The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-04-16

life, he determined to stay and have
something.
Dinner most ready?" asked he. I'm
awful hungry"
It'll be ready in ten minutes said
his mother. MIR. Truesdeu had gone
out to feed the hens, and the double
sat down in the kitchen window and
shifted longingly at some apples. y
I'll have 'napple?" said he. He seemed
to have mastered small boy dialect in
Il surprisingly short space OF time. His
mother-she thought she was his moth
er, although, as we know, he had no
mother-gave him an apple, and WEeE
three times as much as George ever
did. and was so jolly withal that Mr..
and Mrs Truesdell didn't know what
had come over their boy.
George, after dinner, l wish you'd
harness up Jack" said the farmer.
I've got to drive over to the, Cages
to get a book on hens that he promised
me. I'm going to give you some hens
and let you see what you can make
out of them with the aid of the book.
l don't take much stock in hen books,
myself. I've always made EN- lay
without any book, and 1 don't believe
but what hens laid before the first book
was printed, but I'll give you some
thing to be interested in, and you won't
be so apt to break windows if your
time is more occupied
The Bubble Boy smiled, but said
nothing. He was too busy with his
third slice OF pumpkin pie to talk.
After he had finished he said: Can L
ride over with you?"
Il dunno. Kinder late for YOU
Wen, SEEM tomorrow's your birthday
I'll let you"
So it happened that a few minutes
later, George, who had been weeping in
his room, not daring to go down and
expose the trick he had played upon
his father, and yet feeling very hungry
and contrite, heard a sound of wheels
in the yard, and looked out of the win
dow. There, in the dusky light, he saw
the Bubble Boy backing Jack into the
Concord wagon. He worked like an old
hand, and in few minutes his father
came out of the house and got into
the wagon and then they rode off, his
double driving.
II there was one thing he liked before
another, it was a ride with father. and
at night Of all things. He cast him
sell upon the bed and sObbed as if his
heart would break. What a wicked
boy his double was. Here he'd offered
to board and keep him TO take all his
troubles off his shoulders, and he was
taking his pleasures as well. Oh, how
hungry he was. Cold chicken would
taste good.
He rose from the bed and walked as
noiselessly as he could down the attic
stairs but his mother, who was put
ting Cynthia to bed, heard him, and
called out, in an alarmed voice, who's
there?"
It's me" said George, in a weak
tone
You back so soon? Why, what's
the natter" Seeing he'd been cry
ing) Has anything happened to your
father? Tell me, childl''
Il didn't go with papa" sobbed
George. That's why I've been cry
why, George, I saw you CO." said
his mother.
1t wasn't me: it was bubble boy
that Heated in this afternoon"
His mother looked bewildered.
What's the matter with you? Are
you crazy?" said she.
At this moment the sound of wheels
was heard in the yard, and George
said: There they are; they'll be in in
q minute"
In less than minute his father came
in. "Oh, here you are" he said 10
George You ought not to jump out
of the back of the wagon in that way
III the dark. i stopped and called to
You and you didn't answer. and /
thought you were hurt. And then l
saw you running toward the house"
That wasn't me; that was the Bub-
BILE Boy"
His father didn't notice what he said.
where's that hen book? 1 want to
show your mother that picture of the
What hen book?' asked George,
mystifed
For the next few minutes his answers
were so bewildering to both parents
that they finally told him sharply to
go to bed.
1T doesn't do to keep a growing boy |
UP late" said his father.
As for the double. they wouldn't hear
another word about him.