The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1890-11-08

W INV Wv JNu tbihs euS " W - 49,
caught no Wo oughtn't 10 have 1t, you
know" said Maisic.
"Beat me, aud lock you up in your
BEDROOM Dick answered, without heal.
tstion. "liave you got the cartridgcs?"
Eyes; they're in my pocket, but they
are jogging horribly. Do pin. fro cart
ridges 20 of Of their own Rccord'"
"Don't know. Take the revolver, II
you are afraid, and let me carry them,"
"I'm not afraid" Maisic strobe for.
ward swiftly, n hand in her pocket and
her chin In the air. Dick followed with
small pin.1ro revolver
The children had discovered that
their lives would DO uncomfortable with.
out pistol practice. After much fore:
though. and Belfdenial, Dick had saved
seven shillings and sixpepce, the price
Of badly constructed Belgian revolver.
Maisie could only contribute half q
crown to the syndicate for the purchase
OF hundred cartridges. you can
save better than l can, Dick" che ex.
plained: 81 like nice things TO eat, and
In doesn't matter to you. Besides, boys
ought TO do these things"
Dick yrumbled little at the arrange
ment, but went out and made the pur.
cbases, which tho children were then on
their way to test. Rsvolyers did not lie
In tho scheme of their daily life as de.
creed for them by the guardian who was
incorrectly supposed to stand in the
place OF q mother to these two orphans,
Dick had been under her care for six
years, during which time Bhe had made
ner profits OF the allowances supposed
to be expended on clothes, and, partly
through thoughtlessness, partly through
q natural desire to pain, -sho was a
widow OF some years and anxious to
marry again,-had made his days bur.
densome on his young shoulders.
Where he had looked for love, she gave
him frat aversion and then hate. Where
no growing older had sought little
sympathy, che gave him ridicule. The
many hours she could spare from the
ordering OF her small house she devoted
to what she called the home training OF
Dick IIeldar. Her religion, manufsC-
featured in the main by her own intelli.
yenCc and an ardent study OF the Scrip.
lures, was IN aid to her in this mat.
ter. At such times Gs she herself
was not personally displeased with Dick,
she left him to understand that he had a
heavy account to settle with hfs Creator;
wherefore Dick learned to loathe his
God as intensely Us he loathed Mrs.
Jennett; and this is not n wholesome
frame oil mind for the young. Since she
chose 10 regard him as hopeless liar,
when dread OF pain drove him 10 his first
un.ruth he naturally developed into o
liar, but. an economical and self.con-
tanned one, never throwing away the
least unnecessary iib, aud never he,ita-
ting at the blacklist, il itwere only plaus.
ible, that ns&.ht make his life little
easier. The treatment taught him at
least the power OF living alone-a power
that was OF service to him when he went
to public school aud tho boys laughed
at his clothes, which were poor in quail.
ity and much mended. In the holidays
he returned to the teachings OF Mrs.
Jennett, and, that the chain OF discip.
line might not be weakened by associa.
ton with the world, was generally
beaten, on one count or another, before
he had been twelve hours under her
roof.
The autumn OF one year brought him
companion in bondage. q loDg-haired.
gray-eyed little atom, as self.contained
az himself, who moved about the house
silently and for the first few weeks
spoke only 10 the goat that was her
chieiest friend on earth and lived in the
back garden. Mrs. Jennett objected to
the goat on the grounds that he was un.
Cbristian-which he certainly was.
"Then," said the atom, choosing her
words very deliberately, ri shall write
to my lawyer.peoples and tell them that
you are very bad woman. Amomma
is mine, mine, minem Mrs. Jennett
made a movement to the hall, where
certain umbrellas and canes stood in
rack. The atom understood as clearly
as Dick what this meant. II have been
beaten BEFORE" she said, still in the same
pasaionless voice; 81 have been beaten
worse than you can beat me. II you beat
me shall write to my lawyer.peoples
and tell them that you DO not give me
enough to eat. am not afraid Of YOU"
Mrs. Jennett did not 20 into the ball,
and the atom, alter q pause TO assure
herself that oil danger Of war was past,
went out to weep bitterly on Amomma's
neck.
Dick learned to know her as Maisie,
and, ut first, mistrusted her profoundly,
for be feared that she might interfere
with the small liberty Of action left to
him. She did not, however; and she
volunteered 10 iriendlinesses until Dick
had taken the first steps. Long before
the holidays were over the stre8s OF pun
shared in common drove the
together, il it were only to play
into each others hands as they prepared
lies for Mrs. Jennett's use. When Dick |
to school, Maisie whispered,
Nov I shall be all alone to take care OF
myself; but" and she nodded her head
bravely, 81 can do it. You promised
10 send Amomma grass collar. Send |
It soon." A week later che asked for
.hat collar by return OF post, and was
not pleased when she learned that it
took time to make. When ut last Dick |
the gift she forgot to thank
MIN for it.
Many holidays had come and gone
since that day. and Dick had grown into
A lanky hobbledehoy more than ever
conscious OF his bad clothes. Not for a
moment had Mrs. Jennett relaxed her
tender care Of him, but the average earn
lnSs OF a public school-Dick fell under
punishment about three times q month
filled him with contempt for her
powers. "She doesn't hurt" he ex.
planned to Maisie, who urged him to re-.
bellion, "and she is kinder to YOU after
she has whacked me-" Dick shambled
through the days unkep. in body and
'avage in soul, as the smaller boys tfthe
school learned to know, for when the
spirit moved him he would hit them,
cunningly and with science. The same
spirit made him more than once try to
ease Maisie, but the girl refused to be
made unhappy. 1--WE are both misera.
Die rs it is, said she. "What is the use
II trying to make things worse /? Let's
Ind things to do, and forget things"