Year: 1874

1t was q watering place coun'


try hotel, where there was spring OF


horrible water, which tasted like
well, I can't think Of any thing dis


agrecble enough to compare it to


where all this happened. 1t was at


the end Of the season, and the fall


winds were beginning to blow and
most of the ladies and gentlemen,
who had been spending the sum-
mer, enjoying the pure air and max
ing believe to enjoy the horrible
water, were expecting to depart in
day or two. On the particular
afternoon of which l am writing, a
large portion of the company were
out on a lawn, and several Of them
had croquet mallets in their hands.
But they were all gathered around
a tall pine tree, which stood in one
corner of The lawn. This tree had
a very long, slender trunk, with a
few branches almost at the very top.
And on one Of these branches there
hung a lady's hat-a pretty little
hat, trimmed with flowers and lace,
with a blue veil, which was now
wrapped around and around the
branch. This hat had just been
whirled from the head of the young
lady who owned it, by a sudden
gust of wind. This lady was very
much annoyed by the accident.


''It's too bad,' said she. 'I am
going home tomorrow, and that is
the only hat l have to travel in. |
can't stay here until l can send to
the city for an nOther.


Some one suggested q bonnet to
go home in.


"No," said she. "I don't want to
travel in a bonnet, or straw hat,
either. Can't somebody get my
hat down ~


"Look here, boys" cried one of
the gentlemen, to some of the wait
ers. who were just coming out of
the house. CPL give dollar to
any one who will get that hat"


The walters then came down to
the tree, and one of them started to
climb it. But he found it q hard
job. The bark was smooth, for a
pine tree, and by the time he had
gone up fifteen or twenty feet he
was glad to slide down again. The
gentleman now doubled lis offer
and another tried, and another, but
neither climbed as high as the first
man. Then another gentleman adj
ded two dollars to the prize, and
more walters came, and also boys
from the hotel and the neighbor-
hood, and they all tried, and all
failed. By this time there was quite
a lively crowd around the tree, and
a young man in red neck-tie said
it was real jolly-ever so much bet
ter than croquet. Then three more
gentleman added two dollars each
to the prize, and the excitement be-
came intense. Everybody, who
could climb at all, tried the tree,
but not one got one. third the way
up. Then, as it was necessary to
keep up the fun, and as his money
seemed very safe, the young man in
the red neck tie offered five dollars
more. And just at this moment
Jimmy Clarke came running down
to see what was the matter. jim
my was about eleven years old,
a bright, smart fellow, and as active
as cat. His mother was widow,
who lived on a very little farm,
about half a mile from the hotel.
When Jimmy saw what had hap
pened, and that fifteen dollars were
offered for the recovery of the hat,
his eyes sparkled. He was q read
ing boy, and he remembered what
he read, and it now flashed across
his mind that the savages in the
Pacific islands climbed higher and
smoother trees than that. And what
is more he knew how they did it.


Without saying a word, he turn
ed and ran for the woods as fast as
his legs would carry him. In very
few minutes he return ed, carrying a
piece of grapevine about half an
inch thick, and five or six feet long.
With this in his hands he bounded
into the crowd at the foot of the
tree.


"Is it fifteen dollars" he cried,
''for any one who gets that hat 2"


"It was fifteen dollars," said an
elderly gentleman who stood near
the tree. "but now it has gone up
to twenty. Can you climb that tree,
my boy y


tlT o,, ro;,u 70 trx- cir1 said