Nevada County picayune., 1886-12-01


 Aunt Deborah might wellexclaim
 in surprise. For as she sat knit.
 tug quietly and humming a quaint
 old tune of long ago, one sine had
 learned as d cli:ld-erash. bang.
 came q stone into the room, shiver-
 lne the window-pane, just missing she swinging lamp m the hallway,
 making au ugly scar on the cabinet.
 and breaking into fragments a
 handsome vase. Then, as if satis-
 fled with the mischief it had done
 il rolled lazily across the floor, and
 finally stopped under the table. an
 inert, jagged bit of granite.
 Aunt Deborah. as the stone pur-
 sued it's reckless course. placed her n hands over her head, aHd shrank d back into fer chair, a frightened s- and unwilling witness to the de
 struction of her property. It was
 quite distressing. Besides the
 nervous shock, there was the
 broken window; there was the
 cabinet showing great white dent ' that could not be easily removed; and there, too, was the vase she , had kept so many years, lying shat - tered and ruined before her eyes. . Aunt Deborah was one of the . best and most kindhearted Of wo- z men; but she was human. and the
 sudden havoc wrought by the mls, ' size eXasperated as well as fright !, ened her. She rushed to the win. , dow and opened it in time to see ! three or four boys scamperlng . down the street as fast as their 2 legs could carry them.
 "Oh, you young scape2races." z she cried. If could once lay { hold on you, wouldn't l teach you
 a lessoD!'
 ' But the boys never stopped un- z til they had disappeaied around d 2 friendly corner. Aunt Deborah ' was SC overwhelmed by tie acci- dent, and so intent on watching the
 retreatlng boys to whom she de- , sired to teach a lesson, that sue did > not at first notice baretooted boy , standing under the window on the , pavement below, holding q batter , ed old hat ill his hand and looking ' up al her with a scared face and fearful eyes. - m ~w1 !. Please, Miss,r said the boy, s tremulousiy.
 . Oh. Who are you! Who threw
 lhat stone at my window. called
 Aunt Deborah, as she spied him.
 "Please, Miss" pleaded the boy, fumbling nervously at his torn hat.
 Il threw it. but 1 didn't mean to
 do it."
 Didn't mean to do 1t, eh! re-
 piled Aunt Deborah, tiercely. Il ar suppose the stone picked itself up " and pitched itself through my in glass"
 n n, "I was going to throw il down e. the street. but Bill Philper touched u. G, my arm. and it turned and hit your
 window" he explained.
 There was an air ot frankness and truth about the boy, and the ne fact that he had not run away like nd the others (whOm somehow Aunt ', sS Deborah held chiefly responsible h- for the outrage) caused her 10 re y lent little toward him. p- "Come in here.' she said, after
 eyeing him closely for a momont t" The lad hesitated; but summon
 ing all his courage, he went up the
 steps, aud soon stood in her pres , ence.
 < Do you see that" she said ! pointing at the window -"ane { that"- (at the cabinet aud that | --lat the broken vasel-''and that 1 lat the stouel Now, isn't tlia ! fine performance T" ! "l am very soIry,n said the boy ! the tears yelling into his eye' ! again.
 I He looked rueiully about at the ! damaged articles, and glanced al l the stone, wishing heartily he haC I never seen II.
 I "Now, what's to be doue abon l itW asked she
 \ "l don't know. ma'am,' sad he | very ill at ease. Il will try to pa, ! you for it.'
 l "What can you pay, should liki l to know" she said, glAucing at h., | patched coat and trousers and hi | tom hat,
 a VI sell papers, said he; "nnd