The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1883-10-26
PECK,s BAD BoYAND HIS PA.
The hoy Tells About His ia aud the Mia
lister. .-r
Pecl'R Sun.

Pecks San,
"Ssy, You think of about everything mean
there Is going, don't you" said the grocery
man 10 the bad boy, as he came in TO show
that his black eye had been cured. "The
minister explained TO me yesterday how you
caused him and your father to lay and soak
In the water for about three hours, one hot
day last summer, In the lake, aud they both
blistered their backs. The minister says the
skin has not stopped peeling off his shoul'
ders yet. What caused you to play such q
mean trick on them ?"
"Ob, 1t was their own fault, said the boy,
as he looked with disdaln on a watermelon
that YVES out Of season, and had no charins
in October. "You see, the night the socia.
BILE was al our house, the minister aud some
Of the deacons were up in my room, which
they used that night for a smoking room,
and while they were smoking they were tell
ing stories about what fun they had when
they were boys, and l remember one story
the minister told about finding some girls In
swimming once, and stealing their clothes,
and making them wait till night, and then q
girl had to fix herself up with newspapers
and 60 home and send wagon after the rest
of the girls. The minister thought 1t was
awful cunning, so when the church had the
pic>nic last summer on the bank of the lake,
I remembered about it. Beats all, don't II,
how boy will remember anything like that !?
Well, after dinner l saw pa whisper to the
minister, and they took a couple of towels
and . piece Of soap, and started up the lake
about half mile, and knew they were 60
ing In swimming. Well, 1t don't take ME
very long to catch on. got an overdress
that one of the girls had been wearing to
wash dishes, and shawl, and stole hat be-
longing to the soprano Of the choir, and q
red parasol that girl left under tree, and
/ went down in the woods and put on the
clothes, over my pants and things, and when
pa and the minister had got In the water and
were swimming round, put up the parasol
and tripped along the shore like girl pick
ing flowers, and when / came to the stump
where they put their clothes / didn't look
toward the water, but acted tired, and sat
down on the stump and began to fan myself.
You'd dide TO see pa look. He crawled up
on the beach, in the shallow water, and said,
elder, do you see That's" The elder looked,
with hsself all under water except his
head, and said, 'Merciful goodness, squire,
we are In for 1t. That interesting female Is
going to sit there and read novel through
before she goes away peeped through the
fan and could see all they said, while pre-
tended to read novel. They swan around
and made a noise, but l was deaf, and I
thought IL wasn't any worse for me to sit on
the stump than II was for the minister, when
he was good little boy, to steal the clothes
Of the girls. stayed until I got tired, and
didn't hear them when they hollered to me
to 90 away, and after while they got water
soaked, aud had to do something, so the min
lister broke off q piece of tree and dressed
himself in 1t, and came up towards me and
said, Madame, excuse me for troubling you,
but II you will 60 away while l get my
clothes on, will take 1t as favor / pre-
tended to be insulted, and got up and walked
of very indignant, and went back to the pic
mic and returned the clothes, and pretty soon
they came up, looking as red as If they had
been drinking, and the picnic was ready to
60 home. Somebody told pa it was me, but
/ don't know who 1t was that give 1t away.
Anyway he chased me clear out of the woods
with piece Of sapling. That was the time
! told you was too tired to ride, and walked
home from the picnic. Pa has forgiven me,
but don't believe the minister ever will.
Don't you think some of these pious folks
re awful unforgivin'?"