Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1888-06-02
BOY WANTED.

COplC lluSnCu WhCh tiiSy sow NhS
sign again. 1t seemed to be always
in Mr.. Peters's window. For day
or two-sometimes for only an hour
or two-it would be missing, and
passers by would wonder whether
Mr., Peters had at last found q boy to
suit him !; but sooner or later it was
sure to appear again.
"What sort of a boy does he want,
anyway ?" one and another would
ask, and then they would say to each
other that they supposed he was
looking for a perfect boy, and, in
their openion, he would look a good
while before he found one. Not 4hat
there were not plenty of boys-as
many as a dozen used sometimes to
appear in the course of morning,
trying for the situation. Mr.. Peters
was said to be rich and queer, and for
one or both fthe reasons, boys were
anxious to try to suit him. "All he
wants is a fellow to run errands; it
must be easy work and sure pay"
This was the way they talked to each
other. But Mr.. Peters wanted
something more than boy to run err
rands. John Simmons found it out,
and this is the way he did it. He
had been engaged that very morning
and had been kept busy all the fore
noon at pleasant enough work; and,
although he was lazy fellow, he
rather enjoyed the place. 1t was
toward the middle of the afternoon
that he was sent up to the attic, a
dark, dingy place, inhabited by mice
and cobwebs.
You will find a long, deep box
there" said Mr.. Peters, "that 1 want
to have put in order. 1t stands right
in the middle of the room-you can't
miss it,"
John looked doleful. ga long,
deep box ? l should think it was" he
said to himself, as the attic door
closed after him. at will weigh
most ton, guess and what is there
in it? Nothing in the world but old
nails and screws and pieces of iron
and broken keysand things-rubbish,
the whole of it. Nothing worth
touching; and it is as dark as pocket
up here, and cold besides. How the
wind blows in through those knot
holes. There's a mouse! If there is
anything l hate, it's mice! I'll tell
you what it is, if old Peters thinks
Pm going to stay up here and tum'
BILE over his old rusty nails, he's
much mistaken. 1 wasn't hired fol
that kind of work."
Whereupon John bounced down
the attic stairs three at a time, and
was found Longing in the show win
dow an hour afterward when Mr.
Peters appeared.
"Have you put the box in ordel
already? ?" was the gentleman's ques
ton.
81 didn't find anything to put il
order; there was nothing in it bu
old nails and things"
EXACTLY. 1t was the nails anC
things that [ wanted put in order
Did you do it?"
"No, sir. 1t was dark up there, ant
cold and | didn't see anything
worth doing. Besides, / thought
was hired to run brands ?"
son." said Mr.. Peters, 81 though
you were hired to do as you wer
told" But he smiled pleasant
enough, and at once gave John a
errand to go down town; and tn
boy went off chuckling, declaring t
himself that he knew how to manag
the old fellow all it needed was
little standing up for his rights.
Precisely at six o'clock John wa
called, and paid the sum promise
him for days work and then,
his dismay, he was told that HI
service would not be needed an
more. He asked no questions. II
deed he had time for none, as Nj
Peters Immediately closed the doc
The next morning the old sigl
"Boy Wanted" appeared in its usu'
place.
But before noon it was taken dowI
and Charlie Jones was the fOrtunat
boy. Errands-plenty of them. H
was kept busy until within an HOT
ofclosing. Then, behold! he was SCI
up to the attic to put the long box
order. He was not afraid of a NOUS
or of the cold, but he grumble
much over the box. Nothing in
worthy his attention. However, |