Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1880-08-11

| sAN'"N'"N' S"''' Wv ''"''
the farm one morning with his hand
and clothes wet and covered will
mud, his face red and eyes flashing.
"Ncd!" hc shouted, as no entered
the kitchen, "Where's Nedi"
"Here I am!' came n CHEEKY voic
in reply, and an instant after a bright
strong boy of some sixteen years en-
tered tho old.fashioned country kitch
en- from the adjoining woodshed
where he had been cutting potatoes
for the days planting. ''Do you wan
anything
~ want to tell you this" SAID Mr.
Henderson, as he washed himself a
the sink, and rubbed his weather
beaten face with the coarse towel un
Ill il was even moro red than before
"Old Dan must be killed. Just SCI
the state ! am in, and all from tha,
worthless old rascal. won't hav,
him about the house another day
He's good for nothing but to make
trouble, and he must be shot before
night!" added the farmer, wrathtully
Ned was about TO plead tor his pei
when his little sister came into the
room.
"Why, papa, what is the matter!'
she cried, running to him in astonish'
mcnt. "Did you fall iuto the creek =
II might as WE'LL" he replied, hall
laughing. "Old Dan butted me into
the watering-trough."
"Thcrr was q shout of laughter
from both children, in which their
mother joined.
"weil, Jedediah," o~u Mrs. Hen
derson, coming ip~ the kitchen shak-
ing with mir.,, "what could you have
been th;.king about to have let an
old fam, most twenty years old, knock
,op into the watering-trough%
"But," exclaimed her husband, che
took me unawares. l had just filled
one pail t9 carry to the barn, aud was
STOPPING to dip the other, when the
old rascal came at me like the wind,
and knocked me completely into the
water! He scampered, tell you, be-
fore l could get out. He knew be
had done mischief. Anyhow, he's
got to be killed to-day, sure. He's
only nuisance, and III shoot him to-
night, when we come back from town,
if he's on the farm"
Two hours later Mr.. and Mrs. Hen
derson drove away to be absent from
home until night. As they ratified
out of the yard old Dan suddenly ap'
peared close 10 the gate, and waggine
his tail as fin dersion, gave utterance
to hoarse "Ba.a-a,a!"
The farmer turned, shook his whip
at the fellow, and cried, "Thls is your
last day. my boy, make the most of it.
Ned and Carrie were the only chill
dren. Leaving Carrie in the house
alone, after they had considered Z
while whether there was any way o.
aver,ing old Dams sad fate, Ned
shouldered hia hoe and marched OF
to his work, planting potatoes will
Cronson, the hiled man, in the "bacl
lot."
But the little girl OF thirteen hat
no thought of being afraid. She haf
the breakfast dishes to wash, SOM
sweeping to do, and the dinner to get
all before twelve o'clock
Time fled. The dishes stood ii
shining ows upon the pantry shelves
the broom had performed its work
and Carrie was preparing the vegeta
bles to'he boiled, when there came
faint knock at the door. Supposing
to Le one of the ueighbors, the littl
girl did not rise, but called:
"Come in"
The door was slowly opened and
man stepped within.
He wore black coat, buttoned t
bis chin, aud very threadbare. hi
trousers, too, were black and yer
shiny, and much too short for hin