The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1905-10-26

IA
! the secretary seized one shovel, tie
president the other, and they began 20
throw sand against the blazing pile.
The little band of spectators, follow
Ing Edwards example, tore away
boards, scooped up sand with their
hands, and stamped out the flames
that blazed up every now and again
in the long, dry grass in the field en-
closed by the race track.
Of course they could not seve the
| judges stand, but they could and did
keep the fire from spreading across the
track to the grand stand or over the
field to the other buildings.
No one did better work than Ed
ward He looked like a chimney
sweep when it was all over. He felt
worse than he looked, however, for he
was deeply chagrined. Beyond a
doubt, his neglect to replace the board
was responsible for the disaster. When
the crowd had melted away he seated
himself on the deserted grand stand
and stared gloomi4y at the shoulder
ing pile
That's the end of my rifle" thought
he. "Of course can't take my wages
after this, even if they're willing to
give me any. It'll take all my prize
money, and more, too, to pay for new
suit of clothes, for these are done for.
They've a nice opinion of me by this
time. They'll have to give up the
show on the tower and pay the aero
bats for what they've lost, suppose
hate to think of meeting the secre-
tary. He'll just take my head"
THAT you, Hicks?" The secretary's
Are you too tired to go to town on my
wheel and do an errand?"
Il shouldn't think you'd ever want
to trust me again." said Edward, bit
terly.
He leaped over the railing, however,
and Joined the secretary as he spoke.
Il was pretty mad az first" said the
man starting off, with Edward beside
him, toward the bicycle sheds. But
burnt child breads the fire, you know,
hear you've lost your eyebrows. l
want you to go to town as fast as you
can ride, wake up Sam Patterson, and
get him started out here-hes got a
horSe-juSt as soon as he's awake. Put
the wheel in his wagon and some back
with him.
when he's made an estimate of the
lumber needed for a new judges stand,
you're to take it to Mr. Mead's house,
get Mead up. and make him under
stand the he's got to get that lumber
here by six O'Clock sharp We've got
to have the stand done by two o'clock
tomorrow. Then you're to go to the
addresses on this list, engage these
four carpenters, and have them here
with their tools as soon as it's day
light. Understands
Yes" said Edward. you can de-
pend on me this time"
Il thought So l can't go myself,
for I've got to take those acrobats
somewhere and find beds for them.
Wares got them rolled up in rag car
pets to keep them warm Their tent
was burned and all their clothes. |
don't know which are worse off, the
three that are shivering in pink and
green tights or the two that lost their
spansles; but guess we'll find it east
er to rake up everyday clothes for
them than to get circus buds I'll be
back by the time you are, for it'll take
Matthews and me half the night to
straighten out the tickets and cash.
Tired as he was, Edward carried out
his instructions with faithful exact
ness. He managed to snatch two
hours OF sleep before six o'clock. but
he was careful to return then; for he
could drive nails as well as any one,
and he meant to do what he could to
repair the damage that his unfortunate
carelessness had wrought.
The secretary chuckled when he saw
Edward helping to clear the ground
for the new stand. It'll be a good
long while before he forgets to nail
another board on" he said to himself
Youths Companion