The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1894-02-16
CHAPTER XXXI.

hospital" said the grocery man as tn
bad boys shadow came in the store, fol
lowed by the boy, who looked sick an,
yellow and tired, and he had lost hal
his flesh. Whats the matter with you
Haven't got the yellow fever, have you.'
and the grocery man placed chair
where the invalid could fall into it.
mo, got the ager," said the boy as h,
wiped the perspiration off his upper liz
ind looked around the store to see il
there was anything in sight that would
take the taste OF quinine out of hi.
mouth. Had too much dreamy life OF
ease on the farm and been shaking ever
since. Darn farm anyway"
What, You haven't been to work fol-
the deacon any more, have You:
thought you sent III your resignation,
and the grocery man offered the boy
some limberger cheese tostrengthen him.
"Oh, take that cheese away" said the
boy as he turned pale and gagged.
You don't know what person needs
any more than professional nurse.
What want is TO be petted. You
see, l went out to the farm with my
chum, and took the fish poles and re-
manned in the woods while he drove the
horse to the deacon's, and he gave the
deacon my resignation. and the deacon
wouldn't accept it. lie said he would
hold my resignation until after harvest
and then act on it. He said he could put
me in Jail for breach of promise if quit
work and left him without giving proper
notice, and my chum came and told me,
and so concluded 10 go to work rather
than have any trouble, and the deacon
said my chum could work few days for
his board if he wanted to. 1t was pretty
darn poor board for boy to work for.
but my chum wanted to be with me, so
he staid.
PA and Ma came out to the farm 10
stay day or two to help. Pa was go
ing TO help harvest, and Ma was going
to help the deacon's wife, but Pa wanted
to carry the jug to the field and lay I'M
der tree while the rest Of us VIZ Led,
and Ma just talked the arm off the dea-
cons wife The deacon and Pa laid in
the shade and see my chum and me
work, and Ma and the deacon's wife Cos
siped so they forgot to get dinner, and
my chum and me organized strike, but
we were beaten by monopoly. Pa took
me by the neck and thrashed ont a shock
Of wheat with my heels, and the deacon
took my chum and sat down on him. and
we begged, and they gave us our old
back. But we got even with
them that night. tell you, when boy
tries to be good and quit playing jokes
On people, and then has everybody down
On him and has his Pa hire him out on a
farm to work for a deacon that hasn't |
got any soul except when he is in church, |
and boy has to get up in the night to
ret breakfast and go to work and has to
work until late at night. and they kick /
because he wants to put butter on his
pancakes and feed him skimmilk and
'usty fat pork, it makes him tough. and
ie would play joke on his aged grand
mother.
after my chum and me had got all
he chores done that night we sat out on
! fence back of the housein the orchard.
ating green apples in the moonlight and
rying to think of plan of revenge.
lust then l saw skunk back Of the
louse, right by the outside cellar door.
nd told my chum that it would serve
hem right to drive the skunk down eel
ar and shut the door, but my chum said
hat would be too mean. | asked him if
would be any meaner than for the dca-
on TO snatch us baldheaded cause we
ouldn't NOW hay away fast enough for
wo men to pitch it, and he said it
wouldn't, and So we got on each side of
he skunk and sort of scared il down eel
ar, and then we crept softly and closed
he cellar doors. Then we went in the
Iouse, and Whispered to Ma and asked
Ter If she didn't think the deacon had
ONE cider, and Ma she began TO hint
hat she hadn't had good drink Of cider
ince last winter, and the deacons wife
aid MS boys could take pitcher and 20
own cellar and draw some.
THAT was too much. didn't want
my cider anyway, SO / told them that |
'elongcd to a temperance society. and |
hould break my pledge if | drawed
ider, and she said was good boy. for
ne never to touch drop Of cider. Then
he told my chum where the cider barrel
vas, down cellar, but hc amt no slouch.
Ie said he was afraid TO 20 down cellar
n the dark, and SO Pa said he and the
eacon would 20 down and draw the
ider, and the deacons wife asked Ma to
% down, too, and look ut the fruit and
ferries she had canned for winter, and
hey all went down cellar. PA carried
n old tin lantern with holes in il to light
he deacon 10 the cider barrel. and the
eacons wife had taller candle to show
Ia the canned fruit. l tried TO get Ma
Fot to go, cause Ma is a friend Of mine,
nd didn't want her to have anything
, do with the circus, but she said she
uessed she knew her business. When
nyboly says they guess they know their
wn business, that settles it with me,
nd don't try to argue with them.
swell, my chum and me sat there in
no kitchen, and stuffed a piece Of red !
ablecloth in my mouth to keep from /,
and my chum held his nose
nth his finger and thumb 50 he wouldn't
mort right out Wccauli honr Tho riIor