The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1891-08-26
THE TRICKSTER TR|CKED,

hit lKlCkSltR lRlCkEU,
On the banks of the beautiful Poto-
mac river, near Baltimore, arose the
majestic walls of Professor Melville
II. Plunkerville's Academy ''for young
gentlemen" as the advertisement read.
The aforesaid professor was a genial,
whole-souled man whose chief desire
was to found college for the youth of
the land, and to carry this out he had
spared no pains or money to make it
an Institution to be proud of; and now,
three years after the school was
founded, it not only was known as a
hrst-class academy, but had the finest
corps OF tutors in the country.
The rich aristocrat sent his son
there; the struggling merchant also
sent his son there; and, in fact repre-
sentatives of all classes mingled to-
gether on terms of equality.
On beautiful morning in May, as
the birds were sending out stream
after stream of beautiful melody, caus-
ing the balmy atmosphere to resound
again and again with its sweetness,
ripple of excitement ran throughout
the recitation room. All the pupils
were seated, waiting in breathiess
anticipation something of Importance
the professor had to say.
After the room had remained so
silent that pin could have been heard
to drop, the Professor slowly arose,
wiped his spectacles and carefully
placing them on the bridge of his nose,
he began:
''Boys. l wish to speak to you for
some moments, in regard to some
things occurring in this school.
''For several months past, number
of pupils have had articles of various
kinds taken from their rooms.
1--WE have watched and watched for
the thief, and so far we have been un-
successful in our efforts to find him.
Now. as do not want this academy
to gain bad reputation, l will offer
the following reward:
TO any person, whether in or out
OF school, who shall bring to our
knowledge the person who has been
guilty of these thefts we will give one
years tuition, and $500 additional.
This is all l have to say on the subject.
You will now please give attention to
your tutors"
l.
a momentary bubble of excitement
went through the lecture-room, but il
was instantly quelled by the tutors.
The tutors might as well have tried
to teach an elephant to climb a tree
as to get the pupils attention after,
that.
In vain they expostulated; in vair
they gave pages. and hundreds of words
to commit to memory. Try as hard as
they would to make them pay atten.
tion to their books. it was useless.
Hardly had their eyes been fixed upon
their book, before they would be dream.
lily gazing out at the window; no doubt
thinking of the great reward. After
an hour of this kind of attention. the
tutors were forced to dismiss school as
they saw the excitement had driven all
thoughts of their lessons out of their
pupils minds.
One by one the boys left the room,
and at last only one boy remained-a
boy of II who. though poor, was at the
head of his class. This was Joshua
Semple, who lived with his widowed
mother and sister in little cottage,
close by the school.
After all the rest of the scholars had
gone, Joshua went up to his tutors
desk and said: Professor Brown,
think will have to leave the school,"
''Why so," Joshua" said Professor
Brown?
WELL" said Joshua, my mother
finds that she can no longer let me at
Tend school, because the money which
our Uncle John left us is all gone, and
at present there is not enough money
in the house to last a month. l have
decided, therefore. to leave school and
try to get employment"
II am very sorry to hear of it." said
the warm hearted professor, "but
couldn't you come to school just one
month more? 1 think that you can
manage to graduate them"
Although 1 would like to come to
school that long, yet l don't think l
will be able to do so. will come un-
til get a situation, however" answered
Joshua.
The appetizing odor of roast beef
and homemade bread came pouring
out through the open door. Within
was middle-aged lady engaged in
dissecting a part of the anatomy of a
COW. and then rolling these dissected
parts in crushed crackers. She put
them into the spider, and soon they
were Sizing and sputtering at great
rate.
At the sink stood as pretty a speci-
men of young America girldom as
could be found. She was washing the
dishes. Every little while she would
look up to the clock, wondering why
it was so slow getting round to 4
o'clock.
Just as she had finished the last dish,
the clock began to strike, and simulta-
neously the door was dashed open and
in came Joshua, with a whoop and
veil! Regular as a clock" cried
Joshua's mother-of course you under
stand that the lady and girl engaged
ia the housework are Joshua's mother
aud sister.
"What news, JOSH" said his mother;
..anything extraordinary turned up?"
.tWell nothing very extra, only Pro-
fessor PUNK arville has offered a years
tnition and $500 for any one that
catches the thief who is making our
school such a bad reputation. I'm
ooino to try and catch the thief. just
fhink ( of it, years tuition and $500!
IF we only had the $500 now. we could
buy old Silas Adams general store.
He is going to Baltimore to start a pig
store and he'll let US have his place,
inst as it is now, for one-half what it
cost him. If we only had the store we
could easily make enough to live on!'
cried Josh, quite carried away with the
enthusiasm of the moment.
AS Joshua was going to the academy
next morning. his thoughts were only
on the reward, and he failed to observe
where he was until he found himself
living flat upon his back, having
stumbled over some obstacle in the
path He looked down and discovered
that the obstacle was a rope stretched
between two trees. He took out his
knife and was just going to cut the