The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1896-06-20
4 GIRLS ADVENTURE.

L l.
among the chickens or feeding the calves,
but to be shut up In the house was g sort
| of torture. My ankle panied ME great
DEAL too, and altogether it was very
| miserable spring. ,5s,. -. -
| rocking chair where did such work as
could to help mother, and during those
hours, days and weeks I conceived a great
| dislike for that old chair. 1T had been a
very respectable chair In its day, but sew
eral accidents had impaired Its beauty
ami, to some extent, It's usefulness. One
cabinetmaker was not quite successful in
| duplicating Its well worn mate They did
| not have the same gait and as one side
! of the chair could not go faster than the
other, one rocker took on g sldewise mo-
| ton. While the chair rocked back and
forth It would creep slowly but steadily
| to the right.
That Is why disliked the chair. Every
few minutes had to stand on my sound
foot and hitch the chair back into my
| favorite position between stove and win
dow or It would travel entirely across the
room. tried to be patient, but it was
SO aggravating that I would forget myself
sometimes.
At last my foot was well and was my
goodpatured self again. Only the organ
that father had promised me was needed
to complete my happiness.
"Four hundred and sixty-five dollars!"
said father one day when the cattle had
been sold. Better than expected. Your
organs in sight, Prue."
''And g. chair, too added l.
So1neway could not get over my dislike
for a thing that had caused me so much
annoyance.
Don't let anyone rob you," laughed
father, as he started to town the next
morning to sell the hogs.
mot much danger, so far from town and
railroad" said mother.
Nevertheless we felt a little uneasy
when strange man called about noon in
search of work.
: "He looks like a. tramp" said mother;
but If he was he proved harmless. and we
thought no more)about It,
That night father added sl4O to our little
fortune.
II don't like to let that money lie In the
house, he said ''but must help Barnes
haul tomorrow. guess I'll take mother
over there as I go: 1T will do her good.
Charley and Prue can keep house
Certainly we CAM said I; tor 1 will
keep house, and Charley may be banker"
I was not the least bit afraid when my
big brother was at home, and we had
jolly time helped him do the work out
doors, and he helped me In the house: we
had good dinner, and the table-talk had
drifted into castle building" when our
SLIuCIUI6S WCi0 oA0NVAAAy otAs"ISSA~~ ~ ="
rap at the door.
The tramp like caller of yesterday was
in my mind in an instant, but 1t was
only johnny Bailey, who lived on the main
road, three-quarters of "a mile south OF us.
Here is a note for you," he said, hand
ing Charley folded memorandum Leaf
Charley read 1t and looked puzzled.
.'Where did you get this, johnny" he
said.
"A man down on the road gave 1t to me.
and he said your father would pay me TOT
bringing 1t up here. I was going back
from dinner and I'll be late to school, DUE
that doesn't matter"
]" mr.. Strong will take this to you, "
read Charley. "Oh! the superintendent
from TOWN, wasn't tt?"
Didn't look like him." said the boy, to
whom the semi-annual visits of the school
superintendent were state affairs:
ut must have been,' said Charley, pay
ing not attention to Johnny's remark.
sWhat is II? '' I asked, when the boy had
left.
"Father says one Of the horses Is SO
lame that he can't getsit home -and" enat
must bring him another one.
"You can take Dick, can't your said L.
Eyes. but don't like to leave you alonei
I should think father would have thought
Of that"
"I'm not afraid; and what else could he
do? He must have a horse to drive nome,
for mother is at Barness."
IT might go by there and tell her, but
she couldn't get home. Barnes's team Is
in town, too"
'sNo, indeed, she'd only worry about
nothing. II be all right" ),
In fifteen minutes Charley, had Dick at
the door.
GWEN not waste any time, but you
must not look for us home much before D
o'clock "If-then checking himself, he
added an abrupt "Good-by, Prue, and
with a regretful look, was gone.
could not help smiling at his evident
reluctance to leave me, and 1 waved my
handkerchief merrily at him as ne looked
Then the hoof- beats died away, and
went about my work, thinking with long
afternoon / should have to read when the
pigs and the chickens were fed and
There was slight noise at the door
and turned to confront-,not Johnny Ball
ey, but our man in search OF work, VINO
had walked in unannounced. was more
angry than frightened land demanded
sharply: .s..e. ~, .ssg e-s
st want that money was the prompt
reply: -. - -, : ,.a+o,.a - 90
met the bleared gray eyes unflinchingly.
There was low whistle from the man
before me, and in a. moment a second form
filled the doorway was frightened then,
for more Misunderstanding face never
saw not old, but scanned and SCARED, very
dark and with only one eye. And such
leer in that eye, as he asked SO impu-
IDENTIFY:
'Won't sissy tell?''
'She don't need to tell" said the other,
II didn't sleep on this ranch last night for
nothin'. You take care of the gal and LII
get the chink." Ia
"Be seated, Missy said the newcomer.
'.You'll get tired standing" He motioned
to the big rocking-chair.
Il threw the dish in my hand at him, but
before I could pick up another dirty
hand grabbed my wrist.
"Sorry, missy, but will you sit down, or
shall I sit down and hold you whfle?'
] sat down, and in a moment my elbows
were tied securely to the chair arms and
my feet to the lower round When saw
fathers bag of hard-earned money in the
older mans hand began to beg.
ITS to pay for the farm" said en-
treatingly. =. = !,
..Guess we'll pay for farm, too"
sneered my tormentor. .,.a6 s.
@''And my organ" :.
Guess my girl would like an organ, too. :
Don't cry, sissy continued the same
'exasperating voice, as my tears would
start IF there's any left we don't want
wen send 1t back IS III ,ss.x
"Now, where's the horses?" said the
man with the money.
FEATHER has ore team, and Charley has
one of the others. Its mate Is In the barn.
They were gone in few minutes and
came back in bad temper.
where's the pony?" demanded the old-
y 49, -SsyrNf. 49, S<~sv l91SC