Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-09-26
SANDMAN STORY
BY Mrs. +. A. Walker.
Copyright. 1915. by Mcclure News onpcr
Syndicate New York CITY
RUJY MOUSE'S RIDE

Mrs mouse had selected very safe
place in which 10 bring up her little
family. and If Billy Mouse had minded
his mother all would have been well
with the Mouse family.
The barn where they lived was lar
away from the farmhouse and other
buildings, and there were no traps
or cats. for Mrs. Mouse was a very wise
mother and only ate the gram she lound
on the floor, and she taught her faIniiy
that safety was Mouscland's first law.
But little Billy Mouse was curious.
lie wanted TO know where the iarmer
went once week with the bags oil corn.
He did not tell his mother this or she
would have saved Billy Mouse from no
end Of trouble.
Billy did not stop to think that bags
were brought back empty lie only
thought of a way 10 find out what he
wished to know. :.
"I wonder" he said to himself one
day rs he watched the farmer load the
bags of corn on the wagon, Il wonder
whv | could not hide in one OF those
bags and find out just where he goes,
And that was Just what sllly niue
Billy Mouse did the next time he iound
n bag of corn onen. He ran in and md
in the middle of the corn, and pretty
soon along came the farmer and ted
up the bag.
Then Billy Mouse felt big thump
and he knew he was in the wagon, and
that he soon would discover all he wished
to know.
Rattle, rattle; jolt, jolt, went the
wagon o vcr the road and then IT stopped,
and bang Billy Mouse went on the floor
Of n bio store with the bag OF corr.
Billy waited and waited, but nothing
happened. and AZ last growing tired
of the dark and stiffness he began to
move about. and then TO gnaw hole
in tho bag
out he jumped without the least
bit of fear, for he had never had to be
afraid where he lived.
lie had not run far however when
he saw a pair of big fiery eyes, looking
at him, and then something sharp hit
him right on his little head,
Squeak" went Billy, and then he
felt himself trembling. and then he
went bang on hard floor
This place is fun Of bangs, thought
Billy MS he jumped up and ran behind
barrel. and hy the time the big puss
who had tumblcd him downstairs reached
the bottom Billy was safe out OF heI
way
il was a good thing for Billy Mouse
he cellar stairs were 50 close or thk
would re the end of the story.
i}v aud hv puss went away and BIN
climbed up the side Of the barrels and
ran inside where he found lot Of empty
baCs Into ono Of these he crtwled anu
went to sleep
The ncxt thing he knew the bags
were being taken out Of the barrel, and
bumn again he went and then Rattle
rattle: Jolt. Jolt went the wagon, foi
what 10 YOU suppose had happened:
Just this, Lucky Billy Mouse had
crawlcd into an empty rag belonging
to tho farmer and was on his way hom'
Bang" went the hags on the barn
floor and it did not take Billy long to
get out and run for home
When he told his mother and brother
and sisters about the Ing adventure
they were too surprised 70 say any
thing an,t Billy Mouse became here
right then and there
But his mother took him aside ano
told him the danger he had been IN anc
tho terrible risk he had run, 50 that
Pillv never wanted to take 4 ride ol
was curious about anything outside
his homo IN the iarn, for il seemed (
him the world must lie filled with cats
and traps from all that his mother tolt
hin,