The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1897-12-08
JUST A TOUCH
OF NATURE.
Which Shows That Boys Will be Boys
in Spite of Everything.
BY NJ. W. LEWIS.

stead an "Aunt Hill," but that it WAS
just as full of uncles and cousins as il
was of aunts. There were six boys,
each an "only child' but living like
one family in, or next door TO, their
grandfather's house. Then there was
one girl, who, after the fashion of the
girls of to-day, was, at the age of II,
four inches taller than her mother, and
made all the boys look up to her.
In one of the big libraries of the old
house the grown-ups were talking.
"Yes all the children are sweet and
good, but Jimmy is the most lovable,
to my mind; he's regular man, and
yet he is gentle. He is the most OBJ
liging boy ever saw" said one young
lady cousin, for whom "Jim" was mes
seuger-boy.
"Yes, if doing errands is winning
the palm, he has it, . assented an aunt
That was the verdict of all. Jimmy
was the best boy.
The boys were talking, all huddled
up in corner between bay window
aud cellar door; it was their hiding
place, screened in by heavy vines.
There was no one hunting for them,
but it was "fun" to hide, so that they
Were in secret session.
"Well," said Jimmy, "I tell you
what think about it; if L were as big
as Uncle Charles is, l wouldn't be
afraid, either. What's he got TO be
afraid of?''
"Why,-if a robber has a pistol, size
doesn't count, said Charlie, son of I'm
Gle Charles.
"He might have pistol, too, you
know" said Fred.
"Anyhow, think Pm no more Of a
coward than most boys, and l am
afraid sometimes, even if Uncle Charles
does say a fellow isn't man If he ad-
mits it. Might as well tell the truth
and not be liar as well as coward"
and Jim tried to make his voice very
fierce.
81 believe Uncle Charles would get
scared, himself, at some things" one
of the others ventured.
al bet he wouldn't" said Charles,
Jr., angrily.
He locks up nights mighty CAREFUL
ly anyhow"
"Talk about your own father" be-
gan Charlie in rage, but Jimmy stop
ped him.
"Oh don't get into a pet, Charlie; l
didn't say he was a coward, though ne
did call me one, so what are you mad
..t?'i
"Well, 1 stick TO it; any fellow who
says he is afraid in the dark some
times is coward. Pm never afraid;
1 suppose it's because my father is so
brave"
This talk took place two weeks before
the Thursday night that Jolly little
joke to play on Uncle Charles" popped
into Jimmys head, while he was on
his way to choir practice. He looked
just like little saint, in his white
robes standing in the choir stalls, but
very remarkable smile had been play
ing round his lips all through the last
hymn, and as soon as he could, he
"shook the old things''-meaning his
robes-and flew off home.
At ten p. NJ, he sauntered into his
aunt's room.
"Pm going out with some ofthe boys
Aunt Molly, and ] may be little late
in getting back, so don't worry about
me,u he said; and old Aunt Molly, who
was deaf, and thought he was saying
goodnight, gave her pet boy kiss,
and locked her door for the night, to
rest peacefully, while the cherub Jimi
ith his hat far down over his eyes,
slipped from tree to tree along the old
street until he reached Charles house.
He could see that the lights were burn
ing low downstairs, and that upstairs
all was dark.
"They are not in bed yet" he
thought; so he slipped back behind
some steps and waited. 1t was rather
cold, and that and the excitement
made his teeth chatter. Pretty soon
another small dark form came stealthi-
ly up the street, and tnen third until
at last, they numbered six rascally
urchins, who were intent on making
an experiment
Very silently each boy took up his
/ post, one at each point where he could
see within the house, and then, when
it lacked bat ten minutes Of midnight,
Jim, the maker of the plot and the hero
of the occasion, stole round to a side
i window, where the deep shadow and q
projecting cornice would hide him.
Then he produced an auger from under
his coat and began to bore hole in the
wood near the window, working away
for few minutes and then stopping,
-.just the way real burglar would do,
! to see if anyone were awake"
gffIl 4 ha