Thomas County cat., 1886-12-02
THE BAD BOY.
Tho Mysterious Ways in Which the Faees
Protected His Bushy Hair.

TIE 0AO 6OYs
The Mysterious Ways in Which the Fates
Protected His Bushy Hair.
You know I'm not living where 1 do
now? No. l moved away from my
present abiding place and am occupy
ing pleasant apartments ON the next
block. Yes, indeed. You see. there
was boy at my for:oer boarding.
house, He was a type of boy most
furiously dislike, and seem to be the
type of man he hates, for we declared
war the first day We met. He deployed
his skirmishers as soon as he saw me,
and was waiting for him in the woods
just over the top of the hill. thicker
than hair on dogs back. He was an
impudent, loud-voiced, slangy cub,
with a head of most luxuriant long
bushy hair. that my fingers were al
ways aching to get into. My room was
on the first floor, and he used to make
faces in at my window. One day he
thrust his head in, but was laying for
him, and as he opened his mouth to
yell something offensive, chucked it
full of sawdust. That night he hung
live cat by the tail to my window shut
ter, and the vixen nearly scratched my
eyes out before l could cut her down.
1t was Miss Giddigirl's cat. too. and
she believed l hung it there myself.
and so did every body else. Next day
maneuyered the boy in front of my
window until, thinking l wasn't look
inc. he fired a buck-ShO. at ME.
and l lodged and let him break
looking glass. His father
thrashed him for it and !
was so pleased paid for the mirror
myself. Next day he bent pin in my
chair at the dinner table. and nearly
died rather than jump up and "holier.
He found out that it irritated rae near
ly to madness to hear or see him, so
he took to playing under my window.
charged him out of that by empty
ing half a gallon of shaving water
out of the window. He flanked me
by moving just around the corner,
where l could hear him but couldn't
reach him. When | sang he initiated
me, but not well. If l read aloud he
drummed ON the end of the house.
Once l dissembled, and won his conf
dence SO far that he accepted an invita-
ton to 90 to the creek with me. When
l got him there. his suspicious were
aroused, and he refused to 60 into the
boat He knew very we'll | was going
to drown him. But he didn't say so.
knew it, too, though l didn't say so,
either. So nothing was said about it,
and l came home, bitter and heavy
hearted with disappointment. My sole
desire now was to catch him in the
dark and scalp him. But he was wary,
and never went in the dark alone. /
was just beginning to despair
and to feel that my life was
failure, when, one evening, l
heard him passing my window where
l lay in ambush. l peepeG out.
and in the dim, misty starlight
just discerned my enemy's figure
passing out OF reach. l threw my body
far out over the window-siil and.
stretching my arm, caught handful of
that hated hair. l had practiced that
clutch on pillows and holsters night
after night with vengeful industry.
There was no slip TO it. My fingers
closed on the locks OF my foe like the
grip of an octopus, and gave a yank
that would have pulled up a pine tree.
The shrieks that split the air of the
silent night fairly made my heart stand
still, and l shrunk back within the
gloom of my room. Scream after
scream. slammng doors. crashing Win
dows, told the house-was alarmed and
wild with excitement. l must 90 out;
it would not do to remain concealed.
brushed the clinging locks from my
guilty fingers. Shrill voices were call
ing my name. Horrors! l was sus-
pected, then? Some one had seen me?
The boy had recognized my touch?
went out into the hall. What was the
matter? Well might ask, they said,
sitting there in my room, poring over
my book while murder was being done.
A gigantic tramp. they told me. hidden
under the trees, had caught my sister
by the hair and nearly broken her
neck, and then ran away.
l am going to slay that boy with my
naked hands if have to wait till the
next war to get a chance at him.
Burdette, tn Brooklyn Eagle.