Los Angeles herald., 1906-02-18


such as have come within the range
E0IF@tSN of my own personal observation to
- large extent. 1t is true, ! have
changed the names Of certain per-
sons and localities, and perhaps have very
slightly embellished some Of the more com
monplace incidents. Yet have no hesitation
in saying that my narrative is, as whoie,
based upon actual fact, and needs no help ol
overdrawn fiction to heighten its interest,"
PROLOGUE
Twenty years ago, we who were resioehCs
of the pleasant little seaboard town Oh sea
vile. generally mentioned Tom Ashurst'
Junior, as that Tom Ashurst. anu MnG -
a boy is spoken Of with such an emphasis, IL
generally means something. With us at sea
vile, it meant that he was the embodimen'
OF mischief. And the difference between pure
fun and pure mischief is as marked as 'n''
between poetry and rhyme.
But Tom Ashurst drew no such distinetloiis'
s. that he gratifed his mischieVous1oIihe
propensties, it mattered nothing 70 nm
whether other peoples feelings were hui' Vi
their property injured: cu;uor,
family horse in alternate stripes Oh reu, MI
and blue, till, as the deacon rather wIa E.
observed, "he looked like fourlegged foulen
o july" the fact that the gooq Ian + sp its
least The "fun of the thing" was his point.
Nor did the fact that he broke up Teilglous
meeting by throwing Mr.: bradley III, nr9 naner
collar, into the church yestry on certain
Sunday evening, cause him any compunctlous
feelings Indeed he rather prldea h1nsei
on his notoriety as the town mschiel-n lsh;oi
Opinions differed as to the way m which
Master Tom could best be cured OF his love Tor
practical Jokes. .u.. .,oras+ al
a sound thrashing for each and every such OIL
Tense. ILL
His mother tearfuly hoped that hath he would would
"outgrow it in time" Mr. Ashurst s.erhly
limited at the reform school.
But Doctor Mason, who had married Iom
only sister couple o. years sep pte some terri
Bile lesson resulting from his young Dfotner
inlaw's love of mischief would ever effect
permanent cure. -. D..
AS usual the doctor was right. But he
little thought how near this prophecy would
touch his own and his young wlfes hVes. et
SO it was, and it came about thus: :.
The doctor and his wife had been invited
out to tea, leaving their twin oaples-tneh q
wear old-in care of Tom, who was as much
at home at Doctor Mason's as under his
For. next to his sister Nell, Tom Ashurst
loved his small nephews, Jack and FRED, eae6
of whom he had endowed with tiny gold
ring, with their separate names engraved
thereon, on their first birthday.
at isn't every chap, in his sixteenth year,
that's got a pair of nephew's alike as two
peas in pod, )" he used to say, rather proudly,
to his schoolfellows.
His promise to play the guardian angel over
the slumbers of the twins was given IN such
apparent good faith that even the clear
headed doctor foresaw no suggestion OF mis-
chief.
ews, whatever else he does; SO don't worry,
dear" Doctor Mason had said, in answer to
some apprehensive doubts that were expressed
And, as the doctor was generally right in
his coniectures Mrs. Mason went on her way
rejoicing, with her husband. But the two
had scarcely turned the nearest corner, be-
fore Master Tom, winking facetiousy at him
self, began, in grave and deliberate manner,
to execute few steps of the Frog Hornpipe"
to the tune Of his own composition.
This was only the overture, so to speak, to
act number one.
nephew Jack from his comfortable place by
his little brother in a swinging cot, pack him
warmly in a large market basket, and, as
coolly as though he had been a dozen or SO
pounds of brown sugar, carry him across the
won't old Croly be, astonished, though,
when he finds stray baby on his doorstep!"
chuckled this bold, bad boy, gleefully, as he
carefully placed the basket ON the very TIRES
hold of Mr.. Croly's mansion. that gentleman
being testy old bachelor, who hated women
and babies with an intensity hardly to be de-
scribed.
Pulling the bell handle with jerk, Tom
scudded breathlessly back into the shadows of
Doctor Mason's front door, reasoning with
ing himself that little Jack, being under his
own eye. was perfectly safe But - Tom Ashust
For he reached his own side Of the street
inst in time TO run suddenly and Unexpectedly