The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1882-10-06
JIMMY AND HIS SISTERS BEAUX

We have had a dreadful time at our house,
and have done very wrong. Oh, I always
admit it when I've done wrong. There's
nothing meaTer than to pretend that you
haven't done wrong when everybody knows
that YOU have l didn't mean anything by
it. though, and Sue ought to have stood by
me, when did it all on her account, and
Just because I pitied her. If she was my own
sister, and it was more her fault, l really
think, than it was mine
Mr. Withprs is Sues Bew young man, as I
have told you already. He comes to see her
every Monday, Wednesday and Friday even
inrs. and Mr.. Travers comes all the other
evenings. and Mr. Martin is liable to come
any time and generally does-that is, if he
doesn't have the rheumatism. Though he
| hasn't but one real leg he has twice as much
rheumatism as father with all his legs, and
/ there is something very queer about it and
/ if was he I'd CeU a leg Of something better
/ than cork, and perhaps he'd have less pain
/ in it.
It all happened last Tuesday night. Just
/ as it was getting dark, and Sue was expect
inc Mr. Travers every minute, who should
come in but Mr.. Martin Now Mr.. Martin
is such an old acquaintance, and father
I thinks so much OF him, that Sue had to ask
1 him in, though she didn't want him to meet
I Mr. Travers. So when she heard somebody
/ open the front gate, she said, ooh, Mr.. Mar
tin, I'm so thirsty and the servant has gone
out, and as you know Just where'the milk is
for YOU went down cellar to get some the
last time you were here, do you think you
would mind getting some for me?" Mr..
Martin had often gone down cellar to help
himself to milk, and I don't see what makes
him so fond Of it, so he said Certainly with
with great pleasure" and started down the
cellar stairs.
It wasn't Mr.. Travers but Mr. Withers,
who had come on the wrong night. He had
not much more than got into the parlor
when Sue come out to me, for I was swing
ing in the hammock on the front piazza, and
said, "My goodness gracious. Jimmy, what
shall l do? Here's Mr.. Withers and Mr..
Travers will be here in few minutes, and
there's Mr.. Martin down cellar, and 1 feel
as il should fly. What shall do?"
I was real sorry for her, and thought I'd
help her, for girls are not like us They
never know what to do when they are in a
I scrape, and they are full of absence of mind
when they ought to have presence Of mind.
So ! said "I'II fix it for you, Sue. just
leave it all to me. You stay here and meet
Mr.. Travers. who is Just coming round the
corner, and I'll manage Mr.. Withers." You
darling little fellow, there don't muss my
hair :" and / went in and said to Mr. With
. ers in an awfully mysterious way, "Mr.
WitheTs, l hear a noise in the cellar Don't
tell Sue, for she's dreadfully nervous
Won't YOU 90 down and see what it is %
. OF course I knew it was Mr. Martin who
was making the noise, though didn't say
/ so
ooh. it's nothing but rats jimmy" said he,
/ cor else the cat OF maybe it's the COOK
''No, it isn't" said l. eff was you, I'd
( g and see into it. Sue thinks you are aw-
/ fully brave"
Well, after a little more talk. Mr.. Withers
said he'd go, and I showed him the cellar
door, and got him started down stairs, and
/ then I locked the door, and went back to the
/ hammock, and Sue and Mr.. Travers they
sat in the front parlor.
/ Pretty soon 2 heard heavy crash down
/ cellar, as If something heavy had dropped,
/ and then there was such a yelling and howl
/ ing, Just as if the cellar was full of murder
I ers. Mr. Travers jumped up, and was
starting for the cellar, when Sue tainted
away and hung tight to him, and wouldn't
/ let him go.
I staid i'm the hammock and wouldn't
have left it If father hadn't come down
stairs, but when I saw him going down eel
+ lar, went after him to see what could pos
sibly be the matter
Father had a candle in one hand and a big
club in the other You ought to have been
+ there to see Mr. Martin and Mr.. Withers.-
One Of them had run against the other in the
dark, and they thought they were both burg
lars. So they got hold Of each other and
1 fell over milk cans and upset the soap bar
rel, and then rolled round the cellar floor,
holding on to each other, and yelling help
murder, thieves, and when we found them
/ they were both in the ash bin, and the ashes
were choking them.
Father would have pounded them with
the elub If ] hadn't told him who they were.