St. Landry democrat., 1880-03-13
TWO SIDES TO A FROLIC,
"A Story for the Young Folks.

| the boys On the other. His hand was OF
| the gate but he had not quite made W
his mind to open it.
ooh, come on" said Val Morton
What is the use of moping in the house
such splendid night as this? Come or
and have some fun
81 ought to study my Latin,' sale
Bert, reluctantly, as he remembered the
long, dry lesson.
"Bother the Latin; it's no use, any
way. I'd like to see any body getting
those irregular verbs out of me- said
VIII Moore.
Bert laughed a little at the idea OF
getting any thing out of Wills brain
that never had much but mischief in it
and then he slowl y opened the gate,
drew a long breath and went out. Ii
was a glorious night, with just enough
frost in the air to max it cool and crisp,
while the white moonlight almost re,
vealed the colors of the ma Piles that had
been flaming all day in the hot sun
shine.
"Where are you going?' asked Bert
"Oh, just around town. said Val
carelessly, and at that moment they
came opposite to DR.. Parker's gate,
which stood a little way open In an
instant Val lifted it off the hinges and
laid it in the gutter.
g Teach him to keep his gate shut, -
laughed WILL" and Bert laughed, too,
though he felt ashamed of himself, for
every body liked DR.. Parker.
| A few blocks further on were some
wooden steps at the edge of the side
walk. Will gave Val nudge, and
with one stout tug the steps were
upset.
"That's too mean," said Bert.
Suppose some one should step off
there?''
"Pooh!" said Val, cit is light as
day, and nobody ever does 90 down
there except old Bijah, when he is in a
hurry for his grog. Serve him right if
he pitched over''
Bert knew he was in bad company.
but he was beginning to enjoy the ex-
element of the adventure, and when
VIII proposed that they Should carry
off the sign from a little shop. and
fasten it to the horns of Mrs. McPher-
sons COW, he was ready to lend hand
himself. Old Whitley, who was peace
fully chewing her cud, was easily coaxed
into an alley with handful of turnips
pulled from her owners garden: and
before she realized that any mischief
was intended, she found herself blum
dering about with a board fastened over
her face. The sign read, Dressmak-
ing and Fine Sewing; all kinds OF Hair
Work. Ladies' Hair Dressed in the
latest styles.''
The boys laughed so much over this
that they were in danger of being found
out. But at last Bert said he must %
home and that ended the frolic for the
night.
In his own room he tried for a little
while to fix his mind upon his lesson,
but soon found himself laughing at the
thought of the figure the COW would
cut. and wondering where they would
find her in the morning; so he tossed
the book aside and went to bed. This
was one side.
The other side began the next morn
ing, when, with Bert's first waking
thoughts, came consciousness of the |
lesson, and a dismal fore
boding of failure, that brought him to
the breakfast-table in any thing but an
mood. His father was not |
there, and Aunt Margaret explained |
that he had been called away to see a
patient.
"1t's that smart little Johnny Col
inns; he's twisted his ankle dreadfully;
worse to manage than broken bone,
your father says, and may lay him up
half the WINTER
elbow did it happen?n asked Bert,
absently.
"That's the worst of it, said Aunt
Margaret; :" some mischievous bows,
hat ought to be sent to the Reform
school, upset the steps in front of the
louse.''
Bert was wide enough awake now, and
staring at Aunt Margaret with fright
med eyes as she went on.
ssBijah went off on one of his drinking
prees, and his wife was SO anxious for
ear he'd lain down somewhere on the
rack that she sent Johnny out to look ,
i'm up. He ran out of the gate, boy ,
ashton, and made a rush for the steps,
lever noticing that they were gone till :,
lie pitched down the bank with his foot
visited under him. He must have
ainted and lain there some time before |
e managed to crawl back, and they !
idn't send for your father till morning.
t does seem too hard for that Door wom- !
n. Johnny was her only dependence, :
nd such nice boy'
Poor Bert was fairly sick with horror q
t the unlooked-for result of the mischief, :
or though he had made a feeble protest,
e had really sanctioned it by his y
resence, and he knew that his father !
'ould say he was as much responsible =
$ any one. His father! must he Il
now itp Could he ever hold up his L
cad again if such disgrace came up y
n him? :
"I'll never tell him." thought Bert: q
it would not do the least good now, =
nd it would nearly kill him. I've done !
18th those boys, though, and with such u
olics as they are up to- :;
But it CHANGED that Bert was rot to u u
ave his own way about this matter. Il
hat evening when he came home =
narting under the Notifications of fail q q
e in his lessons, and a sense of re- y
orse and shame at his own folly, his g 9,
Their called him into his study. For u
e first time in his life Bert really IL
'eaded an interview with his father, " "
I'd when he saw upon a ch ir "a bo;r l.