Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-04-27

CObWebby corner OF the attic that ie
called his "Currespondery," writing
out his weekly budget of saltwater
news. AS usual. his forehead was
deeply creased and his mouth li';le
twisted to one side. The rasp Of ms
steel pen seemed to fill the attic. Then
suddenly il ceased and the little tame
mouse, Midget, cfept out OF her hoie
again with a sigh of relief. Our spechi
correspondents steel pen was great
trial to Midget-it reminded her OF
cats.
There, sir" exclaimed our special
CON respondent. in a self-cOngratulat"fY
tone That's done. Hello, Nudge you
there" Want to hear the news. don't
YOU? Wen, prick up your ears-here
goes
JEFF Cranes experience as the Still
water correspondent of the EaSlesville
Home Journal ran back but little
way. He still copied his budget sew
eral times and read it aloud To see how
it would sound. Midget was his
| audience. He took up the sheet Of
paper. now. and rose to his feet. He
| always stood up. as he did at school
when he read a composition aloud.
saltwater: Repairs are being made
| on the Methodist church in saltwater.
Homer Gibbs is shinglng his hay
barn.--E. l.. Knight recently purchased
| n new oan-horse.-Mrs. Zebulon
Djirs brother has been visiting her
! iately-There was n severe thunder
| shower here Saturday n!"ht-MiSi
| Harriet Lcvcnseller was married ut her
home on Blinn hill yesterday
are going to be scarce.
| Jeff read the items twice through
critically. They appeared to satisfy
him, for he regarded the paper with
on approving smile. "How's that. Mid
get - he said gayly. "All ready tn clap
| into an envelope. isn't it? Well. hc'"
She goes" And he hurriedly addressed
an envelope and thrust it in. At thai
moment Slyvy's fluff of yellow hair APP
neored at the attic stair-head.
! What YOU s'pose I've got hind of
me. Jeffy Crane" "Oh-doughnuts.
"Doushnuts Guess again" Cookies.
,affv. peppermints. Hold on. know.
You've got your hands behind YOU
Slvvy laughed delightedly and slow
| " produced one Of the little brown
hands with n letter in it. It's for
Won. Jcfry-you, your ownest self. she
trilled An | hrang it all the way NJ
stems to you, cause I'm such ME"
little sister," And giving the letter
toss toward him. she scampered away
again leaving a trail of sweet, shrill
laughter behind her. jeff tore open
his letter with distinct thrill Of
pride II had the Eaglesville Home
Journal heading and began. Dear
Sir" To a special correspondent IF
"A wears. that form of address is al
mrng.
| Dear Sir: Your stuff is too tame.
Can't you make it little more live
llv? Get in something stirring. The
Home journal is not dead and buried.
our correspondents are urged to hustle
for good. brisk items that will be OF
some kind of interest to the public.
| Yours etc, -.
Jeff dropped the letter like a live
coal. His round. brown fact took on n
deep red flush. He grew an inch taller
as he Strengthened stihy in his chair
and convinced himself angrily that he
had been insulted. Nudge, the little
tame mouse, scented cats AGAIN anu
ecurried to her hole.
Want things to fiZz, do they" the
boy cried. holly. Want earthquakes
and fires and murders. Well, let en-
go somewhere else for I'm. Saltwater
doesn't move that way
He snatched out the carefully pre-
pared budget of news and eyed IT
.,erisively. Then with sudden
whimsical freak he proceeded TO make
il "fZz." For few minutes the
stuffv little attic whispered again with
the hiss of his pen. Then new budget
| Col
saltwater: Repairs are being made
on the Methodist church. one OF the
workmen recently fell off the roof AMI
broke his ncck.-Homer Gibbs Is
shingling his hay-barn. The ladder
slipped and precipitated him to the
gound. He still lives. F.. l.. Knight
recently purchased new roam morse.
The first night it fell through a trap
door to the cellar below and had to he
shot.-Mrs Zebulon Dills brother has
been visiting her. He is just back
from the Klondike and brought a Pill
llow-case full of nuggets.-There was a
severe thunder shower here last Satur-
dav night 1t struck seventeen barns
and a henhOusc.-Miss Harriet LeVen-
seller was married at her home on
Blinn hill yesterday. The bride was
dressed in-[Jeff's pen halted rehec-
lively. What he could dress Harriet
lLeVenseller in that would be nice ana
lively?l-The bride was dressed IN
very becoming bicycle suit. and i'm
mediately after the ceremony, the
happy couple went away on their
wheels. on their wedding tour. The
last seen of them they were scorchlng
down Blinn hill"
There. Midge-Midge. Midge where
are you? HOw's that for nice. fiZZy
news? Doesn't sound tame to you. does
it?" jeff laughed enjoyingly at ms
own wit. His good humor was coming
back. He had spoiled his neat little
news budget. but he couldn't have sent
it anyway after that letter. He'd
write and inform the editor of the
Eaglesville Home Journal that nee
have to go to Dead Shot ranch. or some
such place, if he was after blood and
2 thunder They didn't grow in Still
}, | water
II Then I'll resign" quOth our special
correspondent loftily. I'll let EN- put
that in their pipes and smoke it,! lie
drew a sheet Of paper toward him and
;. rendered his resignation in fitting Ian
: guage that rolled from his pen-tip