
and sang in the window.
The children ate their bread and
milk out of their own silver mugs to-
night, and the caraway cookies GER
tainly tasted better out cake-basket
than a market-basket.
Tom was rather more Subdued than
usual; although the other children,
after the reaction from their great
fright, made more noise than ever.
When they had said goodnight, and
gone to their own little beds, which
were Just as nice and comfortable as
if they had never been moved, Tom
said:
"Dick, l tell you what: l learned a
lesson to-day"
'What?" Dick asked.
81 just saw, when | was dangling
there by my ears, just as fellow does
when he's drowning, what a mean fell
low I'd been to the youngsters; and L
made up my mind, if ever got through
that roof again, that I'd bullied EN- for
the last time"
Bully for you, Tom! Stick to itr'
said Dick, from under the bed-clothes,
half asleep.
And, although l never could quite
make up my mind to approve of hang
ing, am very sure that Toms execu-
ton did him good, and broke him al
most entirely of his domineering ways.
Tile independent.