South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1885-05-01
practical Joke and It's Result.


BIZ ELLIN Bertha BRADLxr.
Mrs. Allen was busy making mince
pies when Harry came in and asked
for some old grease.
What do you want it for?' she
asked. Go get some soap fat if that
will do and Harry vanished in the
direction OF the cellar, rejoicing that
she was too busy to notice that be did
not answer ner question. Not go his
sister Jennie, who was stoning raisins.
sMoher,' said che, swhat is he 90.
ing to do W tn the fat r
oh, i don't know. Probably helm
fease the wagon. He can't do auy
mischief with it, and Jennie was Ell
lent, half ashamed of the suspicion
that something was wrong. But she
had seen him whispering with Jimmy
Johns aud Ben rown at recess, and
perhaps that made Der uneasy. Hap
mIy for her peace she did not know
that each OF these boys had secured
and hidden an old fruit can OF grease.
though she would have been puzzled
10 guess what harm could be done
with il.
The last mail came to the village at
eight O'Clock in the evening, being
brought by The horse-car from neigh
boring town, and Harry went up street
tor the letters. Tonight he slipped
away bali AN hour early and joined
Jimmy aud Ben at the corner.
'fve got It, each whispered and
they struck across lots at "A lively pace
TO the foot f hill winch the car had
to ascend. just outside the village.
CHANGING cautiously about TO see
that the coast Was clear, they lrodu
duccd their lin CANS and began yreas.
ing the rail on the steep incline One
watched while the otheIs " Orked, and
the, had just finished they thought
without beng seen-wEen they heard
the rumbllng OF u coming car, aud
hastily hi themselves behind some
| bushes.
The car whirled around the curve
at the foot of the hill, started on the
ascent and stopped dead still. The
horses strained and pulled under the
drivers whip, but the wheels took no
mold upon the creased surface an the
car VOL! not -tlr. The boys, shak-
ing with laughter. watched the per-
formance ana gloried IN tne.r sport,
Tor tile driver was II qrerulous old
man whom they delegated To tease.
lie jumped dygn, put his hand on
the rail and broke into a volley of
oaths. Harry's heart gave great
thump and settled down like lump
OF lead. He had not thought OF that.
The gentlemen in the car got out, az.
sured themselves that the rails were
creased, and started in search OF the
perpetrators OF the mischief, who, the,
thought, would be hidden near. Bot
the boys ESCAPED undecided. aud were
soon standing in the post-otfice won
dering over the delay of the mail, which
did not arrive till half an hour after it
was due. as the car could Tot get up
the hill till sand was brought from a
considerable distance to sprinkle en-
the rails.
Harry went home feeling very So
Der over the joke which he had thought
would be such good fun.
Wasn't it splendid p asked Jimmy,
whose road lay in the same direction;
but he was answered sharply,
mo. 1t was mean trick that /
am ashamed Of 1t hurt those poor
horses opull like that, aud | wouldn't
have made Peter swear for anything
1Ioity-toity, minister's son. said
Jimmy.
yes said Harry 'Pity the min
ister's son isn't worthy OF his father
and he shut the gate after him with
bang.
'Whew,' said Jimmy, but some way
he began to feel ashamed too.
Harry gave the letters TO his father,
and taking q copy of Our Young
Folks which had C, me Tor himself,
went directly to his room. But he
threw tho p per unopened on the ta-
BILE, and sat moodIly looking out of
the window at the moonlight He
had cause Tor reflection and "a certain
unpleasant passage OF Scripture was
running in bis head
Old Peter eas a recent convert, be
ing one OF those rare cases where "A
man who has lived goddess lite turns
IN old age to the Lord But the chains
OF habit bound nIm strongly, and IL
was no easy task fo him To- break
them. Especially hare was it TOR hun
to repress the oatbs y hch he had lon
been accustomed to use Harry knew
that he had helped to bring to pub
| lie fall man over whom lis father
had for months been watching and
praying, and lie knew also thar there
were those ia the car who would leer
and triumph over he sin. - ifi were
not nobler 70 trt 10 a. r ght aud iail
| than never 10 trs at all.
'Botherl SAID he What y that
text, any way p anl. lighting his
lamp. he took hI- Bible aud hun ed
/ II out
! HBut whose snsiI pffsp1 mn Of tLaso