Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1906-09-05
BEN's BIRTHDAY GOAT.


long, though, for after he had lived
in Ben's back yard for three days and
had devastated the flower beds and
charged and put to flight the grocery
boy as he was trudging up to the back
door with his basket, Ben's mother
said kindly but firmly that William
]. Thompson must find another home.
Sadly Ben went down into the yard,
united the white goat from the clothes
post and slowly led him out of the
back gate and down the road to the
village. At the crossroads he met
Dick Lloyd.
"S'that your goat?" inquired Dick.
Mop" said Ben. Mother won't
let me keep him."
1--we got an express wagon" said
Dick. "S'pose we go partners and
start an express route"
Bully" cried Ben. Can you keep
him at your house?"
Well" said Dick, thoughtfully.
"mcther's sick in bed and I don't
think it's a good time to ask her to
let me keep goat. But if We keep
him in the cellar and tell her after
he's been there a week. and show her
he's been so good and quiet she didn't
even know he was there, and he has
not been the least bit of trouble, I'm
sure she would let him stay. Let's
try it anyway"
So 1t was agreed and the boys
walked on to Dicks house leading
William ]. THOMPSON. When they got
near the back gate Dick went ahead
to see If the coast was clear. He
peeped in at the kitchen window.
Bridget was not there. Back he ran
to Ben. Come uuick!" he called.
So Ben and William j. Thompson
and Dick ran nm to the house and
clattered down into the cellar.
Nov" said Ben. "yoa run and get
some straw for a bed and I'll get
some carrots for him to eat and then
he'll be quite all right"
Everything would have been all
right if Bridget had not gone down
into the cellar that evening to get
some notatoes. William ]. Thompson
heard her footsteps, and, expecting
more CARROTS rose on his hind legs
with ioyous "n-a.a.a-a!"
Bridget gave one look and dropping
the candle fled shriekins an the eel
.snra ana tbere,s an awfu, crea.
+,,ra with horns downstairs. lis a
h,nsba. ;rdod. II is,n
Mr. Lloyd heard the noise and rush
cd down ia the kitchen, He peered
ca,tionslv into the darkness from tho
ton Of Tho cellar sta,rs cure enoug.,.
N aro ,y.s tho gleaninp ewes and sbad.
owv horns Rnt inst then the Main.
tive ..n-a.,.a,, sounded again and Mr..
Lloyd stepped boldly down and draa-
ged forth the luckless goat.
"Dick." he asked severely, chow did
this animal get here?n
ITS Ben,s birthday goat" confess
ell Dick I'VE wanted to keep him to
run the express wagon"
Mr. Ijovd looked from his crestfal.
len son to Bridget. who sat with the
anron over her head rocking back
ward and forward. Then he laughed
"ra,e the goat ont in the ward"
he said. ri persuade mother to let
Won keen him. Elizabeth Well, in
the Washington Star.
49,
FUNNY BEGINNINGS OF WORDS,
There are some very funny stories
told about the deriyations of words
since people are likely to twist theil
language into strange forms. Thus
the Pope is even today called by the
name "pontifex," which boys in the
Latin class all know, is taken by him
from the title of the old Roman
PRIESTS. Now "pontifex' means bridge
builder and it is true that the Ro
man priests in the early days of the
republic were in charge of bridges;
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