Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1898-09-01
THE DOOLEY BOY
Gy FRANCES WILSON.


the Dooley boys ball "came over the
fence" into the minister's garden,
since the strawberries had begun to
ripen. At the present moment it was
| lying in the path beside the straw
berry bed, in plain sight; and the
Dooley boy, with an air of having just
discovered it, picked it up and was
about to make his exit from the
garden in the same way that he and
the ball had entered-over the fence.
But the minister called in a tone of
vexation:
go out through the gate. You are
breaking that fence down, climbing
over it as you do, nearly every day.
If you do not stop it, | shall have
bill of expense for repairs"
YES, sorr," said the Dooley boy,
calmly; and he walked around to the
front of the house, and went out by
the gate.
He left the gate open behind him.
But the minister did not notice that,
and was working on his sermon with
! great fervor, when his ears were as
sailed by a startling din in the gar
den.
He rushed again to the window, and
beheld the Dooleys' cow-which com
monty grazed on the highway, con-
trary to law and order-crashing and
stamping around among the vege-
tables and flower beds, pursued by
| Mrs. Hathaway with q broom, Aunt
Maria with a feather duster, and Brid-
get with mop, each loudly lifting
her voice against the invading cow.
Just then Ernest Hathaway, the
minister's son, coming home from
school, arrived upon the scene.
"Hi hi I'll head her off, he
shouted. And he vaulted over the
fence, in imitation of the Dooley boy.
Unluckily, the palings of the fence
were already loosened. They gave
way, and precipitated Master Ernest
into the strawberry bed, with a long
rent in his new jacket and a painful
bump on his knee.
Nearly week elapsed before the
| Dooley boy ventured again. Then he
sauntered past the parsonage, and cast
longing glance at the strawberry
| bed.
| ding at that moment down the gar
den path, and called out to him, in
her pretty, cooling lisp:
"'Ullo, Timmy! Where ith 90 do
in'?"
"Hullo, Rosiel Come and see mel"
said the Dooley boy, STOPPING down
and holding out his hands to her be-
tween the palings of the fence, while
broad grin of genuine delight spread
over his freckled face.
Picking two or three big red straw
berries, Rose squeezed them tightly
in her chubby little fist, put the stream
ing, crimson mass into the Dooley
boys hand, lisping, with a seraphic
smile:
"Chawberwies-dood Timmy eat
'um chawberwies!"
This temptation was more than the
Dooley boys flesh and blood could
stand. He swallowed the crushed but
enticing fruit, and held out his hand
for more.
Rosie, with a gurgle of pleasure,
stopped down to clutch another berry,
and the Dooley boys mouth watered
with eagerness. Just then a wrat thful
voice from the direction of the kitchen
door exclaimed:
what are We doin' there, ye young
raskill Get away with your mis-
chief"
And Bridget came down the garden
path like whirlwind, picked up the
struggling Rosie, and poured out the
vals of her scorn.
you're the worst good-for-nothin'
boy in this neighborhood! Amt you
ashamed to be maxim the little inno-
cent help you steal Strawberries?
II didn't" said the Dooley boy, red
dening under his freckles. ''She give
'em to me herself. never asked her
for EN-"
But Bridget bore away the baby,
kicking and protesting loudly.
NO. no! Timmy not bad. Jimmy
dood boy! Rosie gived him chaw-
berwies-her did"
Bridget's view of the'case, however,
was accepted; and Rosie was told that
she must have no more to do with the
Dooley boy.
although" said gentle Mrs. Hath
away, 81 should not wish my little
girl to suppose there was anything
wrong in giving him n few straw
berries. You should have asked |
mammals permission, Rosie dear"
Ernest, however, continued to
watch for the Dooley boy, and walk |
with him to school, and forgathered |
with him. in common with his mates. |
His parents did not feel like setting |
an interdiction on his friendly in |
tercourse with a schoolmate. except |
for fragrant cause.
Such cause appeared to have arisen,
when Ernest came home, one Sat- |
urday afternoon, in n state that made |
his mother and aunt look volumes of |
dismay. He was soaking wet from |
head to foot, and smeared to the waist |
with black mud and green slime. One |
shoe was missing. His white straw
hat was stained with mud and water,
and his face was dirty.
why, Ernest Hathaway" cried |
Aunt Maria. What have you been
into now?"
I've been into the pond hole down |
in Cedar swamp, Aunt Maria" said |
vi utSi. lOOhlHR udli hSnameu ana
half triumphant. Tim Dooley was
telling what lot of white pond lilies
he found there, and he brought some
to Miss Clark yesterday morning. She
was ever so pleased. So l thought
I'd try to get some for mother and
you, auntie, and Tim said he'd help
me. We went out on some old logs,
and got n whole armful. l put them
in a pail of water out in the woodshed.
Come and look, mother"
Eyes, dear, presently; but you must
get on some dry clothes at once" said
Mrs. Hathaway, with a smile and
sigh. "It was nice to think of get
ting us lilies; but how did you get
so wet?"
"Oh, a log turned over and pitched
me in said Ernest. The waters
pretty deep there, and it's all black
mud and stuff at the bottom; and /
lost my shoe.
But you should see Tim Dooley's
clothes. His school suit, too. And he
hasn't any other" said Ernest, with
sober face. My clothes are good
stun and they can be cleaned, but his
are spoiled for sure"
Then you both fell into the wateri
What careless boys!" said Mrs. Hath