Nevada County picayune., 1886-02-03
PICKS BAD BOY.
PICKS SUN.

groceryman, who was wiping the mlod off of somo dried peaches with 8 dirty cloth, and the boy took up a handful of the peaches, smelled of them, looked as though he was sea- sick, and added: "They ought to hang a man for selling such stuff. 7" Business is none of your busi- ness." said the groceryman. And young person, if you don't like those peaches, you needn't buy any. Dried peaches were considered a great luxury in in an early day. In 1855, l remember-'
 "Yes, these are are 1855 peach es," said the boy; interrupting the old groceryman. who was getting mad. "But tell me, few years ago there was an old fellow kept grocery here on this corner who was the worst old fraud in the world. He would charge two pri- ces for everything, and charge things to a man three times, and he sold decayed codfish, guclose for sugar and tbe neighbors used to say he would steal. Where is he now? Got rich, I suppose. and gone on trip around the world. l used to know him and he was a bad lot.
 "l am the same man, said the gro. ceryman, blushing, T have been here ten years" And then recog- nizing for the first time the Bad Boy,' he added: "I was ruined by 8 young william who used to hang signs around my place, advertising dead cat sausage and such things. He made my life a burden, but he went away year or more ago, and I have been told he was engaged in stage robbing ont west, and had built up a good business. I took an oath to kill him on sight, and you look so much like the bad boy that think I will run this cheese knife into you a couple of times for luck" and the groceryman made a jump for the boy, apparently per tectly frantic.
 "Stop'er" said the bad boy, as he stepped back and let loose one of his old laughs that used to Tighten up the gloom in the grocery. "Stay your hand rash man, or you will dull your knife. Embrace me, am your long lost mascot" and the boy opened his arms and raised the roof with such happy laugh as the lonesome old groceryman had not heard around the place in year.
 "Kill the fat prodigal, tbe calf has got back" shouted the grocer, man, as he dropped the cheese knife and hugged tue bad boy, and then pushed him off and looked at him. "I would have known you in a minute if it hadn't been for that mold on your upper lip, like this mold on the dried peaches. By gum, am glad to see you. Where have you been. and does your pa know you've got backi Have yC, been in jail, and how did you get out! Are you going to stay long or have you an engagement to rob a bank. Tell me all, for l have missed you, you young whelp."
 "Oh. go and take walk with yourself and lose yourself" said the boy, as he dlsengaged himself from the embrace of his old ! friend. "Yes, pa knows I'm back, and he is resigned to his fate" "Do you know I thought you might have gotten home when l heard somebody yell murder over at your house last night" said the groceryman. "What was you do- 1 ing! Come and sit down on the old soap box, and spit at the stove play some trick on me, and tell me, all about yourself. Ithas made me grow old the past year, not to have single trick played on me, and nothin happening to make me mad. A man wants excitement, or he is no good, and the groceryman push ed up the soap box tor the boy and drew tbe half bushel measure for himself, and as the two sat down and looked at each other as though they expected something to hap pen out of the ordinary run, the sight was worth seeing.
 Well" said the boy, as he brushed off the soap box to see if there was any bent Din. or shoe