St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1885-12-12
YOUTHS DEPARTMENT.
WHAT FOLLOWED.


suited from One Days Truancy and
Disobedience.
II amt goin' to school t'-day," said
Jimmy McRush, with knowing wink
at Ted Sanders. Now, Ted wasn't
naturally q bad boy, nor was ne usual
" disobedient; but he VGs easily intiu-
esnced, especially by Jimmy McRush. !.
:. Jimmy was always bad boy, =.
said Mrs. Sanders often. ''Yes, " she
would add, seven when he was in long
clothes And then Ted's father would
look over his spectacles at Ted, and
saw: II don't want you going with
snch a bow, Ted; he'll do you no good.
And Ted would always secretly VOW he
would never again be an associate OF
Jimmy's. But he was sure to break
even the strongest VOW when Jimmy
winked at him like that; and then
when he was with Jimmy he liked him
verv much indeed, and couldn't see
that he was so very bad. Ted didn t
cav had words, and Jimmy did; but
Ted thought it was because Jimmy
father was a swearer hlmseH.
So to-day, when Jimmy winked; ana "a
said: Il amt goin' to school t'-day'
and slipped fshing-line out OF ms
rocket, and held it SO knowingly fof
Ted to see where he WGs going, led
couldn't resist, but said: II ain t goln
either: nobody IL know it. "
Jimmy said of course nobody would
know it, and what if they did? little
eslickin''' didn't last long. He always
spoke of the one form OF punishment
nsed on himself as ''lickin' y
So off to the river they went. Ted
wasn't exactly happy; he felt mean
He thought something was sure to nap
nen: at least, that was what he had al
wavs been taught. Still. it was too
late TO turn back, and having gone so
FAR. he was ashamed to-ashamed of
Jinlmy's mocking laugh, and how he
would tell all the boys that Ted Sand.
ers was a .'rag-baby cryin, Tor his ma,
lust as he had said of Joe Hummlng
when he wouldn't help tie old Mrs.
Barnum's pet cat to the door-knob. So
| Ted went on. And something did hap
pen. Yes; several things happened.
The first was that Ted caught two fine
..shiners'' inside of ten minutes. lie
| had better luck fishing that afternoon
than he had ever had before in all his
life. At Ted's home something else
was happening. just after the second
school-bell rang, a telegram was
brought to Mr.. Sanders, who sat read
inc In the front parlor. 1t urged Mr..
| Sanders and his wife, and the three
| children, to come on the afternoon s
train up to the city, and see a great
parade that was to take place that
night. amidst fireworks costly and
beautiful. :,
Eyes, wen just get ready and go,
said Mr.. Sanders. Jane, put on your
bonnet, and run down TO the school
house and fetch Ted. Tell his teacher
4 sent for him. / want him excused to-
/ day. He hasn't had a vacation for a
long time, and it'll be treat to him.
It's an hour till train time. +"
1 So Jane, the girl, went, and soon
returned with the report that Ted had
not been to school that afternoon.
z mot been in schools" cried Mr..
Sanders. echoed by Mrs. Sanders, with
very white face. "Why, where Is
hep demanded the excited man. as
though Jane knew any more about
Ted's whereabouts than his father.
| ooh! where can he be?h cried poor
Mrs. Sanders.
Without another word Mr.. Sanders
put on, his hat, and, taking his cane
hurried out ozhunt the truants while
Mrs. Sanders walked from room II
room, up stairs and down in the cellar
4 as though she thought Ted might, By
some chance, be somewhere about tht
house. Every one forgot the expected
trip to the city in the search for thu
missing boy. No one that Mr.. Sander;
inquired of on the street had seen him
Up and down, into stores and out
through long streets and over trashy
i alley-Ways travelled Mr. Sanders, bu
with no news anywhere of a boy with {
freckled stub nose, red hair and blu'
coat and trowsers. He was about tx
return home and waitsfor Ted to tur1
up, when he was dumbfounded, upo1
turning a corner, to come upon tina
very boy himself and his companion
Jimmy McRush, each led by the coat
collar, and at intervals shaken violent
ly, by a big, burly man who talked al
the time in the most angry tones.
i What's the matter here?n demanded
Mr.. Sanders, coming up.
I Ted's face grew very red and puck
cred up all over, as the tears filed hi
eyes.
"These young scamps united m,
boat, down at the river, and drove he
against a rock, and now she's ruined
Ill teach EN- lesson, see if don't
I'll teach 5em how. to NEEDLE, the run
away truants! I'll have EN- put in tn
lookup, just see. if / DON'T and h
: shook each vigorously.
Ted looked 50 pleadingly at hi