The Holt County sentinel. (Oregon, Mo.) 1883-1980, 1912-11-15
The RED. HEADED
BOYS BIG BONFIRE

When q young woman has Just I'M.
ished hanging out q perfectly good
wash on perilous lines run on pulleys
from the back porch Of her fat to the
telephone pole In the alley. no right.
minded person could blame her for
losing her temper II a red.headed boy
with q wide mouth and the ingenuity
Of q fiend should start o smudgy bon
fire directly below.
The red.headed boy worked In
simms grocery, one Of the stores that
occupied the ground floor Of the fiat
building. He was pokins the IRE as
though he enjoyed II when Miss
Clancy saw him.
Say, you. Tommy Herkimer!" Miss
Clancy called threateningly. See
what you're doing to my wash"
Tommy grinned up at her and gave
the fire another stirring. Great clouds
Of smoke and black smudges wavered
upward. seeking the chaste Wilderness
Of the Clancy linen.
stop ~" Miss Clancy shrieked.
shaking one fist In the offenders dl.
rcction. The fist was small and white,
for II was Miss Clancy's mother who
had washed the clothes. her pretty
daughters share In the work being the
hanging out process. Mrs. Clancy was
! proud Of Sadie's hands Just az she
was proud Of Sadie's crisply curling
black hair and blue eyes and the gen.
| rral freshness Of her. stop II, say
You're horrid and II you don't stop
| IL I'll"
"YHh.hh'" yelled Tommy. drrisive.
/ ~. II amt afraid Of you. Sadie Clan.
cy' You can't do nothin!"
/ Sadie Clancy shot down the ono
/ fight Of stairs like an angry comet
and catarultcd toward Tommy. Drop
ping the broom handle with which he
WIS stirring the fire. Tommy bottled.
! with Sadie after him. lie darted to.
ward the back door Of the grocery and
sworcod Just MS that door filed with
the bulk Of young Simms himself
Yourc Simms being Sadle's devoted
worsnIper. Tommy recognized that
here was no safe haven. Indeed. after
a breathlcss word from Sadie. Slmms
also Joined the chase down the alley
!
wagons he caught his foot In the
trailing lines and pitched headlong In
the dust.
pickles and prunes!" young Simms
exploded as he staggered M.
"Oh. did you hurt yoursc,fF Sadie
{ cried. looking around In horror Right
/ In her course was the water hydrant
oh enA ts.I
the alley pavement.
Don't you know anything worse
than that" she gaspcd out furious,y
ms Simms picked her up. roaring
Coffee cakes and buns! Let mo got
my hands on HIM"
Tommy. who had paused Interested.
~ to view the unexpected gymnastics,
was doubled up In mirth. lie began
to run aeain when his furious pur.
sucrs darted toward him. Spying an
open door into the basement under
T.eigh's furniture store. he dashed In
and his pursucrs followed. Sadie was
In the lead. Rounding some crates of
dressers. she saw human object
shrunk up close TO the last crate. She
grabbed II with a shrek Of triumph.
to which the object responded with =
howl. Young simms. arriving, also
grabbed.
'Gotchu!" the object yelled In terri.
BILE glee. "Y'will play tag In my base
ment and carve initials all over the
mahogany. will yer? TIT teach you
Kids q lessoni I've been a.layin for
yen and now I've got yeh!"
Leigh. the furniture man. a. ne
spoke was shaking Sadie and young
simms. occasionally knocking their
heads together for emphasis. Sudden.
~ the size Of Simms seemed 10 con.
fuse him and he jerked his captives
into the light Of . gas jet.
Good land" Leigh gursled, releas.
Ing his hold. He stared at his neigh.
bors whom he had been shaking.
"Why-why--" stammered Leigh
and sat down meekly. Then he gave
a sort Of groan and scrambled to his
feet. He had sat down IN bucket Of
varnish.
"Oh.h.h.h!" Sadie wept Historically,
clinging to young Simms. He put his
| arm UTouUu NV pTOteC'iuSiy ouu JoIu'
med II against a nail point that was
projecting through one Of the uprights
In the wall.
"W'oo.o.of!" roared Simms. clasping
his wound
Somewhere In the distance OF tho
basement there was q strangled but
demoniac laugh that sounded az
though emanating from q red.headcd
boy with q wide mouth.
LET him co." said young Simms as
he put his arm around Sadie again.
Somehow don't seem to mind him
now-do you. Sadie?"
Lets help Mr.. Leigh get that var
nish of him." paid Sadie with very
pink cheeks, She did not move away
from the arm, Anyhow, mas taken
the clothes In by now!"-Chicago
Daily News.