The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1902-01-10
find out mean things about each 9TH

| er.
Robert Wilkins, goaded by hunger,
came into the room presently, hang
ing his cap, after a way he has, upon
a figure resembling hook in the car
pet. called him to me, looking him
full in the eyes. His gaze did not
waver. 1 was disappointed. I had
| expected him to flush and to evince
evidence of perturbation, thus afford
ing me an opening for lecture had
in mind to deliver. AS it was, said
nothing beyond asking a few ques-
J lions relative to 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
| I should not be called upon to ex-
plain the charges against me. My
suspicious were thus early verified.
johnson had been at work. And Rob-
ert Wilkins, as I learned later,
| CHANGED to overhear the committee
and myself discussing the matter.
That evening, when I went to the
barn to do my chores, he followed me,
and confessed to putting the apples
beneath the tree. I tried to assume
an attitude of severity. I failed. He
had thrown himself upon the mercy
of the court, and the court had been
| boy once it's ridiculous. mushy old
self; it also had inherited a tendency
to practical jokesomeness from re-
mote and accursed ancestor. 1t was in
the mood that forgives.
I placed my hand lightly upon the
| head of Robert Wilkins and the
| grimy little hand of Robert Wilkins
crept into mine. We talked the
thing over, man to man, or boy to
boy, just as you choose to see it. 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"
to Robert Wilkins. "That premium
| belongs to Mr.. Johnson. Mr.. john
son must have it, and that is where
the joke turns upon the joker. We
must explain it, grinning as cheer
fully as we may, or be held up as
thieves. A joke that imperils good
name is not good joke"
| An expression of bewilderment ap-
peared upon the boys face. 'Mr.
Johnson" he said haltingly, 'Mr.
Johnson-what's he got to do about
it? George told me more n a week
ago he'd left the gate to the orchard
open and the cows had got in and eat
all his fathers bellfower apples"
"Then where did you st-get the
apples you placed beneath our tree?"
"Raised 'em," replied Robert Will
kins, ION tree Uncle Will gave me. I
set it out down at the far end of the
back lot, and I tended it, and T
thought it'd be dandy joke to play
on you and mother to put the apples
that grew on it this year where you'd
think they'd dropped off of that tree
you felt so bad about because you'd
been deceived in it. And it was a
dandy joke too, till those men come
sayin' they'd found out you hadn't
raised the apples and had got to give
| DdCh Clle pIeullulll. Iuell CuOuSlG
I'd been too funny"
Too funny! o Robert Wilkins, my
son! Although I 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 I should have been ashamed of
myself, great big boy of almost 40
| years that I was, to conduct myself
SO outlandishly with Robert Wilkins.
Robert Wilkins needed no encourage
ment in savagery, she said. Perhaps
she was right, but do not think she
meant it, for when I told her where
Robert Wilkins had obtained the ap-
pies she deported herself like a young
| gazelle turned out to spring grass. I
was quite shocked.
The barn work done, we went back
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
then upon me.
"My DEAR" she said softly, II told
you So"
"You did," I admitted with more
promptness than I usually manifest
| ed when she made use of that unhap-
ply expression. 81 shall see the pre-
MUM committee in the morning. I
| shall"
I hesitated, listening. In at the
open window came a sound of lugu-
brious wailing, distant but distinct.
George johnson left the orchard
gate open again this afternoon"
said Robert Wilkins gravely, "and his
fathers wallopin' him. Him lied out
of it the other time"
NY wife made no comment in
words, but she arose hastily and
closed the window.-Young People.
Reflections of a Bachelor.
The best part of winning is seeing
| L L III