Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-07-11

dow. and raised himself to look In without
dreaming for an Instant that Old Dave was
in the house. Their yeiis and hamme-ing
would certainly have reused any one. no
matter BOW soundly he slept. thought Billy.
and since no response had been made TO
the noise. the house must be empty. and
there could be no harm In his looking
around little to see what he could see.
Billy was an adventurous boy at heart.
and although usually very quiet was in
ciined TO take the law into his own hands
once in a while. and go or and do some
thing rather startling.
He grasped the window sill with one
hand raised himself to kneeling position
and looked in. The room was perfectly
dark, and Billy could see nothing. He
pulled himself up higher. and threw one leg
over the window sill TO make himself little
more com Portable He sat there, bslanc-
Ing himself on the sill a minute, wondering
whether he dared explore any fsrtaer. or
whether IL would be better to go down and
join the others. iie could hear their voices
almost below him. He picked up Little
twig that his hand had come in contact
with as he crawied across the roof. and
| threw 1t carelessly in at the window. and
then prepared to descend. But the result
of his throw was more startling than Billy
had barganed for.
There was a sound as OF someone sitting
up suddenly in bed, and then the words
| that had so frightened the others were
roared through the darkness. causing B ily
to fall backwards In surprise and terror.
He put out his hand to save himself. and
his fingers grasped some soft object which
was hanging just inside the window. With
out realizing that he sti,i held this. B lily
scrambled across the roof. let himself down
to the ground, and ran around the house to
join the others. But by that time they
had taken to their heels. IL Billy had
stopped to listen. he probably could have
heard them crashing through the bushes,
| but he was too excited, and old Dave was
at the window threatening all sorts of dire
things IL he ever caught any OF the mis-
chief makers. SO Billy judged 1t more Gis-
Greet to retire to a safer distance at once.
and accordingly put off as fast as he could
toward home without waiting for the
others.
He knew the general direction that he
ought to take, but he was not familiar with
the ground, and he took a good many use
less steps before he finally entered the nur-
sery and frightened poor Peggy and Bob
nearly out of their senses
where's Carroil?" he demanded
why he went back after YOU. replied
Bob. the color coming back into his face as
he realized how foolish he had been to be
frightened.
What's that you've got In your hand?"
| inquired Peggy. eagerly. as she finally extri-
Gated herself from her rather uncomfor-
table position under the sofa.
Billy had forgotten that in his excitement
he had chung tightly all the time to the OBJ
ject he had caught hold of when Dave
SNDuieU dt NJ" INC ioohtA va
| quickly. at Peggy's question. and then held
| the object up to the view Of the others.
| with a shrek of laughter.
Its wig: it's old Dawes wigr' he exi
| claimed.
Great Scott! So 1t isl cried Bob in
| amazement. Where did you get it?''
It's scalp It's a scaip"' shouted
| Peggy with delight as she executed war
| dance on the sofa. She had recovered from
her fright and was beginning to regard the
whole affair as an exciting adventure.
| Where did you get 1T. Billy?'
Billy related what had happened to him
| and how he wig had come into his pos
| session. He was interrupted now and
| then by eager questions from Peggy ana
| expressions of deep interest from Bob. VINO
| was beginning to look upon Billy as hs
| would have looked upon a traveller from
| South Africa Finally they all burst into
| shouts of laughter at the thought of poor
| old Dave being obliged to drive to the
village the next day without his wig. .
II never knew he wore one, said Rob,
between fits of laughing.
why his head viii be perfectly bald.
exclaimed Peggy with another shrek.
I'D give lot to see him. remarked
Billy with grin.
He certainly will look funny" giggled
Peggy. Lets see how 1t looks" Sho
snatched the strengthening object from
Bily's hand and pulled it down over his
| head 1t covered his ears completely, and
/ he certainly looked very funny. They
pushed him over to the bureau and made
him look at himself in the glass
Then such a laughing time as they had.
| 1t was well the nursery was on the third
floor. or the sound would surely have
| reached to the drawing room and disturbed
| Mr.. and Mrs. Mason they sat quietly
| entert aiming their visitors. y.
| While they were still in giggles over the
wig which had to be duly tried on each
head to see the different effects, Carroll
came in looking tired and worried. When
he saw Billy he heaved a sigh of relief.
He had gone back and hunted all around
Dawes house, lodging old Dave himself.
who had dressed and had come out to see
what mischief had been done. Carroll re-
lated with glee Dawes expression of wrath
when he came upon the overturned bench
and the scattered tin pans. He picked
them up and carefully replaced them all
on the bench, muttering threats OF VEN
geance If he ever caught them young
rascals" at any more mischief. ~
Did he know who We were?" asked Bob
anxiousiy. :
mo; he thinks 1t was some of the village
boys" replied Carroll. Il guess he's been
bothered a good deal by them. But he
didn't suspect u.s..
Didn't he look funny without his wig
queried Peggy with giggle that turred
into yawn, for she was beginning to feel
the effects of her rough-and-tumble tramp
Il didn't notice." answered Carroll yawn-
ing in sympathy. Then he laughed. 4
guess I'm tired" he added. Lets go to
bed"
So the valiant band of red men washed
off their war paint and encamped for the
night Billys prize which. Peggy had
suggested, they all regarded a genuine
scalp. and which the others all envied him.
he carefully hung by string in the door
way because, as he said, Indians always
hung their captured scalps on the door
posts of their wigwams 20
When Mrs. Mason's guests finally said
goodnight, she came upstairs to see how
the children had spent the evening in their
Punishment. But the nursery was empty
and each dusky warrior was sound asleep
in bed. So Mrs Mason kissed The stained
cheeks and went to her own room. never
suspecting what an exciting evening thOsr.
same innocent-looking warriors had passed.
nor what mischief they had been gettingl
into. while she thought they had been.
quietly playing games upstairs in tho
nursery. -
Cro be continued next Saturday,
si