Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1902-02-28
waver. was disappointed. 7 had

waver. was disappointed. ] had
expected him TO flush and 10 cvince
evidence of perturbation. thus afford
ing me an opening for lecture had
in mind 10 deliver. As il was, | said
nothing beyond asking a few ques-
tions relative 10 the days doings.
The premium committee waited up
ON me the following morning They
suggested, with numerous scrapings
of the throat. that | show cause why
| should not be called upon 20 eX-
plain the charges against me. My
suspicious were thus early verified.
Johnson had been at work. And Rob
ert wilkins. as learned later,
CHANGED 20 overhear the committee
and myself discussing the matter.
That evening. when ! went 60 the
barn to do my chores, he followed me,
and confessed 20 putting the apples
beneath the tree. | tried 20 assume
AN attitude of severity. ! failed. He
had thrown himself upon the mercy
of the court. and the court had been
boy once its ridiculous. mushy old
self; il also had inherited tendency
10 practical iokesomeness from a re-
mote and accused ancestor 1t was in
the mood that forgives.
placed my hand lightly upon the
head Of Robert wilkins and the
grimy little hand of Robert wilkins
orept into mine. We talked the
thing over, man To man. or boy TO
boy, Just as you choose To see il. The
shades of night drew down and the
kline beloved for attention. The
warbling Of the swine sounded shrill
from the yard behind the barn.
THE joker who gives must take"
| said i'm the course of my remarks
to Robert wilkins. THAT premium
belongs 10 Mr.. Johnson. Mr.. John
sop must have il, and that is where
the joke turns upon the joker. We
must explain il, grinning as cheer
fully as we may. or be held up as
thieves. \ joke that imperils good
name is not a good joke"
An expression OF bewilderment APP
peared upon the boys face. Mr.
Johnson" he said haltingly. Mr.
Johnson-what's he got 10 do about
il? George told me more n "A week
ago he'd left the gate 10 the orchard
open and the COWS had got i'm and eat
ali his fathers bellhoWer apples"
Then where did YOU st-get the
apples YOU placed beneath our tree ."
RAISED EN-. replied Robert Will
kns, ION tree Uncle VIII gave me. I
set il out down at the far end OF the
back lot ard | tended it. and
thought it'd be- a dandy Joke 10 play
ou You and mother 10 put the apples
that grew on il this year where you'd
think they'd dropped of of that tree
You felt So bad about because you'd
been deceived i'm IT, And il was a
dandy Joke too. till those men come
sayin' they'd found ont You hadn't
raised the apples and had got TO give
back the premium. Then | thought
/ I'd been too funny"
Too funny. O Robert wilkins. my
son. Although suspected thee,
thank Heaven did not accuse thee!
My wife. coming To the barn to as
certain the cause of our delay. caught
/ Robert Winkins and me in the very
). act of dancing like Hottentots. She
/ said | should have been ashamed of
myself. great big boy of almost 40
/ years that | was. To conduct myself
4 so outlandishly with Robert wilkins.
/ Robert Wilkins needed no encourage
nent in savagery. she said. Perhaps
/ she was right. but / do not think she
/ meant it. for when | told her where
/ Robert wilkins had obtained the APP
1 pies she deported herself like "a young
gazelle turned out To spring grass. |
was quite shocked.
The barn work done. we went back
4 through The gathering damps, the
songs OF the night birds finding
ready response in our hearts. to our
humble meal My wife beamed upon
/ Robert Wilkins across the table, and
4 then upon me.
My dear" she said softly. II told
YOU So"
You did ! admitted with more
promptness than | usually manifest
! ed when she made use of that unhap-
/ py expression. II shall see the pre-
MUM committee in the morning. l
/ shall
| hesitated, listening. In at the
open window came sound of lngu-
hrious wailing. distant but distinct.
"Georgie johnson left the orchard
gate open again this afternoon"
said Robert wilkins gra,ely, and his
fathers wallopin' him. Him lied out
of il the other time"
My wife made no comment in
words. but she arose hastily and
closed the window.-IOung People.