The Arkansaw traveler., 1883-10-06
THE RAD BOY AND HIS PA.
Fy arok0r W. rrex.

I What is this hear about your father 1 creating panic in dry goods store ..' said the grocery man ,o the bad boy. as he took a butter tryeT and run 1t into a pumpkin a few tunes. They tell me that he had about hundred female clerks trecd on the shelves. and oa the counters. and all ot them screAmlns bloody murder, and that floor walker hi, hlm over the head with roll cf paper cambri,. and somebody turned in a hre alarm. How was i; Y"
 Well, fl you will keep watch for pa. a, the door, l will tell you all abou, q. sad the boy Somebody has told pa that was A, the bottom of the whole business. and when man loses eonti- denoe in his boy. and rolls up A trunk strap and eatues l, hab,,aally. II stands a boy ln hand to keep his eye peeled. You see. pa has been m habit lately of Eo- ine to the store seed deal and lallygag- ging sith the g,rl clerks. Any girl that Sill smile on pa. and look sweet. catches hun. and he would s,, on a stool in front ei the counter ten hours day. pretend ing To wan, ,o buy some k,nd of ttinse. ot corsets. q, something. and he wouid ialrly talk the arm or ;he sirls. Ma dldn', like l, at all and she told pa he oush, to be ashamed ot himself. cause tho girls was only making taol oi hlm. and all the people m the store weIe laiIng at hum. but pa s.,ld ior her la shut hei sawp. and he kept on ttsing io md excuses Ia 70 to the store Ma told me about Il. and she feit reai sorry. and by inks |, male me mad ,o see an old man. old enough io have gou, ot paralysis, geIng around mashins clerks m a store. and told ma fl she would .ei me would break pa up m that so,, oi business, and she told me Ia se ahead and make hun amp like box eaf. So 'io.het day ma gave pa a piece ei nbbon to match and corset to change Ter larger siEe. and pali i of gloves io fe,aIn because the thumb of one ot 'em rpped oil. and told him ;o buy four yards ot baby flannel. and see hoy much Il would cost ,e have her sealskin cloak refined, and Ia sec If her new ha, vas done. ia acted as though he didn't want ,o go .o the store. bu, ma and me knew that he looked upon Il as pienic. and he blacked his boots. and changed ends with hls cuffs, and pu, on hs new rednc, k,ic, and shaved hlsscIf, and hxed up as though he was gong to DC dAkSu tit1 tt tCt tf1c NO along 10 carry the packages. and he said he didn't late # 1 did 70. iou have seen these my rubber rats they have al the rubber siotes, haven't you They look so near ike a natural r4t that you an tell the difference unless you offer the rubber fat some cheese. 1 got one oi those rats and tled a me thread to |. with sllpuoose an the end. and when pa ee, mo the store put the sllpnoose over the hind button ot his eoat-tail, and put the tat on :he floor. and | tuiloaed hm tlone and SNOW Il looked sa natural wanted ,o si5k |. ia @Aikea Aiong smiling. and stopped N the ubbun- 1oun- ter and Nlnked A a Eitl, aiHi sle ben; over to see what he @an,ea, ..nd then she saw ,he tai. and she screamed and otawled up on the sheii w;esc the haNe. were, and pu, her tre, under her. anu sad. take Il away. klli |, and she tremblcd all over. ia though, She had gone into iit cause she MAS pafa!y Scd on his shape. and he turned blue. and went on, cause he didn't want to ktli hei dead and he walked along. the Tat followed hlm, and just as he bowed 10 four gIrs who were siaHdlng together talking aboa, the fun they had 4, he eN- position Inc night before, they sa~ the ra,, and they began to yell, and climb up things One of them 70, on stool anu pulled her clothes ugh, abound her ankles, so a ilve IA, couldn't have gn, nto her stocking, lc; alone rubber fA,. md the girls all squcalcd }ust like when you tlckle them Tn the nbs. Ia he looked scared, AS though he wa 4fraid he was k~,, .N | he kept on, and another flock of siris saw the rat, and they jumped up on the counter and sat down on ,hcir feet, and yelled rat. Then the others yelled rai, and in minute about hundred glrls were getting up on things. and saying shoo, and one of them got on pie of blankets, and the pile fell of on the floor with her and the men had to dig her out. Pas face was a study. He looked al one girl. and then another, and wondered what was the matter, and finally ihe floor walker came along and see wha, Ii was. and he took pa by the collar and led him ou, doors, and told him fl he ever came m there again he would send ihe police after him. had gone by the time pa go, ou, on the sidewalk, and he pic ked up the rubber rst and found |, was hite he'd 10 his coat, and he wen, right home Ma says he was so mad that he s,uttered, and she thinks had better board around for day or t~o. She ,ned @ reason ~i,h pa tha, II was intended for his good, ,o show h,m that he was making fool of himself. but he does no, look A; |; n that light. Say, do you ihink Il was wrong 70 break him up tha, way, He vas going wrong entirely
 70. don't know. You and your ma are the bes, judges. Bai would have liked to see them girls climbing ID ,he slde of the store. Ea, shat IS ihe trouble with the minister e' said the grocery man. " He was in here this morning xiih the tail of his black coa; sewed ap. and when i asked him to set down he said he ~as standing up almos, entirely now. and when 1 asked him If he had seen you lately, he said he had, 10 his sorro~. and