The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1897-04-26

gleefully. He rubbed his palms together
from time to time and murnurcd: "Dear
me! Well, WE'LL" A person who did not
know him might imagine he was rejoicing
because his cabbagcs were thriving. or be-
cause some great good fortune had recently
come TO him. But that was not the case.
Tho fact IL that on the previous night
horse belonging TO his new neighbor, Mr..
Tlambang, had broken into the little gar
fen, trampled through the cabbage bed,
rolled on the onion bed and torn the grape
vine from it's trellis. The damage was not
great, but it was of the annoying sort that
would have sent a citizen of ordinary emo
tions on profane mission to the home of
Slambang. But Mr.. Bostick didn't swear.
That was not his way. He repaired the
damages as best he could, still looking
happy and contentod His round, smooth
face usually wore a spiritual smile, and
when he liked he could add to it an ex-
preston of exasrcrating goodness. On the
morning in question the look Of goodness
was there.
While repairing his garden, Mr.. Bostick
was thinking very hard. He was trying
TO think of some way In which to heap
Goals of fire on the head of Slambang. In
his youth he had been taught that man
should never be violent, but that he should
heap Goals of fire on the heads of his ene-
miss. The good people who taught him
this noble principle had no idea OF its pos
sibilities as n vehicle of revenge. They
did not know how CALLING 1t can be made.
Years of practice had made Mr.. BOstick
expert in handling the hottest and most
lasting kind Of Goals. In fact there was
no one living within miles of the good lit
tie man who wouldn't rather injure the
local bully and get well thrashed for 1t
than do the most trifiing wrong to Mr..
Bostick. And it was easy to get him start
ed. It often happened that people did net
know they had injured him until he came
smirking around to do them kindness.
No pugnacious Hibernian ever trailed his
coattails in the dust, hoping to have them
trodden upon, so industriously as he did.
On this occasion he was unusually happy
In finding himself wronged, for his victim
was to be new man. As he finished re-
pairing his garden he assumed his kindest
air and trudged over to visit his offending
neighbor.
Now Slambang was man Of about the
opposite character to BOstick. He was tall
and angular-his chief angles being his
knees, his nose and his Adams apple-and
his path through life had not been smooth.
He had wrestlcd with mortgages in half
dozen states, and had been thrown every
time. When he moved into the little New
England village where Mr.. Bostick prose
cuted his pious revenges, his temper was
quick and his conduct in keeping with 1t.
When Mr. Bostick hailed him with q
CHEEKY Good morning, neighbor Slam
bang" he was in the act of sucking his
thumb after having hit 1t with hammer
while mailing a loose board on his stable
door.
'iGood morning!' he responded as cheer
fully as he could in the circumstances.
1T occurred to me that you must be
very busy with your moving, so 1 thought
would come over to see II could help
you In any way have nothing in par
ticular to do this forenoon.
"That is main kind Of you.
"My name is Bostick, and I live over
there" he said. pointing toward his house
Slambang looked at him for a moment
and dropped his hammer. He then walked
up to the little man, and towering over
him snaried aggressively:
$50 you are one Of that kind. are your
II beg your pardon" said Mr.. Bostick'
"I don't understand you
"My horse broke into your garden last
night, didn't he!"
Mr.. Bostick backed away uneasily and
replied with his sweetest smile:
ooh, yes. But such things are liable
to happen to any one. He didn't do much
| damage"
"ycu lie" roared Slambang. 81 went
| over there and got him, and know how
| much harm he did. was going over just
| now to offer to pay you for what he done
| II you hadn't been so all fired quick.
| Really, you misunderstood me. !"
| "No, don't! You have come over hero
TO hoap Goals of fire on my head, and
want you to understand that the man who
tries TO heap Goals of fire OH Jonas Slam
bangs head is going to get his fingers
burned"
Really, r.
"Shut Up, you driveling little hypocrite
Now 90 home and send me "A bill for tn
damage my horse done"
81 couldn't think of doing such an I'M
neighborly thing" said Mr.. Bostick, witt
q smirk.
"You couldn't, ehl Then get of m
lot" and he helped Mr.. BOstiok with
kick that joggled his vertebrae and tum
bled him In heap in the roadside ditch.
That evening Jonas Slambang was si'
ting on the front steps Of his house, wait
ing to be arrested for assault and battery
!, when delegation Of villagers came trooI
ing through his front gate.
After cautious greetings had been e.
changed, the spokesman Of the party said
"Mr. Slambang, we have nil heard (
how you used Silas Bostick this morning
and we have come In a body to express OF
thanks. That measly little skunk HI
simply terrorized this village with h
i deeds of kindness for the last 20 years, b
cause no one in the community had Il
!. moral courage to give him the larrupir
he deserved. You have set us q noble e.
ample that we won't be slow to follo'
). and we want to assure you that on the FIR
e opportunity we are going to elect "
mayor"
Slambong brought out bottle Of VIII
n Ky, passed IL around, and the fall OF M
= Bostick became an assured fact. The sp'
le Of his oil pervading goodness was ut la
rs broken, and his neiehbors were able
J. live without having the fear of his blists
It Ing kindness hanging over them.-P n