Waterbury evening Democrat., 1892-10-18

WT TN9tspRV~ ia \R,ea}ti9S
 !. .' :.... ] :... j.
 VNK MIU were both
 UM farmer boy VW and as the
 Weston home
 stead joined fathers farm on the east we boys very naturally became quite intimate. Tom was a splendid fellow, full of fun, good naturcd and well-meaning; but somewhat given to bragging. He was all the time telling us, that is the few boys of ''our ncig borhood," what he would do if anyone should attempt to break into his house or to rob him; and how he would behave himself if band of yelling Indians or a great grizzly bear or a roaring lion should suddenly confront him in the lonely woods. In fact, 1 think Tom had planned just how to meet every sort of danger, and his plans certainly were good, for they always brought him out with colors flying, and that is more than can be said Ofs some of those old-fashioned heroes like Kit Carson and Daniel Boone. In time we boys came to think of Tom as a very great hero indeed, who only wanted the opportunity to render his name immortal
 One evening, just as l had finished milking my last COW and was about to toss the milk-stool into the fence cor ncr, a voice called out: ''Hullo, Bill Just look little out how you shy that mill1-stool in this direction" and l saw Tom standing with both hands on the top board of the fence, near the corner, ready to spring over. With light bound he was over the fence and by my side.
 Say, Bill" he said, as he took hold of the heavy milk pail to assist me in carrying it to the house, ''can you go to Madison with me to-morrow7"
 "To Madison?" I asked, in surprise, | for that city was twenty miles away and | only visited by the farmers hereabouts | on important occasions. "What's up at the capital city? Hain't been lected to the legislature, have you?" Inquired, | jollingly, half doubting his being in | earnest.
 "No-but-wcll, you scc," answered l Tom, "to-morrow is my sixteenth birth day, and father handed me a twenty | dollar bill tonight and told me that | might take old BeSS and drive to Madi- | son tomorrow and buy me a new suit l of clothes with the twenty dollars for a | birthday present. I am to stay at Mad 1 ison all night, for a fOrty-mile drive | would be too much for old Bess in one day. Father thinks 1 am old enough now to buy my own clothes, he added, l proudly, and so, unless you can gC | with mo. I am to drive there all alone. Don't you want to go, Bill? We'll have | q big lark"
 Of course l wanted to go, and when father told me that l might and gave inc a couple of dollars for spending money, my joy knew no bounds.
 Accordingly, early the next morning, as we had agreed upon the night be forc Tom drove over to our place, and amid much well-mcant, but 1 fear little needed, advice from parents and older brothers and sisters, took my seat by ; his side and we headed old Bess toward | Madison.
 } It was Q cool, pleasant spring morn ; ing. The robins chirped merrily in tht trees along the roadside and the fresh invigorating air was laden with th' scent of the early flowers. We were il high spirits and Tom outdid all pre- l vious efforts in the way of bragging Possibly the twenty dollars in hi 9 pocket stimulated him, for l am quit sure that he told me at least twent, times what he would do if anyon l should attempt to rob him of thi money. And each time, just as h ! came to the dramatic part of the re cital, he would take out of his insid coat pocket a little, old, twenty-five s caliber revolver, and leveling at tn head of the imaginary robber, tell hoy he would calmly blow out his brains o
 lead him captive to the city jail; an then, affcctionately wiping the revolve on his sleeve, he would put it back int
 his pocket and begin over again.
 We reached the city in safety, d.
 spite the old revolver and Toms care n less way of handling it, shortly befor l llOOIl, iLIl(l dG OuCC IIONS 0O OLlO HUN ,e where our parents were accustomed l put up while in Madison. We both fe
 very proud, when, with a few as W
 thought exceedingly graceful fou
 iShes, we wrote our names in the hot
 register and had our room assigne , to us.
 After dinner, which we both e1
 ioyed immensely, for the long ride ha
 sharpened our appetites, even to sue
 an extent that I fear we must hay
 greatly astonished the pretty, lit
 dining-room girl who waited on us ,.) our capacity for beefsteak and pie
 there were three kinds of pie on u
 bill of fare, and we both ordered al pie
 of each--we set out to view the cit -l The city presented so many attracti,