Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-01-09

and other fruit without paying fo- the
sa me made him confident of success and
his conscience did not trouble him. for
was he not going to night a wrong done
to his mother Prudence caused him
TO keep his plans TO himself. as unres-
sonable objections might be offered.
Two heads are better than one, he
had heard his father say. but in a case
like this one head was amply sufficient
1t was Saturday evening, and he knew
the corner grocery would be open until
10 o'clock. Waiting until dark. h.
slipped to the kitchen. picked up the
basket. the cabbage stiil in it, and. un-
observed, pa ssed out of the back door
and into an adjacent alley. H~urrying
forward. he presently came out near
the corner grocery. Keeping IN the
shadow, he watched proceedings. He
saw Mr.. OHara passing out and In. At
tending to his customers. and when he
entered the store and was appa rentlN
occupied ar the back part Larry rushed
Onward. Quickly catching up a laTr
muskmelon, he pla ced il in his basket
1t has been his intention TO leave tn
ca bbaSe, but a new idea came TO him.
A few doors away was the OIfara home.
and Larry had noticed that the parlor
window was open. Former observ3tifn
had taught him that about this time
Ned Fitzgerald would be counting KIT .
O'Hara in the front parlor. and he con-
cluded this would be a good place to
leave the despised vegetable. ORA wi :
near, he hurled the cabbage hroUsh the
open window. and il landed i'm kfttle
OlHara's lap. OF course. there was a
scream from Miss O'11ara and a pro-
fame remark from Mr.. Fitzgerald. but
Larry did not wait to hear then. lie
was sculrying down the alley foi Tome.
Entering the kitchen. he left the tasfet
where he had found it. and then Joined
his family. His absence had not been
noticed.
The next morning being Sunday. Mrs.
--. l-., ,.- -
getting breakfast so the family could
attend early church. Mr.. Murphy vas
looking into a small mirror by a win
dow and was trying to remove a heavy
growth of beard with a very dull razor.
The operation was somewhat painful.
and Mr.. Murphy occasionally used
words not strictly OF a religious nature.
In his efforts and contortions his elbow
struck a basket near by. 1t fell TO the
floor and from ii rolled a muskmelon
F., AT the sight of il Mrs. Murphy threw
up her hands.
For the heavens sake she ex-
claimed. Look there. Tom There's a
] muskmelon."
was a cabbage replied the equally as
tonished Mr.. Murphy. 1t must have
been a melon all the time. an We he
fussin' for nothin' about Tim o'Hsra.
II dunno" said the bewildered M,~
| Murphy. Mir. O'IIara said maybe the
divil changed the melon into a cabbs ee
on me way home, an I'm hinkin' 70"
he's right an the diviI has changed :
back to a melon. Anyhow, Tom n
ply. yerself did see it was a cat'
I brought home
Sure. | thought II was a cabbll
was the puzzled reply. Then a brii a.
| thought came to him. I'm thinkin I
have IL. Moliie. | be talkin' 10 an e.
| docthor last wake, an he he sa, ~
that most Everybody have optercai q
lutherins at times. an can't tell .
differ Of things. That's what we've " D
an optercal delutherin-an' we g; .
tell the differ between 4 melon ar l
cabbage"
At this moment there was a ran ri
the door. aud. opening il, Mr., OH =
appeared. I'm wanting 20 know. y
Murphy he demanded. ~au2rily, "r'a >
yersilr or yer boy. Larry. that thro' 4
| a cabbage into me parior last nig5t
We did not. Larry an me va :
out of the 30 Use last night" snaI ID
/ Mrs. Murphy. we've got an opts' =
de!utherin, Mr.. O'Hars. an more'n :
ly it was a '-leloD Instead Of n y
page that got into yer parlor. Go IL .
| an look. for the divil may have made
a change for We while we're gone"
'Optercal delutherin"' calculated N"
bewildered O1Iara as he turned aTav.
Now. what in the name of soodr So
De the meanin' OF that"
CTfIE END