The Sauk Centre herald., 1909-12-30

standing parity open. What more
| could l ask? | went Up to the gate
and peeped in. The first thing saw
in fact, the on'y thing l saw-was a
dog 1t was bow-legged dog, with
the most distressing face ever seen
on any domestic animal / said,
Come here, Fido," and / think that is
where / had my mistake. l don't be-
! lieve that that kind of dog is ever
named Fido. Anyhow, he wouldn't
let me put ny fudge in the yard. In
fact, he wouldn't let me put it any
where. He bade me go back where
| came from; which | did, without
| wasting any time or any remarks
about it.
Then it occurred to me to give the
box away. Perhaps, thought, some
body might be very glad of a load of
| fudge So, when l came upon a
couple of painters in smeary overalls
raising ladder against the side of a
house, stopped and casually inquired
| if they ever INDUCED in confections.
| One of them said, Il don't know what
you're talking about, brother" and
the other one said, "Yank her up
| about foot more, Jake" and then,
| after trying the rope, they both went
clambering up the ladder without pay
| ing any further attention to me.
| | judged from this that had not
been altogether tactful. 1t occurred
! to me, also, that it was a mistake to
| offer candy in this otf-hand fashion to
| adults, especially strange adults. Ac-
cordingly, l crossed over the street
to where some boys and girls were
| jumping about on the sidewalk.
| sauntered up to them and said,
Hello! Playing hopsco,ch, are your
They all stopped and looked at me.
| Only one of themAa little girl
! seemed TO have any manners, and she
said, No, ma m; it's hop-skip-and-a-
| jump"
| said, is that so? Well, we'll
Then, smiling like a Santa Claus,
| held out the shoe-box. Here" l said
is lot of nice candy for you all
Evidently these children were not
| accustomed to getting candy by the
box. A couple of peppermint sticks
or bag OF gumdrops would probably
| have proved more home-like and in
yiting. At all events, this siX-pound
| offering did not seem to appeal to
| them. 1t may have been the shoe-bo2
certainly did not take to it very cheer
fully. In fact. they didn't take to il
! at all. AS | advanced with it they all
backed of, and one little fellow ran
into the house.
Then the talest boy of the group
his cheeks spattered with freckles
| doubled up his fists and growled al
! me. | said, See here, my boy, whats
the matter with you? This is fudge
nice, homemade candy-a whole box
full. Don't you want it,
gave his mouth a stretch to one
side and said, "Aw, go on with youl
old fudge. You're crazy!"
1 let him know that that was moi
the way to talk 10 gentleman, and il
| return / was told to go chase myself
whereupon, probably fearing that
was going to throw the box at them
the. whole crowd of youngsters scamp
cred Off
This decided me to get on a car anC
go home with my fudge. | could give
it to my mother, Or feed it to the
chickens, perhaps. had walked these
three blocks in the hope of losing il
before boarding an avenue car, with
| its Fashionable afternoon traffic; bu
! il seemed to me now that it would bt
| more wholesome to swallow my pride
On street car than to be making &
| spectacle of myself on the open high
! way.
| was fortunate in getting aboari
with a number. of others, so that die
not attract any special attention; an(
when / took my seat l managed t.
hide the box pretty we'll by placing il
close beside me. l thought once O
letting it fall out of the window, bu
the sash back of me was closed, and
did not venture to open it for fear o1
stirring up attention. Then, after {
little while, large man got in an(
came and sat down on the box. ] die
not see him in time to get it out O.
his way. The bursting of the Liz
made quite a noise and aroused gen
eral interest The man was extreme
ly apologetic as l pulled the deformet
box from under him, and he said ht
hoped he had not hurt the shoes any
| said, -Oh, that's all right! Have {
piece" and / tried to lift up a corner
of the cracked lid
He said, mo, thanks" and went ou
and stood with the conductor.
Casting about for some means of re
lieving my embarrassment, / discov
cred that there was space under the
seat, and after a moment or two
slowed the box down there, out o.
sight. 1t was evidently the righ
thing to do, for the passengers stopped
looking at me and l quickly regainet
my composure.
When got OF left the box behind
Only one man in the car noticed it
and he came after me with the box
He was dilapidated, trampish-look
ing fellow, with sad eye and a rub
Der collar, and when he caught w
with me half way down the block he
said, Say, cap, if you don't wan,
| these here shoes would Won mind mass