The Washington herald., 1906-11-25
The Cost OF n Zebrn Team.

Once upon q time there was a profess
! sor, very clever man-so clever, IN fact,
/ that he was really a magician.
He lived in a cottage by himself IN the
country. and all the people around knew
about him and his magic-except a little
boy. called Johnny. who had only lately
come 10 live in the neighborhood.
/ One morning this little boy stood look
/ ing through the professors window
which was open-watching him at work
/ 1t seemed very funny work 70 Johnny
/ the professor was pounding something
up in sort Of basin.
Whatever are you doing?" he said at
last
The professor looked up with a start
for ne had not noticed Johnny. He wore
speetacles. for be was quite an old man.
and he looked through them kindly and
smiled I'm making pills. he answered
pills" And Johnny backed a little
from the window; for. you see. he
thought Of ordinary pills.
The professor guessed at once what
! Johnny thought
Not pills for the cure Of Illness" he
/ explained; but faults-such as bad
temper, greediness, sulkiness, and sell
! hshness."
Surprise Conquered Fear.
OH said Johnny, coming nearer TO
the window again. He had never heard
Of pills for the cure Of faults before
have you?-and though he supposed they
were just q nasty as the other kind, his
surprise conquered his fear. and he
watched the professor with greater inter
| est than before And then he was told
as children often are told by gTown-ups
when they are getting dreadfully inter-
ested in things-to run away
I am very busy" explained the pro-
| fessor; 'and I never let anybody watch
me when I come TO the magic part Of
the pill-malsing" CAT the mention Of
magic" Of course, Johnny wanted TO
stay more than ever. Run away, little
boy II you please"
And Johnny did run away. but not
! very far; and after a time he saw the
| professor come out Of his cottage, and,
locking the door behind him, set out FOR a
walk. And when the professor was out
/ of sight, Johnny went back to the cot
! tage and peeped in at the window again
There was nothing on the table now
the basin and all the bottles and boxes
| there had been lots when Johnny looked
before) had been put away; but gazing
around the room, he saw a number Of
! little round boxes standing on a shelf
| like ordinary pill boxes. And a sudden
naughty, nlischievous desire took posses
| sion Of him 10 see what the pillS-the
magic pills-inside were ike.
| The window was still open, and a few
| moments later Johnny had climbed
! through twas standing on a chair and
| looking at the professors pills; but, as
| he was looking at them, a step outside
startled him. so that he dropped the box
| in his hands and knocked two others
off the shelf, The step had not been the
/ professor Sit passed by the cottage: but
the pills had rolled over the floor in every
! direction. and Johnny felt dreadfully
| frightened. They were all mixed now, Of
course; but he didn't think Of that as he
gathered them hastily W and put them
| into the boxes; and when he scrambled
out Of the window again, before the pro-
fessor returned, he thought there was no
harm done, after all
A few days later Johnny went TO the
cottage again, 20 watch the professor
making pills. and 10 try to persuade him
to let him see the magic part" But
when he looked through the window, no
basin, or bottles, or boxes stood upon the
table, and thought the professor was IN
the room, he sat with his face buried In
his hands At JOhnny's cry Of dismay he
looked IN. and Johnny thought he looked
much older than when he had seen him
before
Whatever IS the matter?" he said.
The Professors Grief,
s'NTatferDI eaF5 fha professOr. md no
spoke in a very sad voice" matter