The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1881-10-27
The BeWltched Hammer.

On q warm October afternoon, Miss
Julia McCloskey, who was cook, cham
bermaid, and waitress for Mrs. Smith,
suddenly stopped securing her tins,
stared vacantly into the street for mo.
ment, and then exclaimed:
"It's jist the day to clane me dinin'-
room carpet; it's little weather we'll
have for six months, butll be too wet
to let carpet touch the grass. An the
byes, bless their trou blesome little
bodies, are gone to their cousins, an I
won't have nobody to poster me at all. 4"
Miss McCloskey was o perfect treasure
of servant; whatever she thought
needed attention was attended to at once;
so within five minutes she had her tins
and securing materials put away, and
was taking up the dining room carpet.
An hour later she brought the carpet,
we'll shaken, back to the dining-room.
l regret 70 say that, two or three mo-
ments before she returned, Master Law
renee Smith, one of the trouble
some "byes," whose bodies Miss Nc
Closkey had blessed, having had
some disagreement with his cousins,
strolled home, and guilty sought COM
fort in the family cake-box, which was
in the dining.room closet. He had
barely time to shut himself in the closet
as he heard the servants approaching
footsteps SO you can be sure he watched
her very closely through the key-hole,
hoping he would have an early chance to
escape.
Miss McCloskey spread the carpet
neatly, and began to drive the tacks,
when she noticed that several of them
chung to the smaller end of the hammer.
"Iwonther what sticky sthutf them
byes hev had this hammer IMP" said Miss
McCloskey aloud, as she picked the tacks
off and gave the hammer a vigorous wipe
on her apron. Then she went on with
her work but happening to lay the ham
she was surprised TO find the smaller end
again covered with tacks. Master Law
renee saw through the key-hole the ex-
preston or her face, and it amused that
bad little boy very much.
"Sure an it's powerful sticky, what
liver it is" said she, picking off the tacks
and feeling gently with her thumb and
forefnger; IAN yit it don't seem SO to
the touch"
She went to the buffers pantry, and
carefully washed the hammer with soap
aud water. Master Lawrence saw his
chance to escape, but he was willing to
be detected for the sake of seeing the
rest of the fun, for he knew the ways of
that hammer.
"Now I reckon it won't be afther
playin' me any more thricks," said the
clearly servant. kneeling down on the
carpet again. But as she knelt she laid
the hammer into the saucer of tacks
again, and again it bristled with tacks.
"Now did liver any one see the loike
av that?" exclaimed Miss McCloskey
and Lawrence had to clap his hands to
his mouth to keep from saying, "Yes,
often" But Miss McCloskey was not in
the habit of giving up easily, so she took
the hammer to the CRATE, and secured it
smartly with ashes.
''There?" she exclaimed, starting for
the lacks to test the cleanliness of the
hammer; ''now you'll be maxim me no
more trouble. "I'll warrant. an'-holy
mither!''
As the astonished girl lifted the ham,
mer, q whole string Of tacks came with it,
and although some of them dropped
when she shook the hammer, several
spirited tacks seemed to resolve never
to abandon the hammer until forced to
do so.
'"The ould things bewitchedv ex
claimed Miss McCloskey, dropping the
hammer as if the handle burned her
fingers. iii niver touch it again as long
as live" And Miss McCloskey crossed
herself as great many good people do
when they think that evil spirits are near
them. Just then Master Lawrence burst
from the closet and shouted
"Ha! ha! ha! wasn't you cheated
though, Julia? I never saw anything so
funny in all my life." And the bad little
boy was SO amused that he dropped upon
the carpet and rolled across the room,
laughing until his face grew purple.
"What was you doin' in the closet?''
asked Miss McCloskey.
watching you, and almost splitting
10 see the fun. Oh dear!" and again
Lawrence rolled across the room, laugh
ing heartily.
"You were a sthealin' cake--there's
some av the crumbs on yer lips, and
III tell yer mither," said Miss Nc
Closkey.
"And I'll tell everybody you didn't
know a magnet from sticky sthuff, :"
said Lawrence.
"A magonet ?" exclaimed Miss Nc.
Closkey. much astonished.
EYES," replied Lawrence, "a mag