The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-03-13

It was a hazy afternoon in September when Jack Doolan came up the road. He had been to the grocery store and was returning homeward. carrying the bottom of his fathers dinner pail. containing a pint of molasses. In his pockets were two big rutabaga turnips, a quarter pound of red pepper and a new tin nutmeg grater
 Jack walked in the middle of the road, because the dust was deeper there and offered a soft cushion for the stone bruise on his heel. He limped along un- til he came to Mike Flaherty's stone wall, over which hung the dropping branches of an apple tree. The ginyfowers dandled 6 rosy invitation through the futtering leaves. bluebird cajoled him and the grass induced him to repose.
 The boy was hot tired and thirsty, and his heel hurt. Conscience whispered that his mother needed the nutmeg gra- ter that there was no molasses in the house. that the turnips must be cooked for his fathers supper and that the strap hung behind the kitchen door. But De- sire presented her arguments of red ap- pies, the sibilant whispering of leaves, the aIlurement of natures velvet carpet. the siren voices of birds and the enticement of m0lasses. What boy can resist when molasses exhales its entrancing odor?
 There was a brief struggle between Conscience and Desire, and then Jack was seated on the grass with the pail be- tween his knees. The forefinger of his right hand up to the second knuckle was dipped into the capering fluid, and so deftIy was the saccharine rope spiralled toward his mouth that not single drop fell upon his trousers Such look of beatltude overspread his face when the molasses trickled over his palatee.as the holy friar wore in the tenth century when he set beside a belt of malmsey witfrSa fiagon in his hand. o youth. bare feet and the juice of the sugar cane!
 Michael Flaherty was an irascible man. who kept the little boys and the cows off the railroad track with a red flag, a bIackthorne and a wooden leg. His iras- cibility was due to a red head, inherit ed. and to rheumatism and indigestion. Inadvertently acquired through drinking too much beer. These three affiictions formed a murderous combination, as his wife, a wiry. neurotic little woman, had frequent physical reasons to deplore.
 On the afternoon when Jack Doolan lis- tened to the voice of the tempter MT. Fla herty had taken a day off, and was seat ed on the rear portion of his chateau smoking bod carriers delight and hating everybody but himself. His wife,, who, with all his faults still loved him, be- cause he was only three-quarters of a man., came from the kitchen and divert ed his thoughts by telling him that there was boy in his favorite apple tree.
 Jack. seated in a crotch of the tree, had eaten two apples and was biting into a third when Flaherty appeared.
 Good day to you MT. Flaherty," said Jack. ''These are fine apples of yours. nave one,' and he threw big apple so slkilfully that it struck the enraged man full in the chest.
 What are you doing in my tree?' roared Flaherty.
 ''Well, seein' as how you have wood en leg and couldn't climb, I thought I'd pick them for you" said the boy. his jaws working merrily while his Jocund laugh ter turned all the blood in Flaherty's veins into vinegar.
 Come down out O that, or I'll break every bone in your body" said Flaher- ty, holding up half a brick in a threaten ing manner.
 I'm comin', I'm comin." said Jack, hopping from limb to limb. When he