The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1893-01-27

kissing me. and then she went to the
back door and shouted: George"
Father called from the kitchen:
What do you want. Car'liney
Then he came in. lie knew me in
u moment. lie stuck out his hand and
graspcd mine. and said, sternly: We'll,
young man. do you propose To behave
yourself now%
''IIc tried TO put on a brave front, but
no broke down. There we three sat
like whipped school children, all whim-
pering. At last suppcr-time came and
mother went out to prepare It. ! went
into the kitchen with her.
Where do you live, Jimmy?' she
asked.
"'In New York. ! replied.
what are you working at now.
Jimmy"
"'I'm working in a dry-goods store
Then ! suppose you don't live very
high. for l hear tell o. them city clerks
what don't get enough money to keep
body and soul together. So III just tell
you. Jimmy, we've got nothin' but roast
spareribs for supper. We amt got any
money. now, Jimmy. We're poorer nor
Jobs turkey
~ told her | would be delighted with
the spareribs, and, to tell the truth,
John, ! haven't eaten a meal in New
York that tasted as good as those crisp
roasted sparcribs did. l spent the
evening playing checkers with father,
while mother sat by telling me all
about their misfortuncs, from old white
Mooley getting drowned in the pond TO
fathers signing a note for a friend and
having to mortgage the place to pay it.
The mortgage was due inside Of a week
and not IA cent to meet il with-just
$500. She supposed they would be
| turned out Of house and home. but in
my mind ! supposed they wouldn't At
last nine o'clock came and father said:
Jim, 60 out to the barn and see il Kit
is all right Bring in an armful of old
shingles, that are just inside the door.
and fill up the water pail. Then Wen
go off to bed and get up early and 60
| a-ishing.'
IL didn't say a word, but | went out
to the barn, bcddcd down the horse,
broke up an armful of shingles, pumped
up a pailful of water, filed the wood.
box and then we all went to bed.
Father called me at half-past four
in the morning, and while he was get.
ting breakfast ! skipped over to the
depot cross lots and got my best bass
rod. Father took nothing but "A troll.
ing line and a spoon hook. lie rowcd
the boat with the trolling line in his
mouth, while ] stood in the stern with
a silver sinner rugged IN. Now, John,
| never saw "a mar catch fish as he did.
Eat noon we went ashore and father
went home, while | went to the posi-
office. ! got a letter from Chicago with
a check for one thousand dollars in it.
With some trouble ] got it cashed, get
ting paid in %five-dollar and ten-dollar
bills, making quite a roll. ! then GOT
a roast joint of beef and a lot of deli
c~acies, and had them sent home. After
that ! went visiting among my old
schoolmates for two hours and went
home. The joint was in the oven.
Mother had put on her only silk dress
and father had donned his Sunday-go
connecting clothes. none too good. either
This is where l played a joke on the
old folks. Mother was in the kitchen
watching the roast. Father was on,
to the barn, and l had u clear coast
dumped the sugar out of the ola blue
bowl, put the thousand dollars in il
ane placed the cover IN again. At last
supper was ready. Father asked q
blessing over il, and he actually trem'
bled when he stuck his knife in the
roast.
1--WE haven't had a piece of meat
like hat in five years, jim he said
and mother put in with: And w
haven't had any coffee in a year, only
when we went a visitin'.'
Then she poured o., the coffee anc
lifted the cover of IL sugar bowl, ask
ing a shc did so: How many spoonfuls
Jimmy"
sThen she struck something tina
wasn't sugar. She picked up the bow
|. A., ia, =