The new South-news., 1907-11-09
BY c. a. STEPHENS.

TO iAiN IT. DIX on un went over 10 the
Number . schoolhouso that very night
and looked in We could see no Sign
of the meioie1n On our way back
we called at the Darnlcy farm and
asked Newman and Rufus II they
knew anything about A. They only
laughed az us. We could learn moth
Ink whatever from them.
The nows spread rapidly. We made
Inquiries everywhere. Even the young
est scholars and little children over
IN Number . were cnioled and ques-
TONED as opportunity offered, in the
hope Of picking 10 a clue. The teacher
In that district. too. as well as several
or the older persons. took the matter
mp. and questioned the boys closely.
But not "A thing could be learned
So may as well relate here what
had happened. although The facts did
not all come out until twenty yess
later.
Our suspicious concerning the Mum
Der . boys were wcll-fuundcd: but OF
tho four who had come to our musical
entertainment that Friday evening.
only one OF them. Newman Darnloy.
was concerned IN the capture of the
melodcon. The three others knew
nothing about A.
On that Saturday afternoon New
man had gone 10 mill, four mics from
home, with grist OF corn and barley.
His road lay through Number II aud
beyond a. As II was late IN the day.
he had TO wait MS turn al the mill
TIL evening. and meanwhile he fell In
with u crony of his. named Alfred
baitellow. a boy whose habits were far
from good. To pass the time they
called at rather disrcputable grocery
near the mill. and had a drink of hard
elder.
S7Ex,rn "A a. e1e % tTs t,v-r ~ ss
mill TIL after nine o'clock IN the even
ing, Alfred set off with him. On their
way they stopped at n public house.
known az ribbctts' Tavern. to talk
with the drivers OF two teams which
were conveying supplies to a lumber
camp up In the great woods near the
boundary, and had put up at Tibbetts'
for the night These supplies formed
bulky loads of boxes and barrels,
slowed on two long sleds which stood
In front OF the tavern.
The schoolhouse In Number IL was
at the forks of the road. half mile
from Tibbotts and II was after lcay-
Ing the tavern. on their way home.
that the two, feeling fit FOR some prank
hatchod the plan OF taking our melo-
deon and hiding it in one of those
loads of supplies bound for the lum-
her-camps
The scheme presented itself TO them
as an enormous Joke. They drove
home with the grist but after New
mans parents aud the rest OF the
household supposed that the two had
gone TO bed. they sailed forth again.
procured a box. hammer and nails,
and taking hand-sled returned to
the schoolhouse. by this time the
night was well advanced. No one was
got out the melodeon, boxed it up
along with its legs and the school
Songs" then hauled Il TO the tavern
by this time everyone at rihbctts'
was sound asleep: and the two boys
found little difficulty In overhauling
one of the leads enough to slip the
box inoonspicuously inside &C. This
done. they sneaked away home. vastly
ticklcd over what they deemed ire
meudous joke ON the "nahobs' OF
Number II.
Early the next morning the supply
teams went on their way with their
leads to the lumher-oamp, seventy
miles to the north Aud even after
the melodcon was discovered in the
load, Il was supposed to have been sent
20 the losgers by some friend or char
table person, to hoguile their soant
leisure time. The loseers received IL
With delight without n thought that
IL was not designed for them.
A reed instrument like a melodeon
is hardly adapted 10 Terpsichoresn
strains. But those loggers contriyed
10 dance to Il. OF the thirty men at
this camp. twenty-four were French
Canadians. and there we're two among
them who could play H. They played
everything on II, including jiss of
quickest time and widest movement.
| Really. the pleasure those loggers
took from il was worth the price OF
the mclodeon-s';hough Il would have
been hard to bring the bsreaved scho,.
ars in Number II 10 think SO. We
were filed Wit hanger. and found no
consolation. Master Pearson. too. was
quite AS inconsolahle. He missed the
melotcon sadly
Worse even than the loss was the
sense Of being completely haflied as ;e