The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1904-02-16
.HIT0FTHE
EVENING
BY Richard Barker Shelton
Copyright. 1852. BY the
G : NF~f-iurc Cnrnpanv


the great muscles Of his arms and
chest were the envy OF every man in
the shop. Tommy Sanders had heart
as tender as any woman.s. Even the
dogs knew this. and many a homeless
cur sidled. whining. up to him as he
strode hOmeward at nightfall.
Tommy's back yard was generally
the temporary quarters of half dozen
nelghbors complained OF the unearthly
howlings. he would smile patiently and
say: We'll. what's to be done? Would
not have me turn 'em out to starve,
now. would youY" And something in
the round. frank face and the deep.
CHEEKY voice always made the neigh
bors say, No; oh. no-' most apologet-
ically.
Tommy was a craftsman In the big
molding mills on the outskirts of the
town. The little home provided by his
wages was presided over by his moth
er. frail little woman. to whom Tom
my was ut once an idol to be wor-
SHIPPED.
THAT soft heart of his will be his
DEATH" she often remarked. WHY.
only last month he gave his coat to C
dirty beggar and caught fearful cold
coming home without it
The family physician. to whom she
corfidcd this bit of news, smiled i'm
moderately.
"I'll tell you. Mrs. Sanders. I'd be
willing TO have a good many colds if
/ had n heart like Tommy's."
And that last stray pup he brought
home the other night got up from the
cellar and chewed up Tommy's speech"
she went on.
'.The Office at the mill has a dinner
next week. you know. and Tommy is
to be one of the speakers. And it was
a real good speech he wrote too. He
had all but the last of II by heart.
and of course that was the very part
the pup ehewed up. Land, I've been
all day trying to copy it over"
The doctor grinned. What did he do
to the pup?" he asked.
"He:' said Mrs. Sanders. "Oh, just
Poor old dogsie. trying to steal my
thunder. weren't YOU:
Tommy laughed heartily that night
at his mothers account of her attempt
to copy the damaged speech. The part
which was chewed into illegibility he
set about to rewrite with the meddle-
1 some pup wriggling about In his lap,
and when he had finished his writing
and committed the whole to memory
he and the pup had frolic which left
the manuscript of the speech in sad
tatters.
No one but Tommy knew just how
much he counted on sitting at the long
table with the officials of the mill and
the invited guests. On his part he was
4 determined to do his best. To this end
| he went over the lines again and again
until he felt sure he could start in the
middle and go either way. And on the
evening OF the eventful day. arrayed
In his dress clothes. he placed the puI
| on chair and ;Iding before him
exhibited the he : dignity of the ora.
| tion.
Tommy left the house with a light
heart and his mothers injunction tC
button his overcoat way up" ringing
! In his ears His mind refused to stray
, from his speech As he turned the
corner he was mumbling to himself
1T is with some hesitation rise to re
spond." when he was suddenly awar,
of a little group on the sidewalk gazing
! upward Something ON the spire ol
the old Wesley church attracted theil
attention.
"what is it," he inquired of one oi
the men.
Kitten" was the response.
Tommy strained his eyes. and in tbs
fast dying light he could make out 8
tiny speck well up on the spire. In &
moment speech and dinner were for
gotten.
where's the sextonT' he asked, will
sudden energy.
"In the house there next the church.
some one answered him. 4 momen
later Tommy was tugging at the door
bell.
"You the sexton?" he asked. and. a
the man nodded. Kitten on the spir,
there"
The sexton made some profane OBJ
servations concerning trespassing fe
lines
"Get a lantern and come on" salt
Tommy. The sexton looked his dis
gust and then emphatically expressed
it.
Tommy fumbled in his pocket ant
thrust bill into the sexton's hand
That changed the complexion of things
The sexton got a lantern. and togethe
they climbed the rickety stairs of tn,
tower. At last they reached the top
Above them was u small trapdoor.
. Roof OF the bell deck, ehT' salt
Tommy.
yep" said the sexton. raising tn
lantern. Tommy had shed his coat an,
overcoat and was fumbling with tn
hasp.
"Ain't going out thereT" the sextol
questioned incredulously.
"Sure," said Tommy. He flung tn
door open and crawled out. The keel
air made him shiver. He grasped tn
lightning rod and stood up Beloy
' hlm-far below him-were twinklin
street lamps, and momentarily he wa
dizzy. He looked up. The lightnin
rod ran straight up the spire. and be
side 1t. clinging tight and mewin
family. was the kitten. That decide
him. From the group below came
faint cheer. Craspins the lgbtnlIz