The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1895-11-09

of you. Seconds, chips, with your
slammin' and your drippin' an your
pryin'-" and the rest of her un
punctuated harangue must be left
unrecorded, for Tom incontinently
fed.
"Why," said the surprised and dis
com6ted youth, "she's as strong as
an elephant l can feel her grip on
my shoulders now! Ughl But wait,
just wait! I'll be even with her yet"
OF course Tom had sympathizers,
for many had cause for disliking the
sharp little shop woman, and none
for loving her. Time passed and it
became generally known among the
pupils of st. Cuthbert's that Miss
Sally's premises would be visited
Halloween, and definite plan of
attack and despoliation was agreed
upon. 1t was said that not less than
twenty students, both boys and girls,
would be active raiders, while nearly
all the school would be present as
aiders and abettors. They were in
vited to party at the house of the
principal on that evening, which they
knew would last until long after Miss
Sally's early bedtime, and the attack
was to be made by them on the break
ing up of the party.
The party was profitable as well as
pleasant, for as they passed from the
gracious presence of their beloved
teacher all felt secretly ashamed of
their purpose to attack a lonely and
unhappy woman, even for "fun," and
the farther they went the weaker
their purpose became, until, finally,
Tom Bemis, the ring leader, declared
his conviction that their mischief bet
ter take the form of filling Miss
Sally's window-sills and doorways
with the apples, nuts and candy which
the good professor had insisted on
their accepting from him. With this
praiseworthy intention they emerged
from the elm Swallowed main street
of the village to see Miss Sally's little
house ablaze.
"Fire Fire! /" shouted the young
voices as on toward the burning
house they sped. They forced the
door open and found Miss Sally in
sensible, being half suffocated with
smoke. They carried her out, and
before other help came had saved all
that could be saved, which was her
COW, some poultry and several barrels
of potatoes, all of which were in a
shed near the house. The volunteer
fire department seated themselves at
safe distance and watched the pro-
gress of the flames, bewailing the loss
of their source of toothsome supplies.
"Oh, to think of those delicious
crullers and chips feeding the greedy
flames instead of us!' walled Mamie
Parker.
81 risked my life for a pan of
chicken tarts, only to find them
smoked and spoiled" said Brace
Olmstead.
The next morning the students of
St. Cuthbert's had a genuine sensa-
ton. They came to chapel to find the
familiar figure of Miss Sally, dressed
in her blue denim gown (she had
been carried out in the bed-clothes
and the gown was among them,
seated on the platform beside the
the principal. After the opening ex-
ercises he announced that Miss Gosse
was left entirely destitute. Her say
ings for years had been applied
toward the maintenance of hope
lessly insane brother in the private
ward of hospital, and she had come
to thank the pupils of st. Cuthbert's
for what they had done for her the
night before. Miss Gosse arose and
said very much as follows;
eve been used to dom every thing
for myself, specially my own talkin',
but | allow it's favor to have your
teacher tell what's been done with my
earnings, for it's something | can't
bear to speak Of" and Miss Sally
whisked a tear out of her eye, "beside
being my own business an nobody
else's, but the times come when
Others have done for me, an them
others are you, and but for you |
shouldn't be in the land O the Twin
today, not to speak of my COW and
potatoes an hens, an desire to
thank you each an every one, an to
say that if I've been high strung |
hope you'll forgive my trespasses as /
forgive them that's trespassed against
me, an some of you have, an you
know it, with your ringin' my ears
deaf an muddyin' my floor, an pryin'
into mn huciDasS Rut as I said |