The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1883-04-21

there, she clapped il TO again, all but
. little crack, as " she Was afraid Sve
EwopldAush fr peltmen In spite q hll
She could DO. "Don't come in" said
ls sS,, lk,tsIEss. feet ~ ff4yl.Yht 90
= as the minister IMP" said L.
k.N6. he fsnat," said,she. Ayery snap
pishly, indeed. ,"He's gone. to Durham
Center to a funeral, and won't'be back
H.WiH YOU please Y give i've himn''thh1is this
bundlePn said l, land tell him that
teachers, meeting will be at. our house
tomorrow, because Mrs. Dunlaps
lbaby'sgotfhe measles. "
''0f course Il has, said Miss Maria,
speaking very sharp and quick. Il
amt mite surprised. They're always
havin' somethin'. They only do it to
be agravatin'. Shut the gate and
latch it.'' He
was sorry had done it even then,
and by The time i got home I'd have
given my skates and my '.Swiss Family
Robinson to have that package safe in
my'hand again.
l almost made up my mind to go back
and tell Miss Parker it was mistake
about the package, and ask for it back
but of course L didn't really dare to do
that; and to make thinks worse, Nate
Kept saying: "Oh, my, Ted! I'm glad
didn't do it. Won't you catch it
when your father knows! 1 wouldn't
be in your shoes for a good dealp'
till Just wanted to shake him till
his teeth chartered. .
At dinner il was Just as bad. / didn't
care about the chicken and rice, and |
almost didn't want any pudding, though
mother makes the best fig pudding in
the world.
1t seemed exactly as if Cousin Bah
bett knew Just what I'd done, though of
course she didn't. 1t was only that L
felt so sort of guilty; for Cousin Bah
bett always has way of looking at q
fellow as if he had done something he
ought not to do.
After dinner Nate came over to build
fort, butt could not put my mind on
it somehow, / was so uncomfortable
about what I'd DONE
If it had only been any one else that
/ had done it to-any one but min
lister! And new minister! That was
lwhat made it so dreadful. ~
So l kept thinking about. it all the
afternoon while we were building the
fort. i wondered how the minister
would look when he opened the pack
age in his study, and saw the block of
wood and the, card with april Fool :"
. written on it.
l wondered if he would show it to
Miss Maria, and what awful things she
would say about me-. i wondered if he
would tell father, and what father would
think was a bad enough thing to do to
a fellow who made an April Fool ofthe
minister.
Father was over at NIillbury that
afternoon, and | was glad of it.
hoped his sick people would Keep him
away till 1T was dark; tilIit was toe
, late for the minister to come and tel
|, him about 1net | wished | was some.
body else. | wished even l was Nate
"A whose mother didn't believe in lun
, cheons. ! would have changed place,
., with Bob Talbot whose father wouldn't
d let him skate, Oh 90 in swimming. gThC
y more l. tholtaft about il, tie worse il
] lseemed9UQU, EE HA&1AkU
, About four O'Clock father came home
from Millhrry ,Sand iustas he was driv,
ing into the yard | saw the minister
cross theistreet and speak to him.
:, Then, of eeurse,-I-knew- it was al
/ over with. me-, and L.Yent up to thu
+ fence. though 4 feb much, nlorel lik,
j running behind the barn; but some
n thing seemed to make me 90 right VI
/ to the minister. AZ
They Were not talking, about me
though, after all; they were talking
, about some books that the minister wa
2 going to lend to sick man over in Mill
+ bury. N nEN pc. kMN
d But I. suppose the sight of me re
r minded the minister, for he laughed
just as he was going away, and said he
p 80, Theodore, l was sorry was on
: this morning when you called on m
I and left your card.
: Well, of course, after that knew T.
9 got to own up for father isn't the kim
Z alfabout it. "
r Ted, said father. f1'what did h
! meanp" INV 70
: He has a way of firing questions o
< like that, short and sharp, like tn
3 crack of a whip So then had to tel
him the whole story; for | don't lie
# whatever else / do. l told him a
1 abont it sabout Cousin Babbett an
y everything. III
He put up his Hand and pulled hi
a whiskers a minute.
a $50 tell your mother" said he.
ri Mother. was setting out the Dime
/ she'd been keeping hot for father. Th
I chicken was in the oven, and the fl
a pudding was in a saucer on top of tn
tea-kettle, covered over with anothe
II saucer.
e stood and watched mother till tn
If dinner was on the table, for | wante