The Russellville Democrat. [volume] (Russellville, Ark.) 1875-1898, 1893-06-08
1T WOULDN'T WORK.
The Scheme of Two Lads Whose Hatrs
Was for School.

| The scheme OF Two Lads whose Hatred
Was for School.
| knew that there was something
in the wind when | saw Jim hurry
| through the back yards, climbing
fences when the gates were within
three feet of him and giving snndry
shrill whistles between his fat an
gers as he ran. Fred. snatched his
cap and started out when he heard
the whistling. OF course he al
ways did. That was the signal,
with large S, if you please, and
whichever boy heard it was bound to
obey it.
And it so happened that these two
came and crawled under the big
lilac bush beneath my window to
talk it over, and | will confess that
couldn't resist listening, and this
is what / heard:
"You git over there, closter to
the house, Fred, | amt half hid.
Say, / got some bully news. My
Cousins baby's got the measles, an
us fellers can 60 an catch 'em off
her, an then we can stay out o
school"
elbow longi"
sob, mebby as much as two
weeks if we have 'em real hard
"Don't they hurt9"
"Naw. You jest get red spots
all over you, an you have to stay
round the house, an yer mall make
toast an custard an jelly, an you
don't have to do no Grants, an
they don't scold you, and you jest
have fun"
"Don't you never die of 'eml"
"Dief Nav, | sh'd say not Die
nuthin You can't die o. measles,
'thout you're grewn up er its black
measles"
"Maybe these kind is black
measles"
"Oho, they hain't. Baby's got
'em awful easy. | heard ma say SO.
But il you don't want to have 'em,
you needn't to. know fellers that
ed give a nickel for the chance
you've got"
ooh, | dunno but I'd about lieve.
/ just hate joggerfy and spelling.
But mad feel awful bad if | die or
anything"
"Well, we've got to have EN-
sometime, an and we'd better have
these kind. Say, amt that Tom
goin' byf Let's call him in"
"Let's. Mebby he's had 'em.
Let us ask him."
"Well, you dassent give away
the snap without he gives us some
thing. thought of it first.
Tom White, a freckled-fac lad
of 10, came into my view just then,
and | heard the signal from under
the lilacs very softly and cautiously
given this time. Tom seemed to
know whence it came, for in a mo.
ment he was with the others, hauling
his long legs after him him so as to
be out of sight, Both boys adj
dressed him at once.
"Say. Tom, did you ever have the
measlesf"
Yep, you bet did, an | don't
want 'em again, nuther"
"Did they hurt awful" asked
Fred. cautiously.
"Nope; dunno as they did-only
my eyes-but y'see ] tried to catch
them in school time, an | snuck
around all the houses where they
had 'em at, an, do you b'lieve, l |
never took 'em till vacation timef |
Spring vacash, too, an all the fell
lers playin' nibs, an me shut up in |
the house. No, stree, | don't want |
no measles in mine"
Jim hastily turned the converse
tion into other channels then, and |
the boys talked of drowning out go. |
pliers and hunting birds eggs until |
Tom had to go. When he was out |
of hearing Fred. asked: "Say, jim, |
are you goin' to catch EN- this late |
in the termi" And Jim answered |
dolefully; NAV; Is'pose faint no |
use. But tell you what we can do. |
We can saw wood and sprain our
backs. done that once aud it
worked bully. "-Chicago Inter
Ocean.