The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1890-06-27

What IL tramps should get in and steal
his precious treasures!
The thought was intolerable. and the
more he dwelt upon il the more certain
he became that unless that door was
locked not fire-cracker would remain
TO cheer his eyes in the morning. So,
slipping out of bed, he put on his stock
ings, trousers and jacket and, taking
his shoes in his hand, crept softly down
the back stairs and out of the kitchen
door. Norah was out, and no one saw
or heard him. The crescent moon was
setting in the west, and the stars shone
calmly down, giving every promise OF a
bright tomorrow.
To reach the sugar-house, which was
not far beyond the barn, and lock the
door was the work of but 4 few mo-
ments; then Jack turned TO go back,
when his foot slipped on rolling stone
and over he fell. When he tried to get
up cry of pain escaped him, and he
found that he could not take STEP
'sHere's pretty state of things.- he
said aloud, lapsing unconsciously into
the language OF Koko. Whats TEL
low to do?'
He knew that the barn had been
locked long ago and that William, the
man, had gone home, so there would be
no help from that quarter. There was
nothing to do but get himself home as
best he could-a slow and very painful
process which it took some time to ac-
complish-
He reached the house just as the
lights were about to be put out and the
doors locked for the night. His moth
er's surprise and terror when Jack
crawled upon the piazza and She saw
his white face can better be imagined
than described.
Mr.. Harrington carried Jack upstairs
while Uncle Ned hurried of for the doc
tor; and while his mother was cutting
the stocking from the badly swollen
ankle and getting the foot into hot wa
ter he told her how it happened.
at will be all right in the morning,
won't it, mother?' he asked so anxious
ly that Mrs. Harrington hadn't the
heart to tell him that she feared it
would be many mornings before he
could use it.
"A pretty bad sprain." DIR. Rogers
said, half an hour later, and he ordered
the ankle kept in hot water for an hour
and then bandaged with hot com
presses
| OdCh IHdlI1 lCAA WIFI MS
mothers hand smoothing his hair. and
all night dreamed OF fire-crackers and
big red letters, which seemed to be
alive and possessed of legs, dancing the
widest kind of jigs in the orchard,
while he himself was going up like a
rocket, only to be pulled down by Dick
Torrey's Selling hold of his ankle with
such grip that he awol1e, calling out:
GsCfn,, f1,ak old fa1IAuspS
The sunlight was streaming into his
room, and he heard soft whistle under
| his window; he started up, remember
ing what day it was, and thinking that
he was late for the ''Serenade," but a
twinge in his ankle reminded him OF
last nights experience, and ne sank
back on his pillow, buried his face I'M
der the sheet, and-will you think any
the less of him if tell you of it?--yes
actually cried. But no one knows of il
to this day but you and me, for jack
scorned tears, and had been heard tc
say only the day before, when Emily
had had some slight disappointment
that ''only girls and babies cried"
So he dried his eyes very quickly
when he heard his mothers step, ant
swallowed the big lump in his throat
and said, in an off-hand way, when she
came into the room: II guess I'm in fol
it. You'd better tell the fellows"-for
the soft whistles had grown by this
time into loud calls of ''Wake up
sleepy-headr' Hurry up, lazy-bonesr
You're nice one to sleep over OF
Fourth o. Julyl" and various other com
plimentary salutations.
Mrs. Harrington went down and TOLD
tho boys of Jacks accident. and the,
walked sorrowfully away.
The doctor came soon after breakfast
and said that Jack could be carried t.
the piazza and lie in the steamer-chair
but that on no account must he take
step that day.
Every one was kindness itself, and
can not describe the attentions and ten
derness shown him by his family.
Birthday presents were showero(
upon him, the tender-hearted and for
giving Emily emptying her bank of it
contents in order to buy a five-blade,
knife to give him in addition TO he
tother present -
The gang came around and tried
in their boyish ways, to show sympathy
!, they offered to bring all their fire
crackers and fire them off in jack
; yard; but this was little moro thar
: human nature lat least Jacks human
nature) could bear, and he said
politely:
''No. thank you; the noise might dis
A turb the family"
a But do you think no victories wer
won that day? Let me tell you. Towar
q noon the thought of those dozens o
: packages of firecrackers lying un
q touched in the sugar-house appealed t.
. Jack, and he said to Emily:
!, lyon might as we'll get some of thos
q fire-crackers, and il we see Tim Refill
o or any of those kids Il am sorry to sa
: that my hero did talk slang) who didn'
n expect to have any, why, just toss out
q few to them"
y The lunch which had occupied S
n large a place in Jacks thoughts wa
: served on the piazza, and Mr.. Harring
; ton and Uncle Ned tried their hardes
: ,.sss = 4-sa w. /,
A,gis ~. -. -. 81 = 1 .s.,.l