The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1882-09-28
THE DEACON'S CHERRIES.

Il
no end to 'em-trees are LOADED, an
red burning bush. l was by ther
to-day.n 8ol.f ri sfnt}sHI'
1t was an intensely eager voice. an
Davy Kent, the speaker. ended his lii
tile speech with an expressive smack {
the lips.
.'He'd never missed the few we
take, would he, boys?''' That was Ne
Rogers. 1t was upon straw pile be
hind MIR. Rogers barn that the boy
were holding an earnest consultation
"Miss 'em? No, not if we took twic
as many as we will.'' r XII saE,-
"a bushel will be enough to treat tn
i whole crowd, won't it?" = '.fe y riits
ooh, any amount" n In e..
snow see here, boys and Glen
Goodrich lifted himself into a sittin,
posture and knitted his brows thought
fully as he spoke-.'I think-isn't thi
l-doesn' tit seem a little Bit, like steal
ing? Don't you suppose he'd give us {,
few II we were to ask him? It looks t,
me-, r. ,4.sF s.f4
But right here Clem's mild voice wa.
drowned in a. roaring, boisterou
chorus. 10 Z
Its not stating, me boy,n said Coz
OBrien, with the faintest brogue in the
world; ''it's only helping ourselves to 8
few cherries, that otherwise mich,
spoil for want o. the picking, and SO bt
wasted intirely. And if Deacon Gam.
mon don't know it, he'll be inonelthe
wiser, for he's got piles and hapes
| more'n he can take care of. Ten "a
one he'll be obliged to us for helpino
him out a lttle-he isn't a bad old
gintleman at heart, you know! And
it's for the fun, Of it as well as the atino
we take 'em, that s the TRUTH 1fI7
y ESQ 'tis.n echoed good many, of the
boys. tost' ss- -
As for Glen, he gazed into Con- 5
Fseriousface doubtfully, yet, it must be
confessed, very willing to be convinced.
IL suppose youknow best,o said he
''you fellows that have lived here all
your lives" - F.5.s..-.-- III,
"of course" laughed jerry II Parker
'tWhy, my father says he always plants
an extra melon seed for us bows as wen
as for the bugs" -.
So they reasoned away their doubts
and made their plans; and som chow.
before the little party broke up, each
boy had pretty nearly succeeded in
persuading himself that he would be
doing the Deacon a favor BY helpino
him make away with small portion. Of
his fruit. All the same. Ned ROGERS
couldn't resistta little feeling aof guilt,
not unmingled with dread, when his
father said at the tea table that evening:
II wonder what Deacon CANNON
thought Of that NOW. of early-cut tim
othy? He was up to look at It this aft,
,ernOon. s9Haig 7u ls95l 1914
Nobody could tell what the Deacon
thought of the hay, for nobodyfiad seem
HIM. But, Ned was thinking that he
would give something TO know lust at
what time in the afternoon the Deacon
came to look at that haymow.5sI, o'7
That was what he said to his friends
when they met next night all ready for
The proposed raid on the Deacon cher
ries. There were not few blank faces
in the little'crowdwhen he told his story
49, de might have heard us if he was
there when we were talking" said Ned,
beating a lively tattoo on the bottom Of
ms basket. i. ! don't say he did, but he
/" Oh. pshaw!'' exclaimed Con
"The Deacon's deaf a little.
and 1 don't believe he could hear what
we were a-saying. Why didn't YOU 90
round, me boy, to the straw hape.
and see If YOU could hear yourself into
the bar-rnp'' fte.5f - -
A shout went up at that, which, to be
sure, was exactly what Con wanted /
SINCE there is nothing better than, a
laugh to put a bow on
good terms with himself and everybody |
else. a., ..-.---".'- 'o"y
"1t's all right" said he. ..Come on
now, and don't you be afraid o.
nothin'.' ~ |
Not boy among them was afraid; but
good many OF them couldn't keep their
hearts 4 from tluttering in a very queer
way when they came, with their baskets
md bags, to the gap in Deacon Gam
mons orchard wall. The orchard was
near the house, and the cherry-trees
we're scattered about among the apnle- |
rees in q hap-hazard fashion. Tho
house looked dark and still %
gifts Just as l. told you,'' whispered
on OBrien, triumphantly, .sThe |
deacon and his wife have pone to /
prayer mating. and, the coast Is clear,
han ian Tor we! Look at 'em, me boysp'
Ihey did more than look ct tbeI
'reat delicious, clustering cherries
'anglng from boughs which bent low
Town. with their weight. bThey5 nullediE
hem byl handfqls, and bags-and baskets
s'Butthere dom t look to be anylless| |,
= there wasswhen we begun" said
'on, WITH merry, ohuckle. n Now.
oys' Ism this a big help to the old 7
He'd niVeri get away with
EN- alone. sure -. - 80
mere was no sound except the voices
Z th's frogs IN the marsh under the Hill
Fhlle the work went briskly or. It was
7her the boys were nearly ready "a +
cave chat they heard a voice in the
lrection OF the Deacon's domicile:
- = !, oon know. but I'll walk out and