The Forrest City times., 1900-02-16


 the window latch; he planned out flower bed. He was thoroughly happy in the merry company of these chil- dren, who only thought him a passing. unusually good-natured stranger. But at last he went, with a grimace at the thought of all the laced and silken crowd waiting for him.
 The two children, quite frightened by his presence, worked about busily, and played about merrily, and made things pleasant for father at sun down.
 But an hour before sundown came riding by two people who called them- selves gentlemen, but nobody really thought them so. They had been merry-making, and one mans horse had lost shoe, and his drunken dig nifty was such that he must pause at the cottage to send for a blacksmith to come to him or else have his horse led to the blacksmith's while he wait ed. 1t was evident that the dwellers at the cottage were poor folks, and these gentlemen felt assured their lordly orders would be obeyed. Now, Miss Martha was civil, if frightened, but Master Jack was sullen, and when the young, wineheated man bade him lead the horse or fetch the smith. Jack fiatly refused to do either.
 What, what! You'll be paid" shouted the owner of the horse. Come, young mistress, have you no wine for weary travelers?''
 Indeed, no, sir" said Martha, 'but further on the post road" I'll go no further on the post or any other road. Haste now, Flibber- tigibbet, and do as you are told" "Ill stay here and protect my sis ter" said Jack, "as my father bade me-"
 ''Ha, ha! A brave protector! But in truth pretty sister. Come. my dear,
 let me also be brother"
 He staggered up, and Jacl1-Jacl flew at his throat like a terrier The girl screamed the other man raised his riding whip and struck down on the boy. Jack yelled from rage and anguish, but clung to the choking throat, never needing the first blows | rained on him. The cottage was in | dreadful uproar; when in rushed the stranger of the morning, and it is said but you need not believe it unless | you want to-he used a dreadfully bad 1 word Those two foolish young men never were in such trouble before. In George Washington's great right arm swung one of them, helpless, and in [ to los !, | bumpety bump, went the two empty. | foolish, braggart, blackguard heads. cracking against each other like cocoa. | nuts on a tree in a storm. When they were almost senseless the general laiC | them down with force and thrashed them with their own whips, and so mangled and maltreated and mashed them that, when at last they got to | their knees and begged for mercy. | their own loving mammas would have indignantly repudiated them as being l offspring of theirs. In the meantime | Jacky Pert danced about cheering on | his new friend, and Martha sobbed in corner, hiding her face and begging | MT. George" for so the general had | called himself, not to kill anybody, and not to get hurt himself And then | the general threw aside his whip and made the rascals stand up before him, but they could only face that raging | righteous eye with bowed heads and | bowed knees.
 "Gen. Washington" they mumbled, | please let us go. It-it was only the wine. There was no harm done" | He waved them out, but the mis- chief was done. At the words Gen | Washington" little Jacks jaw dropped and he shook like a felon at the | thought that he had threatened to Kill | the best and greatest man in that or any other country. Martha dropped to her knees, but the general made her rise and accept the birthday gift he had l run to Mount Vernon and back to get | for her. Still, it was not the same. and the general felt saddened as he went homeward, just as everybod has felt saddened because he could not be boy again.
 However" said he to himself. with a smile, as he was dressing for the ball in the evening, q have not had so much fun on birthday since I | chopped up that old cherry tree."- Edgerton Davis, in St. Louis Globe Democrat.