Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1881-04-30

they can't be beat"
"They look like good Ones" said
Dick, with an air of being used to the
best.
"Have light ?" asked the smiling
clerk, politely.
"No; l guess / won't smoke till af-
ter dinner" answered Dick, and put
them in his pocket.
The Greek Meadow was a piece of
land about half mile from home, and
had an old barn ON it in which hay was
stored over winter. 1t was about half
full now.
Johnny was there waiting for Dick.
"Here's the pipes" he said display
ing two long stemmed, white clay ones.
can I've got some matches"
"And I've got-see !" and Dick dis
played his cigars.
"Oh, hookeyr' exclaimed Johnny,
with sparkling eyes. q" wish I'd got
some, too. These won't last half long
enough -
I" Real Havanas, too p said Dick, like
an old smoker. Fifteen cents apiece !
Let's light up
He struck a match and applied it to
one end of his Havana, sucking at the
other end as hard as ever he could.
''Don't draw worth a cent?" he said.
"Give me another match.
"Oh, know what's the matter" said
Johnny. We've forgot to bite off the
end OF course they won't draw till we
do that"
'I guess you're right" said Dick.
''There, mine goes all right now I"
And he sat down on an old box, ele-
vated his feet on a beam, tipped back
his head, and looked contemplatively at
the roof, putting away like locomotive.
For four or five minutes they smoked
in silence. Then
saint this Jolly ?" said Johnny, blow
ing out cloud of smoke, la Lawrence
Heath.
But some of it got into his throat and
nose, and made him cough till he cried.
''Pretty strong cigars, guess" said
Dick, making a wry face over the bad
taste in his mouth, and splitting two or
three times.
eyes, I guess so but they smell good,
don't they % said Johnny.
"First-rate," answered Dick. "Ought
to, at fifteen cents apiece. Mines half
gone, already. Amt yours %
"Just about" answered Johnny. "I
say, Dick, we'll come down here real
often and smoke, now we've got at it,
won't we 2"
"Of course we will" answered Dick.
"It's fun, amt it? I think we're hav
ing just jolly time"
al guess I'm going to be sick, "
said Johnny, family. ''l'm just as
dizzy, and feel awful, here" with both
hands ON his stomach.
you're as pale as a ghost" said
Dick. "I'll get you some water
He grabbed his hat and ran for the
creek. Before he got back his stomach
began to feel lawful, too.
II guess they were too strong to be-
gin on" he said, with sickly attempt
at a laugh.
But Johnny didn't notice it. He had
slipped off the box, and was lying on
the floor, with great drops of sweat
standing on his face.
"Oh, dear, I'm so sick !" he groaned.
Dick managed to get him out of the
barn and in the shade of a tree. That
was all he could do for him, for he be-
gan to be sick himself by that time, and
dropped down Imply, looking as if he
hadn't friend in the world.
What jolly time they had that after
noon 1t was sundown before they felt
able to start for home. They knew they
would have to 60 then, or their folks
would suspect something.
GA real good time" said Dick, as
they separated at the corners of the
road, and he laughed in a way that in
dicated that he didn't feel quite at ease
yet in the region of his stomach.
Splendid p answered Johnny.
"Shall we try pipes, next time?" with
CHASTITY smile.
"I guess cigarettes II be strong
enough for us, laughed Dick. "Good-
night, Johnny"
Goodnight" said Johnny, family,
and they separated.
"Where have you been ?" asked
Dicks mother, when he made his ap-
pearance. "We could't find you when
supper was ready. Why, what's the
matter with you? You're pale as a
sheet -
CT dent feel WE'LL" answered
Dick, with sensation of relapse COM
ing over him.
Dick has always felt sure that his
mothers keen eyes detected what the
matter was at once. But she didn't
ask any questions.
81 guess you need some chamomile
tea" she said.
"Oh, don't want any !" said Dick,
protesting as strongly as he could, but
it was weakly protest. If there was
anything in the whole wide world that
he hated, it was chamomile tea.
"Chamomile tea IL do you good, !"
she said. ats the best thing know
of for boys who are sick as you are"
And chamomile tea Dick had to drink
by the teacupful. He didn't know
which was worst-the sickness or the
remedy prescribed.
elf I get over this, don't believe
I'll ever smoke again, he said to him
self, as he gulped down another dose of
the nasty, bitter stuff.
BY and by he fell asleep, and in the
morning he felt better.
"The old Greek Meadow barn burned
up last night" said his brother Ralph,
as he looked in to say that breakfast was
ready. Somebody must have set it on
fire, father thinks"
So did Dick. He remembered now
that Johnny had dropped his lighted
cigar on the old and rotten floor when
he was taken sick. It had most likely
ignited the boards, and the fire had
smouldered until the wind had famed il