The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1885-12-25
Stretching Things.

stretching luiIiSSs
Christian Neighbor.
"I'm most dead! 1t is ashot as fire,
and Iye been more than adozen miles
after that colt"
Andrew threw himself at full length
on the lounge, and wiped the perspira-
ton from his forehead.
"Where did you go?" inquired the
father.
II went over to Briggs corner and
hack by the bridge"
"That is a little less than annie and
a half. Is it so very warm, Andy? 1t
seems quite cool here"
"No, not so dreadful, | suppose, if
I'd take it moderate; but [ n like
lightning and got heated up"
"You started about 5 o'clock, my
son, and now it lacks a quarter OF s.
said his father, consulting his watch.
eyes, sir; just three-quarters OF an
hour" answered Andrew, m~nocently.
'Does it take lightning A5 minutes
to go q mile and Il half"
81 didn't mean exactly that, father,
but Iran all the way because leXpect-
ed the whole town would be here to-
night to see my new Neloclpede, eX-
planned Andrew, reluctantly.
"Whom do you expect. Andy? |
wasn't aware that such a crowd was
to be here. What will you do with
them all?"
"Jim, Eddy and Tim told me they'd
be round after school; and | wouldn't
wonder ii Ike came too, that's all"
"The population of the town is
5000, and you expect three persons.
Well, as you are very sick, | 4 am glad
no o are coming, You couldnt
play with them at all"
"Sick!" cried Andrew, springing to
his feet; "who says Pm sick?"
"Why, Andrew, you said you were
almost dead. Doesn'tthatmean very
sick?"
"You are so particular, father,
about my talking. | don't mean eX-
actly what | say, OF course. | wasn't
nearly dead, to besure, but ! didsome
tall running, you bet. There were more
thanifty dogs after me, andI don'tgo
much on dogs"
''Quite a band OF them! Where did
they all come FROM"
"'rhere was Mr.. Wheeler's sheepdog
and Rush's store dog, and two OF
three more; and they made for me
and SO | ran rs fast as could"
Give, at the most, are not fifty
Andrew"
"tThere looked to be fifty, anyway
aswercd Andrew, somewhatlmpatient
ly. ''Carter'S tcn-acre lot WAS full o
dogs Just making for me; and / CUES!
you'd have thought there were fifty i
it had been you"
'fTen acres Of dogs would be u great
many thousands. Haveyou any idet
how many?'
Andrew did not like to calculate, 70
itoccurred to him what a small spac
ten or fifteen thousand sheep woul,
occupy while camping, and ten acre
OF dogs would be past calculation.
But" hiSfather continued, "lknov
of no better way to break you OF tn
foolish habit of evaporation than t.
tell the children OF thetronble youha'
in going after the colt. You ran lik
lightning, encountered ten acres c
dogs, which would be hundreds c
thousands, Travelled more than a do,
en- miles to get one and Il halt miles !
q straight line, expected to find 800
people here to examine your new Y.
locipede, and when you reached HON
you we're nearly dead!'
please don't, father; the boys an
girls will alllaugh themselves to deatl
and won't e~xaggcrate again if | liz
to be as old as Methuselah!!"
Laugh themselves to death at
simple story like this? ] hope not, bu
rather hope it will set them to watcl
ing their own manner oftellingstorie
SO as to be sure they do not great
overstate things. Habit, my sol
grows with years, and becomesin tin
so deeply rooted that it will beimpo
siblc for you when you become q ma
to relate plain, unvarnished facts III
less you check the foolish habit
which you indulge every day. ofstretcl
ing simple Incidents into the no.
marvellous tales.