The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-12-20
THAT SKINNER BOY.
He Starts With a Bag of Feathers
for His Aunt's.

AOr [1uNtS.
"Humpy." said Mrs. Skinner. the
other Saturday morning, when I was
over to your Aunt Sarahs yesterday
she offered to give me a hat for three
| r'ounds of geese feathers to put into
| Ter bed. I've got that many in bag
Upstairs that 1 shall never use, and 1
want you to take them over this morn
! ing. Your father said he'd stop and
trder ton of coal, and when you get
ba ok you can have regular play-spell
bringing it in
frozen on the ponds yet" replied
Humpy. who was just getting ready to
| II axe a sneak.
You never mind the ice on the
Donds or anywhere else. but trot along
with those feathers. There'Ii be ice
enough before the winter is over. The
| Lag is tied up all right, and you don't
want to fool with it,
Three pounds is no weight for a boy
to carry in his hand, and Humpy
swung the bag to and fro as he walked
aiong the street, thinking of the many
sad hours in boys life. He had got
| TWO blocks from home when he met
that Watkins boy. OF course, the latter
| wanted to know the contents of the
bag, and when informed he said:
"Now. isn't that funny 1 was just
-eadfng this morning that Jeffries was
working his muscle up by punching
thing. We can hang it to a limb
Mother told me to be awful care
full protested Humpy
i And we will be, but we want
came along and gave you a cuff on the
car, you'd want to know how to upper
ut him, wouldn't you?''
The bag was hung up and punched
TIL both boys were tired out, and it
had just been lowered down when
along came a dog and seized it and
made off, shaking 1t as he went. He
was followed for two blocks before
be entered an open gate and Humpy
recovered the bag. Then the woman of
the house came out and demanded:
boy, what right have you got to
take anything away from my dog?"
He had my bag Of feathers"
"Bag of feathers. Whoever heard
The like? It's more like to be a leg o.
hutton the butcher sent me, knowing
that it was my birthday. Just hold on
till I see. It's got to be sharp boy
TO fool me-
Humpy had the bag and he ran
way, and the woman's cries of "Po-
--ce!" did not stop him. 1t was po-
ijceman in front of a store who did.
He stepped out and blocked the way
erd said:
Don't be in such hurry, young
man. I think you are just the chap
want. Vanderbilt's house was robbed
, g silverware last night. and a general
alarm has been sent OUT
I'm no robber,'' stoutly replied
Humpy.
"That remains to be SEEN This
lon't feel heavy enough for silver.
What's in the bag?"
Feathers"
boy, don't lie to me! You are al
eady under suspicion, and don't make
it worse: We shall see if they are
feathers"
He united the bag and reached in
his hand and arm. and the feathers
began to fly down the street.
Didn't 1 say SOP" shouted Humpy.
Eyes, you did, and I'm a good mind
t. give you the collar! Don't you know
that you could be send to prison
for fooling a policeman? You have no
right to have feathers in that bag
along with you, and be glad that I've
got soft corn and don't want to walk
&c the station
Humpy had turned two corners. and
thinking what he would have to eat
had he been sent to the state prison
when he came upon a woman at her
gate. She smiled at him and asked:
"Bubby, are you bringing my parrot
home?''
mo, ma'am Have you lost a par
"The finest bird you ever saw. DIR.
Cook discovered him at the North Pole
and brought him back with him. He
could speak in 10 languages. and cry
r
for just a minute the other day and
away he went. Then you haven't got
rim in the bas?"
Nom. These are feathers"
"Feathersi Can it be possible that
you are the boy who stole my feather
bed last year and have now become
I Observation-Disclosures and are bringing it
back?'
81 never stole no feather bed of any
body
1--WE shall see about that. Let ne
unite the bag. 1t was a beautiful
feather bed, filled with geese feathers.
and every feather had the initials of
my name on it. IF you don't let me
ZEE shall call the police
She opened the bag, squinted at the
feathers. and was about to claim them
when Humpy gave a yank and ran
| away He lost a good lot of feathers
| before he got where he could retie the
! lag. but he had saved the rest He
| could see no one on the street ahead
| of him now. and he was hurrying
along when ne ran into man who
| mad Just turned a corner. The man at
ence grabbed him and exclaimed:
We'll, this surely is luck! I had no
| idea you were within 10 miles of me.
Nephew, howdy DOR
| 81 never saw you before! said