The record-union., 1898-02-07

ladder from under the shed, placed it
against the side of the barn where he
found it when he came home; then
climbing carefully to the top he poked
his head up over the roof, and gazing
in apparent surprise on the scene be-
fore him, rema rked:
We'll, we'll, boys, it was real good of
of you TO come up here to get that wag-
on down for me, and I'm much obliged
to you, I'm sure. Tranps must have
carried it up there. l reckon-and then
when YOU boys discovered it and went
up to bring it down, / came laundering
along and took the ladder away, and
left you all penned up there like lot
of sailors cast away on a desert island.
Just like me; I'm always doing some
thing of that kind
But seeing you boys are bound to
take that blackboard down to the
ground fer me. s'pose l ought to men,
ton that the easiest way to handle it
is to take it apart. I'll go down and get
wrench, and-O. you've got one already,
have you? Well, now that was real
thoughtful of you. too, to go clear home
after q wrench when you saw the fix
the wagon was in. And now, if you Will
just take off the wheels and the thlls
and pass them along We'll have that
blackboard down on the ground where it
belongs in a jiffy''
The boys We're somewhat undecided
whether these remarks were intended
for irony or in earnest but upon one
point there wasn't the sligatest room
for doubt, and that was that Mr. jog
gins was treating them much better
than they deserved to be treated and
they set to work like beavers, and in
half an hour the wagon was in its as
customed place under the shed. appar-
emily none the worse for its adventure.
There, boys, you've done first-class,"
said Joggins. approvingly, when the
task was completed Il never could
have got that blackboard down in the
world without your help, and l want to
make it right with you in some way.
Mother has just baked up a nice batch
of nlince pies, and I believe there are
one or two squash pies and some cake
in the pantry, too, SO you must all come
to the house with me, and I'll rouse up
iiiCAlNI anu JIM anu We IL nave Il SUIt
of an impromptu picnic and get better
acquainted with each other.
Come right along, boys, every one
of you, We'll need all hands on the pie
business. same as we did in getting
! down the wagon
The boys Were glad it was so dark
that Mr.. Joggins could not read their
thoughts at that moment; and if it had
| been little darker they would have
liked it better yet. They began MAX
ing excuses. but Joggins broke in with:
No time to listen to excuses now.
| boys, come ahead and get something
to eat first, and We'll hear the excuses
afterwards if you have any to offer"
There didn't appear to be anything
else to do, SO the lads. with emotions
that can be better imagined than de-
scribed, followed Mr. Joggins to the
| house. where he uShered them into the
! big cherry sitting room and then
went 10 call up Mrs. Joggins and Jim
the hired man." as the boys generally
called him. though he was not much
older than some of them-and introduce
ed them to the unexpected company.
Jinl-who Mr.. Joggins explained, was
a relative of theirs, and had been en-
ployed by him ever since the death of
his parents. which occurred some years
before-prOved to be a very clever, en-
! tertaindng companion upon closer ac-
quaintance; while Mrs. Joggins was one
of those good natured motherly souls
that no one, especially a boy, can help
I liking. and she gave the lads such
! cordial welcome that they were soon
at their case, chatting with all hands
as If they We're old friends and lowering
the contents of their we'll stocked lard
eT in a most alarming fashion.
Say boys. this is as good as a husk
ing" announced Hank Barlow, after
surrounding his third piece of mince
pie
"Husking, eh?" spoke up Joggins
That reminds me; Jim used to go to
all the husking bees, and he said we
ought to have one, same as the rest of
the neighbOrs, and if mother hadn't
received some bad news just then we
intended to Go it, She got word that
her sister, who was a missionary in
China. had been killed, and it upset her
so for a spell that she didn't want to do
anything or see any one but her own
folks, so we had to give up the idea of
having a husking. and Jim and l went
to work and husked the corn out our
selves
But mother is feeling more like her
herself now. so we've been talking of
having a house warming some night
next week, and inviting all the neigh
boris. boys, girls and all, to have a
good time and sort of get acquainted
all around. Ought to have attended
to the matter long before this, but we
found so much to do when we
moved here, and the work has been
crowding us so all summer and fall,
that we really haven't had time to be
more than half way civil to the peo-
pie But now the worst of the rush is
over, and mother and | are going to
try to be a little more saciable. We
haven't given it out yet. but our house
warming Is to be next Thursday night,
and we want you boys to all be sure
and come.
Now. you won't forget it, will you?
We shall expect you without fail. and
you must bring all your friends, too,
urged Mr. Joggins as the boys rose TO
SO.
NO. we won't forget" replied VIII
Perkins. speaking for the crowd; I'VE
but / want to tell you before we go
that We've put that wagon up
there ourselves, just to be mean, and