The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1901-10-04

EVERY heul III tue mousse WIS SOU dhu
every foot of standing-room taken.
Sympathy FOR the Dlleys. combined
with a desire 10 break In on the mo-
notony Of life in Melville. sent nearly
every resident to the town hall on the
evening of the benefit.
The Dilleys were there in a row OF
seats reserved for them, and Grand
mother Briggs, having been assured
that there would not be any "theatri-
cal goings-on" in the program, was an
interested spectator.
1t was her conviction that Thomas
Jefferson had learned a new and ac-
ceptable piece entitled advice to a
Boy" that she had long wished him TO
rcclte ut schoOl-a prose composition
o. great length, written by some one
who had evidently quite forgotten his
own boyhood-
Eager interest was manifest in the
faces and actions Of the audience when
the Surprise Number was reached
on the program. No one knew what
It was to be, nor by whom It was to
lie given.
The curtains were parted, and there
suddenly glided upon the stage dane
Ing, whirling figure in somewhat short
and flmy pink and white tarlatan
skirts and a black bodice laced with
pink, with bare arms akimbo. The
dancing figure piroutted around and
around the stage, the curls Of the very
palpable yellow wig bobbing up and
down and her tinsel ornaments tink-
ling as she whirled around.
IF that amt scandalous| ejacu-
lated Grandmother Briggs to the lady
sitting beside her. "Who in the land
can the brazen creature be? She ought
to be put right out!'
"Why, don't you really know who it
ISL" asked the lady.
"Of course don't! don't associate
with such charactersw
"Why, Grandma Briggs, that is your
Thomas Jefferson
"Hey? WhatY
at is! See the two Drewe girls!
How they are laughing! They made
his clothes for him and helped get him
up that way. They think it is great
fun. And you really didn't know that
it was your Thomas Jefferson? How
funnyw
Grandmother Briggs readjusted her
glasses and leaned forward, her dim
old eyes flashing and her wrinkled
hand pressed to her heaving chest. A
moment later tall old lady stepped
firmly down a side aisle, her head
erect, her lips tightly compressed, her
fingers clenched IN the palms Of her
hands, and a look of fierce wrath and
determination on her somewhat wrin-
killed. face.
A door led from the end of the aisle
to the platform, and Grandmother
Briggs disappeared within this door
way. The next moment she was seen
coming from between the gaudily
painted wings OF the stage. Thomas
| Jefferson was unaware of her pres
ence on the stage until she had grasped
him firmly by the wrist with one hand
while she snatched off his poorly con
structed wig with the other and flung
it across the row of lamps that served
as footlights.
Then she gave his ears a sound slap
and said, "You come along with me
you-you-you play-actin' thingr
Too dismayed for words or resist
ance, Thomas Jefferson suffered him
self to be led from the stage, while
the audience screamed with laughter
over the great Surprise Number" Of
the program.
Before the laughter had died away
the danseuse and his grandmother
were going down a back stairway o.
the hall, and Grandmother Briggs wai
saying, GO right home, sir! OF al
the performances 1 ever see! Don
you look purity? Oh, I'll settle will
your
The exact nature of this settlemen
was never made public, and it was no
much recompense to Thomas Jefferson
to know that he had helped to max
the Dilley benefit such q success tina
the six young Dilleys went on thei
westward way the next week with
purse Of money amply filed
They are men and women now, an,
Thomas Jefferson has children of hi
own. His perceptions are clearer an
truer than they once were, and h
frankly admits that his grandmothe
served him right. L. Harbour, i
Youths Companion.
The Heating of Lofty Buildings.
Professor Fischer maintains that tn
system of heatinp the INNER more tina