River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1889-05-30
LOUIS MIRACLE.
II is Ono That Might Easily Be
Initiated

AAAAAAe-A--N
..IIc's the most mi-chievous boy l
ever saw. cried Au. EIphsmia.
'.Aud the most troublesome. " said
Aunt Marcia
And the nol-ie-j~ sighed grand
mother
And the most destructive, groaued
Lou. clearing away the deJris OF the
accident The handsome majOlica
vase which had been her uncle's
Christmas gift lay in fragments upon
the floor. It's trailing vines, fragrant
hcliotrope auI waxeI bcgonias hope
Ic-sly ruined Lou loved her flowers
eNtravaganily, puttias into their cult
ure all that artistic power which
most rirIs cEp.nd on drawing, paint
ing or embroidery, a:.d the f.sgs filled
her eyes a. she gathered Up The dis
severed fragments.
i didn't mean TO-. Lynn g-owicd.
trying TO iusinuatc tLs toe of his boot
into thin pIac. in tine carpet.
NO. you never mean 70. said Aunt
Euphemia. severely. .-aEd yet you keep
this house III connection from morning
till night. IsIppo.e you don't mean
TO make "A hole in that carpet. either.
but I may ~ we'll get my darning-
needle and yarn ready. Why can't
you behave like other boys Lynn?'
What's fellow going to do, I'd
like TO lsnow2 It's don't touch this
and don't meddle with that from
weeks end to weeks end. There's no
place 10 fish or row; can't have a gun
Tor fear III hurt some one. there aint
no boys TO play with, and I'm Just sick
deadr' and a suspicious trcmblc Of the
voice closed the sentence.
Lou, looking up suddenly. saw the
merry black eyes growing dim and
misty. and releEted.
but since you're still alive she
laughed. ..you may as well help clear
away this rubbish Put these stems in
that pan of sand. I can use them
whcr they have rooted. After we are
Through with this I'll play q game of
croquet with YOU
1T Is too bad, -" III, adiei ID herself,
rs Lynn set 10 work with ardor and
dispatch: .-cousiu ought to have some
thing to do. Uncle j. too busy at the
shop to look after him, and neither Of
our aunties or grandmother have amy
patience with children. Unjust set my
wits 10 work 10 find something to keep
him busy: and she remembered with
Keen seif-rcproach how little she had
done in the long months since Uncle
Fred and Lynn had become members
Of the family To make life more tOlcr-
able for either Of the sad hearts bur-
dened with sorrow for the loss Of wife
aud mother.
Five inmates later they were out on
the croquet ground. The game pro
crossed rapidly. and soon. with a skill
full stroke. Lou sent her adversary ball
spinning away beyond the boundaries
and her own 10 the stake. Lynn ran
after his elusive property. which he
disinterrcd from heap Of rubbish,
and came back muttering GROSSLY to
himself. as he brushed the dust from
his clothes: What a mess Of stuff
The ctoquet ground was on the west
side of the house. which faced the
north The corner to the southwest
formed by the fences encircling the
garden and adjacent field was the re-
cs.ptacIe for aII the household debris.
and was now fun To overlooking. As
LOUIS eyes followed the boy in his
search. play she had learned at
school returned to her.
Turn your back, She said. author
itatIvclv as her cousin reached her
side. and ~ he instinctively obeyed
she initiated his example
Now. when l say ready. turn
uuickly as possible and back To place.
and let a. see in that brief glance
which one can see and name the most
articles iu that heap OF rubbish
Lynn was back ia his place in a mo-
meut You begin" he said. breath
lessly.
~ pile of brush. two barrels. a
stump ol "a tree. broken kettle -~
Lou paused and Lynn screamed with
delight
You're a bright one. he cried.
..Now lust hear me. \ broken pitcher
come poles. peach cans. tomato cans.
oyster cans. plaster. AN old rake, two
rusty pans. some bricks and stones.
boards. an old straw hat
.Oh. II isn't fair" iuterrupteS S.ou
you've been All over ii after your
ball. But you are ohservant. Lynn
Who would ever think 81 many things
could bc collected in - small "a space.
and what a pity 81 i 10 spoil the incest
corner of the yard IN that way. q
Lynn she interrupted herself I've
got al idea,
The boy looked M roguishly, a
s:aucy answer On the tip 81 his tongue.
NO. it isn't lonesome, There are
plenty more 81 them, you will tinl.
But. seriously. do Won remember that
article Cn Japanese homes which
rad 10 you few weeks ago and which
pleased you 20 much2 DO You sup
pose such a plot Of ground as this
would 90 to waste among that thrifty
people2 LYNN. Iet - have garden.
In SIX Aunt Euphcmia's consent.
and she was OF like "a fash.
Permission was readily given
though Aunt Marcia did suggest that
Lou would look better working away
al the crochet she detcsted than max
.lg a t0nboy Of herself out-of-doOrs.
= girl sixteen years Old" she began,
but IsOu saw consent in Auai
EuphemiI's eyes and rushed OF before
further remonstrance was prepared