The Delaware farmer., 1883-11-02
IchabOd Turner's Mission.
BY KATE W. HAMILTON.

" Crooked Crooked Crooked !" rang
out the sharp, peculiar, dissonant voice,
and the tall, thin figure in seedy gar
ments and tapping hat swayed to and
fro on the stump that had been selected
for a rostrum. ''All things have gone
crooked in this world, and I've come to
set 'em straight-to undo the snarls,
give the power where it belongs and put
men in their places. Oh-h-h my
friends The world is topsy-turvy;
he tops at the bottom and the bottoms
at the top, and I've come to turn things
right eend up"
The six o'clock whistle had sounded
the close of another days work at the
shops, and the men, pouring out from
the various smoke-stained archways,
paused to listen. The speakers excite
ment seemed to deepen as his audience
increased. The keen eyes under the old |
hat darted ightning-like glances here
and there; he gesticulated wildly and |
his voice rose to a still higher pitch.
"Oh-h-h yes Look at me I'm
Ichabod Turner; and the mission Tn
sent on is to mend all crookedness and /
turn things right eend up p
The men seemed to find a grim pleas
ure in the harangue, They laughed as
they exchanged comments.
Jim Barclay, sauntering down the
long walk, stopped beside a bright
young girl who had paused for a amoment
on the outer edge of the crowd.
eff that fellow would begin his work
by altering the days and nights little,
or my means of enjoying them, I'd be
obliged to him" !" he laughed.
The girl turned with little start of
surprise and pleasure.
"Why, Jim % Then a glance at his
lunch-basket brought the swift question:
"You're not going out tonight ? It's
not your rum"
81 must make it though, they say.
It's an extra train, and they are short of
men, somehow-of or disabled. I feel
considerably disabled myself"
"You were out last night?"
"And all the night before and nearly I
all yesterday. I didn't get in to-day
until afternoon, and was scarcely set :
tied into a comfortable sleep before I ?
was called. I'm not fit to go, that's a
'act. Don't worry, Dell"
He broke off his sentence abruptly as
ne saw the shadow of anxiety on his y
fair face. 'It doesn't ham
pen so often. They're short, you see. p
"It oughtn't to happen at all, insisted
Dell, Indignantly. 81 wouldnt.go."
"Then my head would come off at !
hort notice, laughed Jim. eve can't v
iford that" !" s,
Pretty Dell flushed rosily. She knew +,
% well what that meant. There was a
title house talked over and arranged to v
very detail of its simple furnishing. for G,
which they two were planning when Jim u
hould obtain his hoped-for promotion Il
''NO, I won't insure any necks to- m
light, but I'll take the risk of crushing Il
few other peoples heads rather than re
he certainty of losing my own, . laughed W
i'm. cts a pity that fellow who is so
1re OF his mission couldn't turn nv cg
rains right side up; they feel crooked st
nough. But don't worry, Dell, /" he re- m
sated hurriedly. W
The crowd began to thin. Hungry Sc
en-, swinging their empty dinner-pails. an
,esently found the prospect of supper ez
ore alluring than the strangers prom of
ed millennium. Jim looked at his bi
ltch, and found he had not even five tri
inutes to spare for a part of the home th
lrd walk with Dell. He parted from of