New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1886-10-27
Aunt Deborah and Sam Wad-
ley.

A I'LL A@SOOA& I'LL SGAO OtGA S4U
ley.
St. Nicholas
''The good lands! what's that" ex-
citedly cried frightened Aunt Debo-
rah.
Aunt Deborah might well exelaim in
surprise. For as she sat Knitting
quietly and humming a quaint old
tune of long ago, one she had learned
as child-C-r-rash! bang! came a
stone into the room, shivering the
window pane, just missing the swing
ing lamp in the hallway making an
ugly scar On the cabinet, and breaking
into fragments a handsome vase.
Then, as if satisfied with the mischief
it had done, it rolled lazily across the
floor, and finally stopped under the
table, an inert, Jagged bit Of granite.
Aunt Deborah, as the stonepursued
its reckless course, placed her hands
over her head, and shrank back into
her chair, a frightened and unwilling
witness to the destruction OF her prop
erty. It was quite distressing. Be
sides the nervous shock, there was the
broken window; there was the cabinet
showing a great white dent that could
not be easily removed; and there, too,
was the vase she had kept so many
long years, lying shattered and ruined
before her eyes.
Aunt Deborah was one OF the best
and most kind hearted of women; but
she was human, and the sudden
havoc wrought by the missile exas.
perated as we'll as frightened her. She
rushed to the window and opened it in
time to see three or four boy IS scamper.
ing down the street as fast as their
legs could carry them.
ooh, you young scapegraces!" she
cried; if | could once lay hold on you
wouldn't | teach you a lesson!"
But the boys never stopped until
they had disappeared around friend
ly corner. Aunt Deborah was so over
come by the accident, and so intent
upon watching the retreating boys to
whom she desired to teach a lesson,
that she did not at first notice bare.
footed lad, standing under the win
dow on the pavement below, hold
ing battered old hat in his hand,
and looking up at her with a scared
face and fearful eyes.
"Please, Miss" said the boy, tremu-
"Oh!" Who are you! Who threw
that stone at my window" called out
Aunt Deborah, as she spied him.
please, Miss" pleaded the boy,
fumbling nervously his torn hat, ~
threw it, but I didn' mean to do it,"
Didn't mean to do it, eh?" replied
Aunt Deborah, fercely. ri suppose
the stone picked itself up and pitched
itself through my glass;"
II was going to throw it down the
street, but Bill Philper touched my
arm, and it turned and hit your win.
dow" he explained.
There was an air OF frankness and
truth about the boy, and the fact
that he had not run away like the
others whom, somehow, Aunt Deb.
orah held chiefly responsible for the
outrage), caused her to relent a little
toward him.
"Come IN here" she said, after eye
ing him closely for a moment.
The lad hesitated; but summoning
all his courage, he went up the steps,
and soon stood in her presence.
"Do you see that" she said, point
ing at the window-"an that?" lat
the cabinet Sand that| at the
broken vase) )-"and that?" lat the
stone.) "Now. isn't that fine per-
formance?"
II am very sorry" said the boy,
the tears yelling into his eyes again.
He looked ruefully about at the
damaged articles, and glanced at the
stone, wishing heartily that he had
never seen it.
'Now, what's to be done about it?'
asked she.
II don't know, ma am" said he,
very i'll at ease. II will try to pay
you for it,"
"What can you pay, Ishould like to
know" she said, glancing at his patch.
ed coat and trousers and his torn
hat.
II sell papers," said he, "and l can
pay you little on it every week."
''What's your name?" she asked.
"Sam. WadIey," answered the boy.
"Have you a father?"
mo ma am" replied Sam; "he's
dead"
"Have you mother?"
eyes, ma am"
"What does she do?" continued
Aunt Deborah.
"She sews, and ] help her all can.
selling papers,"
Glow can you pay me anything
them"
"Please ma am, I'll tell mother all
about it, and she'll be willing for me
to pay you all / make"
'Well now, we'll see if you are q boy
to keep his word" said Aunt Deb
orah.
elbow much must I pay?" Sam in
quired anxiously.