The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-04-24

Demothenes Smith. the boy who
tells
"Oh-o-o-!" Chorused all the cats
in tones of horror before the herald
could speak the last word of his sem
tence, and Zenny. led by his guide,
passed up the long lane of cats and
paused before the throne.
We'll" said Puss-in-the-Corner Sc
verely, what have you got to say for
yourself?''
Il didn't do it," replied the boy, try
ing not to show how scared he was.
There was a sharp click and a shut
ter about a yard long, fixed in the
wall over the Kings head, fell down,
disclosing in letters of fire the words,
He Did Do It."
"Oh, how awful" chorused the cats,
barring their claws and rolling their
eyes on the unfortunate boy.
That is" stammered Zenny, II did
not mean anything by it,"
There was another click and down
fell another shutter showing the
words, Yes. he did mean something by
it; he meant to deceive"
Again the cats all shouted "Oh!" and
showed their claws.
Il don't care!" exclaimed Zenny; IT
don't care!"
Immediately came the click and a
falling shutter revealed the words,
He does care"
There was no escape for poor
Zenny. The king cat, Puss-in-the-
Corner, put him through a regular
crOss-examination, and every time he
tried to squirm out of the scrape with
some other fib, one of those horrible
shutters tumbled open, until finally
the walls of the audience hall were
entirely covered with blazing contra
dictions of his untrue statements.
Now, then" suddenly exclaimed
the king, give him the third degree"
and before you could say Jack Rob-
inson, much less say Xenophon
in that great hall had vanished and
! Zenny was left there alone, gazing
| at the four walls, from which blazed
the accusing record of his untruthful-
/ ness.
zenny sat down on a hassock and
wished he was at home. II don't
care" he was about to say defantly,
but had got only as far as II DON'T
when a warning click from far
corner of the room stopped him sud-
| denly.
We'll" said he, glancing about the
| walls, IT didn't know | could tell so
many of 'em in so short a time" He
started as soon as he had said it, but
| this was about the first remark he
which had not been followed by
click and the opening of an accusing
| shutter. He felt somewhat relieved,
for he had begun to fear that he
couldn't tell the truth If he tried.
They are not as pretty as Sunday
school texts" said Zenny, venturing
or another remark; and this, too, re-
manned uncontradicted by any tum-
bling shutter.
Zenny now began to read the ac-
cusing sentences one after the other
and to think of the untrue statements
which had brought them into being
Finally he could stand IL no longer,
and placing both hands before his
face to shut out the horrible record
he cried: "Oh, If l were home again
/ never, never would do it again as
long as / lived" There came ire
mendous great click at this. as IL half
OF one side of the wall had tumbled
open, and Zenny was back in his
room, lying half dressed on his bed
and his father calling up the stairs,
"Xenophon Demosthenes Smith! Are
you going to get up this morning."
Yes. sir" replied Zenny, jumping
up and making for the wash basin.
AS ne did so he looked out of the
window, and there in the garden sat