The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1884-08-23
TIE BAD BOY.
BY GEORGE w. PECK.

- NAS'CA"NAS ~ nm
"Poor boy" said the grocery man to
the bad boy as he came in the store
looking tanned and tough, 81 do pity
you. understand your fathers stom-
ach is all gone, and that he can't keep
anything on it. The policeman on
this beat, who comes in here after
cheese and crackers, and tells me to
keep my vegetables off the sidewalk,
says he saw your pa leaning over a
fence down by the lake last night, sick
as horse, and he seemed to be saying
Moo Yoich' to somebody on the other
side eff the fence, and that after he got
through talking, and wiped his face,
he went up the sidewalk towards
home so weak and tired that the po-
liceman felt sorry for him. l guess
your pa did not quit drinking a nm
ute too quick. When man drinks
hard for twenty or thirty years, his
stomach must get tired. But the po-
liceman said you were walking along
behind your pa smiling. How was
itW
"That's a no such a thing" said the
bad boy. II don't think l smiled at
all, cause tried not to smile. PAS
stomach is all right, only on such an
occasion"
"Such an occasion? What do you
mean?" asked the groceryman in some
Indignation.
"Well, I'll tell YOU" said the bad boy,
as he sat down on case ofblueberries
"You see l have been out on the lake
good deal lately and have learned to
sail boat splendidly, and when pa
see could sail boat he thought it
was awful queer if he could't sail a
boat, too, but you know it is the hard
est thing in the world to sail boat
unless you know how. Pa see me
sailing around on the bay, and when |
come up to the landing. he said he
would get in and sail. / asked him if
he know how to sail, and he said he
wished he chad as many dollars as he
knew how to sail, and by the way he
talked about sailing | concluded pa
was with Captain Kidd, as he sailed
! didn't like the way pa took hold Of
the tiller, and the ropes, but | thought
it was my duty to keep my mouth
shut, so | let pa wentl He run her
right out on the lake, and | sat there
expecting when he turned her about
he would swamp the boat. l thought
we had gone out far enough, any way
1t was farther than / ever went, and
the sea was becoming rough / asked
pa il he hadn't better turn her around
and he said he supposed the wind
would change and sail us back
Healthy old sailor, wasn't he2 Well
| told him to port his helm or at least
thai | would if was him, and iibe the
main sheet, but pa looked as though
he didn't know a helm from string
of suckers. Finally he run her right
arond broadside to the wind, and
never let up on the sail, and she wen'
almost over, and filled half full o.
water, when pa dropped the tiller and
sail aud began to climb up the side
and yell that we were lost Says he
'Hennery, if you know anything bout
this boat, grab something and get Us
out of this knew she would fioal
as long as the sail was tapping, so
pulled my legs out Of the water, ant
sat upon my feet on the saet, and lit 4
cigarette and told pa he better sail hel
home, cause he knew more about j
than little boy. You see, he haC
played his superior intelligence on me
and deceived his trusting, guileless
innocent child, and felt as though, i
he wanted me to take his place thai