The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-06-21
TED'S QUEER DREAM.
How One Boy Learned to Take Better Care
of His Things.

cause they had been looking for thing
all day. Just before schooltime the,
had searched the whole house for Ted
reader: and after they found it on tn,
| floor Of the hall closet, Ted ran all tn,
way to school, but was ten minute
late and had to stay in at recess.
| He left his OvershOes at school, ant
when he wanted to go out to play il
the afternoon he could not find hi
cap. Ted felt sure he had brough
that home, but did not know jus
! where he had put it: so he and mamma
| worked very hard to find out, and haf
almost given up when Jane saw it II
one of the kitchen wash-tubs. TED
said that he remembered laying it or
the edge of the tub while he stopped
to play with the cat, and Jane must
have pushed it in as she passed by.
The cap soon dried by the kitchen
fire: but it proved too wet to play out
without overshOes. so Ted roasted
chestnuts over the library fire and mis-
laid the tongs. They could not be
found when the fire needed mending,
but when mamma put baby May to
bed that evening she saw them lying
at the foot of the crib where Nays soft
little feet would have kicked against
them and been hurt had no one hap
pened to notice She looked very seri-
Gus, and when she told Ted he looked
very grave; for he loved the ba by dearly.
As mamma tucked Ted in his crib
that evening she said: "Well, Ted,
am glad you can't take your head and
legs and arms off: for if you could
am sure you would lose them. :"
Then she kissed Ted and left
him, never dreaming what strange
thing was going to happen to
her little boy. But I think nearly
every boy who reads this story can re-
member strange things that have hap
pened to him between the time he goes
to bed and the time he rises in the
When Ted was alone he turned over
and closed his eyes. He was thinking
of what his mother has said and of how
odd it would be if he really were really
together and could unscrew
whenever he wished TO. He
thought it would be a fine joke to scare
the the boys at school by taking off an
arm and running after them as he
waved it over his head. How surprised
and frightened they would be.
And now the strange thing happened
Of which I spoke, although to Ted it
I 4 L, ! L. =
a bout it at all.
1t was no longer night. and Ted was
no longer in bed. 1t was recess at
school, and Ted was in the playground
with all the boys. They were playing
4 very amusing game, in which every
BOY except the leader and the Judge
lad to unscrew one of his legs and then
follow the leader as best he could. 1t
was surprising how well the boys could
lop and jump, turn somersaults and
limb trees with only one leg. The I'M
screwed legs were placed in row
against the fence. and the name of the
,wner was written in the shoe of each,
% that the boys would make no mis-
AXE when they We're ready to put the
egS on again.
After the game was over some of the
boys snapped legs. and as the bar
owed member was almost sure to be
'ither too long or too short for its new
vearer, they would limp around in the
most comical way: and it only added to
he fun if very short boy changed
With a very tall one. Ted was just
bout to swap with Tommy Pearsons
When the school bell began to ring. and
he boys had to screw on their legs in
hurry and run inside.
During the afternoon while the bows
we're busy doing examples Jack Ames.
Who sat in front of Ted, turned his
ead on the neck screw until his face
vas just where the back of his head
lad been, which gave him a very funny
ook. When Ted glanced up from his
la te he saw Jack. with his head screwed !
round, winking and grinning at him, |
e could not help laughing out loud
When the teacher saw what had hap |
ened he was very angry, and, walking |
p TO Jack. took the misunderstanding |
cad off and put it on his desk. as !
farming 70 the boys TO play no more /
ricks. Poor Jacks head looked very |
al up on the teachers desk, while the I
est of Jack sa: limp and quiet on the /
eat in front of Ted. II was an awful /
-arning to the BOYS, who were very
hen the teacher put the head back in
5 place, but told Jack that if such
hing happened again he would keep il
ntil late IN the afternoon.
After school was out Ted lent one of
Is legs to Tommy Pearsons and put on
as an inch shorter than Ted both boys
mped a good deal; and they PLAYED |
,g 20 see who could limp the fastest.
While they were in the midst OF this,
Ir. Burns. Ted 5 father. stopped 70 take !
i'm home. saving he was in q great
urry. Ted. thinking his father would
e angry if he knew OF the borrowed
&. whispered 10 Tommy. whose house
as near that 90 the Burnses. that he
ould come over as soon as possible 10
lange back again Then thinking his
ther would not notice now he lirnped.
ed clambered into the buggy and they
owe off.
Instead of driving home. however,
eds father took him % the railroad
atom. telling him on the way that his
acle in >medville. a town about twelve
lies away, had sent word that he
ID Aunt Lucy had gone away
ON home for the night and
ey wanted Ted 70 come and stay
it'll his cousin Jack Perhaps NJ.