The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1882-08-11
How He Played it on the Old Man.

"A boy went into store the other
morning, lmping, and seemed to be
broken up generally. The proprietor
asked him if he wouldn't sit down, and
he said he couldn't very well, as his
back was lame He seemed discour-
aged, and the proprietor asked him
what was the matter.
"Well,' said he, there is no cncour-
agement for boy to have any fun
nowadays. If a boy tries to play an
innocent joke he gets kicked all over
the house. You see, my old man is
no spring chicken, and though his eyes
are not what they used to be, yet he
can see a pretty girl further than |
can. The other day wrote a note in
fine hand and addressed it to him,
asking him to be on certain corner
at 7;30 OH Saturday evening, and sign
ed the name of Daisy to it.
"At supper time pa was all shaved
up and bad his hair plastered over the
bald spot, and he got on some clean
cuffs and said he was going to the
lodge to initiate some candidates, and
he might not be in till late He didn't
eat much supper, and hurried off. |
wiuked at ma, but didn't say anything.
AT 1870 went down town, aud he
was standing there by the Post Office
corner. in dark place. went by
him and said:
"Hello, pa, what are you doing
there?'
"He said he was waiting for man.
| went down street, and pretty soon |
went up on the other corner, and he
was standing there. You see, he
didn't know what corner Daisy was
going to be on, and he had to cover
the whole four corners. | asked him
if he hadn't found his man yet, and he
said no, the man was n little late. |
went up street, and / saw pa cross
| over by the drug store, and | could see
girl going by with a waterproof on,
but she skited along, and pa looked
kind of solemn, the way he does when
ask him for new clothes. / turned
and came back, and he was standing
there in the doorway, and said:
"Pa, you will catch cold if you stand
round waiting for man. You go
down to the lodge and let me lay for
| the man.
"Pa said: Never you mind; you
go about your business and l will at
tend to the man
"Well, when boys pa tells him to
never mind, my experience is that boy
wants to go right away from there,
and | went down street. / thought |
would cross over and go up the other
side, and see how long he would stay.
There was girl or two going up
ahead of me, and see man hurrying
across from the drug store to the other
corner 1t was pa, and as the girls
went along and never looked around,
pa looked mad and stepped into the
doorway. 1t was about 8 o'clock then,
and pa was tired, and | went up to
him and asked him for half dollar to
90 to the theatre. l never knew him
to shell out so quick. He gave me a
dollar, and | told him / would go and
get it changed and bring him back the
half dollar, but he said needn't mind
the change.
at is awful mean of boy that has
been treated well to play it on pa that
way, and felt ashamed. AS | turn,
ed the corner and saw him standing
there shivering, waiting for the man,
my conscience troubled me, and | told
a policeman to 90 and tell pa that
Daisy had been suddenly taken sick
and would not be there that evening.
"Well, when l went home the joke
was so good told ma about it, and
she was mad. l guess she was mad
at me for treating pa that way. |
heard pa come home about l l o'clock,
and ma was real kind to him. She
told him to warm his feet, cause they
was Just like chunks of ice. Then she
! asked him how many they initiated III
the lodge, and he said six and ther
she asked him if they initiated Daisy
in the lodge, and then she began tc
cry.
"In the morning pa took me into
the basement and gave me the hardest
talking to that l ever had, with bee
slat He said he knew that | wrote
that note all the time, and he thought
he would pretend that he was looking
for Daisy, just to fool me. But wha
did he give me that dollar for?
"Ma and pa don't seem to call each
other pet names anymore; and as fol
me, they both look at me as thoug(
was hard citizen. l am going t.
Missouri to take jesse James place
There is no encouragement for bo!
here"
And the boy limped out to separat
couple of dogs that were fighting
Peck's Sun.