Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1883-06-22
A DECIDED MISTAKE.

There is one part to Sands Moffat'
life to which, like many another boy
he can never look back without say
ing to himself, Don't l wish l coul,
just go over it again" BY ''it" Sand
means his six years at Di. Fortress
school in Mount Sparta.
Sands and his friends there were
in fact, a very jolly little crowd. Th
tall brick school building, standin;
on height quarter of a mile out o
the village, was sunny and roomy ant
rambling. Its big garden was ;
complets happy. hunting ground t.
the boys, to say nothing of th'
school play ground, the gymnasium
and the bowling-alley, all fitted up il
the newest style.
There was always enough whOop
ing and general racket from them t,
convince people passing that hare
play as well as hard study must b'
the fashion of the school. Regularl,
once a week stout old DIR. Portrcs.
was obliged to say to some anxious
father, "Why, my dear sir, if tn,
youngsters'll only get their Latll
verbs as they do now, and the answer.
to their problems. they can't make
too much noise for me-" 1t seemed
as if they tried to.
Sands himself, Fred Trait, Hugh
Black and Chess Burnett made ul
what they called The League, "Of
fensive and Defensive" Their hand.
were never known to be against any
one nor any ones hands agains
them. But what of that? it was {
league all the same Yet stop; wher
l say never, l mean-hardly ever
And the singular exception chanced
thus:
One late Autumn afternoon Trait
Black and Burnett had gone chest
nutting. leaving Sands to entertain
himself. Truth to tell, Sands had
been invited to stay in after schoo
hours to become better acquainted
with his United States History lesson
When he came out he found the
other three had sorrowfully deserted
him. Sands got his Life of Pau
Jones, and sat down under one of the
big willows Five or six small bo Is
belonging to the school We're loung
ing around the other end of the
bench. Presently Sands became
aware that one of these was telling
to the rest a story much more won
derful than anything in his book
| There seemed to be enough in il
about what the story teller called
"ghosts and hobgoblins and witches
to stock all the foolish old nurses il
the land. The little boys stood list
ening, excited faces. Sands dropped
Paul Jones, and marched up to the
story teller.
Il say. Brown Junior" he ex
claimed, "where did you read al
that precious stuff, ell? You ought
to be ashamed of yourself for re
membering it."
Brown Junior blushed. Il didn't
read it at ALL" he answered after
some hesitation, "Belfort told it tC
some of us last night"
"Told it to some of you last night
did he?" repeated Sands, angrily
$50 Belfort is at his old tricks, put
ting ridiculous nonsense into the
heads of you fellows on the sly?
thought the Doctor gave him ;
sound warning on that subject last
term"
"Yes, sir" spoke another little fel
| low in the group. But he keeps OF
telling us the stories, after tea, in thu
prayer hall, every evening. On Tues
day Tommy Gantier was afraid tC
go mp stairs alone"
II wasn't anything of the sort,
said Tommy, Indignantly. 81
only"
"Well. never mind" continued
Sands. sAfraid or not afraid
Belfort has got to stop fright
ening you little fellows. Just re
member that whatever he says ism
true--not one word of it. There
never was such a thing as ghost
No boy ever saw one, and never will
either. Now run off, the whole pacl
of you; and not another story of Tao
Belfort's do yon let me catch you re
failing. Brown Junior, or it'll be un
lucky for your ears"
The little boys ran off, and began
hunting about the foot ball. Sands
sat still, in a brown study. All a
once he laughed heartily. Then hi
Joined the foot ball players.
The chestnutters returned an hOu
before tea-time, well-pleased will
their full bags. Sands beckonet
Trait, Black and Burnett around TIN
corner of the bowling alley directl.
he saw them. Look here, you fel
lows" he exclaimed; Tad Belfort'
been at his old tricks again; fright
ening the second-form boys out o
their wits with what he calls ghos
stories"
HAS he? The scamp!" exclaimed
Burnett.
"And that, too, after the lectur
the Doctor gave him last year" ex
claimed Black
And, you see, the Doctor ism
likely to hear anything about it for
good while" pursued Sands, "for no
body's going to tell him. So
thought"
That we ought TO do something
and put stop to it ourselves2' in
quired Trait, quickly. "Good boy
Sandsey. Long may you wave"
but how shall we manage it?
whats the plan?" exclaimed Sand
three friends, in lower voices.
Haven't l been planning it hal
the afternoon? Belfort not only talk
about his rubbishy old ghosts, but h
believes in them too o-dont be?'
| "Of cnIlrsa ha does tho nraci0u