St. Landry democrat., 1890-10-04
T0mmy's Experience.
Tommy! Tommy I"

"Tommyl Tommy
Tommy shut one eye, and with the other
looked through a convenient knothole in
the side of the woodshed.
Again his mothe, called his name, this
time a little louder than before; still
Tommy did not answer. To say he felt
aggrieved would be giving a very mild de-
scription of his feelings at that minute.
Had he not worked all morning carrying
coal and water, picking up sticks and
stones from the front grass plot, and doing
various things too numerous to think of
Just then? And had he not been sustained
and upheld through it all by the thought
of having the whole afternoon to himself?
Why, he had even forgotten to count how
many buckets of water he had carried to
wash off the porches, so interested was he
in trying to calculate how many willow
whistles he would have time to make be-
fore supper time. And now, just as he
was comfortably fixed at work, to think
that he must be called from 1T
81 know just what she wants me for"
he laid to himself. 81 don't see auy sense
in two of US going to the store just as if
Title couldn't go by herself! Iii not let
on l heard her call me-"
Tommy knew that this was not q very
safe course to pursue, but he was so vexed
that he did not think of consequences. By
this time his mother had gone into the
house and closed the door, but it was
again opened and again his name echoed
through the premises.
"That's Title" said Tommy, stand she
won't stop at calling she'll hunt me up
He looked around for a hiding place.
He could hear Title running down the
stone walk. She would be there in a min
ute so hastily jumping down from the
work bench, he ran across the floor and
climbed into an old cupboard, which shook
in q threatening manner, as if resenting
the intrusion. He pulled the doors to Just
as Title appeared at the doorway.
Tommy Tommy Dawson p she called,
what Tommy was wanted. Tommy held
and wished that his heart would not
thump so heavily against his ribs surely
Title would hear it. But she turned to-
ward the house, as if satisfied that he was
not to be found. Tommy chuckled in
high glee, and. after hearing the door
shut, clambered down out of the crazy old
cupboard, his face very red, his clothes
covered with dust and cobwebs. After
taking observations through the knothole
for a few seconds, he got up on the bench
and began ON the whistles but somehow
the bark seemed very hard to loosen and
his knife was not 80 sharp as usual. He
was sure he had never heard the field
crickets chip SO loudly, and was it net
strange they were saying, 'Sneak sneak
sneak p just as last as they could? Tommy
had often listened to them before, but he
always thought they said, Summers
here, here, herel" He must have been
mistaken then, for nothing could be
palmer than what they were now saying.
'If only that road to the store was not so
hot and dusty r he said half aloud; and
then he whitfield at a willow switch.
81 do wonder If Hatton's dog would
bite? Titles awful 'fraid of dogs" and
then another minute of whiting.
81 guess | could finish these whistles
after l come back" and he shut his knife
and with one bound was in the middle of
the floor, and with another was out on the
"Whew how hot that old woodshed is,
anyway !" and, running up the stones, he
burst into the kitchen where he found
Tillie flying around in wild delight.
"Why, Tommy Dawson" she exclaimed,
"where have you been Z we've been call
ing you everywhere"
"What are you polishing your best
shoes for ITO wear to the store 7" de
Tommy, skillfully evading the
question.
"Store?" echoed Title, scornfully.
Why, Tommy Dawson, Uncle Tom is
here, he's going to take us home with
him, and he's in an awful hurry; and
mothers up stairs laying out your clothes,
and I've polished your best shoes. You
see, we thought you might come in time
to get ready if everything was fixed for
you to dress in a hurry. And oh, Tommy,
vas that afraid I would have to go without
you p and here Title paused to take her
Tommy may live to be very old, but he
will never forget how mean he felt just
hen.
you'd better not stand there" con-
Title; Uncle Tom said we must
be ready in half an hour, and he's been
nere most fifteen minutes now"
Title could not think what made Tom
ny SO very kind and thoughtful during
he next fifteen minutes, and when, after
up stairs after her parasol and
it to her, he stopped to pick up
thread from her dress, her wonder found
expression in words How nice you are
o day, Tommy 1 just wish you'd be
hat way all the time"
And Tommy, as he climbed into the
which was to take them to the
resolved that he would fsbe that
way" just as often as he could think of it.
think he must have kept his resolution,
or it was only the other day that / heard
lady remark: aHoW much Tommy