The Minneapolis journal., 1902-07-08
HIT OF THE EVENING
By RICHARD BARKER SHELTON

| in his dress clothes, he placed the pup on
chair and standing before him, exhibited
the heavy dignity of the oration.
Tommy left the house with light heart
and his mothers injunction to button his
oyercoat way up ringing in his ears. His
mind refused to stray from his speech. AS no
| turned the corner he was mumbling to him
self. "It is with some hesitation rise to re-
spond," when he was suddenly aware of
little group the sidewalk gazing upward.
Something on the spire of the old Wesley
church attracted their attention.
What is it?' he inquired of one of the
men.
Kitten was the response.
Tommy strained his eyes, and in the fast
dying light he could make out tiny speck
we'll up on the spire. In moment speech
and dinner were forgotten
| "Where's the sexton?'' he asked, with sud-
den energy.
I'm the house there next the church." some
one answered him. moment later Tommy
| was tugging at the door bell.
| "You the sexton?" he asked, and, as the
man nodded, Kitten on the spire there"
| The sexton made some profane observa-
| tions concerning trespassing felines.
"Get a lantern and come on" said Tommy.
! The sexton looked his disgust ana tnen EN-.
| phaticaly expressed it.
! Tommy fumbled in his pocket and thrust
bill into the sections hand. That changed
| the complexion of things. The sexton got
| lantern, and together they climbed the rckety
| stairs Of the tower. At last they reached
the top. Above them was a small trapdoor.
Roof Of the bell deck, eh?'' said Tommy.
"Yep," said the sexton, raising the Lam
! tern. Tommy had shed his coat and over
coat and was fumbling with the hasp.
"Aint going out there?' the sexton ques-
toned incredulously.
Sure, said Tommy. He flung the door
| open and crawled out He grasped the light
| ming rod and stood up. Below him-far below
| him-were twinkling street lamps, and mo-
mentariy he dizzy. He looked up. The
lightning rod ran straight up the spire, and
beside it, clinging tight and mewing family,
was the kitten. That decided him. From the
| group below came faint cheer. Grasplng
| the lightning rod, he began to climb steadily
! upward.
It seemed an interminable climb. His
] breath came hard his temples seemed burst
/ ing, but always he worked slowly upward
until he was abreast of the kitten. Kitty
| kitty! he called softly, and, cautiously
reaching out one hand, he drew in the trem-
| bling little wretch and thrust it IN MS
trousers pocket Then he let himself slowly
1 downward until he reached the trap door,
+ crawled through and sat down on the rlcketg
1 steps to regain his breath.
i Presently he donned his coats, and, Win
d the kitten in his big pocket, ne mace hls
+ way To the street. Arrived once more on
the ground, Tommy remembered the dinner,
Il and even as the onlookers pressed forward
i to congratulate him he broke away and spea
, down the street to the hall
II When he reached the hall the dinner was
! we'll under way glance at his dirty HANDS
Il and the iron rust his clothes mace MS
p heart sink within him, but with the help OF
:, some Of the walters he made hlmseif larry
F nresentable Still carrying the kitten De-
+ meath his coat, he made his way to his seat
lust as the toastmaster arose for the nFst
i toast. the one to which Tommy was TO re-
, spond.
1 When the toastmaster had finished speak
- ing Tommy sat like a craven image until
/ the man in the next seat gave him rather
> pronounced kick under tie table. Then ne
al got unsteadly to his feet.
al .'It is with some hesitation I rise to re-
4 spond," he began, Observation-Disclosures
h er'-he gulped and glanced wildly about MIN
q -"because-er-hang it," he went on. I've
o. forgotten every word of my speech. l-you
4 see-I-er-had occasion on the way down
= here-to-er-go up the lightning roo on tne
i spire of old Wesley, and-er-that knocked
III it clean out of me, you know, and so-er-l--
HI He paused and abstractedly hshed the KIT
/ ten from beneath his coat. 1t solemnly sur
q veyed the assemblage and then gave 'en'
s ! to a long drawn "Me-ow!' as 1t settled COM
d fortably in Tommy's big hands. A roar OF
dt laughter came from the tables, and, CONFUSED
d and blushing, Tommy sat down.