The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1905-02-02

dozen flights of stairs by some furious
editor. 1t never entered my head that
any one at all literate and up to date
would accept it. Imagine my surprise
and chagrln, then, when 1 happened
to run across it in one of the Leading
publications of the day. 1t was very
easily recognized, though it was neither
Eccentric Folk" nor peculiar People"
now, but sported the rather catchy
caption of "Queer Characters"
glanced it over. It had suffered con-
siderable changes. L looked for the
story of the Irishman or German and
found it. Here is his version of it:
GA young Yankee friend of my ac-
quaintance had misappropriated some
of the schools funds of which he was
the treasurer. He was promptly ar
rested by the directors of said school
and taken before an old township
justice. The judge, fat, jovial old
fellow, after placing his gold-rimmed
spectacles in their proper position,
focused his kindly eyes upon the way
ward Yank, whose name was Hiram
Silt, and said Now, Hiram, what
have you to say in mitigation of this
crime with which you are chargedr'
"It's all the fault of my cussed
generosity, your honor
"'Your generosity p said the judge,
mildly surprised. How is that?'
"Wal, I'll tell ye,' said Silt, L
happened to know of a young fellow
that's been goin' with gal for nigh
onter three years now, and he had
promised to marry her this fall. But
his crops failed, his barn burnt, he lost
horse an cow and had purity tough
luck all around. When it come fall
hefeund edidn'tshaveeBou nsncy-
to get married on. He was in an
awful misery, that fellow was, fer his
gal would likely as not go back on him.
too, now. Well, here is where my
derned generosity comes in. Says to
myself, 'Hy, there is fellow that
could be made happy with few dollars
if he only had 'em. Now there is that
school money doin' nobody any good
where it is. I'll just borrow part of
it-enough to give the poor fellow
lift-and pay it back before it's noticed
Wal, 1 did it an here 1 am.'
"'That was a kindly act on your
part said the old judge visibly moved.
The deed was bad but the motive was
good. Pay that money back as soon as
you can. You are discharged. Oh, by
the way he added, what was the
young mans name whom you thus
relieved?'
"Hiram Stilt,' replied the brazen
youth"
That evening when the future liter
ary light came home confronted him
with the article and accused him of
plagiarizing Bainsworth. I read him
a lesson that was pregnant with ex-
pletives. I scowled and sneered and
laughed him to scorn. l told him
where he was at in no uncertain terms.
I showed him how low and mean and
despicable was the practice in which
he INDUCED. I enlarged upon the
contemplate littleness of plagiarists
in general and him in particular. I
exposed the nefarious traffic in which
he was engaged from beginning to
!. end After my violent TRADE I fell
exhausted into chair. had glanced
at him from time to time while speak
ing in the hope of detecting some sign
of shame or remorse, but there was
none. On the contrary there was a
bland smile upon his classic features
that was exasperating to behold.
"Well," he laughed, "are you through ?
Say, you are certainly all right. Why
don't you hire out to some show as
, a spieler
, I did not deign to answer him. L
was mortified and disgusted. My
scheme had been an utter failure. I
, had lost all hope of redeeming him.
. "I thought the stuff was yours" he
4 reiterated" and did not want to see
it go to waste. So, after had put a
4 few finishing touches onto it, took it
0 down to - who was tickled to get it,
0 and l got an x for it."
D And to this day I rather regret that
? the x he received did not indicate
wears instead of dollars.
Fl EMERITUS.