Hutchinson gazette., 1900-04-19

PHIL sULLIVAN's RIDE,

SLED Chhln Lightning NnHln hB"f
ning had needed nendlng ever since
last winter but lAlil had concluded
not to touch IL till Just before the
anOw came,'
"Neyer do to-day what you can put
of until tomorrow
The consequence WIS that the
north wind suddenly puhed up
midnight storm, and Master PM waF
awakened one morning by the shouts
of the slN Dyke boys, who were
coasting merriy down oulllmn's hlIb
Phil was out Of he'd ~ tW,nNihg'
Ten o'clock still found HIM WarNlR
Aercely on Chain Lightning his GU
pot simmering before the iire u c1'a,
pany with his fathers best chisel q
his mothr's machine oil can,
The shouts of the Dyke boys ~'.'
resoundcd and not only their Juhi
lation, but that of forty moro conSu
ers, drove Phil nearly frantic
With all his might Phil worked on
and Chain Lightning was bte,hl"ilE
TO look as II It might hold ~ own
even among newer slcds, Whtl lh'
door leading out into the library
opened softly, and iNr-h0lred Rosa
bel, Pills sister, appeared on lp'
threshold, Al the same moment AN
opposite door blew open with II lerk'
md there stood ROsnbcl, "done Ia
sophia" as II wcre little brown Il
Rosabels twin sister,
Phil glanced up, and then became
a.. nh
work. There was Il peculiar express
sion on the twins faces l'hil IN
stantly recognized II, "The crr0nd
cast of features," he grimly called IT,
"Phil, dear" began RosObel,
"Phil, denr," echoed Kate,
Phil handled II screwdriver deXt'
rously,
"Phil, dear, will you please run
over to the station and see II my
new skates have come by the IL
o'clock train? Go when the cars
are due, won't your
"And Phil, dear" chlmed In Kate,
cant you manage TO go into the
city to-day and call for n roll OF
music which Is TO be left for me at
Hale q McPhcrsons?'
Now, could anything be more try
ing to the temper OF an average
youth than requests like these, made
under the existing circumstances?
Perhaps some OF us may find IT in
our hearts TO forgive Phil for an
swering with u touch Of asperiIy;
Don't phil, dear me! I'm not
going to the station, and I'm not go
ing to the city, and--'
Bang! Bang! Bang! The i
mer expressed the rest of his scnti-
ments.
Rosabel arched her brCws and
mildly withdrew, Kate tarried 10
wheedle the enemy bit, and that
failing, gave IL as her opinion that
boys ought never to have been ere
ated. Departing she closed the door
with more force than was strictly
needful and left Phil alone,
That individual worked in an in
iured and gloomy frame Of mind.
"Mean enough in them TO be for
ever nagging me, Mean enough in
me not to get their skates and
music"
1t was hard for Phil to decide
which was the greater wretch, him
self or Kate. Rosnbcl, he concluded,
could never be "blot on the earth" q"
whatever she did. 1t was Rosabel
who helped him with his compost
ton on "Spring;' it was Rosabel
who knit his mittens; il was Rosabel
gl, i,ly han oh lT
stirring when they made mol0sses
candy. The remembrance Of Rosa
bel's virtues haunted Phil even after
"Chain Lightning was in order and
he was shooting down "Sullivans
HILL" lying prone on his sled, with
his legs waving l" the air.
Perhaps that was the reason that
when his elder brother, viii, came
hastily up the hill and offered him
five cents if he would carry bdndle
to store next the railroad station
(you see Phil was regarded MS the
family errand boy), he condescended
to sauntcr in that direction; not
that he cared for the pennies, al
though he accepted them as token
of brotherly esteem
He even quickened his pace as n
shrill whistle sounded in the distance
and ended by racing up to the depot
just as the ~ o'clock train stopped.
No one seemed to know about
Rosabels skates. .sk the man at
the express office; perhaps they
came on an earlier train" suggested
Fred Rodman, who was standing on
the platform. an keep your sled
for you. Or, see here, just slip the
rope through this iron ring on the
rear car"
Phil did as he was bidden, and
leaving his sharpshooter tied with q
sliplnot went into the express office.
The man in the express Office had
never heard the proverb concerning
"a place for everything" or IL he
had, knowing it was not among the
Ten Commandments, felt under no
obligation TO heeo Il. lie rcmar' d
that somebody had said something
about some skates being some
where" and went fumbling among
boxes and bundles, eXclaiming alter
"0h! no they ain't!"
At last, Just MS he laid his hand
upon queer looking package, and
was next to sure that here were the
skates the engine bell rang, there
was q Slipht SpurrV ont side and thp