The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1885-12-17
PECIx'S BAD boy.
PROM PEcK's SUN.

clothes and tough look, Of the oil
who was wiping the
mould off of some dried peaches with
u dirty cloth, and the boy took up
handful Of the peaches, smelled OF
them, looked as though he was seasick
and added: "They ought to hang ~
nan for selling such stuff"
Business is none of your business,
aid the groceryman, "and young per
son ii you don'tlike those peachesyot
needn't buy any. Dried peaches were
onsidered great luxury in an early
lay. In 1856 | remember"
Yes, these are 1866 peaches" said
ne boy, interrupting the old grocery
nan, who was getting mad. "But tell
ne, few years ago there was an Ole
ellow kept a grocery here on this cor
ier who was the worst old fraud ii
he world. He would charge two
rices for everything, and charge
hings to man three times, and he
old decayed Goldfish, glucose for sue
/, and the neighbors used to say b,
would steal. Where is he now? Gu
ich suppose, and gone on tlil
around the world. fused to know hin
nd he was a bad lot"
II am the same man." said Il
roceryman, blushing. II have bee
ere ten years" And then, recognia
ng for the first time the Dad Boy
ie added, II was ruined by youu
'iilain who used to hang signs aiou
MY place, advertising dead cat sausage
lnd such things, He made my Ii
y burden, but he went away year
more ago, and | have been told til
he was engaged in stage robbing m
Vest, and had built up a good busi
nesss. took an oath to kill him on
sight, and you look so much like tht
bad boy that / think | will run this
cheese knife into you couple Of time.
3or luck" and the groceryman made !
Jump for the boy apparently perfectly
frantic.
"Stoper!" said the bad boy, as h'
stepped back and let loose one Of hi
I'D laughs that used to tighten up tn,
gloom in the grocery. "Stay you
land, rash man, or you will dull you
knife. Embrace me / am your lonl
lost mascotl" and the boy opened hi
arms and raised the roof with such
happy laugh as the lonesome old gre
ceryman had not heard around tn
place for year.
"Kill the fat prodigal, the calf ha
got back" shouted the groceryman, a
he dropped the cheese knife and hus
ged the bad boy, and then pushed hir
off and looked at him. Il would hav
known you in a minute If it had M
been for that mould on your upp(
lip, like this mould on the dried peacl
IS. BY gum / am glad to see yol
: Where have you been, and does yol
pa know you have got back? Have yc
!. been in jail and how did you get ou
Are you going to stay long, or ha'
!. you an engagement to rob a ban
T Tell me all, for | have missed you, "
young whelp."
\ 20, go take walk with yourse
and lose yourself" said the boy, as
disengaged himself from the embra
Of his old friend. Eyes, pa knows +
back, and he is resigned to his fate,
"Do you know, thought you mig
E. have got home when ] heard someho
y ~ yell murder over to your house i
night" said the groceryman. "Wf
was you doingY Come and sit dol
., on the old soap box, and spit at t
stove and play some trick on me, y
tell me all about yourself. Ithas ma
me grow old the past year, nottohs
). a single trick played on me, and no
ing happening to get me mad
rs man wants excitement or he is g
for nothing and the grocerynl
. pushed up the soap box for the b
~ and drew the half bushel measure
himself, and as the two sat down d
looked at each other as though Il
expected something to happen out
the ordinary run, the sight was p
or ure worth seeing.
"Weu," says the boy, as lie brus1
= of the soap box to see ifthere was
bent pin, or any shoemaker's wax
him to sit on, "old gentleman, yol
had Through for a year now, an
has not done you any good, You
looking pale. Whatyou want isso
thing to think Of, to wake you
For a week or so l shall be at be
and Iwant you to feel natural. jul