The age-herald., 1899-05-14

Copyright, 1S99 by Joes Chandler Harris.)
 vI.-Mr BoBs AND HIS BUBBLE.
 The children stood watching MT. Bobs att tentively, their attitude betraying their curiosity and doubt. They were curious to see how MT. Bobs could convince them that there were smarter men than Aaron in that neighborhood, and doubtful of his ability to do so. It was plain that MT. Bobs himself did not share their doubts. He was in no hurry, and yet there was no delay in his movements; he was slow but methodical. He knocked the ashes from his pipe and carefully cleaned it out with his pocket knife, blowing through the stem to clear away the particles of tobacco. This done, he laid the pipe carefully on the step behind him. and drew forth a wash pan that seemed to be a little more than half full of soapy water. There was also in the pan a small wooden paddle. With this MT. Bobs whipped the soapy water gently, and the children noticed that in- stead of breaking into a foamy mass of bubbles, as soapy water does, three or four large bubbles appeared.
 The result seemed to be unsatisfactory to MT. Bobs. He drew forth from an in- side pocket of his coat a large leather or morocco pocketbook, and began to search through it's various compartments. He finally found what he was searching fora little paper packet, wrapped round and round with many yards of white sewing thread. This thread MT. Bobs unwound very carefully. Then, unfolding the paper, he took therefrom the merest pinch of white powder and firted it into the pan of water with his fingers.
 T reckon you'll work now, plague on no aif1and
 At this juncture Miss Elviry came out, wondering what the children were doing. Watching the manipulations of her brother, she laughed uneasily, saying: "You may thank your stars there afn't no law agin witcbcraft in this part of the country That's all that keeps 'em from stringin' yo' up."
 Where's any witchcraft2" inquired MT. Bcbs indignantly. Pm jest a-showin' tbese youngsters trick that larnt from that there gypsy woman-the one that kyored your rheumatism
 Well" remarked Miss Elviry 'When folks do somethin new an quare they al- lers fly back 10 conjuration for it."
 "l don't keer where they fly" said MT. Bobs, "so long as they don't fly at me-"
 And, as if to show that he really didn't care, he seized the wooden paddle and be- gan to whip the water again. This time all the bubbles disappeared save one and the more MT. Bobs whipped the water the larger 1t grew. Presently he placed the pan on large block-the butt-cut of a poplar tree which served sometimes as a table and sometimes as a work bench-and continued whipping the water, the bubble growing larger and larger all the while. Occasionally he poked his paddle into the bubble and withdrew it quickly as if to test its consistency. The children could see the paddle go into the bubble and see it come out, but the bubble itself remained 
 You see dat, don't you?" exclaimed Drusilla. The bubble was now as tall as the largest of the children, and as large around in proportion.
 MT. Bobs took his pipe, inserted it in the bubble at the edge of the pan and be- gan to blow with all his might. This he dld at short intervals until all the water in the pan seemed to be exhausted. Then. With the stem of the pipe still in his mouth ne took the paddle and carefully scraped