Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1900-08-16
'COME, gel out o, thatI,,

u Tommy got out of it with
singular rapidity, and stood, blinking.
at the door of the barn. HI had beer
working the c~haff-cutter to the best
of his small strength and the i'm
minent risk of his fingers, and though
he obeyed the voice it was with a feel
ing of damaged dignity. He looked
back into the shadow of the building.
II say, Fitch, you might be more
polite, you know"
An let you mangle yourself,
Master Tom?"
Il was all right" said Tommy.
Besides, L was helping you, wasn't
II"
Fitch grinned.
Certainly" he said, "you 'ad cut
quite a teacupful."
"Pooh!" said Tommy. "Why, I was
turning the wheel for half-an-houri'
"Turnin' the wheel amt every
thin'!"
you're in a bad temper, Fitch"
Tommy said, severely. 81 don't like
you when you're in a bad temper"
The man grinned again and began
to separate a truss of hay.
"Oh, no, I'm not, Master Tom," he
said; but 1 won't have you playin'
with my machine and a~-disfgurin' of
yourself. 1 dessay, now, you'd have
put a stone in if you'd although On
it."
I'm not such a kid as all that"
said Tommy, and he marched off with
his hands in his pockets.
Tommy had cot ont with tho M
ton of having a pleasant afternoon.
First he had tried the billiard-room,
but the two men playing there, his
fathers guests. not only refused to
let him have a cue, which vas bad
enough, but also seemed inclined to
resent his intrusion altogether; so
that the boy, after secreting a block
of chalk, departed on another quest.
Then he went to the poultry yard
and mesmerized Il hen by drawing a
chalk circle round it; that, however,
was a slow occupation, and after he
had laughed at the idiotic expression
of the fowl he went away, entirely
forgetting to release it from bond
age. After that he journeyed to see
the boot-boy. who always had inter-
esting things in his pockets and
knew where birds nests were to be
found; but the boot-boy had gone on
a round of errands, and the house
keeper was cross because she had
particularly wanted him hat after
noon; there was no sympathy to be
had there. Then came the episode of
the ch%aff-cutter, which had promised
SO well and ended SO unsatisfactory.
When Tommy strolled off in the May
sunshine, therefore, he was naturally
in a condition of high discomfort.
He put all his misfortunes down to
the presence of guests in the house;
he d~isapproved of guests, unless they
happened to be boys. In M way or
another they were always upsetting
his plans, appearing at ~inopportune
moments or crossing his trails Then
they were toe serious, ven Owe bill
1iards-which, in Tommy's view, con-
sisted in hard driving round the
table; they didn't romp; they didn't
use their cues as single-sticks and
aim at one another's heads. Tt seemed
Tommy that it wasn't worth while
grow older at all if all the fun
were to be left behind. 1t appeared
to him that grown-ups wasted their
opportunities far more than he did;
but they were never told of it as he
was SO pe~rsistently.
He strolled round to the tennis
ground, still with his hands in his
pockets, in the vague hope hat he
induce some one to play with
him. But the two courts were de-
and the nets sagged despond-
"WeTl, I'm bowed" said Tommy,
''of all the slow places"
To the south Of the tennis courts
was a little wood of beeches, and be-
yond that a stream. The boot-boy
had instructed Tommy in the art of
loach-tickling, and as there seemed
nothing else to do he determined to
devote an hour to that pursuit.
wasn't much fun in doing it
alone, but still it was better than
nothing. Accordingly Tommy Owed
through the wood, sat down on the
bank of the stream, and proceeded to
take his shoes and stockings of.
It was pleasant, after all, to feel
The cool clear water ripping against
his legs, and once you began search
.ng the stream for fish there were all
sorts of strange and pretty things
10 be seer at the bottom-colored
,ebbles and the like; but when the
pebbles were picked up and dried all
he colors disappeared. This, how
,ver. was so perfectly in accord with
airy stories that Tommy didn't mind.
After a time he found a loach with
"a wavv body set nose-wise towards
!. stone. Very cautiously he got his
,and below it. and with a mighty
ERIK sent it high on to the bank. 1t
vas a most successful capture, and
him in a good temper at once
Gut a dead loach was no use to him.
nd he had brought nc jar with himi [.