River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1892-07-14

~ - was empty
1@Fwednesday
1870 morning Nora
had filed il with the tempting disks OF
golden brown Once only had a few
appeared on the tea table, and now,
Thursday morning at five minutes TO
nine, not a cOOlSy was to be seen-only
a few crumbs marked the place where
they had been. Nora was SO astOnished
that ,she actually shook the jar. as
If those delicious beauties might
come sitting through its stone bot
tom. Then she turned IL upside down
and patted il vigorously, as if, per-
chance. they were hiding close mp
against the sides and would come out
and show themselves if properly
cOaxed. Then she carried this sur
prising Jar 10 the window, and, getting
the best possible light, examined il
carefully all over; but it was of no use.
There was no trap door for them 10
fall through nor secret drawer in which
20 hide. They were Enthusiastically
gone, and without leaving behind them
the slightest trace OF a cause for their
disappearance.
No trace Perhaps l am mistaken
about that. for whenever any mishap
befell the Howard family they invari-
ably reversed the law which SAYS:
Believe a person innocent until he Is
proven guilty and always believed
until he proved himself innOcent-a
thing he seldom could do
Nora shook the jar once more, set il
down with little more emphasis than
was necessary and started upstairs to
tell Mrs. Howard, muttering something
unpleasant about that bad boy again"
as she went.
That evening, when the family were
seated on the front steps watching the
fading sunset, Mrs Howard looked at
Willie reprOachfully. What did you
do with all those cookies, willie?" she
asked.
what eoolxies?" asked Willie. inno-
Gently.
''Why. Nora made a jarful yester-
day, and they are all gone to-day ex-
claimed mamma
Perhaps Rover ate them" Willie
suggested. evasiv sly. Rover got up and
walked away. as If he understood and
feIt deeply injured
''Or maybe fish came up from the
lake and took them. or the canary may
have stolen them" said papa, sarcas-
ticaily.
Willie looked off beyond the tree
tops, as IL he had failed TO hear. ''Oh.
Willie, Willier' exclaimed mamma, sad
"; but still he sat there, with look,
aud apparently thoughts. far away.
The sunlight died and the stars came
20 take its place, and sprinkled the sky
rs thickly as frost crystals do the earth
when the flowers no longer adorn IL.
1T Is bedtime. Willie; kiss me good
night, said mamma. A sorrowful note
in her voice, and disappointed look in
her eyes, riade it very hard for Willie
10 bid her goodnight as if nothing had
happened, but finally, with light kiss
ON her lips aud gentle touch on her
hair. he said -'tood night" and slowly
went upstairs to his room.
at isn't so much fun as some people
might suppose" he thought, gloomily,
this running away to be a pirate, if
fellows mother is going to look like
that when she kisses him good night"
A mouse was gnawing at the wall in
between the partitions. and its cease
less fling made him very nervous He
looked over his shoulder at the heavy
shadows which made the room seem
unfamiliar and large. extending farther
than he could see, as If il ended in some
winding passage or dark dungeon. He
didn't feel half 50 brave as he did in the
morning. when the sun was shining.
the hens were cacklSg and all live
things were awake and very busy.
Then he had taken the cookies and hid
them away.
He had thought it great fun to stalk
about till Nora left the kitchen and his
way was clear to the pantry. and then
Ia I'LL his hat with cookies and run
Five times had he done this. all the
while thinking il very brave and manly
20 make such preparations for leading
the life of pirate lie meant 70 EN-
bark that night in his fathers row
boat and cruise about Silver lake,
body of water two miles long by three
quarters of a mile wide
lie pictured to himself the valor and
brilliancy of his future deeds. until his
imagination went so far as To represent
Bobby Jones. who was twelve years
old and could write the best compost
tiOn OF any boy in their class. as writ
ing his biography. calling 1t: The Oar
ing Exploits of Willie Howard. the
Princely Pirate of Silver Lake: or. Cap
tain Kidd OutdOne"
This had all been very thrilling: but
now-why is it that our deeds seem SO
unlovely when we think of them At
night. and conscience talks the loudest
when other voices are still2 His actual
" said stealing when Willie thought
about the cookies. II was useless for
him 10 say: Mamma always w nts me
10 have plenty to eat" Plenty to
eat" and a two-gallon jar of cookies
were entirely different matters. and he
knew IL
No sound in the house Every one
must be asleep. More stars came out
and made the sky mass of beauty.
The crickets and katydids were chirp-
ing. and down at Silver lake bullfrog
crOaked. Willie never liked to hear
bullfrogS, nor katydids either for that
matter. file had half a mind 10 give il
all up and go To bed. and next to fetch
back the cookies and ask mamma to
he ought TO do
But how tame a career that would
leave himl Just go to school every dav.
and hunt eggs, and play games, and
ride TO the post Office. just like any 9th
n ten-year-Old boy No, that would
never do; Willie Howard certainly was
meant for grander things,
Downstairs he crept. and softly out
The back door. 1t would have been
more convenient and just as safe 20
cave by the front way; but who ever
aeard of a pirate going out the front
1Oor just "a IL he were an ordinary
nortal2 Nothing was about to detain
or harm him; but Willie observed all
me caution of spy within hostile
sankk