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} - hr.full { width: 100%; - margin-top: 3em; - margin-bottom: 0em; - margin-left: auto; - margin-right: auto; - height: 4px; - border-width: 4px 0 0 0; /* remove all borders except the top one */ - border-style: solid; - border-color: #000000; - clear: both; } - </style> -</head> -<body> -<h1 class="pg">The Project Gutenberg eBook, The Worst Boy in Town, by John Habberton</h1> -<p>This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States -and most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no -restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it -under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this -eBook or online at <a -href="http://www.gutenberg.org">www.gutenberg.org</a>. If you are not -located in the United States, you'll have to check the laws of the -country where you are located before using this ebook.</p> -<p>Title: The Worst Boy in Town</p> -<p>Author: John Habberton</p> -<p>Release Date: July 9, 2017 [eBook #55080]</p> -<p>Language: English</p> -<p>Character set encoding: UTF-8</p> -<p>***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE WORST BOY IN TOWN***</p> -<p> </p> -<h4>E-text prepared by David Edwards, Barry Abrahamsen,<br /> - and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team<br /> - (<a href="http://www.pgdp.net">http://www.pgdp.net</a>)<br /> - from page images generously made available by<br /> - Internet Archive<br /> - (<a href="https://archive.org">https://archive.org</a>)</h4> -<p> </p> -<table border="0" style="background-color: #ccccff;margin: 0 auto;" cellpadding="10"> - <tr> - <td valign="top"> - Note: - </td> - <td> - Images of the original pages are available through - Internet Archive. See - <a href="https://archive.org/details/worstboy00habbiala"> - https://archive.org/details/worstboy00habbiala</a> - </td> - </tr> -</table> -<p> </p> -<hr class="full" /> -<p> </p> -<p> </p> -<p> </p> - -<div class="body"> -<div class='figcenter id001'> -<img src='images/cover.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' /> -</div> -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c000' /> -</div> -<div class='figcenter id001'> -<img src='images/frontis.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' /> -<div class='ic002'> -<p><span class='small'>"A NAUTICAL EXPEDITION."</span></p> -</div> -</div> -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c000' /> -</div> -<div> - <h1 class='c001'>THE WORST BOY IN TOWN</h1> -</div> - -<div class='nf-center-c1'> -<div class='nf-center c002'> - <div>BY</div> - </div> -</div> - -<div class='nf-center-c1'> -<div class='nf-center c003'> - <div><span class='large'>JOHN HABBERTON</span></div> - </div> -</div> - -<div class='nf-center-c1'> -<div class='nf-center c000'> - <div>AUTHOR OF "BARTON EXPERIMENT," "OTHER PEOPLE'S CHILDREN,"</div> - <div>ETC., ETC.</div> - </div> -</div> - -<div class='nf-center-c1'> -<div class='nf-center c002'> - <div>NEW YORK</div> - <div><span class='large'>G. P. PUTNAM'S SONS,</span></div> - <div>182 FIFTH AVENUE</div> - <div>1880</div> - </div> -</div> - -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c000' /> -</div> - -<div class='nf-center-c1'> -<div class='nf-center c002'> - <div><span class='sc'>Copyright by</span></div> - <div><span class='large'>G. P. PUTNAM'S SONS,</span></div> - <div>1880.</div> - </div> -</div> - -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c000' /> -</div> - -<div class='nf-center-c1'> -<div class='nf-center c002'> - <div>TO VERY BAD BOYS,</div> - <div class='c000'>AND TO THE FINE OLD FELLOWS</div> - <div class='c000'>WHO ONCE WERE CALLED VERY BAD BOYS,</div> - <div class='c000'>THIS BOOK IS SYMPATHETICALLY DEDICATED</div> - <div class='c000'>BY THE AUTHOR.</div> - </div> -</div> - -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c000' /> -</div> -<div class='chapter'> - <h2 class='c004'>CONTENTS.</h2> -</div> -<hr class='c005' /> -<p class='c006'>CHAPTER</p> - -<p class='c007'>I—<a href='#ch01'><span class='sc'>A Nautical Expedition</span></a></p> - -<p class='c007'>II—<a href='#ch02'><span class='sc'>A Corner in Whiskey</span></a></p> - -<p class='c007'>III—<a href='#ch03'><span class='sc'>Injury and Restitution</span></a></p> - -<p class='c007'>IV—<a href='#ch04'><span class='sc'>Sharp Axes and Sharper Wits</span></a></p> - -<p class='c007'>V—<a href='#ch05'><span class='sc'>Experiments in Gravitation</span></a></p> - -<p class='c007'>VI—<a href='#ch06'><span class='sc'>Thoughts of Reform</span></a></p> - -<p class='c007'>VII—<a href='#ch07'><span class='sc'>In Trouble Again</span></a></p> - -<p class='c007'>VIII—<a href='#ch08'><span class='sc'>Fugitives from Justice</span></a></p> - -<p class='c007'>IX—<a href='#ch09'><span class='sc'>The Stool of Repentance</span></a></p> - -<p class='c007'>X—<a href='#ch10'><span class='sc'>Young America in Politics</span></a></p> - -<p class='c007'>XI—<a href='#ch11'><span class='sc'>A Quiet Little Game</span></a></p> - -<p class='c007'>XII—<a href='#ch12'><span class='sc'>Sweet Solace</span></a></p> - -<p class='c007'>XIII—<a href='#ch13'><span class='sc'>The Boy Who Was Not Afraid</span></a></p> - -<p class='c007'>XIV—<a href='#ch14'><span class='sc'>Paying for a Spree</span></a></p> - -<p class='c007'>XV—<a href='#ch15'><span class='sc'>Running Away</span></a></p> - -<p class='c007'>XVI—<a href='#ch16'><span class='sc'>Losing a Reputation</span></a></p> - -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c000' /> -</div> -<div class='chapter'> - <h2 id='ch01' class='c004'>CHAPTER I. <br /> <br /> A NAUTICAL EXPEDITION.</h2> -</div> - -<p class='c008'>"You're the worst boy in town!"</p> - -<p class='c009'>The speaker was Farmer Parkins, and -the person addressed was Jack Wittingham, only -son of the most successful physician in Doveton. -Farmer Parkins had driven to town quite early in -the morning to make some necessary purchases, and -he had been followed by his faithful yellow dog, Sam, -who had been improving the opportunity to make -some personal calls and tours of observation. One -of these last-named recreations carried him near the -back door of a butcher shop to which Jack had gone -to deliver an order for his mother. Adjacent to -the butcher's place of business was the shop of the -village tinman, and behind this were strewn sundry -kitchen utensils which had proved to be too badly -damaged to be mended. Jack had noticed the dog -when that animal first put in his appearance in -search of a scrap of meat or bone, and had thereafter -observed his motions with that peculiar interest -which dogs seem always to inspire in boys. -Then he happened to see a very dilapidated tea-kettle -behind the tin-shop, and when dogs and tea-kettles -become closely associated in the mind of a -boy, even if the boy himself be of excellent birth -and breeding, and quite tender-hearted beside, the -juvenile traditions of many generations have generally -the effect of causing the dog and the kettle to -enter into an entangling alliance which the animal -regards with accumulative aversion, and about -which the tea-kettle, whose expressions are ordinarily -so cheery, indulges in much unrythmical noise. -Into such a combination were Farmer Parkins' yellow -dog Sam and an old kettle forced very soon -after Jack first beheld them both, and as yellow -Sam hurried down street in an honest attempt to -rid himself of his superfluous tin-ware, and as Jack -followed him to note the results, with a view to the -more accurate affixing of tin kettles to the tails of -the dogs of the future, yellow Sam dropped exhausted -in front of his master's horses, and the dog's -master came out of a store near by, just as Jack, -with a fragment of barrel-hoop, was trying to stimulate -the animal to renewed exertion. It was then -that the farmer remarked, with admirable vigor,</p> - -<p class='c009'>"You're the worst boy in town!"</p> - -<p class='c009'>Jack had heard this very expression so many -times before that he was half inclined to believe it -true, yet how it could be a fact was a something -that bothered him greatly. He laughed when -Farmer Parkins said it, and he replied also, by several -facial contortions, which were as irritating as -they were hideous; he stuck his hands into his -pockets, and bravely tried an ingratiating smile or -two upon such passers by as had overheard the -farmer's remark, but as soon as he had reached an -alley down which to disappear, Jack suddenly became -a very chop-fallen, unhappy looking boy, and -he murmured to himself,</p> - -<p class='c009'>"That's what everyone says. I don't see why. -I don't swear, like Jimmy Myers, nor steal, like -Frank Balder, I don't tell lies—except when I have -to, and I go to Sunday-school every Sunday, while -there are lots of boys in town who spend the whole -of that day in fishing. I didn't mean to hurt old -Parkin's yellow dog; I only wanted to see what -he'd do. And just didn't he travel?—oh, oh! But -I don't see why I'm the worst boy in town. I declare. -If it isn't just the morning to go fishing—warm, -cloudy, worms easy to get. I wish't was -Saturday, so there wouldn't be any school, and I -wish school teachers knew what fun it is to go fishing; -then they'd be easier on a fellow who played -hookey, and they'd ask him where he caught them, -and how many, and how big they were, instead of -picking up their everlasting switches and making -themselves disagreeable. Perch would bite splendidly -to-day, and there are people in this town who'd -be glad to have a good mess of perch. I declare! -I've just the idea; school or no school, whipping -or no whipping, it ought to be done. I'll go right -away and see if Matt can't go with me."</p> - -<p class='c009'>Jack moved rapidly through streets which crossed -the main thoroughfare of the town; then he approached -a wood-pile where a boy of about his own -age was at work; before this boy's eyes Jack -dangled two new fish-lines and some hooks, and exclaimed—</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Come along, Matt!"</p> - -<p class='c009'>"I can't," said Matt, gazing hungrily at the new -fishing tackle, "the governor wouldn't like it at -all."</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Oh, never mind the governor," said Jack, "I'll -explain things to him when we get back."</p> - -<p class='c009'>Matt seemed to be in some doubt as to whether -the influence of his tempter with the governor -amounted to much, for the functionary alluded to -was master Matt Bolton's own father, a gentleman -who held quite firmly to the general opinion about -Jack. Besides, Matt was vigorously attacking the -family wood-pile, his honest heart alive with a sense -of the need there was for him to do all in his power -to relieve his overworked father, and alive, too, -with the conviction that he would have to work industriously -if he would chop and split a day's supply -before school-time. Besides, a fishing excursion -implied truancy, which, in turn, implied the certainty -of a whipping in school and the probability -of punishment at home.</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Father would be very angry," said Matt, as he -sighingly withdrew his eyes from the new fishing -tackle, "and he has already enough to bother him, -without having things made worse by me."</p> - -<p class='c009'>"But Matt, he won't feel bad when he knows -what you did with the fish. We'll give them to -widow Batty. (This resolution of Jack's was newer -even than his tackle, for he had formed it while -he talked). "She's been sick, you know, and I -heard your father say the other day that she must -have a hard enough time, at best, to feed that large -family of her's."</p> - -<p class='c009'>"But suppose we don't catch any?" suggested -Matt.</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Then you can tell him what we meant to have -done if we had caught some. Besides, we can't help -catching a lot at such a splendid fish-hole as the -mill-dam. I think it's awful that a whole family -should go hungry just because it hasn't got any -father. Didn't your governor ever read you out of -the Bible of visiting the fatherless and widows in -their affliction?—mine has."</p> - -<p class='c009'>Boys are no more likely than adults to resist Satan -when he appears as an angel of light, so Matt -speedily agreed to go as soon as he had prepared a -day's supply of firewood.</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Got another axe, and I'll help you," said Jack, -and within five minutes those two boys were -making chips fly at a rate which would have been -the wonder of a hired wood-chopper, while Matt's -mother, who happened to glance through a window -wondered why Jack's father could accuse that boy -of laziness. Then both boys carried the wood to -the kitchen door, unearthed some worms between -sundry logs at the wood-pile, and disappeared as -stealthily as if in their benevolent project they -were animated by the scriptural injunction, to not -let the left hand know what the right hand was -doing.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Reaching the brow of a little hill upon which the -village was situated, Jack exclaimed—</p> - -<p class='c009'>"I vow, if the river hasn't overflowed its banks."</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Umph," replied Matt, "I knew that a week -ago."</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Well," said Jack, "so did I, but I forgot it. -We can get to the dam easily enough, though; it's -only half a mile across the lowlands to the river, -and there are fences all the way. Riding rail fences -is bully fun. Wait till I get my rod; I've got -two and I'll lend you one."</p> - -<p class='c009'>Jack extracted two bamboo rods from the blackberry -thicket where he habitually kept them, lest -they should occasion unpleasant questions, as they -certainly would have done had his frequent expeditions -with them begun at the house of his excellent -father. Then both boys mounted the fence, which -was of rails, and their trip to the dam was fairly -begun.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Now to travel by fence-rail is a delightful method -of passing time, as all liberally educated boys know, -if one is bound for no where in particular, but -when one is two, and both are boys, and are in -quest of fish, and the middle of the day is approaching, -in which fish do not bite, half a mile of rail -fencing is a trip which consumes patience with -great rapidity. Had the adventurers been other -than boys, they would have turned back at once, -but when a boy gets a project clearly into his head -he never gives any one an excuse to say that the -mule is the most obstinate of all living animals. -Jack soon grew impatient of his slow progress, and -conceived a brilliant idea. Raising himself to his -feet on a rail of reasonable flatness (for a fence rail) -he steadied himself with his rod, and accomplished -with safety and celerity the trip to the angle where -the rail terminated.</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Hurrah, Matt!" he shouted, "look here!" and -he walked along another rail.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Matt saw and was glad, and following Jack's example, -he made some excellent time himself.</p> - -<p class='c009'>"We'd never have learned that trick if it hadn't -been for the overflow. How glad I am that I came, -and—Ow!" Jack's abrupt termination was due to -his own course having temporarily terminated, for -the third rail upon which he ventured, not having -been designed for the particular object which Jack -had in view, had been split triangularly, and one of -Jack's shoes had slipped to one side, the other slipping -in an opposite direction, and the young man -came down astride the unyielding oak with a thud -whose sound was something inaudible when considered -in the light of the anguish which it caused. -No new word presented itself for use just then; -Jack continued to remark "Ow," with a variety of -long-drawn inflections, while Matt precipitately -lowered himself to a position of safety, and manifested -no inclination to go farther. After some moments -devoted strictly to facial contortion, Jack -succeeded in changing his position so that both -legs hung upon the same side of the fence, then he -examined the rail closely, as if to see if the tip -of his spine had not driven a hole through it, and -remarked,</p> - -<p class='c009'>"We'd better do this in our stockinged feet."</p> - -<p class='c009'>Matt thought so too, so both boys removed -their shoes, tying them together with the strings -upon which the fish were to be strung, and slinging -them across their shoulders. Their progress thereafter -was considerably more rapid, but a sudden -shriek and a splash of voluminous sound and displacement -announced that Matt had fallen entirely -from his rail, and when Jack came to view the -scene, Matt was swelling the flood with his own -tears.</p> - -<p class='c009'>"I declare," exclaimed Jack, "that's too bad, old -fellow! And you had the worms in your pocket, too—I -hope the water hasn't got into the box and -drowned them so they can't wiggle when they're on -the hooks. Say, its warm; your clothes will dry -on you, before we reach the dam. Oh, I'll tell you -what,—we'll take them off and wring them out, and -go swimming at the same time."</p> - -<p class='c009'>At the prospect of an unlooked for sport, Matt -dried his tears, and a broad flat rail having been -found the boys disrobed and took whatever comfort -could be found in water eighteen inches deep with a -field of corn stubble at the bottom of it. Matt's -clothes seemed rather clammy as he again resumed -his normal position inside them, but Jack described -so delightfully the assortment of fish which he -wished to catch, that damp clothing became a mere -thing of the forgotten past. Started again, Jack -moved rapidly for some moments, but suddenly -stopped and shouted,</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Hurry up, Matt; here's the splendidest thing -that ever was!"</p> - -<p class='c009'>Matt obeyed orders, and while yet twenty rail -lengths behind he heard Jack shout,</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Here's a bridge that floated away from one of -the little brooks; we'll just make a raft of it and -reach the dam in less than no time."</p> - -<p class='c009'>Matt eyed the bridge with manifest favor; it was -simply two logs,—mud sills—connected by three -cross-ties, upon which the planking was laid.</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Won't the current trouble us when we reach the -river road?" he asked.</p> - -<p class='c009'>"We won't go that way," said Jack. "We'll go -through the fields and then along a wood road that -goes through the timber. It's half a mile the -shorter way, besides being the safer. Come ahead; -we'll use our rods for poles to push the raft with."</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Then we've got to knock down fences," said -Matt.</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Well," said Jack, who had a conscience in hiding -somewhere about him, "we'll come back in a -few days, when the flood has gone down, and put -them up again. And we'll play the raft is a ram—a -regular Merrimac, you know,—and the fences are -an enemy's fleet, or a chain stretched across the -river. Let's back out and get a good start."</p> - -<p class='c009'>The bridge, which did not draw a foot of water, -was backed across the road, one boy stood at each -side, and at a signal from Jack it was driven against -the fence, through which it crashed most gloriously, -sprinkling a dozen fence-rails about the surface of -the water.</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Hooray!" shouted Jack, "now for the next one! The Union forever!" and -then Jack, while <span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr"><i>en route</i></span> for the next fence, -finding himself unequal to the task of extemporizing a stirring address -to his command, began to quote from "Rolla's Address to the Peruvians," -which was considered the gem of that much used book, "The Comprehensive -School Speaker"—"My brave associates, partners of my toils, my feelings -and my fame, can Rolla's words add fresh vigor to the——"</p> - -<p class='c009'>Just then the raft struck the fence, but this latter -being of the "staked and ridered"<a id='r1' /><a href='#f1' class='c010'><sup>[1]</sup></a> pattern, the -result was that the raft came to a sudden standstill, -and the crew were thrown flat upon it, their respective -heads hanging somewhat astern and in danger -of being water-soaked.</p> -<div class='footnote c011' id='f1'> -<p class='c009'><a href='#r1'>1</a>. A rail fence across the angles of which two rails meet in X shape, -their lowest ends driven into the grounds a little way and a rail lying -in the upper angle of the X.</p> -</div> -<p class='c008'>"Blazes!" exclaimed Jack wrathfully, as he endeavored -to staunch a bleeding nose, "what did a -man need to have a staked and ridered fence just -here for? Well, we'll have to push down a couple -of stakes and break our way through."</p> - -<p class='c009'>The commanding officer's plan was speedily -acted upon, and the raft went on swimmingly -until it seemed to slide upon some obstruction, -then it came to a dead stop.</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Grounded on an old corn hill, I suppose," said -Jack. "Well, 'starn all,' as old Barnstable says in -the Fourth Reader."</p> - -<p class='c009'>But no amount of pushing availed to move the -raft, and the sudden breaking of Jack's rod gave -affairs a new and discouraging aspect.</p> - -<p class='c009'>"We can't both fish with one rod," said Jack, -after descending into and emerging from the depths -of his mind. "I'll tell you what let's do, we'll -take off our clothes, make them into a bundle, -and carry them ashore on our heads, as explorers -sometimes do when they ford rivers."</p> - -<p class='c009'>"What!" asked Matt, "and not get any fish for -poor Mrs. Batty and her children?"</p> - -<p class='c009'>"That <i>is</i> a pity," said Jack, with some signs of -embarrassment, and the gathering together of the -loose and fleeting ends of previous plans and resolutions. -"But, you see, it must be nearly eleven -o'clock; we've used up an awful lot of time, and -we've got to get ashore yet, and be back home by -the time school is out, else the folks'll know we've -been playing hookey. I wonder if we couldn't get -the poor old woman some blackberries? It's only -June now, though, and I never saw a ripe blackberry -before the first of July. Perhaps there's -some early cherries in Milman's orchard."</p> - -<p class='c009'>With this slight salve for the consciences whose -wounds had begun to smart, the boys stripped once -more, waded ashore through a corn-field in which -the hills of sharp cut stalks seemed omnipresent, -dressed themselves, and sneaked into the Milman -orchard, where they made wry faces while discussing -the probable value to the widow Battay of the -few pale pink cherries they found. Dinner was -reached and, eaten, somehow with less appetites -than was usual after a morning spent in school, and -then the boys, each by himself, made hasty search -for whatever suitable material might be soonest -found to insert between shirts and jackets, to break -the force of what, in the memory of many old -fellows who once were school-boys, was the inevitable -penalty of truancy.</p> -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c000' /> -</div> -<div class='chapter'> - <h2 id='ch02' class='c004'>CHAPTER II. <br /> <br /> A CORNER IN WHISKEY.</h2> -</div> -<p class='c008'>"You're the worst boy in town!"</p> - -<p class='c009'>For several days after their unsuccessful fishing -expedition, Jack and Matt were extremely -obedient and undemonstrative. Village -school teachers, in that country, were not unfrequently -the stout-armed sons of farmers, and -when they plied the rod, any memory of the occasion -was not likely soon to become dimmed. It -was perhaps for this reason that even when Matt -or Jack amused himself by whistling, the airs -selected were sure to have been written on minor -keys, and that both boys sought earnestly, each -by himself, for some method of setting some -positive moral success against their late failure at -benevolence.</p> - -<p class='c009'>The opportunity did not linger long. Matt was sitting -in the house one evening, wondering whether to -go to bed at once, or wrestle again with an exasperating -problem in cube root, the answer to which, as -printed in the book, he felt thrice assured was -wrong, when a long whistle of peculiar volume and -inflection informed him that Jack was outside and -had something to communicate. Matt sprang to -his feet, for only a matter of extreme importance -would have brought Jack across town at so late an -hour. The worst boy in town was found by Matt -to be hanging across the garden gate and so powerfully -charged with virtuous indignation that he was -unable to contain it all.</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Look here, Matt," said he, "you know what an -awful thing whiskey is, don't you?"</p> - -<p class='c009'>"I should think I did," replied Matt, "Havn't I -been to every temperance meeting that's been -held?"</p> - -<p class='c009'>"So you have," said Jack, "Well what do you -think? There's Hoccamine, the corner storekeeper, -gone and bought seven barrels."</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Isn't that dreadful!" exclaimed Matt. "If he -starts a rum-shop here, it'll spoil the custom of his -store."</p> - -<p class='c009'>"He isn't going to have a bar," explained Jack, -"he's going to sell by the gallon. But what's the -difference?—rum is rum, and it does harm, no matter -in what way it is sold."</p> - -<p class='c009'>"It's perfectly awful," said Matt.</p> - -<p class='c009'>"All right," said Jack, "Now I'll tell you what I -propose. It wasn't brought up to the store until -after dark—I suppose they were ashamed—and it -is on the sidewalk beside their store, to be put -down cellar as soon as the clerks come in the morning." -Then Jack put his lips down to Matt's ear, -and whispered, "Let's spill it for them?"</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Gracious!" whispered Matt, "how can we?"</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Easily enough," said Jack. "We'll bore a gimlet -hole in each barrel, and it'll have all night to -run. I've got a gimlet. You slip out of the house -about twelve o'clock, and so will I; we'll meet at -the church steps, and then unchain the demon only -to destroy him forever." (Jack's last clause was -quoted verbatim from a temperance address to -which he had lately listened.)</p> - -<p class='c009'>"I'm your man," said Matt.</p> - -<p class='c009'>"I knew you would be," Jack replied; "I could -have done it alone, but I was sure you'd enjoy -helping, and I'm not the sort of fellow that goes -back on a friend, you know. Twelve o'clock sure,—does -your clock strike the hours?"</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Yes."</p> - -<p class='c009'>"So does ours. Can you keep awake until then? -If you can't I'll give you half of my cloves to -eat. I've saved them the past few Sunday nights -when I havn't been sleepy in church."</p> - -<p class='c009'>Matt accepted the proffered assistance, and Jack -departed, while Matt went into the house and to -bed with the firm conviction that he was too excited -to sleep any for a week to come. It was nine -when he retired, and at the stroke of ten he had -not had occasion to touch the cloves except to -nibble the blossom end from one, just to have a -pleasant taste in his mouth. It was many hours, -apparently before the clock struck eleven; had it -not been for the loud persistent ticking Matt would -have believed the old timepiece had stopped. As -it was, he had fully made up his mind that the -striking weight had not been wound, when suddenly -the hammer rattled off eleven. Between eleven -and twelve, Matt ate all the cloves, pinched himself -nearly black and blue, pulled his hair, rubbed his -ears, and did everything else he had ever heard of -as an antidote to sleepiness. Finally he dressed -himself and descended, intending to be at the front -door when the clock should strike. As he stepped -from the last stair his foot fell upon the family -cat, who habitually reposed upon a rug lying just -there, and the cry which that cat uttered was more -appalling to Matt than the roar of a royal Bengal -tiger would have been. Matt's parents, however, -had clear consciences, so the agonized scream did -not seem to awaken them. Then Matt's heart beat -so violently that he began to wonder why the -sound of its throbs did not shake the house. He -tiptoed to the door, but his shoes squeaked, and -though he experimented, by setting down his feet, -heel first, by walking on the outer edge of his shoes, -and then upon the inner, the squeak continued. -Then he sat upon the floor and removed his shoes, -when, to his great relief, the clock struck twelve. -Why that clock did not rouse him with its clamor -every night and every time it struck was a great -mystery to him as he softly opened the door, -closed it, sped away in his stockinged feet, and determined -to smuggle a bit of soap out of the house -and settle with those stockings before they went to -the family washtub.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Reaching the church, Matt was sure he saw a -shadow hold up a gaunt forefinger by way of warning, -but this speedily resolved itself into Jack, who -was elevating the gimlet, and who approached and -whispered—</p> - -<p class='c009'><span lang="la" xml:lang="la">"In hoc signo vinces</span>," as old Constantine says in the -"Universal School History."</p> - -<p class='c009'>Both boys hugged every fence and wall until they -reached the offending barrels; then Matt's heart -began pumping again, receiving some sympathy -from that of Jack. The last-named youth suddenly -whispered,</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Want to strike the first blow?"</p> - -<p class='c009'>"I guess not," said Matt, flattening himself as -closely as possible against the wall of the store. -"You thought of it first."</p> - -<p class='c009'>Jack knelt before one of the barrels, bored a hole -as low as possible, and a small stream of liquid and -a strong smell of whiskey appeared instantly and at -the same time. Then another hole was bored at -the top, to admit air, and the industry of the stream -increased suddenly, as Jack learned by a jet which -struck his own trowsers and made itself felt on the -skin beneath. Matt operated upon the second barrel, -Jack unlocked the demon in the third, and so -the boys proceeded alternately, until while over the -sixth barrel Matt's enthusiasm interfered with his -steadiness of hand and he broke the gimlet.</p> - -<p class='c009'>"That's too bad," whispered Jack. "I guess we'd -better leave, but old Hoccamine won't find five -empty barrels a very small hint to stop outraging -the sentiments of the inhabitants of this town."</p> - -<p class='c009'>Both boys made haste to depart, wasting no time -in formal adieux. As soon as they had reached the -church and cemetery, in neither of which they feared -listeners, Jack exclaimed in a low tone</p> - -<p class='c009'>"This is a proud day for Doveton, Matt; can't -you make some excuse to come up town in the -morning to hear Hoccamine swear when he learns -about it?"</p> - -<p class='c009'>"I'll ask mother if she doesn't need something -from some store," said Matt; "good night."</p> - -<p class='c009'>The boys went their separate ways, each unconsciously -carrying the smell of whiskey in the shoe -soles which had several times been wet with it, as -they moved about the sidewalk, so when Mr. and -Mrs. Bolton awoke in the morning, it was not strange -that the lady exclaimed—</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Where can that strong smell of whiskey come -from? I didn't know there was a drop in the -house."</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Nor I," said Mr. Bolton. The odor could not -be attributed to the servant, for she lived elsewhere, -and had not yet come to her daily labor. Mrs. -Bolton was not superior to the ordinary human interest -in mystery, so she continued,</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Where can it be? Oh, husband, it can't be that -Matt, our only darling boy, is getting into bad -ways?"</p> - -<p class='c009'>Mr. Bolton sprang from his bed and hurried to -Matt's room; there were too many other fourteen-year -old boys in Doveton who had already trifled -with liquor, and Matt's father had at once become -suspicious. But he returned in a moment saying,</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Thank God, it isn't that; the blessed scamp's -breath is as sweet as it was when he was a baby. -But what can it be?"</p> - -<p class='c009'>Mr. Bolton quickly dressed himself and went -through the house, but soon hurried back exclaiming—</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Thieves! The front door is ajar."</p> - -<p class='c009'>Both householders took part in a hasty search, -but Mrs. Bolton found her silver spoons safe though -they had been in plain view in a dining-room closet. -Mr. Bolton found no clothing missing, nor could the -subsequent search prove that anything whatever -had been taken.</p> - -<p class='c009'>"I have it!" exclaimed Mrs. Bolton suddenly. -"I heard the cat scream terribly in the night. It is -plain that the rascal stepped upon her, and then ran -away, supposing her noise would arouse the house. -What a narrow escape!"</p> - -<p class='c009'>Matt slept throughout the excitement like one -who has a conscience which was not only void of -offense, but had the additional peace which comes -of virtuous deeds successfully accomplished. It -was only after considerable effort, indeed, that he -could be roused at breakfast time. As for Jack, -he was up long before the lark, and on his way to -the market (which was opposite Hoccamine's store) -to purchase some scraps of meat for a mythical -dog. He meekly stood outside with his package, -for what seemed to him centuries, awaiting the -opening of Hoccamine's store. Then he hurried -home, ate the merest excuse for a breakfast, and -cooled his heels at Matt's wood-pile for at least an -hour, and when his companion finally appeared, -yawning profoundly, Jack shouted—</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Oh, Matt, 'twas worth a million dollars. Hurry -up, can't you?"</p> - -<p class='c009'>Matt quickly roused himself to consciousness -that life was real, life was earnest, and joined Jack, -who exclaimed—</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Fun? why there was oceans of it, with hundreds -of lakes and ponds thrown in. First there -came along old Burt, on his way to market, and as -soon as he saw the stuff in little puddles by the -curbstone, and smelt what it was, he just lay down -on his stomach and began to drink. He signed the -pledge at the last temperance meeting, too; isn't it -awful? Then Captain Sands came along, and -stopped to look, and so did Squire Jones and Joe, -the barber, and everybody that came to market saw -the crowd and went over, so I thought 'twas safe -to go over myself. All of a sudden over came -Hoccamine, who had been to market, and then—well, -you never heard such swearing at a fight. -He declared that somebody had been stealing it, -and Squire Jones told him it was a righteous -judgment on him, and then Hoccamine swore some -more and called the Squire names, and the Squire -said he'd never buy another penny's worth from a -man who had abused him in that way, and Hoccamine -told him to take his infernal pennies and -buy of—of the old fellow down below, you know, -if he chose. Then Hoccamine opened the store and -got out some pails and scoop-shovels, and tried to -save some of the liquor out of the gutter. Oh, it -was just glorious." And Jack, unable to express -his feelings in any other way, danced about madly -and jumped over several logs of wood.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Then Matt, who has listened with considerable -interest, yet with a pre-occupied air, told the story -of the attempted burglary, but explained away the -supposition that the thief was scared off by the -cat.</p> - -<p class='c009'>"That shows," said Jack, briskly, "how necessary -the work was that we did last night. Whiskey -made that thief, you see—I shouldn't wonder if -what you were about at the same time had something -to do with his being influenced to go away. -Don't you know how these things happen in books -sometimes? I once read—"</p> - -<p class='c009'>Jack suddenly ceased talking, but burst out -laughing, and finally dropped upon the chips and -rolled about in a perfect convulsion of laughter, -while Matt looked on in mute astonishment.</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Oh, Matt," he exclaimed finally, "don't you understand? -That smell of whiskey was on you somewhere—I -smell it now. And you were so excited -when you went in, that you forgot to latch the -door—I've done the same thing, once or twice. -Oh, oh, oh, that's too rich. I'll die if I can't tell -somebody."</p> - -<p class='c009'>Matt immediately swore his companion to strict -secresy, but later in the day, which happened to -be Saturday, he became so uncomfortable at hearing -his father discuss the attempted burglary with -everyone who entered the store that he confessed -the whole affair to Mr. Bolton. That gentleman -made a valiant effort at reproof, but he did not -love Hoccamine more than business rivals usually -love each other, and he was an earnest advocate of -total abstinence, so he made some excuse to get at -his account books, and for the remainder of the -day he was subject to violent fits of laughter whenever -he was not trying to truthfully modify his -story of the burglary to the many acquaintances -who came in to enquire about it.</p> -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c000' /> -</div> -<div class='chapter'> - <h2 id='ch03' class='c004'>CHAPTER III. <br /> <br /> INJURY AND RESTITUTION.</h2> -</div> - -<p class='c008'>Dr. Wittingham, whose only son Jack -was, sat in his office one morning compounding -a complicated and consequently a favorite -prescription of his own, and at the same time pondering -upon the equally complicated character of -his boy. The doctor had been a boy himself, a -third of a century before, and an extremely lively -one, if the traditions of his native village had been -correctly handed down, but a man's memory is not -in the habit of going backward half a lifetime, unless -in search of old sweethearts, so the doctor owned to -himself that Jack was without exception the most -mischievous boy he had ever known or heard of.</p> - -<p class='c009'>"It passes all explanation, too," said the doctor, -sitting down and watching his prescription as it filtered -slowly into a glass beneath it. "I'm a man -of good behavior if ever there was one, his mother -was a lady born and bred, he knows the Bible better -than our minister does, and there's nothing good but -what the boy seems to take a lively interest in. I was -going to write a book upon heredity, basing it upon -the development of that boy's character as inherited -from his parents and modified by such teachings as -I have imparted, to improve the original stock. But -bless me! I'm sometimes unable to find the original -stock at all, and as for the improvements I intend -to make in it, well, they're as invisible as the ailments -of some of my rich patients. Whatever I say -to him seems to filter through him more rapidly -than that mixture is doing through the paper, and -leaves not even a sediment behind, while whatever -he shouldn't hear seems to stick to him like an adhesive -plaster. Before he goes to school, he recites -his lessons to me in the most perfect manner; when -he comes home he brings a written complaint from -the teacher, who has found him outrageously mischievous -all day long; and when his mother takes -any of his torn jackets and trowsers in hand, she is -certain to find two or three more documents of the -same kind which Jack has kindly forgotten to deliver, -perhaps out of regard for my feelings. He -will chop wood all day Saturday for the Widow -Batty or some other needy person, until I determine -he's growing to be too good to live; then my own -dinner comes up underdone because he hasn't considered -that wood-chopping, like charity, should begin -at home. I've heard no complaints of him for -nearly a week; there must be a terrible shower of -them brewing somewhere."</p> - -<p class='c009'>There was a knock at the door, and the town -supervisor of roads entered.</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Ah, good morning," said the doctor, briskly. -"Who's under the weather now?"</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Wa'al," drawled the supervisor, "nobody, I -reckon 'less its you. Here's a little bill I'm sorry to -have to bring to you, but its had to be done."</p> - -<p class='c009'>The doctor took the paper from the Supervisor's -hand and read as follows:</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Dr. Andrew Wittingham to town of Doveton, -Dr. One-half cost of replacing Second Brook Bridge, -$11.62."</p> - -<p class='c009'>"What on earth does this mean?" exclaimed the -doctor after reading the bill several times.</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Bolton has paid the other half," said the supervisor; -"its for that bridge that Jack and Matt hooked, -you know, and left in the middle of Prewitt's -corn field half a mile from where it belonged."</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Hooked a bridge?" exclaimed the doctor, "I -don't understand. Jack never said anything to me -about it."</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Didn't he?" asked the supervisor with an ironical -grin. "Wa'al, like enough he didn't; 'twas during -the June freshet, you know, an' the boys found -it loose, an' went raftin' around on it. Like enough -they'd have fetched it back, but they rammed it -through one fence after another, an' at last they got -it aground. We tried to get it under a log wagon -an' haul it back, but 'twas no go, an' we havn't put -the hire of the wagon into the bill, for the man -wasn't to charge anything if he didn't get it through. -Shouldn't wonder, though, if Prewitt brought in a -bill for damages, he says it'll do him out of twenty -hills of corn, besides being a nuisance to plough -around. An' he and the next man are out about a -dozen fence rails each."</p> - -<p class='c009'>The doctor recognized the inevitable, yet remarked -that the price seemed a large one for a -bridge in a country where lumber was so cheap.</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Just what it cost," remarked the supervisor, -"the whole thing came to $23.25, an' in dividin' I -threw the odd cent on to Bolton, for I think the -medical profession ought to be encouraged."</p> - -<p class='c009'>The doctor paid the bill, and bade his visitor a -rather curt good morning. Then he went to the -door and shouted "Jack!" in tones which would -have been heard by the young man if he had been -at school, which he was not.</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Jack," said the doctor, sternly, when the youth -appeared, "I've just had to pay for a bridge which -you stole in June."</p> - -<p class='c009'>"I didn't," promptly answered the boy.</p> - -<p class='c009'>"It amounted to the same thing, in dollars and -cents, as stealing," said the doctor. "How many -hours of fun did you have that day?"</p> - -<p class='c009'>Jack thought profoundly for a minute or two, and -replied, meekly,</p> - -<p class='c009'>"About two, I suppose."</p> - -<p class='c009'>"And to pay for those I have had to lose the receipts -of about a day of hard, disgusting work. Do -you consider that the fair thing, for one who is doing -everything he can for your good?"</p> - -<p class='c009'>"No, sir," replied Jack, honestly contrite in the -presence of this new view of the case.</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Then why did you do it?"</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Because."</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Because what?"</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Because."</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Because you're an ungrateful scamp, and don't -care for anything but your own pleasure."</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Yes I do, father," said Jack, beginning to cry, -"I"——</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Don't make excuses, sir," interrupted the doctor; -"you shall do extra work, at whatever a laborer -would be paid, to make up the cost of that -bridge, and do it on your holidays and Saturdays, -too. Now I want you to go and burn that old -bridge, or I'll have to pay for the annoyance it will -give Prewitt."</p> - -<p class='c009'>Jack lingered for a moment, as bad boys often do -on such occasions, longing to say something which -he could not put into words, and to hear some recognition -of what he felt was good within him. Had -the doctor used a mere tithe of the patience and -love that Heaven had been compelled to display in -reforming him, he might have attached Jack to him -by that love which is the best of all educators in -things wise and thoughtful. But the doctor, like -the boy, lived first, though unconsciously, for himself, -and so with an impatient gesture he drove -Jack from the door. The boy filled a pocket with -matches and lounged off, muttering to himself,</p> - -<p class='c009'>"It'll be bully fun to burn the old bridge, anyhow, -I shouldn't wonder if it would take a couple of days, -and there'll be that much school time gone, but I -say—Matt ought to be made to help—oh, wouldn't -that be jolly! I'll go ask his father right away—everybody -calls him an honest man, and he oughtn't -to see me paying Matt's debts."</p> - -<p class='c009'>Jack hurried at once to Mr. Bolton's store; as he -entered, the proprietor, who was alone, picked up a -hoe-handle, and exclaimed—</p> - -<p class='c009'>"You young scoundrel, I've a good mind to break -every bone in your rascally body. Don't you ever -dare to coax my boy to go anywhere with you again, -or I'll half kill you. You're the worst boy in -town."</p> - -<p class='c009'>Rightly assuming that the opportunity for presenting -his request was not a promising one, Jack -departed at once, and hung about the schoolhouse -until the mid-morning intermission; then he seized -Matt and announced the situation, taking care to -omit mention of his interview with Bolton senior. -Matt at once volunteered assistance, and an hour -later the boys had burning upon the bridge a glorious -fire of dead boughs and broken rails. When -the boards had burned in two, the boys pried the -two logs toward each other, and thereafter they adjusted -the logs several times, getting each time some -smut upon their clothes as well as occasional burns -upon their hands. When at length the logs seemed -able to take care of themselves the boys strewed -some green twigs upon the ground to lie on, and as -they were stretched upon them, chatting in the desultory -manner peculiar to every one who lies down -about a fire, Jack remarked,</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Say Matt, do you know that people in this world -are awfully unfair to boys?"</p> - -<p class='c009'>"I guess I do," replied Matt, "but what made -you think of it just now?"</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Why, my govenor gave me fits this morning -about this bridge, and called me ungrateful and all -sorts of things. I s'pose he thought he told the -truth, but I know better. I'd do anything for him—I'd -die for him. Why, one day that big mulatto -Ijam, that he can never collect his bills of, came in -looking awful ugly, and blazing about being sued, -and I was sure he meant to hurt father; I just got a -hatchet and stood outside the door, ready to rush in -and tomahawk him if he did the least thing. It -made me late at school, and I got licked for that, -but I didn't care, and the teacher wrote a note home -about it and I got scolded, but I didn't tell what I'd -done."</p> - -<p class='c009'>"My father's the same way, sometimes," said -Matt.</p> - -<p class='c009'>"I know he is," said Jack, hastily debating (with -decision in the negative) whether he should tell of -his own morning experience with Mr. Bolton.</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Now," continued Jack, "I've got to work all my -holidays at something, I don't know what, until I -earn enough money to pay my share of that bridge—you -know the two govenors have had to settle for -a new one?"</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Mercy, no!" exclaimed Matt.</p> - -<p class='c009'>"They have, this morning," said Jack. "I -shouldn't wonder if you'd catch it when you go -home, but there's some bully mullein leaves under -the hill that you can put inside the back of your -jacket."</p> - -<p class='c009'>Matt devoted some moments of disagreeable reflection -to this topic; then his sense of companionship -came to the surface, and he said—</p> - -<p class='c009'>"I'll help you, Jack—unless father punishes me -in the same way. What do you suppose you'll have -to do?"</p> - -<p class='c009'>"I don't know yet," said Jack, "but I've got a -splendid idea. The govenor has just bought his -winter's supply of wood, as he generally does in -June, and he always has it cut while its green because -it costs only a dollar and a quarter a cord, -while the men charge a dollar and a half when its -seasoned. I'll ask him to let me work it out in that -way."</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Why, Jack," remonstrated Matt, "it will take -you more than half a year of holidays."</p> - -<p class='c009'>"No, it won't," said Jack, "I can chop nearly a -cord a day when I work hard. Besides, I've got an -idea worth more than my own industry. I'm going -to blow at school, and around among the boys, -about what a splendid wood-chopper I am."</p> - -<p class='c009'>"I'll say the same thing about you," said Matt.</p> - -<p class='c009'>"All right; we'll both talk of my particular -swing with the axe until the whole crowd will be -mad enough to take the conceit out of me at any -price. Then I'll offer a bet of something worth -having—a half dollar against half a dime, say—that -I can chop and split more in a single day than any -other boy in town. Lots of them will take up the -bet, we'll appoint a day, the place to be our wood, -pile, and every boy to bring his own axe. You -shall be umpire, so you won't have to do anything -but walk about and egg the others up to business."</p> - -<p class='c009'>This brilliant device took complete possession of -Matt, and as for Jack, within a week there was not -a boy in town who could pass him without making -a face at him, and scarcely a mother dependant -upon her own boys for fuel but had an abundant -supply without having to beg for it. Many indignant -boys offered indefinite bets in favor of their -own skill with the axe, but the sagacious Jack declined -them all on the ground that he could not -honorably bet on what he called a sure thing. -When finally he offered his own wager, it was -accepted by acclamation by nearly the whole of -his own arithmetic class, numbering twenty-nine. -The boys from the other school hoped they were -not to be excluded just because they lived in a -different part of the town, and Matt went on a -special mission to them to assure them that this -was to be, figuratively speaking, an international -contest, in which all territorial lines were to be as if -they existed not. Some other boys who never -went to school, hardened young rowdies, who, as a -rule did nothing, and accumulated a large stock of -vitality which was not always expended in proper -ways, heard of the approaching match, swore by -all sorts of persons, places and things that they -only wished they might "take a whack at that -game," and were cordially invited to participate. -Then the would-be contestants met in convention, -and Jack formally deposited his half dollar in the -hands of Matt, who was to be stake-holder. There -being some difficulty in deciding how the bets -against Jack were to be held, the challenger magnanimously -declined to accept any bet, if the -crowd would agree, each for himself, that the man -who cut least, and he alone, should be loser of a -half dime in case of Jack's triumph.</p> - -<p class='c009'>After a fair canvass of conflicting interests as to -date, which involved the withdrawal of several boys -who had agreed to go fishing or shooting, or berrying, -or visiting, it was decided that the ensuing -Saturday morning would be the most available -time, particularly as Jack explained that his father -who, he was sure, would stop the whole thing if he -heard of it in advance, would start before daylight -that morning to attend a consultation miles away -by rail. The idea that the proceeding would be -displeasing to any adult silenced at once the objections -of all who had preferred another date, and it -even brought back the boys who had pleaded prior -engagements.</p> - -<p class='c009'>As for Dr. Wittingham, he was completely -astounded and wonderfully pleased when Jack, -with a frank business-like air, proposed to cut the -ten cords of winter wood as an offset to the bridge -bill of eleven dollars and sixty-two cents. The -doctor patted Jack's head, called him a noble fellow, -gave him a stick of licorice, and promised him -a dollar for himself on the completion of the work.</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Now," said the doctor, when Jack had left his -presence, "I think I've a good hard point for that -work on heredity; Impose a rational penalty for -offense, and its manifest justice will improve both -the reasoning and moral nature of the offender."</p> -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c000' /> -</div> -<div class='chapter'> - <h2 id='ch04' class='c004'>CHAPTER IV. <br /> <br /> SHARP AXES AND SHARPER WITS.</h2> -</div> - -<p class='c008'>During the week preceding the great contest -with axes there was very little truancy, -fighting or bad hours to be complained of by the -parents of the boys of Doveton. The excitement -natural to an approaching struggle was sufficient -even for the nerves of the most irrepressible juvenile -natures in town. Most of the boys went into -training at their respective family wood-piles, and -those who had no uncut wood on hand resorted to -the unprecedented operation of requesting permission -to work at that of somebody else. The story -of the bet became noised abroad, beyond the limits -of the town, and several sturdy country boys having -signified their desire to earn fifty cents by a half -day's work, the crowd allowed them to enter for the -contest, for anything was more endurable than Jack -Wittingham's conceit; Jack himself welcomed them, -of course, in the most hearty manner in the world. -Toward the last of the week the sound of the grindstone -was heard in the land, and as several boys -had asked and received permission to use saws instead -of axes, the melodious voice of the hand saw -file arose to stimulate in nervous persons of religious -tendencies an increased appreciation of the promised -peace of Heaven. Then every carpenter who -owned a boy of wood-chopping age suddenly missed -his best oil stone, and sundry axes had their edges -dressed so keenly that no one denied their owner's -assertions that a man might shave himself with -those axes and not know but they were rabbit -paws or puff balls. The juvenile rowdies, who -treasured old copies of sporting papers, read up on -the training of prize-fighters, with the result that -they indulged in ablutions with unhabitual frequency, -and took an amount and variety of exercise -which threatened to exorcise the demon which inhabits -the juvenile loafer.</p> - -<p class='c009'>The morn of the eventful day dawned at last, -and, early as it was when Doctor Wittingham had -to start for the railway station, there was already -approaching his wood-pile fat Billy Barker, who was -so treacherous a sleeper that he had remained awake -all night so as to be on hand in time in the morning. -Then one of the loafers, whose family owned no timepiece, -lounged up, and made Billy very uncomfortable -with prophecies that a certain boy would hardly -escape melting on such a warm day as that particular -Saturday promised to be, and that only a -pair of leg boots could be trusted to save enough -of the remains to justify a full sized funeral. Then -one of the country boys appeared, riding bareback -upon an ancient mare, and his extreme taciturnity -became as annoying to Billy as the chaffing of the -loafer had been, while the loafer himself visibly -abated his arrogance by a degree or two. Then the -Pinkshaw twins approached, each with an axe in -one hand and a piece of bread and butter in the -other. Matt Bolton came next, quite out of breath, -for though he had half an hour to spare, a sense of -his official responsibility had somehow impelled him -to run every step of the way from his own home. -Lame Joey Wilson staggered in soon after, with his -heavy "saw horse" and saw, and close behind him -came a country boy whose family had brought him -as far as the main street in the farm wagon. Then -two loafers, successful catchers of occasional saw -logs and drift wood, lounged up from the river. -Several boys from the neighborhood known as the -other side of town, approached in a body, led by -big Frank Parker, who was the largest boy in school -and who it was always considered a privilege to -follow. Then as the hour for business came nearer, -boys approached from all directions so rapidly that -they could scarcely be catalogued, and when Matt -drew his sister's watch from his pocket for the -twentieth time and announced that it was ten minutes -of eight, there were present forty-three boys, -five horses (belonging to the delegation from the -country), besides three unemployed men who had -come to look on. The stalwart appearance of some -of the larger contestants terrified certain small, -weak and lazy boys into determining to throw up -the sponge in advance, but when the challenger, the -boastful Jack himself, sauntered out from the house -with an axe on his shoulder, a toothpick in his -mouth and an intolerable air of self-sufficiency in -his face, the nerves of the most timid boy grew suddenly -as fine as steel, and he determined to drop -dead on his axe rather than let that bragging Jack -crow over him any longer.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Suddenly Matt mounted the wood-pile, consulted -his sister's watch, and exclaimed—</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Only five minutes more. Now, fellows, this is -to be a fair fight, you know. Every man picks his -own place, carries wood to it from the pile, cuts -each stick into three equal lengths, and throws in -front of him whatever he chops. If at twelve -o'clock there's any doubt who has done most, the -biggest piles are to be laid up straight against a -stake, and carefully measured. Nobody need split -his wood. When it's time to begin, I'll holloa -'One, two, three—go!' and when twelve o'clock -comes I'll say 'One, two, three—stop!' I'll have -a pail of water and a cup here by the fence, for anyone -who wants a drink."</p> - -<p class='c009'>The boys were already carrying the four foot -sticks of wood to their chosen locations, and between -the confusion of selecting desirable places -and that occasioned by snatching from a wood-pile -which did not afford elbow-room for forty-three -boys at a time, there was considerable bad feeling -engendered, and sundry punishments with impolite -names were promised for the indefinite future. -The country boys had judiciously hugged the ends -of the wood-pile from the moment of their arrival, -which prospective advantage certain other boys attempted -to nullify by taking wood from the ends, -and there might have ensued a serious collision had -not Matt, who had moved the judge's stand from -the wood-pile to the fence, shouted,</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Eight o'clock. One, two, three—go!"</p> - -<p class='c009'>Thirty-nine axes came down nearly as one, and -four saws began a not discordant quartette across -the bark of sundry sticks, while the three unemployed -men thrust their hands deep into their -pockets and adjured the boys, collectively, to "go -in." A chip from fat Billy Barker's axe started to -avenge Billy upon his tormentor of an hour before, -and it struck the loafer in the back of the neck with -such force that the bad boy howled with anguish, -and volubly condemned his soul to all sorts of uncomfortable -places and conditions. The axes soon -broke the uniformity of their stroke; some flew at -the rate of nearly a blow a second, others, particularly -those of the country boys, were slow, but -oh, so regular! Still others, confined almost exclusively -to the loafers, struck the wood rapidly -and with a particularly vicious hardness which was -not without its influence upon boys of small spirit. -The peculiar ringing of an occasional "glance" -was heard, and soon a yell from Scoopy Brown, -who was a very awkward boy, called general attention -to that youth, who was sitting upon the -ground holding one of his feet and weeping bitterly. -A careful examination determined that his -axe had not gone deeper than the stocking, so -Scoopy dried his tears and began work again, his -spirits sharpened by many uncomplimentary remarks -by the loafers and others who had lost time -by stopping work to look at him.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Within a quarter of an hour fat Billy Barker had -visited the water-pail three times; a quarter of an -hour later he was curled up with agony beside the -fence, his only consolation consisting in making -dreadful faces at the big loafer who had proved a -tolerable prophet. At the same time two other -boys, one of whom had broken an arm within three -months, and the other being so small that he -realized the folly of contending against many large -boys, retired from the contest, and took place -among the spectators, who already consisted of -seven men, one woman (with baby) and two dogs. -Then one of the loafers declared that although he -could beat as easily as falling off a log, fifty cents -wouldn't pay for half a day of work under such a -sun. Of the spare forty who remained, nearly half -were of apoplectic hue, so that Matt the umpire, -consulting his sister's watch, felt in duty bound to -inform them that barely half an hour had elapsed, -and that they would never get through the morning -unless they took things easier.</p> - -<p class='c009'>As for Jack, he did splendidly. With great -sagacity he had selected the largest sticks, these requiring -less handling, and fewer delays between an -old stick and a new one, besides making a heap -look more bulky. His axe was in capital condition, -as his physique always was, his nerve was equally -good, and he had the additional incentive of wanting -to keep up the general interest, which would be -sure to flag if he were discovered to be falling behind. -The country boys led him a close race, and -compelled him to do his best, as did also two of the -loafers. At the end of the first hour, Matt the -umpire, who had attended closely to his sister's -watch for the ten minutes preceding, shouted -"Nine o'clock," and most of the country boys -stopped for a brief rest. Jack was glad to follow -their example, and at the same time one of the -loafers took a flask bottle from his pocket and -swallowed considerable whiskey. A request, proffered -by another loafer, that the bottle be passed -was met by a reply similar in tenor to that given -by the five wise virgins to their foolish companions, -and the apparent meanness of this proceeding made -even the weariest boy determine to at least beat -that particular loafer.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Half-past nine came, and with it a loud snap -which proved to proceed from the saw block of -lame Joey Wilson. As Joey was a very pleasant -little fellow, with a widowed mother whose lot in -life was not the easiest, another boy, who had a -saw, pressed it upon Joey, and thus honorably retired -from a contest which had kept his back aching -frightfully for nearly an hour. Then two or three -other boys honestly acknowledged themselves completely -used up, and they retired to such shade as -the fence afforded and constituted themselves an -invalid corps of observation. The loafer who had -drank the whiskey dropped suddenly, muttered -something about sunstroke, and crawled away unlamented -by any one.</p> - -<p class='c009'>At the cry of "Ten o'clock!" the working force -had dwindled to twenty-seven axes and two saws. -Two boys had been legitimately summoned from -the field by their legal guardians, and at least half -a dozen others longed earnestly for a similar fate. -Jack began to be doubtful of the entire success of -his scheme, but the country boys all stuck manfully -to business, and at least one of them was beginning -to show signs of becoming excited. The remaining -loafers, too, hung on very well, and so did -a spare half dozen of other boys, mostly large. -The crowd was still large and industrious enough to -astonish several farmers who drove into town, and -the road became literally paved with chips. The -invalid corps increased at about the rate of four men -an hour between ten and eleven, but by this time -Jack's mind was easy, for the only danger was that -there would not be wood enough left with which -the fittest who survived could complete the half -day. Nearly all the loafers broke down, as loafers -always do during the decisive hour, and the strife -narrowed down to the country boys, one loafer, big -Frank Parker, lame Joey Wilson and Jack. Each -boy had his special adherents; the loafers cheered -their own representative with much outlandish -language, most of the men encouraged the country -boys, the delegation from the other side of town -urged big Frank Parker to "lay himself out," to -"come down lively," to "sling himself," and to do -many other things which to the youthful mind -seem best signified by idioms of great peculiarity, -but the mass of sympathy was pretty equally -divided between Jack and lame Joey Wilson. Eligible -sticks of wood began to be sought at the piles -of those who had abandoned the contest, and Matt -the umpire had to exert the extreme measure of his -authority to prevent the partizans of the two favorites -from rushing in and carrying wood for them. -The breaking of the axe-helve of one of the country -boys elicited a tremendous roar from the entire -assemblage, which was now upon its feet. The -lame Joey Wilson faction began to sing the chorus -"Go in lemons, if you do get squeezed," which was -known to be Joey's favorite air and the song stimulated -Joey wonderfully, noting which fact the adherents -of Jack started "John Brown's body lies -mouldering in the grave," which Jack was known to -consider the finest thing ever written. But somehow -the tune did not stimulate Jack as it was expected -to do; perhaps the words with which the -air is indissolubly associated had a depressing effect -upon him, besides, the two songs were roared -with about equal volume of sound, and as they are -written in different keys, measures, and time, the -general effect was horribly discordant and annoying -to a tired man.</p> - -<p class='c009'>At half past eleven the remaining sticks, like -angels' visits, became far between, and finally dwindled -to one, over which two of the country boys -fought, dropping it in their struggle, to be triumphantly -snatched and sawed by lame Joey Wilson. -Then Matt, the umpire, first ascertaining from his -sister's watch that it was not yet twelve o'clock, announced -that any man might take a stick from any -other man who had uncut sticks before him. At -thirteen minutes of twelve, five of the six country -boys were upon their last sticks and the other had -a single stick yet uncut before him, which seemed -to lie between Jack and lame Joey Wilson. Jack's -axe glanced several times and Joey got the stick, -and at precisely ten minutes before twelve Joey had -the last stick reposing in three pieces upon his pile. -The whole crowd rushed in, but Matt shouted—</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Everybody get back—quick—get back! every -man piles his own wood!"</p> - -<p class='c009'>Some little delay occasioned by the difficulty of -getting stakes against which to stake the piles -which seemed largest, was ended by an order to pile -against the fence. It was generally admitted, by -every one but the country boys, that the decision -must be between Jack and Joey, and as Jack was -quick upon his feet and Joey, an account of his -lame leg, was slow, the former was allowed to assist -the latter, but no one noticed that Jack took considerable -wood from the piles of the boys who had -been unsuccessful with the saw; the result was that -Joey's pile was so much the larger that no one insisted -upon a measurement, and Matt handed the -half dollar to lame Joey Wilson without a protest -from any one, though the shouts that went up -formed a conglomerate sound which was truly appalling -to any adult ear which it reached.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Then the boys separated and started homeward -with their respective axes, saws, and saw-horses. -Dr. Wittingham met several of them, as he returned -at an earlier hour than Jack had expected from his -consultation. What to make of the unusual number -of business looking boys he did not know, but -as he went around to the wood-pile to see how his -son had begun his self-imposed penalty, the truth -dawned upon him, and he exclaimed:</p> - -<p class='c009'>"I've used every evening this week upon that -chapter of heredity, and now it isn't worth the paper -it's written on!"</p> -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c000' /> -</div> -<div class='chapter'> - <h2 id='ch05' class='c004'>CHAPTER V. <br /> <br /> EXPERIMENTS IN GRAVITATION.</h2> -</div> - -<p class='c008'>As June disappeared in the beginning of July, -the long vacation of the Doveton schools -began, and with it began Dr. Wittingham's special -and particular annual annoyance, which consisted of -keeping Jack out of mischief. To compel the boy -to work all the while was something at which the -good doctor's heart naturally revolted, but it seemed -that when Jack was unoccupied even for half an -hour an indignant complaint by some one was absolutely -sure to follow. The doctor was not the -only man who had charge of a boy of mischieveous -tendencies, so there was considerable private jubilation -among parents when a lone foreigner strayed -into the town, announced himself as a Polish exile, -and offered to carry a class in French through the -summer vacation. The French language was not -held in intelligent esteem by all Doveton parents, -but every one of them understood the value of -peace of mind, so within forty-eight hours the -exile was guaranteed an eight weeks class of -twenty boys, at six dollars per boy, and was -granted the upper floor of one of the schoolhouses -free of rent.</p> - -<p class='c009'>This arrangement for the consumption of the summer -vacation did not meet Jack's views at all, and -he protested so strongly that the doctor yielded, -after exacting perfect behavior as the price of liberty. -Jack promised; he would have promised anything -rather than have spent all those delicious days -indoors. There was altogether too much out-of-doors -that demanded his attention; the blackberry -harvest in which Jack earned most of his year's -spending money, came in July; the march of civilization -was working destruction with hazel-nut -patches, so that prudent boys desired to know in -advance where not to go in the fall; it was the "off -year" for black walnuts, so it was advisable to ascertain -where were the few trees which neglected -to be in the fashion; there were several young orchards -which had bloomed for the first time, and -must be visited for sampling purposes, lest perchance -there might some very early varieties come -into bearing and be gathered before he had seen -them, slippery elm bark was not entirely past its -prime, several new kinds of fish-bait were to be -tested on the perch which Jack was sure dwelt in -jealous seclusion in certain deep holes in the river, -the country district was to be scoured for new litters -of puppies of desirable breed—in short Jack had so -much work laid out that the vacation promised to -be a very busy one.</p> - -<p class='c009'>But by the time the French class had been in -session a week, Jack began to feel unutterably lonesome. -Matt was in the class; so was lame Joey -Wilson, who was always a pleasant companion; the -Pinkshaw twins, who had no equal as tree-climbers, -were also there, and so was big Frank Parker, whose -superior strength and wisdom were not to be despised. -Jack gave unwonted attention to the family -garden so as to be within sound of the mid-morning -intermission, and when the teacher's bell summoned -the boys back to school again, Jack not unfrequently -sat upon the school wood-pile during the long hour -which ensued before the dismissal which brought -him and the boys together again. Then satan began -to find mischief for Jack's idle hands, and small -pebbles not unfrequently flew into the open windows -of the school-room, occasioning pleasing diversions -for the boys and annoyance for the teacher. Every -body knew who threw them, but when questioned -by the teacher they all, with general mental reservation, -professed utter ignorance. The exile-teacher -was not of the best temper, so he took his stand -near a window, with the text-book in one hand and -half a brick in the other, but Jack, warned by -friendly hands hanging out of the windows of the -side upon which the teacher stood, operated from -the other side and occasioned many spirited races -against time, the teacher's course being across the -schoolroom, while Jack's goal was the friendly shelter -of the schoolhouse porch. But even this diversion -grew tiresome, and Jack, from pure loneliness, -finally came to sneaking up the stairway, sitting on -the floor of the hall, and listening by the hour to -what to him seemed the idiotic jabber of his late -schoolmates.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Then listening itself grew tiresome; besides, the -position was uncomfortable, so one day Jack climbed -up the little hatchway which led to the cockpit and -belfry, laid a board across several beams, stretched -himself upon it, and listened at ease, for there were -sundry cracks in the ceiling. Jack was not long in -discovering that one of these cracks, in its meanderings, -passed directly over the teacher's chair, and -that sundry small fragments of plaster could be -scratched from its sides and dropped upon the exile's -head.</p> - -<p class='c009'>This discovery aroused the inventive spirit which -seems dormant in the mind of every American, -waiting only for appropriate occasion to call it forth, -Jack carefully marked that portion of the crack -which directly overhung the teacher's head. He -remained where he was until school was dismissed; -then he cautiously picked at the side of the crack, -between two laths, until it was wide enough to admit -a grain of corn dropped edgewise; then he went -below, dusted away the fallen plaster with his hat, -and went home through the unlocked door with a -feeling that the next morning was at least six weeks -away.</p> - -<p class='c009'>But the next morning came, according to all correct -timepieces, at the proper hour, and the French -class had got fairly under way upon some of the exasperating -paradigms of an irregular verb, when -suddenly a grain of corn fell upon the bald head of -the exile. Fat Billy Barker, who was abler at staring -than studying, happened to see the falling body, -and as the startled teacher arose from his chair, -Billy began to laugh. The teacher immediately -marked him as the offender, dashed at him and gave -him several hard blows with a switch, after which -Billy put his head down upon his desk, wept, and -declined to make a statement. But the teacher had -hardly reseated himself when another missile of the -same sort had struck him; Billy's head and hands -being still down, the teacher exclaimed,</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Oh, Barkare, zen it was not you; I vill apologize, -Barkare,—I have mooch sorrow. Vatever boy -it vas should be whipped by Barkare!"</p> - -<p class='c009'>Again the recitation began and another grain of -corn fell, this time in full view of the entire school. -A general titter resulted, and this so enraged the -teacher that he strolled rapidly down the aisles, displaying -two rows of terribly white teeth, and shaking -his ruler at nearly every boy individually. This -operation had a very sobering effect, and even Jack -was so appalled by the noise of the teacher's footfalls -that he remained quiet nearly an hour. Finally -he dropped two grains in quick succession, and the -boys, who had been feverishly awaiting something -new, laughed aloud with one accord. The teacher -sprang to his feet, seized both ruler and switch, and -roared.</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Now, who did it? Barkare, you vill tell me, an' -let me avenge ze vipping you did haf?"</p> - -<p class='c009'>Billy gulped down the truth and declared he did -not know.</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Vilson," shouted the teacher, "you is ze good -boy of ze school; you will tell me, I know, Vilson?"</p> - -<p class='c009'>But Joey, looking as innocent as if he were saying -his prayers, shook his head negatively.</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Mistare Frank Parkare," continued the teacher, -"you haf nearly ze years of a man, and cannot enchoy -to see ze destruction of discipline. Who vas -it that throw ze corn-grain."</p> - -<p class='c009'>And big Frank Parker unblushingly and solemnly -said that he did not know.</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Efferybody tell me," exclaimed the teacher, resuming -his chair with dignity, "or ze class will stay -in ze room till it starve to death. How like you zat, -mes garçons, eh?"</p> - -<p class='c009'>The boys did not seem particularly to enjoy the -prospect, and Jack himself sobered somewhat at the -thought of inflicting such a penalty upon his friends. -But just there he conceived a new idea, and emerging -quietly from his hiding place, he ran home, obtained -a vial from his father's office, filled it with -water, and hurried back. He was anxious to see -as well as to hear the result of his impending operation, -so he removed his board, lay along one of the -beams, steadying himself by his left hand, and held -the mouth of the vial over the teacher's head. -Lame Joey Wilson was just translating fragmentarily, -as follows:</p> - -<p class='c009'><span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">"Avez-vous-le-chien-rouge-du-charpentier-avec—"</span></p> - -<p class='c009'>What the carpenter-owner of the dog really had, -remained unexplained during the remainder of the -session. Jack had intended to let but a single drop -of water fall, and he could generally trust his hand -at such work, for his father sometimes allowed him -to assist in compounding prescriptions. But on this -particular occasion anticipation proved too much -for reality, for Jack laughed to himself so violently -over the fun about to ensue that his hand shook, a -stream of water poured through the hole, and -trickled all over the teacher's chair. And, worse -still, Jack discovered that a two-inch beam is not a -safe place of repose for the human frame in moments -of profound agitation, for he lost his balance, tried -to save it with one elbow and one foot, which between -them dislodged great masses of plaster from -the laths and dropped it upon the teacher's desk.</p> - -<div class='figcenter id001'> -<img src='images/p061.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' /> -<div class='ic002'> -<p><span class='small'>EXPERIMENT IN GRAVITATION.</span></p> -</div> -</div> - -<p class='c009'>Even then the truth might not have been suspected, -had not Jack, frightened at the mischief he had -caused, lost all self-control and tumbled off the -beam and upon the laths. Crack! Crack! went -several laths, a violent commotion was heard upon -the remainder, and, as the school started to its feet -and the teacher dropped back in terror, a boy's foot -and a section of trowser-leg appeared for an instant -through a hole in the ceiling, only to be instantly -withdrawn.</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Ah!" snarled the exile, seizing his half brick -and ruler, and starting for the hall, "I haf ze villain!" -The entire class followed, in time to hear -a rustling sound and to see the teacher's half brick -go up the hatchway, through which the bell rope -was being rapidly drawn.</p> - -<p class='c009'>The teacher danced frantically about and shouted,</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Somebody go for the police—ze constable, what -you call him! I would gif five dollare if I had my -pistol viz me here. Somebody bring one little laddare—zen -I go up ze hole an' drag down ze diable. -I show you vat I do, you bring me ze laddare!"</p> - -<p class='c009'>Nobody stirred; every one preferred to remain as -spectator. Suddenly the teacher's half brick descended, -followed by a nail keg, a dusty roll of discarded -maps, and a piece of board.</p> - -<p class='c009'>"It is one <span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr"><i>attaque de force</i></span>!" exclaimed the -teacher, retiring precipitately upon the feet of lame Joey Wilson, who -had squeezed well to the front. "Ze rascal shall go to ze prison. Will -nobody go for ze constable? Zen I will give ze alarm from out ze -window."</p> - -<p class='c009'>The exile put his head out the window, just in -time to see Jack, who had thrown the bell rope over -the front of the building, sliding down the same, and -making dreadful faces because of the pain which -friction occasioned in his hands and legs. With a -fiendish yell the teacher threw the ruler, which -missed Jack. Just as the young man felt that the -rope was no longer between his knees yet the -ground not invitingly near, the teacher reappeared -with an inkstand which he threw with such excellent -aim that it struck Jack in the side. The -boy immediately loosened his hold and dropped -about fifteen feet, striking upon his side. In an -instant he was upon his feet and hurrying homeward -without as much hilarity as might have been -expected, for in falling he had broken his left -arm.</p> -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c000' /> -</div> -<div class='chapter'> - <h2 id='ch06' class='c004'>CHAPTER VI.</h2> -</div> -<div class='lg-container-l c012'> - <div class='linegroup'> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>"When the devil was sick</div> - <div class='line in2'>The devil a saint would be."</div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c009'>The only consolation that Master Jack could -conjure up, as he carried his broken arm -home, was that his father would undoubtedly consider -the disaster a sufficient punishment for the -offense. Jack could not at first imagine why his -arm should indulge in such sudden and terrible -twinges and object so nervously to being rubbed or -held. The pain which it experienced from the shaking -consequent upon running caused Jack to subside -into a walk as soon as he had assured himself -that he was not followed; even then the pain gave -no indication of subsiding. Suddenly the truth -dawned upon the boy's mind, and between the -shock occasioned by the discovery and the sense of -at least a month of vacation to be utterly lost, -Jack became so weak and faint that when he at -last reached home he dropped upon the office step -and his head fell heavily against the door. The -doctor, who fortunately was at home, opened hastily -and exclaimed,</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Well, what's the latest?"</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Oh, father," gasped Jack, "I've tumbled, and -I'm afraid my arm is broken."</p> - -<p class='c009'>The doctor helped the boy into a chair, eliciting -a howl as he did so. A short examination of the -arm caused additional howling, and during the -quarter hour consumed by the operation of setting, -Jack abandoned all preconceived ideas of the nature -of fun. Finally, when the doctor carefully removed -his clothing, put him into bed, and told him he -would have to lie there for at least a fortnight, -Jack dragged the pillow up to his face with his unhurt -arm, and moistened it most uncomfortably with -tears. Half an hour later, when his father had -broken the news to his mother, who had nerves, and -the lady came up to see him, she found him sobbing -violently.</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Jack, Jack," she exclaimed, "this will never do. -There is always a fever with arms broken above the -elbow, and if you excite yourself it will come on -too soon, and it may destroy your reason."</p> - -<p class='c009'>"I wish it would," sobbed Jack, "I'd a great deal -rather be crazy than lie here in my senses all through -this jolly, awful month. I can't pick a blackberry, -and I can't have any money for Christmas, and I -know Frank Parker guesses one of the new baits I -was going to try on the perch, and it'll be just like -him to go and catch every one of them. It's just -horrid."</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Jack!" remonstrated Mrs. Wittingham, "can't -you think how horrid it is for you to go and break -your arm, and make more work for every body in -the house?"</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Yes," said Jack, "but you don't think that makes -me feel any better, do you?"</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Then," said Mrs. Wittingham, "you should take -your suffering as a judgment from the Lord."</p> - -<p class='c009'>"He might have put it off until after vacation, -anyhow," exclaimed the bad boy, at which Mrs. -Wittingham clapped her fingers to her ears and fled, -and informed her husband in almost the same -breath, that the dreadful boy deserved a sound -whipping even now, and that nothing but the grace -of God could ever make Jack what he should be.</p> - -<p class='c009'>But after Jack had recovered from his rage, and -had been surprised into taking a short nap, he began -to view the situation in about the light which -his mother would have liked him to use. It certainly -had been great fun to tease that French -teacher—the thought of it provoked even now a -merry chuckle which a twinge of the arm suddenly -discouraged—but it was equally certain that the -teacher himself did not seem to enjoy it. As for -sliding down a bell rope, no boy had ever done it -before, to Jack's knowledge, but oh, how his hands -were smarting! The more he thought of them the -worse they burned; he must have something cooling -put upon them, even if he had to confess how -he came by them. Some one would be sure to tell -his father of his exploits at the schoolhouse, so -why shouldn't he confess in advance and get the -credit for it?</p> - -<p class='c009'>May be the broken arm was a judgment upon him, -as his mother suggested. Well, he would admit -that he deserved it, though he still doubted the necessity -for its infliction at this particular season of -the year. He would do his best to learn by it, anyhow—he -certainly was going to have time enough -in which he could do nothing else. So Jack confessed, -and had his hands treated to a cooling lotion. -The doctor, having previously heard the story from -the vivacious tongue of the outraged exile himself, -and having spent a delightful hour, partly retrospective, -in laughing over the latest capers of his son, -was in a position to listen with judicial gravity and -to express his horror at frequent intervals and in fitting -terms. Then Jack listened to a long and solemn -lecture which was more wordy than pithy, and -was told that he must avoid even exciting subjects -of thought for a fortnight to come.</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Mayn't Matt come to see me?" asked Jack in -faltering tones.</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Only for two or three minutes at a time," said -the doctor; "even conversation will excite you."</p> - -<p class='c009'>"I want to talk to him," said Jack.</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Why can't you talk to your mother and me?" -asked the doctor.</p> - -<p class='c009'>It is beyond all things astonishing what silly -questions may be asked by sensible men when they -have forgotten their own boyhood days, and it is -not surprising that Jack could not easily frame an -answer to the doctor's question.</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Did Matt ever feed or clothe you?" asked the -doctor.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Jack admitted, with some trifling modifications of -the first condition, that Matt had not.</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Did he ever give you a home, or take care of -you when you were sick, or pay your school bills?"</p> - -<p class='c009'>Jack shook his head.</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Then why can't you care so much for your -mother and me as you do for him?" continued the -doctor.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Jack was silent.</p> - -<p class='c009'>"It's because you're an ungrateful young scamp," -exclaimed the doctor with considerable temper, as -he arose and left the room.</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Father," shouted Jack, "it isn't! Please come -back?"</p> - -<p class='c009'>The doctor, considerably startled by such an exhibition -of feeling, hastily returned.</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Father," said Jack, turning his head in spite of -considerable pain which the motion inflicted upon -his arm, "it's because—because Matt's a boy."</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Umph!" exclaimed the doctor, "that is a reason—a -wonderful reason. I should think you would -want to have it patented, or copyrighted, or something."</p> - -<p class='c009'>The doctor retired, pondering upon human depravity -as exemplified by ingratitude, and Jack, -having plenty of time, began to devise some way of -shaming his father out of so unjust an idea as that -his boy was ungrateful. When he became a man -and a steamboat captain he would bring all the doctor's -medicines free of charge—perhaps that -wouldn't heap coals of fire upon the old gentleman's -head—oh, no! Indeed, he was not sure but he -might one day become a missionary—missionaries -must have jolly times on tropical islands where they -can always go about in their shirt sleeves, have for -nothing all the bananas they can eat, and shoot -lions, and birds of paradise, and things, right from -their own doors. Perhaps when he sent his father -a tiger-skin rug, and his mother a whole lot of ostrich -plumes, and a monkey, and some cunning heathen -gods to put on her parlor mantel, his father would -talk about ingratitude then, but Jack rather guessed -not! Then when his mother came in with a plate -of water-toast, Jack surprised her by remarking.</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Mother, when marble time comes, I'll give you -all the buttons I win."</p> - -<p class='c009'>"What do you mean, Jack?" said the lady.</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Why, we play marbles for buttons sometimes, -and there's only two or three boys in town that can -beat me, and I never play with them."</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Where do they get the buttons to bet?" asked -Mrs. Wittingham, "and," she continued, a dire suspicion -coming suddenly to mind, "where do <i>you</i> get -them?"</p> - -<p class='c009'>"I—I don't know," said Jack feebly, at which -answer his mother sniffed alarmingly, and left Jack -to feel that grown folks were most shamefully -suspicious, and that they couldn't appreciate gratitude -when it was offered them.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Two or three days later the fever set in, and -Jack dreamed for days of Polar explorations, where -he could go swimming in cooling seas and sun himself -dry on iridescent icebergs. He planned a -wonderful voyage of discovery to the North Pole, -and it was of inestimable comfort to him to report -progress to Matt, in the five minutes which that -youth was allowed daily at the sufferer's bedside. -The tenor of his thoughts was daily interrupted by -his mother, who considered the occasion demanded -Bible reading instead of personal sympathy for the -youth, who could not leave his bed to attend family -prayers, and she so frequently selected passages -descriptive of a locality the temperature of which -is the reverse of polar, that Jack had to do a great -deal of mental rambling to get his thoughts in -proper trim again.</p> - -<p class='c009'>At last the fever subsided leaving Jack extremely -weak in body, but of a temper simply angelic. He -prefaced every request with "please," he never forgot -to say "thank you," and he sang little hymns -softly to himself. Mrs. Wittingham was delighted -beyond measure, and when she suggested that the -minister might like to call, and Jack replied that it -would be very nice to have a chat with that gentleman, -the lady became considerably alarmed on the -subject of the boy's recovery. Mr. Daybright, the -minister, was really a very pleasant man, as Jack -discovered, now that he had time to "take his -measure," as he himself expressed it, and after Mr. -Daybright had talked with him for half an hour, and -prayed with him, and departed, Jack did not know -but he might finally conclude to be a minister himself, -and have cake and cider offered him in the -middle of the afternoon when he called upon boys -with broken arms.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Then Jack's Sunday-school teacher called, and -suggested that the class should come in a body, on -the following Sunday, and Jack accepted the suggestion -with fervor, and the class came, and stood -decorously in a row, and sang several hymns, and -looked as sober as if fish-lines and peg-tops and balls -and birds' nests and orchards and crooked pins and -truancy did not exist anywhere nearer than the -planet Neptune. Then the teacher gave Jack a -book from the Sunday-school library, which book he -had selected with Jack's particular condition of -mind in view, and although it proved to be the -story of a dreadfully priggish but very pious little -London footman, whose nature, tastes, temptations -and general environment were utterly unlike Jack's, -the boy labored manfully through it, and endeavored -to persuade himself that he enjoyed it.</p> - -<p class='c009'>In fact, so thorough an overhauling did Jack's -conscience receive that he even felt himself called -upon to confess to the doctor his affair with Hoccamine's -whiskey, but although the doctor had -heard the story a month before from the lips of -Matt's father, he had not yet reached that mental -balance which would enable him to reprove the boy -and still leave him impressed with a sense of the -vileness of the rum traffic, so the doctor said only -"Well," in a very grave way, and made an excuse -to leave the sick chamber.</p> - -<p class='c009'>A few days later Jack was allowed to sit under -the great trees in front of the house, and as he was -positively forbidden to leave the grounds, to run, or -to make any exertion which might disturb the arm, -which he carried in a sling, he fell to noting the -habits of birds with their young, until he became so -affected that he silently vowed never to rob a nest -again. He found in the flowers and the shrubbery -many a charm which he had never suspected when -weeding them; he contemplated cloud pictures until -an overwhelming sense of the beautiful compelled -him to decide upon an artistic career, and he -watched every motion of whatever laborer happened -to be in sight until he determined that he never -again would throw a chip or anything else at a laboring -man, no matter how funny he might look -or how fluently he could swear when he espied his -tormentor.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Finally, to the delight of his parents and many -other people who were responsible for boys, but to -the general depression of the boys themselves, it -became known that Jack had signified his intention -of joining the church. Mr. Daybright admitted -that in years Jack was rather young to take such a -step, but, on the other hand, he had a far abler -mind, and—even although he was called the worst -boy in town—a cleaner record than half the adults -who came into the fold. Mr. Daybright had explained -to him, as men often will to boys other than -their own, that boys need not stop being boys and -being happy just because they become good, so -there was considerable disappointment experienced -by such youths as shrewdly imagined that Jack's -change of heart would result in his large and varied -assortment of knives, lines, marbles, skates, etc., -being thrown upon the market at reduced prices. -Jack explained, with considerable vigor, that because -he was going to give up mischief it did not -necessarily follow that he should become a muff, or -a soft head, or a twiddler, or an apron string, or a -foo-foo, or a stick-in-the-mud, or a dummy, or any -other of a dozen or two unpopular varieties of boy -which he mentioned, but that he proposed to "keep -his shirt on," remain "forked end down," retain -possession of his eye-teeth, and have as good a time -as anybody else could who didn't have to suffer for -it afterward. And the unregenerate boys went -away slowly and without the great possessions which -they had expected to carry with them, while one of -them who was generous as well as shrewd was heard -to say that bully old Jack Wittingham wasn't going -to flunk out after all, and that a fellow could do -many a worse thing than to join the church.</p> -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c000' /> -</div> -<div class='chapter'> - <h2 id='ch07' class='c004'>CHAPTER VII.</h2> -</div> -<div class='lg-container-l c012'> - <div class='linegroup'> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line in4'>"When the devil was well,</div> - <div class='line in6'>The devil a saint was he."</div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c009'>Jack sat, one evening, on a horse-block just outside -the front gate, contemplating the evening -star and such of its companions as were putting in -their respective appearances. He was attired rather -more carefully than was considered necessary for a -Doveton boy on any day but Sunday, and his countenance -was in keeping with his garb; while his hair -was brushed to a degree of smoothness almost -dandyish. Suddenly one-half of the Pinkshaw twins -approached and asked Jack if he didn't feel like -going that night to a meeting to be held by the -German Methodists, who were holding a series of -week-day evening services.</p> - -<p class='c009'>"I can't," said Jack. "We're expecting—expecting -a visitor, and I must stay home to meet him."</p> - -<p class='c009'>"That's too bad," said the half of the Pinkshaw -twins, scraping the dust into a heap with his bare -feet, "for they've got old Vater Offenstein, all the -way from New Munich, to do the exhorting, and -they expect a great time."</p> - -<p class='c009'>"They are real good people, those German Methodists -are," said Jack, "but you'll have to excuse -me to-night. Get some other fellow to go with -you."</p> - -<p class='c009'>"I can't," explained young Pinkshaw. "Nearly -all the boys are going to a party at Billy Barker's -sister's, but Billy and I don't speak since he traded -me a dog that was given to fits, so I'm not going."</p> - -<p class='c009'>Jack sympathized with the Pinkshaw twin in his -loneliness; besides, he did not know but some feeling -stronger than mere curiosity was drawing the boy -toward the church; certainly he, Jack, would never -have divulged a religious feeling in any but a roundabout -way. The church was but a five minutes' -walk, and he could excuse himself and come away -after the Pinkshaw twin became fairly interested. -So he accompanied the boy, their direction being -toward the sound of some very spirited singing, -which could be distinctly heard above all other -evening sounds. Arrived at the little church, Jack -found that his companion would not have lacked -congenial society even had he come alone, for in -the back seats were already congregated several -boys of respectable parentage, and a loafer or two -besides, as well as half a dozen adults who frequently -occupied back seats in churches. Jack -would have retired at once, but the famous Vater -Offenstein had just ascended the pulpit, removed -his coat, laid it across the desk and opened the -Bible, and Jack, who was just then full of sympathy -with all believers of the Word, was anxious to observe -the old man's method.</p> - -<p class='c009'>The service began with an earnest prayer, to -which responses were offered from most of the -benches near the altar. Then a rich old German -choral was finely rendered, after which Vater Offenstein -proceeded to business. Jack understood a -little of the exhortation, having studied German, -and he ventured a silent prayer that its whole -meaning might be taken in by Sam Mugley, the -sadler shop apprentice, who understood German -and all the ways of the evil one beside. The discourse -was apparently a powerful one, for "Amen!" -"Gott macht es!" "Liebes Herr und Heiland!" -and various other responses escaped frequently from -the faithful. Old Nokkerman, man-of-all-work at -Matt Bolton's father's store, seemed particularly -excited; he waved to and fro on his seat, his shock -of long uncombed hair with a bald spot in its centre -making him particularly noticeable. The old -man's cranium did not, however, attract attention -only from admirers of the picturesque, for suddenly -a small but rapid ball of soft-chewed paper -made a fair bull's eye on the circle of bare scalp, -and flattened itself over considerable space. Old -Nokkerman turned speedily to perceive only several -rows of solemn-faced unregenerates, Jack's -eye being the only one he could catch, so he shook -his fist warningly at the general line of occupants -of the back seats, and then resumed his blissful -manifestations as quickly as if the religious ecstacy -were a mere habit which could be assumed or laid -aside at will. A hurried interchange of views took -place in a whisper on the furthest seat back, with -the result that Sam Mugley, the sadler shop apprentice, -slyly drew a small tin putty-blower from -an inner breast pocket, and aimed a ball of putty at -old Nokkerman's cranial target. The shot missed -its mark, being low and to one side, and struck -Fritz Shantz a smart blow in the back of his neck. -As Shantz was a butcher as well as a devout Methodist, -he rose instantly with blood in his eye, and -started for the back of the church, his mien being -so terrible that one of the more cautious of the -loafers hurried out of church and took to his heels, -thus diverting suspicion from the guilty person, and -laying up for himself a day of wrath which Shantz -determined should not be long postponed.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Jack was really in sympathy with the worshippers, -and was also indignant, with them, at the godless -disturbers of the excellent tone of the meeting, -but it was out of the power of any healthy boy with -a keen sense of the ridiculous to avoid a little -laughter at the peculiar ways of old Nokkerman -and the butcher under their annoyances. And a -little laughter in a boy of fourteen is quite likely -to be something like the beginning of strife; it led -to more and yet more, until Jack was too full to -restrain his merriment, and it bubbled out of his -eyes and all over his face. The brethren knew by -experience that when disturbances began so early -in the evening, the occasion demanded sharp eyes -and prompt action, so several of the occupants of -the "Amen" seats kept a pretty steady sidelong -glance at the back benches, while one brother -walked quietly out of church and notified a constable -that trouble was expected.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Meanwhile, Vater Offenstein continued his exhortations, -alternating between heavenly love and -the brimstone of the unpopular extreme of the debatable -land, and the excitable among the brethren -and sisters responded more and more fervently, and -Gottlieb Wiffterschneck sprang to his feet and -jumped up and down shouting, "Ach, Herr Jesu!" -when the horse doctor's boy, who had been biding -his time outside the church just under one of the -windows, carefully trained a huge syringe to bear -upon the altar, and deluged Vater Offenstein's face -with water, which, like the precious oil upon the -head of Aaron, ran down upon his beard and garments, -and shed considerable upon the Holy Book -beside. This was too much for even good Vater -Offenstein, so instead of repeating the sublime -prayer of the dying Stephen he picked up a small -wooden bench upon which short preachers usually -knelt in the pulpit, and hurled it at the window, -missing the open space and sending it through two -panes of glass and the intervening sash. This provoked -a laugh even from one or two of the faithful, -so the occupants of the back benches released -themselves from all restraint, and laughed aloud in -a most unseemly manner, while Vater Offenstein -wiped his face and hair with his coat, and quoted -appropriate passages of Scripture most dreadfully -between his teeth, translating some of them into -English for the benefit of the race from which -alone the annoyances of the brethren proceeded. -A general quiet being thereby induced, the exhortation -was resumed for a short time, and ended in -an invitation to the penitent to go forward to the -altar and be prayed for.</p> - -<p class='c009'>While the brethren sang a hymn, several sinners -passed up the narrow aisle and Jack turned his -head with the hope that he might see Sam Mugley, -the saddler shop apprentice, join the band, but the -wicked Sam was just in the act of blowing a second -putty-ball, and Jack's head coming suddenly in -range as it turned, the ball struck Jack fairly in one -eye, causing the boy to emit a howl of anguish. In -an instant Shantz the butcher had collared Jack -and shaken him soundly, exclaiming,</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Dat iss vat a gute Amerigan boy iss, iss it?"</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Somebody hit me in the eye with something," -screamed Jack, "and it hurts awfully. <i>Oh!</i>"</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Den dat iss too bad," said Shantz. "Dell me -who it vass and I will break effery bone in hiss -body."</p> - -<p class='c009'>But Jack could not tell, and several sympathizing -brethren gathered about him and suggested that he -should take a seat farther forward, and be where -the bad boys could not annoy him. Although this -suggestion, thanks to the mysterious ways of the -unfathomable German mind, was equivalent to asking -him to put himself more directly under fire, -Jack gladly availed himself of it, so as to remove -himself from an environment which was full of -cause for suspicion.</p> - -<p class='c009'>By this time the assemblage was on its knees, -listening to a prayer by Petrus von Schlenker. -Petrus' prayer was very earnest, but it was also -long; it was delivered with such rapidity that Jack -could not understand a word of it, so the exercise -became rather monotonous to him, and he opened -his eyes and looked about. Under the single slat -which formed the back of the bench, and directly -in front of him, Jack beheld the broad and well-patched -trowsers-seat of Nuderkopf Trinkelspiel, -and Satan, who long ago became noted for putting -in an appearance when the Sons of God were in -council (See Job, Chap. I), suggested to Jack that -through such a mass of patches a bent pin might -work its way for quite a distance without doing any -serious damage to the wearer. Jack broke an anticipatory -laugh square in two, and closed his eyes -in prayer to be delivered from temptation, but -when he opened his eyes again there were the -patches, apparently a little more inviting than before. -Jack did not exactly wish that some good -brother on the bench behind Nuderkopf Trinkelspiel -would think to crook a pin and place it on -Nuderkopf's bench just as the latter arose to take -his seat, but he wished, in case anyone <i>should</i> be -prompted to do such a thing, that he, Jack, might -have his head turned just then so as to observe the -result of the operation. And still Petrus von -Schlenker's prayer went on, and Jack's eyes remained -open, and the boy was glad that he did not -occupy the seat behind Nuderkopf Trinkelspiel, lest -he might be tempted. Suddenly there came to -Jack something which would have been called an -inspiration had its tendency been different. He remembered -that he had a pin in the lapel of his own -jacket, and it occurred to him that this pin might -be bent so as to have a reliable base, and the point -might be inserted in the seat of Nuderkopf Trinkelspiel's -trowsers, where it would be in position to -attend to business as soon as the worshippers resumed -a sitting posture. Jack promptly whispered -to himself "Get thee behind me, Satan," suiting -the action to the word by removing the pin from -the coat and dropping it on the floor. But there -it was more tempting than it had been before; it -lay there, bright, thick and strong, demanding that -Jack should look at it. It was no common, soft pin, -to collapse at the first sign of pressure, but tough -enough to serve as a nail, if occasion required. -Jack was really curious to know if so unprecedented -an application of a pin could be successful, -because, if he became a preacher, as he instantly -resolved he would, he might some time preach in -German in that very church, and then if such a -trick were served upon any one, he would be able -to detect the guilty person. Besides, the patch -seemed to repose upon other patches, and probably -the pin point could not more than pierce the cloth -itself, where it would be when Nuderkopf Trinkelspiel -knelt at the next prayer, and it would demonstrate -what would be the effect of a similar operation -upon a thinner pair of trowsers.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Jack picked up the pin and bent it with the greatest -care, though it would have seemed to an exact -scientist that the upright portion was unnecessarily -long for a purpose merely experimental. He inserted -it with the greatest nicety between the coarse -threads of the homespun patch, and though he admitted -that Petrus von Schlenker was considered a -very good man, he determined that his prayer was -too long to be efficacious. Suddenly the voluble -Petrus said "Amen," the audience arose, Jack's -heart bounced into his mouth, Nuderkopf Trinkelspiel -began to sit down, the brethren started the -noble choral beginning</p> -<div class='lg-container-l c013'> - <div class='linegroup'> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>"<span lang="de" xml:lang="de">Groser Gott wir loben dich;</span></div> - <div class='line in1'><span lang="de" xml:lang="de">Herr, wir preisen deiner stärke</span>,"</div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c014'>when suddenly Nuderkopf Trinkelspiel emitted a -most appalling yell, and followed it up with so many -others of a similar character, that the song sank to a -faltering termination, and the singers crowded -around their disturber, scarcely knowing whether to -attribute the disturbance to pain or to grace. Several -minutes elapsed before Nuderkopf Trinkelspiel -sought the cause of his agony, but when at length -he extracted the pin from the seat of his trowsers -and held it aloft in explanation, no one failed to -comprehend the cause of his agitation. Then astonishment -gave place to mystery, for it passed conjecture -how the pin could even have got upon the bench, -with several reliable brethren just behind Nuderkopf -and one at either side of him. During the general -arising, Jack considered it safer to start homeward -to see the company that had been expected early in -the evening, but he lingered outside the window -just a moment, to see the excitement subside, and -great was his mirth as he beheld the wondering faces -of the honest Germans. Here he was joined by the -Pinkshaw twin and two or three other boys, but just -then Vater Offenstein reminded the congregation -that time was rapidly bearing them on to eternity, -so the brethren resumed their seats, and Jack was -going to start for home when the Pinkshaw twin -asked, perhaps forgetting Jack's new professions,</p> - -<p class='c009'>"What next?"</p> - -<p class='c009'>Lazy George Crayton remarked that he had -brought some torpedoes which he had saved over -from the fourth of July, but none of them had exploded -when he threw them, perhaps because in the -church he could not get good elbow-room when he -threw.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Jack had determined not to make any more trouble, -but if there was anything which he despised -above all others, it was a person who could never -think of but one way to do a thing. So he reproached -George Crayton with being a dunderhead, -and George replied that if somebody was smarter -than somebody else, perhaps somebody would have -the kindness to show how. So Jack thought carefully -for a moment or two, and then asked if anyone -had an old letter in his pocket. Nobody answered -in the affirmative, but as Jack said that any stout -sheet of paper a foot long would do, a boy who lived -near by sped homeward, and soon returned with a -sheet of foolscap. Jack rolled this into a tube, put -several torpedoes into it, put his lips to one end by -way of illustration, and remarked</p> - -<p class='c009'>"There!"</p> - -<p class='c009'>"I'll bet you can't blow them hard enough to -snap," whispered the lazy George in reply.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Such an aspersion of the power of his lungs was -too much for Jack's principles, so he peered cautiously -about the church for an appropriate mark. -Vater Offenstein was the most prominent and -tempting one in sight, but him Jack regarded almost -as the Lord's anointed. On either side of the pulpit, -however, were large oil lamps, and inviting -attention to the one which was nearest, Jack took -deliberate aim and blew a mighty blast. He missed -the lamp, but the wall behind the pulpit was hard -enough to stop any small projectile, and against -this the torpedoes crashed almost as a single one, -and caused Vater Offenstein to jump nearly across -the pulpit. Half a dozen of the faithful hurried out -of doors, and after them, to see the fun, dashed all -the occupants of the back seats, while from some -unknown hiding place sprang the constable. Away -flew the boys, all in the same direction, and after -them went the constable, the brethren and the -whole body of the scoffers. Jack and the Pinkshaw -twin easily got away from their pursuers and found -friendly cover in the darkness, but a confused sound -of harsh voices, dominated by a loud wail, indicated -that lazy George Crayton had been caught.</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Oh, oh, oh," exclaimed Jack in a hoarse whisper, -"isn't it too dreadful?"</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Never mind," said the Pinkshaw twin, reassuringly, -"they haven't got <i>us</i>."</p> - -<p class='c009'>"They <i>will</i> get us, though," said Jack. "That -George Crayton will tell on us—he's an awful coward -when he gets cornered. What shall I do?"</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Lick him," suggested the Pinkshaw twin; "lick -him until he'll be afraid to say his soul's his own the -next time he gets into a scrape."</p> - -<p class='c009'>"That isn't it," said Jack. "The thing will get -all over town, and all this time I ought to have been -at home to see Mr. Daybright, who was to come to -our house to-night for the express purpose of examining -me on my evidences!"</p> - -<p class='c009'>The Pinkshaw twin had nothing to say in reply -to this information, and Jack sneaked home and -hung about the doorway until he assured himself -that Mr. Daybright had gone; then he made some -lame excuse for his absence and retired to a very -uneasy pillow.</p> -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c000' /> -</div> -<div class='chapter'> - <h2 id='ch08' class='c004'>CHAPTER VIII. <br /> <br /> FUGITIVES FROM JUSTICE.</h2> -</div> - -<p class='c008'>On the next morning there was a marked scarcity -of boys in places where, at ordinary -times, boys most did congregate. The scamps who -had scrambled about the edge of sacrilege on the -preceding night, kept themselves carefully secluded -from the general gaze, while other mischievous boys, -having learned by sad experience that suspicion, like -lightning, is much given to striking at objects that -do not merit any such attention, devoted themselves -industriously to home affairs, or went upon -solitary journeys into the suburbs.</p> - -<p class='c009'>And these precautionary measures proved to be -not without sense, for at a tolerably early hour the -Post Office, which was also the office of the most -popular of the two local justices of the peace, was -approached by a strong delegation from the outraged -Society of German Methodists. First came -the renowned Vater Offenstein, supported by the -Reverend Schnabel Mauterbach, pastor of the -church. Vater Offenstein had not been able to -keep his hair and clothing wet during the hot August -night, but the water thrown from the syringe -had not been very clean, so there were great stains -upon the cotton shirt which its wearer would swear -had been put on clean on the day of the service. The -pastor bore the soiled and still damp copy of the -Holy Book. Then came old Nokkerman, his hair carefully -combed and soaped down, so that the justice -might plainly see the bald spot which had been used -as a target. Beside old Nokkerman walked Shantz -the butcher, with his coat off, so that he might display -the great red spot where the putty-ball had -struck him. After them walked Petrus von Schlenker, -to offer an affidavit that he had prayed during -the service, though anyone who knew the gifts of -the tongue of Petrus would have accepted a mere -statement on that point as conclusive. Beside Petrus -waddled Nuderkopf Trinkelspiel, jealously guarding -in an empty paint can the bent pin which had caused -him to disturb the meeting; he also bore, in their -normal position, the well-patched trowsers through -which the point of the pin had found its way.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Then came the sexton of the church, carrying -under one arm the bench which Vater Offenstein -had hurled at Satan's representative; in another -hand he carried the broken glass and sash wrapped -in two thicknesses of newspaper, and in his pocket -was a match-box containing the papers and such -other fragments as could be collected of the offending -torpedoes. A number of witnesses followed, -so that the postmaster-justice's little office -was completely filled. Then the pastor announced -that the party had called to make and substantiate -a complaint, and various statements were volunteered -before the justice could impress the assemblage -with the necessity for administering oaths. -Vater Offenstein, immediately upon being sworn, -opened his coat, displayed his soiled shirt, and impressively -held the Good Book aloft, opened at its -stained, wet pages. Shantz the butcher delivered -his own sworn statement with his face to the wall, -the impressiveness of the proceeding being somewhat -abated by his completely covering with his -immense forefinger the red spot on the back of his -neck; old Nokkerman bent nearly double so as to -display his baldness as he talked; Petrus von -Schlenker talked volubly to no purpose until cut -short by the justice, and Nuderkopf Trinkelspiel, -trying at the same time to hold aloft the torturing -pin, look the justice impressively in the eye, and -yet display the seat of offending beneath his upraised -coat-tail, presented a figure which utterly destroyed -judicial gravity. Then the sexton laid -upon the table the little bench which Vater Offenstein -had cast from the pulpit, and carefully unrolled -the broken glass and sash, and brought up -from the depth of his pocket the little but positive -proof in the shape of fragments of torpedoes. -Then the constable brought in lazy George Crayton, -who had spent the night in the town jail, and -who looked as pallid and guilty as if he had to -answer for the crime of murdering a whole family.</p> - -<p class='c009'>George did not waive an examination; on the -contrary, he had such a passion for confession that -he included, in his list of accomplices, the name of -every boy in town against whom he had any grudge -whatever, and it was not until after the examination -that it occurred to him that he personally had done -nothing whatever to disturb the meeting. Then -George's father gave bonds that his son should keep -the peace, after which he led the youth home to the -pain which follows discipline. Shantz the butcher -turned up his shirt collar, the pastor and Vater -Offenstein departed with the sacred Book, the sexton -carried the pulpit bench back to its legitimate -position. Old Nokkerman tried to scratch his head, -but discovered, as his fingers slid impotently over -the soaped locks, that the ends of justice are sometimes -attained only through extra annoyance to the -offended; Petrus von Schlenker, who had been -slowly realizing that he had sustained no personal -grievance, made the best of his time by engaging -the justice on local politics; Nuderkopf Trinkelspiel -carefully secured the offending pin, and the constable -went in search of the yet unapprehended -offenders.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Meanwhile, the innocent half of the Pinkshaw -twins, who had been listening outside the window, -had heard the list of the offenders pronounced by -the justice as he wrote the warrant, and discovered -to his horror that his own name was included therein, -the informer having been uncertain as to which -Pinkshaw twin was present. An inborn sense of -equity suggested to him the application of the principle -of an alibi, but later he realized that to be -innocent yet suspected, would justify him in escaping -the hated French class, and yet save him from the -ordinary penalty of truancy. Away he sped to -notify the whole list, and within half an hour nearly -all the boys whose names were upon the warrant -were informed of their legal status, while the constable, -who fully realized how much work was before -him, had barely finished strengthening himself at -Gripp's rum-shop.</p> - -<p class='c009'>The first man notified was Jack, and as that -youth had an utter abhorrence of loneliness he suggested -to the Pinkshaw twin that he should name -the Dead House blackberry patch as a safe place of -rendezvous, inasmuch as nobody would be likely to -go there, the blackberry season being over, there -being no contagious disease raging in town, and the -house being off the road to any where. He also -suggested that the boys should bring with them -whatever provisions they could lay hands upon. -Then Jack, with his heart in his stockings, and his -eyes feeling ready to overflow, made haste to collect -a hatchet, a box of matches, his fishing tackle -and whatever else he could think of, in his haste, as -likely to mitigate the privations of exile. Great as -his haste was, he found time to hide in the corncrib -for a moment or two, kneel devoutly, and inform -the Lord that he hadn't meant to do anything -wrong, and that he hoped when next there was a -scrape impending, the Lord would send an angel -to forcibly drive Jack from the scene of action. -More mature sinners, as they smile pityingly at -this style of repentance, would do well to examine -their own business consciences, and restrain their -smiles until they ascertain whether they have not -themselves indulged in many a similar <i>ex post facto</i> -operation.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Arrived at the Dead House blackberry patch, -Jack found quite an assortment of solemn-faced -boys under the shady side of the high board fence. -All of the guilty parties were there, except Sam -Mugley, the saddler shop apprentice, whose employer -had agreed to surrender the boy when necessary; -there were also present many boys who preferred -to flee the evils which they knew—to wit, -French paradigms—than endure those they knew -not of. Several boys immediately demanded of -Jack what was to be done, and while the interrogated -youth retired within himself to devise a plan -of action, Ben Bagger, who read all the popular -literature for boys, suggested that they should organize -under the title of "The Bloody Land Pirates," -and prey upon the society which had unjustly -cast them out, but this suggestion was -severely damaged by Jack, who said that the duty -of the hour was to see that things were made no -worse. Then Jack decreed that the party should -retain its present quarters, separating if it chose, at -nightfall, to slumber in neighboring barns, fishing at -dawn and after sunset, and diverting itself by whatever -means were available, until a general amnesty -could be procured.</p> - -<p class='c009'>For an hour or two the group amused itself with -conversation, the guilty Pinkshaw twin causing considerable -merriment by a recital of the experiences -of the righteous Germans on the preceding night. -Jack endeavored to withdraw himself from the -Pinkshaw twin's audience, but who does not enjoy -retrospects of affairs which in themselves were enjoyable? -So he lingered, afar off, yet within sound -of the Pinkshaw twin's voice until that youth alluded -to Jack having taken a seat among the pious, -and then Jack, like the cowardly apostle Peter, began -to curse and to swear. The ways of Peter -came to his mind, both reproachingly and in comfort, -for he remembered that Peter had behaved -valiantly after discovering what a blatant, white-livered -sort of a fellow he was, and Jack, to stifle -his conscience, was willing for the moment to -believe that if he himself swore, lied and put in a -general denial, the evil might be excusable for the -sake of the good it might bring. In this respect he -so much resembled many an unscrupulous wire-puller -in church affairs that no theological partizan -can fail to sympathize with him.</p> - -<p class='c009'>After the story of the German Methodist meeting -had concluded, conversation languished, and -several boys complained of hunger. Jack took -charge of the commissariat and having carefully -garnered all the provisions that had been brought, -he suggested to those who were guiltless (except of -truancy) that if they would go boldly to the justice, -claim to have been at Billy Barker's sister's party at -the time of the outrage, and offer Billy, his sister -and his mother in evidence, they would, without -doubt, be cleared. When these boys had reluctantly -departed, the assemblage was reduced to five -boys, three of whom had done nothing worse than -laugh at the capers which had been played upon the -faithful, Jack and the Pinkshaw twin, who pleaded -guilty of having thrown the spitball at old Nokkerman's -bare scalp, constituting the remainder.</p> - -<p class='c009'>How these were to pass the time until night was -a serious problem, when one of the innocent, who -was also a loafer, produced a grimy pack of cards, -and therewith he soon won all the fractional currency -in possession of his companions; then he departed, -having doubly avenged himself upon fate by -dining heartily upon the stores of the exiles. Of -the quartette which remained, Jack was outwardly -the most cheerful and careless, but inwardly—well, -he could not help thinking of the Spartan boy who -allowed a fox to prey upon his vitals while he was -denying any knowledge even of the existence of a -fox anywhere nearer than the Apennines. Ruling -in hell might have its social advantages over serving -in heaven, but in whatever location a man may -be, there will the appropriate mental temperature -be also. Jack's remorse was genuine and terrible, -and he admitted to himself that he would gladly -make any reparation, endure any obloquy, suffer any -punishment, in fact, go through anything that could -be devised—except being caught by the constable.</p> - -<p class='c009'>When supper time came and went, it was discovered -that the larder would be empty in the -morning, but fortunately Matt appeared, coming at -night, like Nicodemus, for fear of the authorities, -and brought with him a whole loaf of bread and fifty -or sixty cubic inches of boiled ham. But the boys -slept out of doors that night, and awoke with such -appetites that the bread and ham disappeared and -they were still hungry. Then they stole many ears -of scarcely ripe green corn, which they roasted and -ate for dinner without successfully filling their respective -aching voids. A raid was made upon a -patch of early potatoes, but these did not roast satisfactorily, -as any of the boys might have known -had they ever tried an early potato before. The -final result was that the boys slept supperless, and -were at the mill-dam before daylight, where they -were successful in demonstrating to certain occupants -of the water that catching the early worm is -not an unmixed blessing. But even fish, broiled on -sticks or fried on a heated plowshare which somebody -had stolen, are not particularly palatable -when eaten without salt or bread. So the party -finally sneaked toward town with hungry faces, vigilant -eyes, and waistbands which would lap past -their accustomed meeting place, and fasten, without -extra tugging, at the first suspender button.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Meanwhile, the constable had been prowling industriously -about the town, stimulated beyond -average official enthusiasm by the offer of a ten-dollar -bill from the German Methodist treasury, for -the apprehension of all the culprits. He had examined -the innocent boys with the result of determining -that the juvenile mind is deceitful above all -things and desperately wicked. He had been to -the mill-dam only to discover traces of early work -by workers who, like the Arabs, had "silently stolen -away;" he had watched under the windows of him</p> -<div class='lg-container-l c013'> - <div class='linegroup'> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>"——Who returneth,</div> - <div class='line in1'>Whose chamber lamp burneth</div> - <div class='line in4'>No more,——"</div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c009'>He had examined the cock-loft of the school, ridden -along the river bank, sneaked beside the fences of -popular orchards, and lain in ambush near brushheaps -where laying hens most did congregate. He -had even tracked, to unprofitable localities, various -boys whom he suspected of conveying aid and -comfort to the enemy, and all he could show for -his pains was a badly sunburned nose, and a pair of -boots considerably damaged by brush-wood and -concealed stumps.</p> - -<p class='c009'>At noon, on the third day, he was completely -exhausted, and determined that if ever a good -watermelon could supply a pleasing finale to a -noon-day meal, it was then. So he walked out to -his own melon-patch, chuckling, as he went, over -the strict seclusion of the same, for it occupied the -centre of a hollow square, the sides of which consisted -of dense rows of tall corn. As he approached -this from his own back door, he perceived -how vain is the cunning of man when confronted -by the intuition of the bad boy; for there—at -ease, and enjoying the particularly large -melon which he had been reserving against a day -when upon his wife might accidentally be inflicted -a deluge of company—sat the boys for whom he -had been looking.</p> -<div class='figcenter id001'> -<img src='images/p103.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' /> -<div class='ic002'> -<p><span class='small'>THE STRONG ARM OF THE LAW.</span></p> -</div> -</div> - -<p class='c009'>The constable roared "Halt!" but with no more -success than if he were an army officer in the midst -of a panic, for the boys separated in the corn rows, -and the official was undecided as to which to follow. -So, indulging to an injudicious extent in that -profanity which so naturally attends indecision and -failure, he strove gloomily to the foot of his garden -to discover, to his great delight, that Jack had -stumbled, fallen and knocked all the breath out of -his body without seeming able to regain enough for -practical purposes. In an instant Jack was in the -official's arms, and though he bit, scratched, kicked -and begged, he was speedily invested in a pair of -handcuffs in the constable's dining-room, and afterward -led slowly through the main street to the -town jail.</p> -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c000' /> -</div> -<div class='chapter'> - <h2 id='ch09' class='c004'>CHAPTER IX. <br /> <br /> THE STOOL OF REPENTANCE.</h2> -</div> - -<p class='c008'>It was customary in Doveton to put sober offenders -against the peace in the second floor -rooms of the jail, for these, though not containing -everything that a fastidious taste might desire, -were well lighted and ventilated. But as the constable -led Jack to jail, he thought upon his own -despoiled melon patch, so he decided to put the -young man into the dungeon which was reserved -for the most depraved disturbers and desperate -villains. As Jack was pushed into this receptacle -he noticed, with a sinking of the heart, that the -door was a foot thick, built of most chilling oak-tree -hearts, and strapped with huge bars of iron. -Not that he had contemplated escape; he was -just then too feeble of soul to contemplate anything -but his own iniquity; but he had the natural, -healthful objection to restraint, and when restraint -can be measured by the cubic foot it is depressing -almost to idiocy. Then the constable shot four -massive bolts, each one of which seemed to give -Jack's heart a mighty thump as it grated and -groaned into its proper place. Jack turned to look -at the window. It was of rough glass, so that a -prisoner could not look out; it was only six -inches high, though its length was about two feet, -and it was crossed both inside and outside by stout -bars of iron let into the stone. The furniture, -when Jack's eyes became sufficiently accustomed to -the dim light to see it all, consisted of a dingy cot -of canvas and a broken pitcher containing the -water left by the cell's last occupant, who had gone -to the state prison two months before for passing -counterfeit money. The only decorations were -some cobwebs, which in tone harmonized with the -general effect of the interior, and an engraving, -upon the stone of the lightest side of the cell, of a -frightful looking being with horns, hoof and barbed -tail, having beneath it the inscription, "ThE -DEViL Taik Evry boDDy." The odor of the -apartment was undesirable.</p> - -<p class='c009'>By the time Jack had learned this much, he -threw himself upon the canvas cot, careless of what -else there might be to observe, and sobbed violently. -This, then, was the end of the boy who -had been so good for a month, who was going to -join the church and be useful in persuading other -boys out of bad courses, and be a missionary, perhaps, -and a minister at the very least! Everybody -now would think him a hypocrite; he would probably -be sent to the penitentiary for a year or -two, for now that the proper occasion for recalling -the fact had passed, he remembered to have -heard that disturbing religious assemblages was a -great crime in the eyes of the law. Perhaps they -would send him to the reform school, which -would be a thousand times worse than the penitentiary, -for the word "reform" suggested as -dreadful possibilities to Jack as it ever did to a self-made -politician. When he came out again what -would happen to him? He had never seen any -persons but loafers pay any attention to discharged -prisoners who made Doveton their abiding -place. Nobody would let their boys play with him -then—if, indeed, by that time he had enough youth -and spirits left to want to play; he would have to -sit on the back seats in church among the sad-eyed, -uninteresting reprobates who now sat there, instead -of among the neatly dressed boys who sat under -the eyes of their parents and the preacher.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Then Jack thought of the hereafter, in the literal, -material manner, which was the natural result -of the religious teachings he had received. If -angels knew everything and went wherever they -pleased, and if his deceased brothers and sisters -became angels just after they died—they had been -angelic while they lived—how must they feel to -see their well-born, carefully taught brother in so -dreadful a place as a common prison? As Jack -thought of it he wished the prison bed had a cover -under which he could hide; but as it had not, he -squeezed his face and flattened his nose upon the -rough, dirty canvas. The thought of his parents -recalled the wish, frequently felt by Jack, that -somebody would understand him, know how earnestly -he longed to be good—some one to whom -he could tell some of the splendid thoughts he -sometimes had—thoughts which would simply astonish -his parents out of their senses, if he could -feel free to tell them. Why didn't people give him -credit for what was in him, instead of eternally -finding fault with him for what came out of him? -Was he a jug that he should be judged in such a -manner? Looking the matter squarely in the face, -however, how was any one to know what was inside -of him except by what proceeded from him?</p> - -<p class='c009'>This train of reasoning was promptly dismissed -as unpleasant in the extreme, and Jack began to -search his pockets for something that might assist -him in consuming time more endurably, when some -one at the grating in the door startled him by exclaiming:</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Well, young man!"</p> - -<p class='c009'>Jack recognized the voice of his father, and his -heart went down, down, down, apparently through -the floor, and all the way into the depths of the middle -of the western half of the Pacific Ocean, which, -by careful investigation, Jack had determined was the -geographical antipode of Doveton. Then the door -opened, and Jack's father entered, and, oh, horror -of horrors! he brought with him Mr. Daybright, the -minister. Jack sat upon the side of the cot and -nervelessly dropped his face into his hands and his -elbows upon his knees.</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Well, young man," resumed the doctor, "what -have you got to say for yourself?"</p> - -<p class='c009'>Jack preserved utter silence, but determined that -he never before heard so exasperating a question.</p> - -<p class='c009'>"My poor boy," said Mr. Daybright, sitting down -beside Jack and putting his arm around him, "Satan -has indeed been making a mighty fight to secure -your immortal part."</p> - -<p class='c009'>"I think so too," sobbed Jack, glad of a chance -to lay the blame of his mischievousness upon somebody -else, and determining that if he ever <i>did</i> become -a minister, he would make things lively for -Matt Bolton's father, who denied the existence of a -personal devil.</p> - -<p class='c009'>"So think I," remarked the doctor, "and a very -successful job Satan has made of it. I wish he -would give me a few lessons in the art of getting -hold of boys."</p> - -<p class='c009'>The minister thought to himself that it was not -necessary for the doctor to go so far for information -when he could have obtained it from present -company, but as the doctor paid a large pew rent in -Mr. Daybright's church, that divine thought it inadvisable -to offend a person upon whom a portion -of his own salary depended. But he could safely -say what he chose to Jack, so he said:</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Rouse yourself, my dear young friend; you -still live and move and have your being, and</p> -<div class='lg-container-b c013'> - <div class='linegroup'> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line in4'>'While the lamp holds out to burn</div> - <div class='line in5'>The vilest sinner may return,'</div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c014'>you know. Why not, in this unsavory place, eschew -finally and forever all bad associations?"</p> - -<p class='c009'>"I will—oh, I will!" cried Jack.</p> - -<p class='c009'>"I've heard something of the sort before," remarked -the doctor. "I've heard it from this young -scamp himself, and, Mr. Daybright, you and I have -often heard it from men who thought they were -upon their death-beds."</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Blessed be death-beds, then," fervently exclaimed -the minister. "Jack, why don't you determine -to say, hereafter and always, 'Get thee behind -me, Satan!' when wrong impulses make themselves -known in your mind?"</p> - -<p class='c009'>"I have done it," said Jack, recalling his experience -with the pin in the German Methodist meeting, -"but it don't take him long to get around in -front of me again."</p> - -<p class='c009'>The doctor hid an unseemly giggle in his handkerchief, -and the minister himself was temporarily -silenced; then the doctor managed to straighten -out his voice, as he said:</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Listen to me, my boy. I can take you out of -this vile hole, but only by subscribing a hundred -dollars to the debt of the German Methodist church, -repairing their broken window, giving them a new -Bible, changing my custom from the market to -Shantz the butcher, who doesn't sell the best of -meat but does charge the highest prices, asking Bolton -to raise the salary of old Nokkerman, reducing -the amount of my bill to Petrus von Schlenker"—</p> - -<p class='c009'>"I didn't do anything to any of these people," -interrupted Jack.</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Whether you did or not," said the doctor, -"doesn't affect the case. You did something, whatever -it was, to disturb that meeting; those men -were all there, they are all among the complainants, -and must be satisfied in order to persuade them to -withdraw their complaint."</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Didn't—didn't Nuderkopf Trinkelspiel want -anything?" asked Jack falteringly.</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Oh!" exclaimed the doctor, "it <i>was</i> you who -made him sit upon that crooked pin, was it? How -did you do it?"</p> - -<p class='c009'>Jack, finding himself trapped by his own words, -meekly explained the operation which led to Nuderkopf's -spasmodic loquacity, both visitors holding -their mouths as he did so. Then the doctor resumed -the disturbed line of the conversation by -asking:</p> - -<p class='c009'>"What do you propose to do?"</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Oh!" said Jack, raising his head, "I'll be a minister, -and preach to bad boys all my life, if you will -only get me out of here, and send me off to some -seminary where nobody knows me."</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Umph!" grunted the doctor. "And what sort -of a living do you suppose you'll earn in that business?"</p> - -<p class='c009'>"'Quench not the Spirit,'" quoted the minister, -and the doctor inwardly acknowledged the justice -of the rebuke, though he hypocritically remarked -that he had spoken thus only to test Jack's sincerity.</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Will you let other boys alone—keep away from -them entirely?" asked the doctor.</p> - -<p class='c009'>This was severer than Jack had anticipated, even -when in the depths of contrition and apprehension, -so he dropped his head again, and realized anew -what a dreadful thing sin was when one came to -look it fairly in the face.</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Do you hear me?" asked the doctor.</p> - -<p class='c009'>"All but Matt, father," said Jack. "He never -does anything wrong, unless I put him up to it, and -I'll promise never to tell him any good thing again, -if you'll let me go with him."</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Good thing!" ejaculated the doctor. "What -sort of repentance do you call that, dominie, -when outrageous capers are characterized as good -things?"</p> - -<p class='c009'>The minister shook his head gravely, and answered:</p> - -<p class='c009'>"My dear young friend, you must realize that -what you call good things are really bad things. -Until you fully understand this, there is nothing -to prevent your getting into just such trouble -again."</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Then I'll call everything bad," said Jack; "blackberrying, -fishing, answers to hard sums,——"</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Gently, boy," said the minister. "None of -these things do harm to any one."</p> - -<p class='c009'>"I supposed they did," cried Jack, "for I like -them all, and it seems as if whatever I like is bad."</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Not at all," said the minister, while the doctor -hastily drew forth his notebook and made the -following note for the great work on heredity: -"When a person is suffering, he is liable to believe -that things have always been as they are at that -particular moment; hence the unhealthy poems, -novels and dramas which certain disordered minds -spring upon the public." Then the doctor replaced -his notebook, contemplated the weeping boy for a -moment or two, sat down beside him, put his arms -around him, and exclaimed:</p> - -<p class='c009'>"My darling boy, I love you better than I love -my life." The doctor lied terribly, as most busy -people do who affirm strong, unselfish sentiments, -but Jack was not in a condition just then to question -the character of any one who cared to befriend -him, so he hid his face in his father's breast and -cried as if he could not stop. He even threw his -own arms about the doctor with a mighty grip, considering -how young the boy was.</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Think of your mother, too," pleaded the doctor. -"She has suffered more for you than you ever can -for yourself, and she is dreadfully feeble and nervous; -<i>do</i> try to lighten the load which at best must -be very heavy to her."</p> - -<p class='c009'>"I will," said Jack; "indeed I will. I'll darn all -my own stockings."</p> - -<p class='c009'>"And," said the minister, who wished all things -done decently and in order as established by Providence, -"pray daily for grace to overcome every sin."</p> - -<p class='c009'>"I always do," said Jack, "but it don't always -work."</p> - -<p class='c009'>"It never will," said the minster, "if you don't -act as if your prayer was in earnest. No amount -of praying will keep you out of a mud-puddle if you -persist in wanting to go into it."</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Well, come along," remarked the doctor, who -had consulted his watch, and remembered a patient -who expected a call just then. The door opened, -and the trio stepped into the hall; just then there -came along a zephyr which had passed a kitchen -where onions were being boiled, but for all that, -Jack thought it the most delicious breeze that ever -blew. The constable, who stood outside the door -gave Jack a most discomposing scowl which was not -entirely disconnected with remembrances of water -melons; but Jack, instead of repaying the scowl in -kind, which he could have done with entire success -from his own incomparable collection of faces, inwardly -determined that at some appropriate time -he would privately apologize to the official and repay -his water melon in kind. As his father and the -minister turned toward the main street, Jack exhibited strong -manifestations of reluctance, so both gentlemen concluded it would be -only merciful to lead the boy homeward through less frequented streets. -But it seemed to Jack as if the whole town had known of his impending -release, and were lying in wait to look at him. Shantz the butcher drove -by and glared at him; old Nokkerman, <span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr"><i>en route</i></span> -for supper, looked upon him reproachfully; Nuderkopf Trinkelspiel, who -was mixing mortar in front of a -new building, contemplated him with the stony -stare which is not peculiar to cockneys only, and -Matt himself went by without bestowing even a -friendly wink upon him.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Worst of all, as the trio passed Billy Barker's -house, the nice little sister of Billy happened to -step outside the door. Jack dropped his eyes ever -so far, but he could not resist looking out of their -extreme corners to see what she might think of him. -The face which he saw contained considerable wonder, -but it also expressed a sorrow which was unmixed -with reprobation, and by the time that Jack -reached home he was brimful of a feeling to which -he had hitherto been an utter stranger. It was not -love, as that sentiment is conventionally defined, for -it was entirely devoid of passion and selfishness, but -it is not surprising that Jack, having never heard -love talked of but in one way—to wit, a strong regard -for one person by another person of the opposite -sex—should go home with the firm conviction -that he was oceans deep in love with nice little -Mattie Barker. To get a kind look from a person -of whom you have never heard anything bad, a person -who never scolded you, nor meddled with any -of your affairs, and in whose face you can see no -evidence of guile, will doubtless cause <i>you</i>, adult -reader, to contemplate such person with earnest regard, -and if you are a man and the person alluded -to is of the other sex, you will hardly be able, even -in the light of your past experience among humanity, -to imagine any reason why she may not be -an angel in human form.</p> -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c000' /> -</div> -<div class='chapter'> - <h2 id='ch10' class='c004'>CHAPTER X. <br /> <br /> YOUNG AMERICA IN POLITICS.</h2> -</div> - -<p class='c008'>For a month Jack labored manfully to keep his -pledge to eschew the society of boys, and a -very miserable month it was. He at first determined -to not even answer any boy who spoke to him, but -this led to his being called "Proudy," and "Codfish," -and "Bloated Aristocrat." All this was very -galling to a youth who considered himself as pre-eminently -a man of the people. Then, one day, as -he was hoeing potatoes in the family garden, half a -dozen boys leaned on the fence for an hour, and -shouted themselves hoarse by exclaiming in concert, -"Tombstone!" To hold one's tongue, as -Jack did throughout the infliction, is to prove one's -self a possessor of a high degree of self-control. -When, however, the half dozen boys grew angry at -their inability to elicit any response, and began to -throw stones at the young gardener, Jack's endurance -escaped him suddenly and he dashed at -the fence, hoe in hand. All the boys fled except -one who, being a rowdy, had hugged one of the -palings in the affectionate manner peculiar to -rowdies, and had unconsciously established an entangling -alliance between the paling and a hole in -his shirt. Him, Jack pounded over the head with -the hoe handle until utter breathlessness compelled -the operator to discontinue his labors; then Jack -cut him loose with his pocket-knife and sent him -away after an interchange of terrible threats had -been effected. As the rowdy's skull had a roof of -wondrous thickness, he sustained no injury in his -mental parts, so he changed his base only to a -point from which he could watch Jack's going in -and coming out.</p> - -<p class='c009'>An hour later, as Jack was going to the store, -with two empty jugs to be filled, respectively, with -vinegar and molasses, the rowdy sprang at him -from a sheltering fence corner. Jack shouted -"Foul!" but the rowdy was not particular to -regard the rules of the ring just then, so he stuck -one dirty finger in Jack's mouth so as to obtain a -secure grip, and then with amazing celerity, invested -Jack with a bloody nose and a black eye. -Jack was not going to abandon the family property, -even in a fight, so he retained tight hold of the -jugs, raised his hands alternately and smote his antagonist, -first with one jug and then with the other. -Then the rowdy made haste to cry "Foul!" but -Jack, merely remarking, "What's sauce for the -goose—" allowed the rowdy to complete the quotation -for himself, striking him meanwhile wherever -an unprotected point presented itself. A final blow -in the pit of the stomach caused the rowdy to curl -up on the lap of mother earth, and then Jack discovered, -for the first time, that all that remained of -the jugs were their respective handles, and that the -rowdy was bleeding profusely in several places.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Jack had never before seen a more dangerous -wound than a cut finger, and even of these he had -seen but one at a time, so he greatly feared that -the rowdy would bleed to death. What to do, he -did not know; he recalled the little affair of Moses -with the Egyptian taskmaster, and determined that -flight was the dictate of prudence, but as for burying -his victim in the sand, there was no sand nearer -than the river bank, a mile away, and the dirt -under the rowdy was a hard-beaten footpath. -Away flew Jack toward home and into his father's -office, where he exclaimed:</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Father, there's a rowdy dying out on the path -to the store."</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Heaven be praised!" said the doctor; "that'll -lessen the state prison expenses a few dollars."</p> - -<p class='c009'>"He's bleeding to death," explained Jack.</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Oh," said the doctor arising and snatching a -case of instruments, "that's a different thing; -it now becomes an opportunity for experimental -surgery."</p> - -<p class='c009'>"It was I that killed him," continued Jack, in -a very thin voice.</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Eh?" exclaimed the doctor, dropping his instruments. -"Then you'd better get out as fast as -you can, and not let me know where you are until -you have to. Don't <i>ever</i> do it—I don't want even -to see you again—I wash my hands of you forever."</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Father!" screamed Jack in utter agony, while -gallows trees sprung up before his eyes in every direction, -"let me tell you how it was." And Jack -hastily detailed his experiences of the morning, concluding -with:</p> - -<p class='c009'>"It was all because I was trying so hard to mind -you, and not have anything to do with boys."</p> - -<p class='c009'>The doctor threw his arms around the youth, and -exclaimed:</p> - -<p class='c009'>"You're a darling, noble, splendid boy, but there -is no knowing how a jury may look at the case, -when your previous reputation is considered. Get -ready to hide."</p> - -<p class='c009'>Jack hurried up to his room for what seemed to -him necessities, but he had time to reflect upon his -varied experiences to do right, with their lamentable -results, and to wonder if it were not really true, -as was implied by some novels he had been unfortunate -enough to read, that fate occasionally forbade -some people to do right successfully. Of one -thing he was very sure; come what would, he never -could ask nice little Mattie Baker to become the -wife of a murderer. Then he tiptoed feebly, after -one or two ineffectual efforts, to his father's room, -which overlooked the scene of the battle; it might -be that the doctor had reached the wounded boy in -time to staunch the flow of blood before it was -eternally too late. From the window, Jack, with -great astonishment and not entirely without disgust, -beheld the rowdy sauntering away with his hands -in his pockets, while beside him walked the doctor, -violently shaking his fist and head at the beaten -man, and filling the air with threats which a breeze -wafted back to Jack.</p> - -<p class='c009'>The surprise was too much for Jack's nerves; he -dropped upon his father's bed and doubted whether -he ever would regain his breath again; then he bemoaned -the loss of the vagabond life which had -been just within his grasp, and which is the ideal of -every boy at a certain period of his life. From this -he was recovered by the thought that, after all, nice -little Mattie Barker was not to be entirely a memory -of the past. His eye and nose finally obtruded -themselves upon his attention, and very unsightly -objects they were in a mirror; he hoped nice little -Mattie Barker would not see him until his face regained -its natural appearance; and he would certainly -take care never to have himself so disfigured -again.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Then his father returned, hastily searched the -house for Jack, caught him in his arms, and actually -cried over him, upon which the boy felt himself a -hero indeed. But when his father assured him that -his latest exploit would have a wonderful effect in -keeping boys away from him, Jack did not seem so -elated as the doctor would have had him; he looked -so solemn that the doctor asked what the matter -was, and Jack burst out crying, and answered:</p> - -<p class='c009'>"I'm so dreadfully lonely all the time."</p> - -<p class='c009'>The doctor started to ask if either he or his wife -were not always at home, but recalling the drift of -a previous conversation on the same topic, he grew -suddenly very cool and undemonstrative and removed -himself, whereupon Jack, who read the human -face as correctly as boys usually do, waxed -angry, and lost sight of all his principles, as every -one does in anger, and determined that if he could -not have fun with the boys he would have it without -them, and have all he wanted, too.</p> - -<p class='c009'>He did not lose much time in discovering a way -of amusing himself. August had worked through -into September, and though the public was to have -no opportunity of disarranging national affairs at -the ballot-box that autumn, a gubernatorial campaign -had opened most vigorously in the State of -which Doveton considered itself the mainstay. -The rival candidates were Baggs and Puttytop, and -though both were men of fair intellect and reputation, -as politicians go, and the adult mind could -find but little reason to distinguish between them, -the boys of Doveton, who never for a moment -doubted that they were in perfect sympathy with -the inner sense of statesmanship, and knew the -constitutional rights and special needs of Doveton -beside, were, to a man, for Baggs. Jack had gained -this precious bit of information from Matt, so he -promptly ranged himself, mentally, with his natural -allies, and sought for means to discourage the -Puttytop adherents, who stupidly saw not though -they had eyes, and heard not though they had -ears.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Just then an announcement was made that the -famous General Twitchwire, who was stumping the -state for Puttytop, would address the sovereign -voters of Doveton in the main room of the county -court house, on the evening of the second Wednesday -in September, the regular fall session of -the county court having begun on the morning of -the same day, and the town being full of countrymen -who had legal grievances of their own, or of -some one else, to look to.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Now the county court house was a new building -which the demon of improvement had lately -caused to be erected, and as the appropriations had -been exhausted in the manner not unknown to political -managers elsewhere, the main room was the -only one which had been completed. Pipes had -been laid for gas, one of them terminating in the -ceiling in the centre of the room, but for evening -meetings it was, at present, necessary to light lamps -or candles. So, early in the afternoon preceding -the Puttytop meeting, Jack secreted himself in an -upper room of the court house, with a monkey-wrench, -a gunmaker's saw, and a yard of rubber -tubing in his shirt bosom. He dragged a step ladder -down into the main room, and standing upon -this he wrenched from its place the cap upon the -pipe from which the central chandelier was one day -to hang. Then he returned to the room above, sawed -in two the pipe which was to feed the chandelier, -stretched an end of his rubber tube over the lower -portion of severed pipe, and yelled through it to -test the apparatus. He heard his cry repeated in -the lower room so distinctly that his only fear was -that somebody outside might hear it. Then he sat -upon the floor, munched crackers, wished that he -had a drink of water, and waited.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Evening came at last, and from the edges of the -window casings, Jack saw the adherents of Puttytop -coming from various directions. From the -neighborhood of the hotel came the noise of the -Doveton Brass Band playing "Hail to the Chief;" -this indicated that the famous General Twitchwire -was to be escorted in style to the court house, -and Jack lamented that he could not be outside, -behind some good board fence, to throw stones at -the band, but he recalled the line,</p> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> -<div class='nf-center c015'> - <div>"They also serve who stand and wait,"</div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c014'>from the Sixth Reader, and was nobly sustained -thereby. Then the sound of the music came -nearer, the band playing</p> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> -<div class='nf-center c015'> - <div>"The Campbells are coming,"</div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c014'>and then Jack saw a transparency, and yet another, -and it required every word of his comforting line -to support him in his privation. A tremendous -hubbub in the room below came up through the -gas pipe and rubber tube, and Jack applied his -ear to the latter to hear what General Twitchwire -might endeavor to delude his hearers into -believing.</p> - -<p class='c009'>The address began on time, and General Twitchwire -had just informed his audience that if through -supineness and lack of concerted action the gubernatorial -chair became occupied, he would not say -filled, by a person with the deficient mental acumen -and erroneous views which characterized the person -who was the standard-bearer of the party opposed -to good government, the consequence could not fail -to be most disastrous—when a distant yet loud voice -was heard to exclaim,—</p> - -<p class='c009'>"You don't say!"</p> - -<p class='c009'>The speaker glared angrily about, and the chairman -of the meeting, who had taken the precaution -to arrange that admission should be only by tickets -of a peculiar color, wondered whether counterfeit -tickets had been imposed upon the doorkeeper. -The general resumed the thread of his discourse, -and had just pronounced a glowing eulogium upon -Puttytop, when a voice exclaimed:</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Hang Puttytop! Give us a man!"</p> - -<p class='c009'>Then the sheriff and two constables, all of whom -were Puttytop men, began suspiciously to scan the -audience. But not a Baggs adherent could they -see, except Nuderkopf Trinkelspiel, to whom it -was well known that a frequenter of Gripp's rum-shop -had sold a ticket for ten cents, the inducement -offered being that the meeting would close with a -lottery, in which every ticket holder would be entitled -to a prize of some sort. But Nuderkopf, -judging by his snores, was slumbering soundly; besides, -the disturbing voice used a better English -accent than Nuderkopf Trinkelspiel could ever be -suspected of acquiring.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Several other remarks of the speaker were greeted -with derisive yells through Jack's speaking tube, -and the famous General Twitchwire took occasion -to remark, with a great display of offended dignity, -that if the authorities could not suppress such disturbers -it was pretty certain that the party in Doveton -was upon its last legs.</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Gott macht es!" (God grant!) shouted Jack -down the pipe.</p> - -<p class='c009'>This seemed to offer a clue to the offender. The -language was certainly Nuderkopf Trinkelspiel's, -and he was positively the only Baggs man present, -so the sheriff and the two constables dashed at him -and rudely aroused him. It was the only evening -meeting, except some of a religious character, which -Nuderkopf had attended during his residence in -Doveton; he had frequently to be aroused in -church; he was very religious and musically inclined; -the force of association caused him to imagine -he was in church; the silence to indicate a -temporary and dangerous stagnation of religious -service, so he cleared his throat and successfully -launched the first line of a devotional song before -he opened his eyes, when a rude hand was clapped -over his mouth and another was applied with great -force to the side of his head, and then he was -pulled at and dragged, and finally lifted over the -back of his seat, which happened to be the last -bench of the jury box, and was dropped out of -the window, landing on the sidewalk three feet below, -in a state of confusion which bordered upon -imbecility.</p> - -<p class='c009'>This was too much for such of Nuderkopf's religious -associates as were there present, even although -they were Puttytop men, so they arose to -points of order, several of them speaking at a time, -and they were rebuked by the chair, and hooted at -by the rowdies, who always infested political meetings; -and one excitable German cast an opprobrious -epithet at a conspicuous rowdy, and the rowdy retorted -by snatching a transparency from a bearer -and throwing it lancewise at the German, and the -cloth caught fire, and a general yell ensued, and -everybody looked out for number one, with the -result of making number two of everybody else, -and the famous General Twitchwire stepped suddenly -to a window and jumped out, and the sheriff -and the two constables bawled "order" until they -were themselves their only auditors, and a body of -quiet but observant Baggs men in the window of a -house directly opposite, agreed with each other that -the Puttytop ticket didn't seem to be looking up so -very much, after all.</p> -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c000' /> -</div> -<div class='chapter'> - <h2 id='ch11' class='c004'>CHAPTER XI. <br /> <br /> A QUIET LITTLE GAME.</h2> -</div> - -<p class='c008'>When Jack finally left his hiding place in the -court room, it was with a pretty distinct -conviction that no one would ever discover his -secret, and that the evil of this life seemed as ruthless -in its pursuit of Nuderkopf Trinkelspiel as in -his own case. Then there slowly developed within -him the thought that Nuderkopf, who had been the -principal sufferer by the trick of the speaking-tube, -was not even a member of the despised Puttytop -faction; so Jack, like many another mischief-maker -who injures some one of whom he had never thought -while planning his departures from rectitude, sought -refuge from his conscience by plunging into gloomy -reverie upon the fateful lack of sequence in earthly -affairs.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Not the least of his troubles was the fact that, -whereas in other days he might have called all the -boys in town together and told them the story of -his effort to purify the State government, and delighted -his soul over their enjoyment of it, he could -now tell it only to Matt, who, while a very true -friend, had not as keen a sense of the ludicrous as -Jack could have desired. Still, one hearer would -be better than none, and Jack wondered whether it -might not yet be early enough for him to hurry -to Matt's house and impart the delicious story, -when suddenly, to his great delight, he met Matt -himself.</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Where have you been?" asked Matt, "I've been -over by your house whistling for you for the past -hour. And the loveliest thing—oh, my! Will -Pinkshaw has learned a new game of cards—poker, -they call it, and it's splendid. Gamblers play -it for money, but it's just as much fun to bet buttons, -or beans, or corn-grains, or anything. Will -and I have been playing it in the moonlight, by -your side fence, ever since dark, and we must have -played a hundred games."</p> - -<p class='c009'>"It isn't too late for me to learn, is it?" said Jack. -"The moon will shine all night."</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Oh, somebody might come along," protested -Matt. "The constables prowl around after ten -o'clock, you know."</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Then let's go into the stable and get on the hay -under the big window," said Jack. "The moon -shines in there—nice soft seat, out of sight—everything."</p> - -<p class='c009'>"But we haven't any cards," said Matt.</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Then borrow Will Pinkshaw's," said Jack. -"You bring 'em up to the stable—you know the -way—and I'll have a handful of corn ready, and -we'll have a jolly quiet game for a little while."</p> - -<p class='c009'>Matt was nothing loth to act upon this suggestion, for new games with -cards—or anything else—have a way of utterly enthralling the juvenile -mind. Within ten minutes he was back with the cards, but their owner had -refused to loan the precious pasteboards unless they were accompanied by -himself, and Jack experienced a great though secret joy that without his -own direct agency he was brought into company with a boy other than -Matt, and at a place somewhat different from the Sunday-school where -alone he had fraternized with boys during the month. The -<span lang="la" xml:lang="la"><i>modus operandi</i></span> of the game was speedily made -known to Jack, the corn was scrupulously divided into three equal -portions, and the play began. Jack had not read Hoyle, so perhaps it was -the devil, who is said to be particularly -encouraging to green players, that decided -nearly every game in Jack's favor. Matt was soon -"busted," and meekly borrowed twenty grains of -corn from the winner, but the Pinkshaw twin, who -had bet no more carefully than Matt, remained -financially equal to his engagements.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Jack began to wonder whether the Pinkshaw -twin might not have sold his soul to the devil, like -some gambler he had read of whose money was -magically reproduced as fast as he lost it. The -thought caused him to fix his eye upon the Pinkshaw -twin as if he had been fascinated by him, and -soon he discovered that the arch-adversary of souls -operated from the heart of the owner of the unfailing -pile, for the Pinkshaw twin, who had been pre-informed -of the currency to be used, was seen to -slyly take some corn from his pocket and lay it -upon his pile.</p> - -<p class='c009'>In an instant a sharp quarrel ensued, the Pinkshaw -twin lying most industriously and displaying -an empty pocket in evidence, but a careful examination -of Jack's winnings showed that many grains -of sweet corn were among them, whereas there was -no such grain in the bin from which Jack had supplied -the general exchequer. So the Pinkshaw -twin sullenly confessed, and pleaded that playing -for corn-grains was no fun, anyhow, for a fellow -couldn't do anything with them after he had won -them; he therefore proposed that the party should -play for buttons.</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Where will we get them?" asked Matt.</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Cut off the suspender buttons on our trowsers," -suggested the Pinkshaw twin. "Neither of you -fellows wear galluses, do you?"</p> - -<p class='c009'>The suggestion was acted upon, and the volume -of currency being somewhat limited, the betting -proceeded quite cautiously. But luck was still -against the Pinkshaw twin, so, desperately remarking -that his jacket was an old one, he removed the -buttons from that garment also. And still he lost, -so he attacked his shirt front, although Matt suggested -that shirt buttons were hardly big enough to -bet with. These same went the way of the others, -and then the Pinkshaw twin, realizing that no one -would see him on his way home, denuded his -trowsers of all the remaining buttons, and tied a -string around his waist to hold the garments up. -Losing these, he pledged his pocket knife to Jack -for ten buttons, with the privilege of redemption -within twenty-four hours. Then, when he wanted -to "raise" handsomely on "two pair," he had -nothing to do it with, Jack declining to lend anything -whatever on the miserable security of a dirty -handkerchief, so he offered to bet his pack of cards -as fifty buttons, and Jack agreed, and calmly displayed -"three of a kind" and the Pinkshaw twin -was a ruined gamester.</p> - -<p class='c009'>The Pinkshaw twin had been accumulating a -large stock of bad temper, however, as the game -progressed, and of this he partially divested himself, -as the party arose, by striking Jack a heavy -blow between the eyes. Over went Jack, backward, -upon some hay which inclined downward; -away he rolled, until stopped by bringing up suddenly -against the shelving roof; there he found -himself upon one of those unreasonable hens who -persist in stealing a nest late in the season, and -"setting" thereupon with maternal instincts, the -end of which is never calculated in advance. The -hen naturally protested, in the loud manner which -is said to be an attribute of her sex in general, and -as Jack was slow in changing his position, she continued -to protest, and then Jack heard the house -door open and his father hurry down the back -steps, probably in search of chicken thieves, the -which abounded in Doveton.</p> - -<p class='c009'>"The other window!" whispered Jack hurriedly. -All three of the boys scrambled to it, and jumped -out, the Pinkshaw twin becoming somewhat involved -with his trowsers, the string securing them -having broken. He soon scampered off, however, -holding his clothing together as he ran; Matt's retreating -footsteps were already inaudible, while -Jack, hurrying around to the front gate and tiptoeing -up the back stair and through the open door, -was in his room and in bed before he realized that -his jacket, upon which he had been sitting, had been -left behind. Just then the clock struck two, but -Jack determined promptly that the old timepiece -must be out of order, as it frequently was.</p> - -<p class='c009'>He had the cards, though, and they were irrevocably -his, and to be one of the only two or three -boys in town who possessed property the sale of -which was prohibited by law, was glory enough to -have acquired in one night, even at the expense of -a blow in the face. With their possession, however, -he had also acquired responsibility: his -mother might be suddenly moved to "look over" -his clothing before breakfast, as she frequently did -when intent upon repairs; or the doctor might search -his pockets, as he occasionally had done, in search -of something that would explain the extreme quiet -which, once in a while, characterized Jack. So the -boy got out of bed, and put the cards and the Pinkshaw -twin's knife into one of his stockings, and hid -them under his pillow.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Jack listened for his father's return until he was -drowsy and he finally went to sleep and fell instantly -into a dream of hearing a great army, with confused -trampling, pass by him on some road in which -he could not view them, and then that the army engaged -in battle with some other army, shouting and -screaming fitfully, and firing great guns spasmodically, -and then there was a terrific crash, and a general -roar, and the armies and the dream sank into -nothingness, and Jack knew nothing more until -aroused by the breakfast bell. He was very drowsy -as he arose, but he remembered that it was the -morning for the regular semi-weekly change of -stockings, so he clothed himself and descended to -breakfast to find his father very silent and his -mother overflowing with the sad fact that during -the night the stable had burned to the ground and -the doctor had barely saved his horse, carriage and -harness.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Jack was greatly affected by the information, and -recurred to his wonder whether the devil in person -might not have been helping the Pinkshaw twin -after all. Certainly, they, the players, had struck no -light. After a slight breakfast Jack hurried out to -view the remains, but the doctor was on the ground -before him, and was holding up a partly burned -jacket, which he was inspecting with great care.</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Jack!" exclaimed the doctor.</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Sir?" answered Jack, most courteously.</p> - -<p class='c009'>"I threw this out of the window last night, having -found it on the hay, just where the fire began. -There are charred matches in the pockets. How -did that jacket get there?"</p> - -<p class='c009'>"I left it there yesterday," said Jack. "I was up -there yesterday, lying about, and it was so warm -that I took off my jacket."</p> - -<p class='c009'>"And sat on it, I suppose, and wriggled around -on it and ignited the matches, and burned down my -stable. Couldn't you have set fire to the house, -too, while you were about it, so as to have ruined -me completely?"</p> - -<p class='c009'>Jack rightly considered this a very cruel speech, -but he hung his head.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Among the many bystanders, attracted by a -rarity such a fire generally is in a village, was the -gunsmith, and as he gazed upon the many bits of -portable property which had been thrown from the -burning stable, his eye fell upon something familiar, -and he picked up the saw which Jack had used on -the court-house gas pipe; examining it hastily, -he exclaimed:</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Why, here is my own saw, which I had such a -long hunt for yesterday afternoon."</p> - -<p class='c009'>"I just borrowed it while you were out," explained -Jack. "I was going to bring it back this -morning and tell you about it."</p> - -<p class='c009'>"What did you want of such a tool?" demanded -the doctor.</p> - -<p class='c009'>"I wanted to saw a piece of iron," said Jack, -with downcast eyes.</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Who's been cutting the hose of my carriage -sprinkler?" asked the doctor, suddenly espying the -yard of rubber pipe, which Jack had fondly supposed -would never be missed from the long coil -from which he had cut it.</p> - -<p class='c009'>While Jack was casting about in his mind for -some plausible excuse, he heard, to his unspeakable -relief, his mother shouting from the back door:</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Doctor, doctor, come here right away! Don't -wait a single minute."</p> - -<p class='c009'>The doctor obeyed the summons, and Jack was -consoling himself with the thought that the -monkey wrench, which belonged to the stable, -could not tell tales about him, and the hen, if still -alive, could not talk English, when the doctor's -well-known voice struck terror to his soul by exclaiming -loudly:</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Jack, come here!"</p> - -<p class='c009'>Jack went into the house, and was confronted by -the father of the Pinkshaw twins, who had brought -a buttonless coat and a pair of trousers as evidence -of the truth of his boy's statement that Jack had -fought with him, knocked him down, and cut the -buttons from his clothes out of simple malice. (It -may be remarked, in passing, that the Pinkshaw -twin had shrewdly determined that Jack would -rather be unjustly punished on such a charge than -confess the truth.)</p> - -<p class='c009'>"You needn't deny it," said Mr. Pinkshaw; "my -boys always tell the truth." (N. B. Everybody's -boys do.) "I'll warrant you have the buttons in -your pocket now, saving them up until next marble -time, when you'll play them away."</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Jack," said the doctor, "empty your pockets."</p> - -<p class='c009'>Jack had not the strength to resist or devise any -way of reducing, without exposure, the protrusion -of that one of his pockets which held the buttons. -How he wished that the lately despised shirt buttons, -so small, so insignificant, had constituted the -whole body of the previous evening's currency, instead -of its being inflated by the huge papier-mache -sailor buttons from the Pinkshaw twin's -jacket.</p> - -<p class='c009'>The doctor came rudely to his assistance, however, -and soon the floor was covered with buttons, -to the identity of most of which Mr. Pinkshaw -could swear.</p> - -<p class='c009'>"My boy says Jack stole his knife, too," said Mr. -Pinkshaw.</p> - -<p class='c009'>"I didn't!" vehemently protested Jack, and a -close search failed to prove that Jack spoke untruly. -Just then the Wittingham servant came to -the door, holding aloft in one hand a stocking and -in the other a dirty pack of cards and the knife, -exclaiming:</p> - -<p class='c009'>"The loike av this was undher masther Jack's -pillow, ma'am."</p> - -<p class='c009'>"That's my boy's knife!" exclaimed Mr. Pinkshaw.</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Are the cards his, too?" asked the doctor. "I -hope so, for the sake of Jack's back."</p> - -<p class='c009'>"They <i>were</i> his," said Jack, determining that all -hope for concealment was past. "I won them -from him at poker, and won the knife and the buttons -too."</p> - -<p class='c009'>"It's a lie!" shouted Mr. Pinkshaw. "My boys -have their faults, but they never gamble."</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Ask Matt Bolton, if you don't believe me," -said Jack.</p> - -<p class='c009'>The doctor looked as fixedly at Jack as if he were -trying to discern rudimentary horns, hoofs and tail. -Then he arose suddenly, seized Jack, thrust him -into his room, muttered something about bread and -water for a week; then the old man fell upon his -knees, and besought the Lord for guidance as earnestly -as many another person has done after neglecting -to use any of his heaven-given sense and -opportunity for the control of lively children.</p> - -<p class='c009'>As for Jack, he sat moodily down upon a chair, -and formed at least one resolution, to which he -had long been urged: If he ever gained his liberty -again, he would never, never, never, on clean stocking -day, leave his dirty stockings lying about for -some one else to pick up.</p> - -<p class='c009'>And on the evening of that day the doctor pored -over the skeleton of his intended book on heredity, -but the best he could do was to devise a chapter -head, and even this was quoted from another book -containing some excellent hints upon heredity:</p> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> -<div class='nf-center c015'> - <div>"When the unclean spirit leaveth a man," etc.</div> - </div> -</div> - -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c000' /> -</div> -<div class='chapter'> - <h2 id='ch12' class='c004'>CHAPTER XII. <br /> <br /> SWEET SOLACE.</h2> -</div> - -<p class='c008'>Jack was willing to live on bread and water for -a week; he would have acknowledged the justice -of any penalty short of death, for the burning -of the stable would not appear to him other than a -dreadful calamity for which he was primarily responsible. -He did not mean anything wrong, to be sure, -when he designated the stable as the place for the -game, but it began to seem to him that what one -meant or did not mean was of very little consequence -when he made any departures from the -beaten path of rectitude. He had not put matches in -his pocket for the sake of burning the stable; he had -meant nothing wrong by sitting on his jacket that -night—he had only done so that he might be cooler, -and that it might prevent the sharp stalks of hay -from protruding so successfully through his thin -trowsers. He could not foresee that the Pinkshaw -twin—hang him!—would get angry, and stamp over -that coat as he struck the winner—for that was undoubtedly -the time, when, under the crunching of -the Pinkshaw shoe-heel, the matches were ignited. -Why couldn't the old jacket have burned up, instead -of remaining to tell tales? What could have -brought the gunmaker, usually so industrious, to -view so uninteresting an object as a burned stable, -and how came he to walk just where he could -espy his own saw? Why should the doctor have -assumed, at sight, that the yard of hose had been -cut from his own carriage sprinkler? And why had -the whole affair happened on the evening preceding -clean stocking day?</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Morality is the order of things." Jack may -never have heard this saying, but he became slowly -of an opinion which embodied the same idea, and -he determined upon a reformation which should -leave nothing to be desired in point of thoroughness. -He would not say anything about it to -his father and mother, but he would let the -truth burst upon them of its own irresistible force -some day. He had his doubts as to whether an announcement -of his resolution would have any particular -effect any way, for his parents had heard -something of the sort before, without beholding any -particular fruition thereof. He would give up every -single pleasure which could not be justified by the -Bible itself. His issue of veracity with the Pinkshaw -twin came to his mind, with the suggestion -that the only boyish method of settling such affairs -was hardly consistent with the nature of his good -resolutions. Still, had not Ananias and Sapphira -been struck dead for lying?—surely to give the -Pinkshaw twin a sound drubbing would not only be -excusable but necessary, as a matter of moral duty. -Had not Mr. Daybright himself preached a sermon -to prove that every man was, morally, his brother's -keeper, and was not lying positively forbidden -by one of the Ten Commandments?</p> - -<p class='c009'>As for the stable, Jack determined that the -first thousand dollars he earned when he became -a man should be given to his father to compensate -for the loss of the building and its contents. The -building cost but little more than half that sum, -but the interest which would accumulate in six or -seven years would bring the loss up to the amount -determined upon, and Jack was determined to be -honest to the last penny. And if the Pinkshaw -twin was any sort of a fellow when he became a -man—though from present appearances this seemed -improbable—he would see the justice of providing -the money himself, for he had had no moral right -to get angry at the result of fair play, particularly -after having been himself detected in the act of -cheating. Jack determined to reason calmly with -the Pinkshaw twin on this subject—after the other -settlement had been made, of course.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Then Jack began to realize that he had eaten a -very light breakfast, and that the smell of boiling -and roasting and baking which was wafted up from -the kitchen was particularly tantalizing to a fellow -who had to dine on plain bread. But even this serious -thought was overborne by a graver one which -came suddenly to his mind: could nice little Mattie -Barker ever bring herself to love a gambler who had -burned down a stable—his own father's stable, too? -This was too great an agony to be endured—he -could give up his darling sins, but nice little Mattie -Barker was a darling of a different kind. Something -ought to be done, and that very promptly, to -disabuse Mattie's mind of the erroneous reports -which would be sure to reach the young lady's ears, -but what could it be? He might write to her the -plain, unvarnished tale of the affair, but that would -have to admit that he had gambled, and which -would Mattie be likely to dislike most—a possible -incendiary or a confessed gambler?</p> - -<p class='c009'>Suddenly, to Jack's great relief, there entered -Matt, whom Mr. Wittingham had failed to realize -had been a participator in the irregularities which -led to the destruction of the barn. To him Jack -explained the situation regarding the stable, and a -right doleful time the two boys had together until -Jack remembered that he had not yet informed his -bosom-friend of the affair with the political meeting. -Jack endeavored to recount the incidents -thereof in the light of his new resolutions, but -Matt's hilarity became speedily contagious, and -within a scant ten minutes Jack detected himself, -to his great horror, in the act of framing a revised -and enlarged order of disturbances for the next great -Puttytop meeting, which would take place in about -a fortnight, and was arranging that Matt, whom he -had half an hour before vowed to lead into right -ways, should blow torpedoes at the speaker through -the open windows from a long tube which Jack -would have made for the purpose.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Then nice little Mattie Barker came to mind during -a lull in the conversation, love being merely -secondary to action, as it is in most other restless -natures, and Jack, not without some confusion and -halting of speech, informed Matt that he was in -love.</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Why, are you sure?" asked Matt.</p> - -<p class='c009'>"It's a dead sure thing," declared Jack.</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Dear me!" ejaculated Matt.</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Dear Mattie Barker!" exclaimed Jack, and instantly -his countenance ran through the whole chromatic -scale of facial expression, and then dropped -low, perhaps to rest from its sudden exertion.</p> - -<p class='c009'>"That's who, is it?" said Matt.</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Yes," said Jack. "I didn't mean to tell you, -Matt, but it came out all of a sudden. I meant to -ask you, though, to go and explain things to her, -so she shouldn't have to think any worse of me than -she needs to."</p> - -<p class='c009'>"All right," said the literal Matt, "but I couldn't -very well have told her if I hadn't known who she -was, you see."</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Yes, that's true," admitted Jack.</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Well, I guess I had better do it at once, for I -saw her sitting on the back piazza, peeling peaches, -as I came along, and there's no time like the present, -you know."</p> - -<p class='c009'>Jack acknowledged to himself the general application -of Matt's plea for promptness, but he somehow -wished that the explanation might be deferred, -for he was doubtful as to what message to -send, so he asked:</p> - -<p class='c009'>"What will you tell her, Matt?"</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Oh, I'll say you didn't set the barn afire," said -Matt, "and that your worst present fear is that she -may believe you did."</p> - -<p class='c009'>"That's pretty good," said Jack, beginning to -walk up and down the room, "and it's delicate, -too; you can tell her I haven't sent that message -to any other girl in town, and that I'd rather die -than do it. Go ahead."</p> - -<p class='c009'>But Matt could not think of anything else to say, -and Jack himself thought of something, but made -several ineffectual attempts to give voice to it. -At length he assumed a heroic attitude and said:</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Tell her that in my rigorous confinement my -sole comfort is taken from thoughts of her."</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Golly!" exclaimed Matt; "that sounds just -like a book! It's just stunning. I'll write that -down and commit it to memory on the way, for it's -too good to spoil."</p> - -<p class='c009'>Matt pencilled the sentence on the back of a bill -which he had been sent to pay, and over Matt's -shoulder Jack read the words several times, with -a comfort which gradually grew into pride. Then -he said:</p> - -<p class='c009'>"I wish I had something to send her as a proof -of my—regard. Do you suppose she ever plays -marbles nowadays—I've got a gorgeous glass alley -that I could send her."</p> - -<p class='c009'>"I don't know about that," said Matt, thinking -profoundly, "but I guess it would be all right, for -she can trade it to her brother Billy for his sleigh-line -to make a skipping-rope of—I'll just suggest -that to her."</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Good," said Jack. "You are a true friend, -Matt. When do you suppose you could come -back and report? I can't wait till to-morrow morning, -but mother won't let you come in a second -time to-day, I'm afraid."</p> - -<p class='c009'>"I'll come under the window and whistle," -said Matt, "and you can put your head out and I'll -whisper up."</p> - -<p class='c009'>"All right," said Jack, "and you'll hurry, won't -you?"</p> - -<p class='c009'>Matt promised haste and departed just in time, -for Jack's father came in to say that now that Matt -had become a gambler, his visits would have to be -discontinued. Then Jack felt desolate indeed, and -he cried, and began to make a series of promises, but -he was cut short with the remark:</p> - -<p class='c009'>"I've heard a great deal from a promising boy; -I think I'd enjoy a performing one, as a change."</p> - -<p class='c009'>Jack had thought some of developing to his -father his great plan of restitution for the burned -stable. But now he determined most resolutely to -remand this great deed to the limbo of surprises, -although six or seven years would be a great while -to defer the enjoyment of observing the effect upon -the doctor of the intended operation.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Then Jack's mother came in, bearing a tray containing -several slices of bread and a glass of water, -and she held the tray before her, exclaiming:</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Behold the wages of iniquity, my son."</p> - -<p class='c009'>Jack beheld, with a hungry glance, and determined -that iniquity, besides being unpleasant, was -paid for in currency of but slight intrinsic value. -He recalled, somewhat to his confusion, the passage -of Scripture which asserts that the wicked -"have more than heart can wish," and he wondered -if his spare repast might not be an indication -that he was not so very wicked after all.</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Jack," said Mrs. Wittingham, "you are killing -me by inches. I've reached an age when I -am easily affected by anything unusual, whether -it is good or bad, and everything I hear about -you upsets me."</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Nobody ever says anything about the good -things I do, mother," complained Jack.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Mrs. Wittingham remembered to have had some -such thought at certain times in her own life, when -her good deeds were regarded as actual matters of -course, whereas her petty imperfections had been -causes of complaint and unkindness. But to admit -such a thing would be to give the boy sympathy, -and should wrong-doers have the consolation which -sympathy would afford? So Mrs. Wittingham lost -an opportunity of at least narrowing the gulf between -her only child and herself, and continued:</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Oh, dear!—I would give anything if I could understand -you. I never did any of the dreadful -things you do."</p> - -<p class='c009'>"You were a girl," explained Jack.</p> - -<p class='c009'>"My brothers never did such things, either," said -Mrs. Wittingham.</p> - -<p class='c009'>"I guess they didn't run and tell you every time -they did anything," the boy suggested.</p> - -<p class='c009'>"They had nothing to tell," said Mrs. Wittingham. -And she told the truth; her brothers had lacked -the vitality necessary to persistent mischief-making -and had always been considered good boys, though -their manliness after they reached adult years was -strictly of a negative nature, and they had invariably -failed in business and everything else they undertook, -barring the one who had used slyness as a -substitute for strength, and decamped for parts unknown -with the funds of a corporation of which he -had been cashier. But Jack could devise no retort -to his mother's last remark, so he moodily took a -slice of bread, and the lady departed, contemplating -her son with a look far more loving than she ever -indulged in when the boy's eyes were upon her.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Jack ate his dinner with considerable gusto, complaining -to himself only of insufficient quality. As -he lifted the last slice from the plate he discovered -a bit of paper under it, upon which was pencilled -the Scriptural saying, "The wicked shall not live -out half their days," and Jack considered this line -the most unsatisfactory dessert that had ever been -placed before him. He admitted the truth of all -Scripture, however, and he meekly hoped that he -might live long enough to earn money to make the -payment for that burned stable—this he could -surely do, if the wicked were allowed a full half of -three score and ten years.</p> - -<p class='c009'>A sudden whistle under the window banished -every thought, pleasant and unpleasant, except of -nice little Mattie Barker, and though from where -Jack sat to the window measured only three or four -steps of distance, Jack felt that he consumed at -least an hour in traversing it. Finally he looked -down, and Matt looked up and whispered:</p> - -<p class='c009'>"It's all right."</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Glory!" whispered Jack.</p> - -<p class='c009'>"The glass alley went right to the spot," continued -Matt, "for she said she'd wanted that sleigh-line -for months, but Billy had been too stingy for -anything."</p> - -<p class='c009'>"What did she say—about me, I mean," whispered -Jack.</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Oh, nothing much," said Matt, "that is—well, -she said it was too bad that you couldn't get out, and -that you should have to suffer for somebody else's -meanness, but she hoped you'd never gamble again."</p> - -<p class='c009'>"I won't," said Jack: "I'll swear it on my Testament, -right away." And Jack's head was withdrawn -for a moment, and then reappeared, its owner remarking:</p> - -<p class='c009'>"There—that thing is fixed."</p> - -<p class='c009'>"And she sent you a posy—I've got it in my hat. -How will I get it up to you?"</p> - -<p class='c009'>"I'll let a fish line down," whispered Jack, and -hastily suited the action to the word. "Put it on -the upper hook," Jack continued, "that's a new -one, and no fish has ever mussed it any."</p> - -<p class='c009'>The precious token of regard was hauled up, and -Jack kissed it, modestly retiring his head as he did -so. Then he looked from the window again, with -an extremely radiant face, and whispered:</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Oh, Matt, I never was so happy in all my life!"</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Not even when you'd got up to a woodpecker's -nest?" asked Matt.</p> - -<p class='c009'>"No," said Jack, "nor when I caught that big -salmon last year, either."</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Is that so?" asked Matt, reflectively. "Then I -guess it's time for me to be thinking about getting -in love. And I know it's dinner time. Good-bye."</p> - -<p class='c009'>Matt departed, and for the first time in his life, -Jack did not regret the absence of his favorite companion. -Fortunately he had not drunk the water -from his goblet, so he placed the flowers therein, -and he looked at them, collectively and individually, -and he took them out again and kissed their -stems, because those were what nice little Mattie -Barker's fingers had touched when she plucked -them, and he skipped six or seven years as if they -were mere syllogisms and he a politician, and his -fancy invested him with a moustache and nice little -Mattie Barker in a dress which touched the ground, -and they were living in a beautiful house overlooking -the river, with the finest of fishing rods and -double-barrelled guns on racks in the parlor, and a -beautiful easy chair which should be Matt's very -own, and a span of crack horses, which he would -sometimes lend his father, and things, and things, -and things.</p> -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c000' /> -</div> -<div class='chapter'> - <h2 id='ch13' class='c004'>CHAPTER XIII. <br /> <br /> THE BOY WHO WAS NOT AFRAID.</h2> -</div> - -<p class='c008'>When Jack emerged from his enforced retirement -of the week, it was with an aristocratic -complexion, a fine sense of rectitude, and a -powerful conviction that in spite of his unsavory -reputation having had additional light cast upon it -by the burning stable, there still was something -worth living for, and that the something aforesaid -was nice little Mattie Barker. The bouquet she -had sent him had been carefully preserved throughout -the week, though it had not always been easy -to secrete it on the approach of his mother and -father. Why he should have hidden it from them -he could not have told, for they would have assumed -that he had culled it himself, and they were -more than glad on account of the new regard for -flowers he had shown since his sickness; but it -made Jack feel very manly to hide that bouquet, to -imagine that it would be removed if discovered, -and to think of the desperate deeds he would do -rather than have it torn from him.</p> - -<p class='c009'>In spite of love, however, the boy felt somewhat -as a discharged criminal is supposed to feel. He -did not know where to go, or what to do. The -prohibition of the society of other boys had been -strengthened by new and stringent clauses. Jack -could not very well seek out girls to play with, unless -he chose to run the risk of being laughed at, -and being suspected of fickleness by nice little -Mattie Barker. His recent conversations with his -mother had not been of a variety of which he -wanted more, his father was pleasant enough of -speech—when not pre-occupied—but he would persist -in affixing a moral or a warning to every sentence -he spoke, and though Jack felt sure that no -person living had a higher regard for moral applications -than himself, he did not care to have them -in everything. His father liked butter, as was -proper enough, but did he mix it with everything -he put in his mouth—cake, coffee, fruit, etc.? Jack -rather thought not.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Perhaps the doctor had never heard of the pope's -bull against the comet and its impotence, or he -might have evolved a moral application for his own -use, in the matter of prohibiting Jack from associating -with other boys. No matter how earnestly -the world, in the time of the pope alluded to, expressed -its objections to associating with comets, -the comet came right along as straight as a due -deference to solar control would allow. And the -order of seclusion imposed upon Jack did not make -him any the less yearned after by his late playmates. -It began to be noticed, by boys of observing -habits, that the youth of Doveton were falling -into ruts, and showing no inclination to depart from -them; that there was nothing particular to do; that -the procession of games, each according to its -season, was lapsing into irregularity; that nobody -got up anything new, and the only plausible reason -seemed to be the absence of Jack. In a general -convention of boys it was agreed, with but two dissenting -voices—those of the jugged loafer and the -buttonless Pinkshaw twin—that what society needed -was to have Jack resume his place in it, and the -two dissenters were informed that if they didn't -make the vote unanimous they would find it advisable -to move to the next town.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Then it was informally resolved that Jack's father -was an old hog, and a protest from lame Joey Wilson, -who declared that during his own illness, which -had made him lame, the doctor had been just lovely -to him, only made it more inexcusable that the -doctor should not be better to Jack. To such a -pitch of indignation did the feeling against the -doctor arise, that after the nine o'clock evening bell -broke up the convention, the braver and more close-tongued -boys expressed their disapprobation of the -doctor's course by building a rail fence, some forty -lengths long, around the doctor's front gate, carrying -the rails from a pasture a square away. To remove -this fence, and replace the rails in their rightful -positions, required all of Jack's time during the -following week, noting which fact the boys doubted -whether their operation against the doctor had -been a positive success, while Jack himself perceived, -as he perspired, that even sympathy has its -penalties.</p> - -<p class='c009'>But he adhered manfully to his good resolutions. -As the time for the next Puttytop demonstration -approached, he determined that he would leave all -his delightful devices to the friend who suggested -them to him, while to Matt, who one day sneaked -to the fence and asked when that new torpedo -blower could be had, Jack tragically exclaimed, -"Get thee behind me, Satan." To be sure, he said -it before he had taken time to ponder upon the -advisability of saying it, and the instant it escaped -his lips he wished he had only thought it instead of -uttering it; but none of this reconsideration had -any effect upon Matt, for on receipt of the unexpected -reply, he had bestowed just one frightened -look upon Jack and then taken to his heels, and -remained invisible to Jack through all subsequent -days until he received an apologetic note, after -which confidence was restored by supplementary -proceedings at the front gate.</p> - -<p class='c009'>The great Puttytop demonstration was effected -without disturbance, but there were some signs of -despondency manifested by those interested in the -local ticket, which Puttytop helped and was helped -by, for the Germans, incensed by the treatment -which Nuderkopf Trinkelspiel had received, made -their grievance an affair of nationality, and went -over bodily to the Baggs faction. As the few last -days of the campaign approached, Jack's patriotic -spirit began to chafe at inaction, and he finally became -excited to the pitch of asking his father -whether he might not take part in the great and -final Baggs torchlight procession. The doctor was -astonished by the temerity of this request, but he -was himself a Baggs man, Doveton was too far -from any great city for politics to have become exclusively -rowdyish, the marshals of the procession -were nearly all church members, Jack had been -quiet for a long time, so the doctor gave his assent, -taking the precaution, however, to make a personal -appeal to each marshal to keep an eye on the boy.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Jack was overjoyed, and proceeded at once to -make a transparency and covered it with stirring -mottoes. Then he made another, a very fine one -it was, too, which he embellished with the inscription, -"Truth crushed to earth shall rise again," and -this he presented to Nuderkopf Trinkelspiel. But -Nuderkopf intimated that he had had enough of politics -to last him until the next campaign, so he used -the sympathetic transparency to shield a plant of -late tomatoes from the frost, and when Jack learned -this he confided to Matt that he washed his hands -of that ungrateful Dutchman, then and forever.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Somehow Jack had frequent and imperative -needs to consult other boys before the night of -the procession, but each time he asked the permission -of his father, and made known the subjects of -the conversation desired, until the doctor began to -believe that Jack was really trying to do right. As -for the subjects of consultation with the boys, they -ranged all the way from lights for transparencies to -the particular style and succession of hoots to be -uttered on passing Puttytop headquarters. Upon -this last-named affair Jack bestowed a great deal -of time, and, finally, having gone to Matt's for -something, and found nearly all the boys in the -Bolton barn, he conducted a rehearsal with such -success that within five seconds after the first note -had sounded, the Bolton horse had started back in -wild affright, snapped his halter-strap, and bumped -the side of the barn behind him so forcibly that he -was stiff for a month afterward.</p> - -<p class='c009'>When the procession finally formed, Jack's transparency -was the observed of all observers. On one -side he had acknowledged his youth, but warned the -opposition against despising it by the inscription, -"Little, but Oh, My!" On the second face of the -transparency, Mephistopheles, all in red, laid a gaunt -hand, black, upon an ungainly individual in blue. -Lest the meaning of this painting might seem -doubtful to the general gaze, the name of Mr. Puttytop -appeared under the blue personage. A third -side was ornamented with the portrait of the opposition -candidate, and it must have been a good -one, for Jack had cut it from a Puttytop poster -which had been tacked to his father's new stable. -In this picture the adapter proved himself to be -not without genius, for over the whole of that -portion of the candidate's cranium which had been -devoted to hair, Jack had affixed real putty, fastening -it in place with pins, their heads enlarged with -red sealing wax and their points bent inside the -canvas. The effect of this work of art, when it -came under a light from the outside, was that of a -bald-headed man, upon whose scalp a bad case of -smallpox had concentrated its energies. On the -fourth and last side there was a palpable allusion to -the bibulous habits of which Puttytop had been -accused by the managers of the Baggs faction, for -the ornament was a sketch of a declivity, beginning -at an upper corner and drooping downward -almost to the opposite corner; on the top of this -began a series of red spots which increased in size, -number, and intensity of tint until they culminated -in the general deep red at the base; under all this -was the inscription, "His Nose."</p> - -<p class='c009'>Many were the stones and imprecations hurled at this <span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr"><i>chef -d'œuvre</i></span> as the procession moved through -the streets, and all of Jack's strength of mind and body was required to -enable the young man to manage his temper and hold his transparency -upright. It would hardly be safe to say that the doctor, who viewed the -procession from a corner, entirely approved of his son's taste, but the -boy's upright bearing pleased the old gentleman, and as one of the -marshals, who was also Jack's Sunday-school teacher, rode very close -behind Jack, the doctor went home feeling that his boy was in safe hands.</p> - -<p class='c009'>But the final disposing of the procession did not conclude -Jack's patriotic duties. A large paper -balloon, inscribed "Baggs Forever, One and Inseparable," -was to be sent up by the boys. This was -to be placed in the heavens by means of heated air, -to be provided by a burning sponge saturated with -alcohol, and hanging on a wire which was stretched -across the open mouth of the balloon. The boy -who had been charged with procuring the alcohol -had dishonestly spent the money for powder and -shot with which to go hunting, but he had made -good the deficiency by stealing his mother's bottle -of cooking brandy. It burned to a charm, -the balloon soared gracefully aloft amid a loud -chorus of "Ah!" and then the boy who held -the bottle and who knew the liquor by its smell, -remarked that it was a pity not to put the remaining -contents where they would do the most good. -The motion was seconded by one or two bad -boys who were not unacquainted with liquor, and -the bottle was passed from mouth to mouth, Jack -being the fourth who received it.</p> - -<p class='c009'>"I don't drink," said he, holding the bottle -and wondering whether it would be best to empty -it on the ground.</p> - -<p class='c009'>"You're afraid to," said one of the drinkers, to -whom Jack had been held up, to the extreme -pitch of exasperation, as a good temperance boy.</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Of course he's afraid," said another bad boy.</p> - -<p class='c009'>The mere smell of the brandy made Jack shudder, -but this was as nothing to the trembling -caused by the charge of fear. Afraid? well, he -<i>was</i> afraid—of being laughed at, so he placed -the bottle to his lips. He did not know anything -about the quantity to drink, except that when he -drank water out of a bottle as he frequently did -when out after berries in summer, he usually -took about a dozen swallows, so he swallowed -industriously until one of the bad boys who had -not drunk complained that none was being left -for the others. Then it seemed to him that he -had been swallowing the whole of a great conflagration, -and that he would cough himself to death, if, -indeed, he did not die of the uncontrollable trembling -that agitated his frame.</p> - -<p class='c009'>During the long-drawn moment in which this new -misery was being experienced by Jack, most of the -remaining boys had been vociferating discordantly -about something, and when Jack regained some -little control over himself he saw that the balloon -was the cause of their agitation; it had lost its -balance, perhaps from too much of the brandy getting -to its head, and in turning sideways it had -caught fire and begun to fall. It caused a beautiful -though dissolving view, and soon there was nothing -remaining but the sponge, which was coming down -as brightly and apparently as swiftly as a meteor. -Everybody ran to see where it fell, and although -the sponge was making considerably the best time, -it had by far the greater distance to travel, so the -boys had nearly reached it when it tumbled into -the well-stocked pig pen of Shantz, the butcher, -where it was received with all the hubbub which -the appearance of so unusual a visitor could warrant. -The spectacle of a brightly-blazing sponge in a small -enclosure, with a dozen hogs squealing at it, was -one which commended itself to the boys by its -utter novelty, but when the proprietor of the establishment -opened his own back door, and descended -the yard with a club, the scene became suddenly -devoid of interest, and the place which knew the -boys but now, knew them no more that evening. -The boys afterward agreed, while talking the matter -over, that any sensible man would first have cast the -dangerous visitor from the pen. But Shantz had seen -so much of juvenile mischief that whenever he saw a -boy near the scene of any irregularity, he thought -more of preventing future trouble than of curing -that which existed, so he left the pigs to take care -of the sponge, and gave chase to the boys.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Jack did his best to keep up with his companions, -but he had never in his life suspected our quiet old -globe of such unstable ways as she indulged in -during that short run. The world tipped to one -side until Jack was certain that he would roll over -to his left in a moment and slide straight down hill -to the Atlantic Ocean, which was five hundred miles -away. Then the world tipped the other way, and -Jack felt himself going, going, going, until he felt -sure that in a minute or two he would be caught -and impaled on some lofty peak of the Rocky -Mountains, more than a thousand miles to the right. -Then all the stars of heaven forsook their orbits -and dashed about each other in a manner which -made Jack too giddy to look at them, so he looked -straight before him at the steeple of the Presbyterian -Church, just in time to see it dissolve itself -into two steeples, which trembled awhile and then -indulged in a mad strife to see which should overtop -the other. The antics which Hoccamine's store -indulged in were very dangerous to a brick structure -which had been erected by contract, as that -had. Then Jack seemed to be treading on air, a -league at a step, yet unable to approach any nearer -to his companions.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Suddenly his collar tightened, though he could -not imagine why; then the judgment-day seemed -surely to come, for stars and steeples and stores all -mixed themselves in utter confusion, and Jack fell -backward some thousands of miles, apparently, and -the last sensation he experienced was of seeing a -giant about a mile high, but of a face, form and -voice identical with those of Shantz the butcher, -and the giant raised a club, which was certainly -the trunk of the largest of the California big trees, -and——</p> -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c000' /> -</div> -<div class='chapter'> - <h2 id='ch14' class='c004'>CHAPTER XIV. <br /> <br /> PAYING FOR A SPREE.</h2> -</div> - -<p class='c008'>When next Jack became conscious of his -own existence, it was with a conviction -that the giant who looked like Shantz the butcher -had set his feet against a mountain or something, -and was bracing himself with all his force against -the top of Jack's head. Then he felt assured that -the giant had taken out Jack's eyes, filling the cavities -with two enormous leaden balls, and that the -giant had filled his mouth with wool, and put ice -under his back, having first run an unyielding iron -rod all the way through his spinal column, and that -the giant had bound his knees and elbows in splints -so that neither could be bent, and then had fiendishly -set a great fire blazing in front of his face. -After what seemed hours of dumb terror, Jack succeeded -in parting his eyelids, and the leaden balls -within them answered the natural purpose of eyes -pretty well, for he saw that he was lying on the -ground, with the sun, already several hours high, -shining right in his face, and that he was quite close -to a fence, and out of the way of any of the beaten -paths of the town.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Then he found he could move one of his arms -from the shoulder, and then, after considerable effort, -he could bend his elbow, and he felt the other -elbow and assured himself that it was not bound -after all. Then he managed to raise himself by one -arm, though the iron rod in his spine was not as -elastic as he could have wished, and a cautious look -upward and a painful twisting of his neck showed -that the giant was no longer pressing on the top of -his head, though the sense of compression still remained. -This soon gave way to a sensation of -lightness, and Jack fell backward; though he managed -to turn upon his side a moment or two after.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Some misty moments were consumed in attempts -to determine who he was and how he had come to -be in that particular place, the final result being -that Jack became convinced that he had been -drunk. The mere recalling of his last experiences -of the previous night made him so lightheaded that -he clutched frantically at a tuft of grass to keep -himself from tumbling upward. Then he realized -that he had never before in his life been so terribly -thirsty, so he entered the side gate of the garden -near which he had been lying, and drank freely from -the well-pail. Even this exertion left him so shaky -that he had barely strength enough to get outside -the garden before he dropped. Then he curled up -outside the fence, shaded his eyes with one hand, -and determined that the sun had never before been -so bright.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Then he set himself to thinking. His father and -nice little Mattie Barker came into his mind, arm -in arm as it were, but the latter soon drove out -the former, with the result of making the young -man more miserable than he had ever been under -the oppressive terrors of parental wrath. He had -barely escaped losing her by being suspected of incendiarism -and being a confessed gambler, but what -were these to a genuine, positive case of drunkenness? -No one had seen him in his present condition—at -least, it was safe to assume that no one -had, for to see a drunken person in Doveton was to -talk about him, with the result of soon having a -crowd of lookers-on. He had not meant to get -drunk, but, honestly, had he ever deliberately intended -to do any of the dreadful deeds of which he -had been guilty! Once, while lounging in a courtroom, -and in the cessation of putty-blowing which -he had thought wise while the sheriff's eye seemed -upon him, he heard a lawyer inform a jury that the -law always considered the intention of the wrong-doer, -and now Jack wished that his adored might -have heard that address. He wondered if Matt -could be trusted to carry her a message about something -else, and then lead conversation deftly toward -the unintentional wrong-doers of the world, and impress -upon little Mattie the fact of which he had -been informed in court. But, no, Matt was such a -literal fellow.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Meanwhile, there had been an unusual commotion -in the Wittingham household. Jack not having responded -to the breakfast bell, the servant was sent -to awaken him, but she returned with the information -that he was not in his bed, nor had he been -there during the night, for the coverlid and pillows -were as smooth as if untouched. Then the doctor -growled and Mrs. Wittingham fretted; and the doctor -said he supposed the young scamp had gone -home with Matt, and Mrs. Wittingham hoped the -boy had not gone to the river and got drowned in -the dark; and the doctor said he did not see why -women always imagined improbable things as soon -as anything happened that was out of the usual -order, and Mrs. Wittingham said she could not understand -why men always would be unsympathetic -just when there were aching hearts that longed for -tenderness; and the doctor called himself a brute, -upon which Mrs. Wittingham disposed of a tear or -two which had come unbidden, and the doctor declared -that the skin of the young reprobate should -pay for those tears. But the cuticle alluded to did -not appear, either with or without its natural occupant, -nor could a search of the stable throw any -light upon the mystery.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Then the doctor drove to Matt's, and discovered -that the boy was not there, and he stopped at the -jail, ostensibly to ask about the keeper's baby, but -really to give the official a chance to say something, -if Jack had got into trouble and his old quarters -again. But still he remained uninformed, so he began -to interview such boys as were visible; these -knew nothing, as boys always do when questioned -about one of their own number who seems to be -wanted by his right guardians. No one had seen -him since the balloon caught fire, though they -quieted one very unscientific fear of the doctor's by -declaring positively that he had not gone heavenward -with the balloon itself.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Suddenly the doctor was accosted by Shantz the -butcher, who was driving by, and who said:</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Doctor, you know dot bad boy dot you got?"</p> - -<p class='c009'>The doctor admitted that he did.</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Vell, den," said Shantz; "yust you hear vat I -say—better it is dot you do it. You not keep dot -boy some oder blace, den I kick him some oder -blace, py shimminy cracious! Dat's yust vat it is, -I dell you."</p> - -<p class='c009'>"What had he done to you?" asked the doctor.</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Vat he has done?" echoed Shantz. "Vell, vat -he didn't mebbe come pooty nigh a dooin', dot ding -is mighty bad, now I dell you. He drew a pig -sponge full of fire at my hogs. You dink I vant -to sell roast hogs? No, sir! an' ven I do, I puts -'em over de fire—I not put de fire right ofer de -hogs, an' den git yust lots of boys to come an' -laugh vile de pigs is squeaking, cause I reckon dey -don't like to be roasted midout being killed before -dot."</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Why didn't you thrash him, if you caught him -at such a trick?" asked the doctor.</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Vy didn't I?" asked Shantz. "Vell, I yust did, -but 'twasn't no goot; he vouldn't holler, but yust -tumbled on de ground an' vas vorse as a whole -dressed pig to pick up again."</p> - -<p class='c009'>A few questions as to time and place followed, -and the doctor drove hurriedly off, vowing to himself -that if Shantz had really injured the boy, the -burly German should have a large account to settle. -To tell a man to punish Jack was one thing—to -find that the man had taken the doctor at his word, -and in advance, too, was quite another. The doctor -drove toward Shantz's house, looking carefully -about him and asking questions of every one he -met, so it came to pass that just as Jack was wondering -how to get home and explain his absence -without telling the whole truth, he heard his -father's voice, startingly near at hand, shouting:</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Jack, did he hurt you much?"</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Sir?" answered the miserable boy. Then Jack -recalled the likeness of the giant of the previous -night, so he feebly said, questioningly, "Shantz?"</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Yes—the villain!" exclaimed the doctor. "My -poor boy, come here, and let me see what he did to -you. It was bad enough for you to throw a burning -sponge into his pig-pen, but——"</p> - -<p class='c009'>"I didn't, father," said Jack. "The sponge fell -from the balloon." And Jack told in detail the -story of the ascension and untimely end of the balloon, -though his recital was so fragmentary and delivered -with so much shading of the eyes and rubbing -of the head that the doctor grew seriously -alarmed for the boy's reason. It took him but a -second or two to dismount from his carriage and lay -his hand on Jack's head, yet even in this short time -his conscience pricked him sorely for his many sins -of omission concerning his only son, and he formed -enough of good resolutions to pave at least a mile -of the infernal pathway.</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Let me see your eyes," said the doctor.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Jack lifted them, heavy and bloodshot.</p> - -<p class='c009'>"No concussion of the brain, thank the Lord," -said the doctor. "Now show me your tongue."</p> - -<p class='c009'>Jack opened his mouth, and that very instant -the doctor sniffed the air suspiciously; then with -both hands he held the boy at arms' length and exclaimed:</p> - -<p class='c009'>"You've been drinking, young man."</p> - -<p class='c009'>Jack looked up guiltily for just a second, and then -dropped his eyes.</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Go home this instant!" said the doctor; "take -off your clothes and go to bed, and stay there until -I come. I never gave you a bit of sympathy without -finding that I'd wasted it. Go along—quick!"</p> - -<p class='c009'>As the doctor spoke, he reached for his carriage-whip, -so Jack moved off much faster than a moment -or two before he would have thought possible under -the existing physical circumstances. When the -doctor had turned his carriage and moved off to -visit some patients whom he had been neglecting -all the morning, Jack's fears were sufficiently allayed -to justify his thinking about the weather, for it -seemed to him that the sun had never shone so hotly -even in midsummer. Then he wondered what his -father would do to him. He had been punished -with great severity many a time, though his faults -had never before been so grievous as this present -one; the mere thought of being punished at all was -more than in his present physical and mental condition -he could bear.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Suddenly an old thought occurred to him: he -would run away. He had many a time determined -to do so, but on such occasions the weather was too -cold, or too hot, or he had an uncompleted trade on -hand, or he was penniless, or something. Now, -however, the expected punishment overbalanced -every lesser fear. Perhaps he would starve, but he -would not be so dreadfully sorry if he did; he -would escape the scoldings and punishments that -he knew of, while that which might come after death -would at least have the alleviating quality of novelty. -But there was little likelihood of his starving; -runaway boys in books and story papers never -did anything of the kind—they always fell upon -streaks of luck, and finally married heiresses. Jack -did not care to marry an heiress; nice little Mattie -Barker was rich enough for him, but alas! she -would have to remain a sweetly mournful memory. -He would at least strive to obtain her sympathy; -he would write her a touching, a tenderly-worded -farewell, and then, as he came into his fortune in -other lands, he would write her respectful anonymous -letters—perhaps, even, he might write her in -verse, though about that he could not speak with -certainty at present. One thing he knew—he did -wish his head would stop aching so dreadfully.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Arrived at home, he went softly to his own -room, bolted the door, and sat down to write. He -wrote and tore at least a dozen letters before he -could pen one which seemed to suit him; this, -when completed, read as follows:</p> -<p class='c016'>"Miss Mattie Barker:</p> -<p class='c017'>Dear Madam,</p> -<p class='c018'>Farewell forever.</p> -<p class='c019'><span class='sc'>Jack Wittingham.</span>"</p> -<p class='c009'>It then seemed to him that his father deserved -a parting word, so he wrote:</p> -<p class='c017'>"Dear Father:</p> -<p class='c020'>You want me to be good, and so -do I, but circumstances over which I seem to -have no control, prevent the consummation of my -earnest desire and intention.<a id='r2' /><a href='#f2' class='c010'><sup>[2]</sup></a> When I come back, -I shall be a man, and rich enough to comfort you -in your declining years, and mother too.</p> -<p class='c021'>Your affectionate son,</p> -<p class='c019'><span class='sc'>Jack</span>."</p> -<div class='footnote c011' id='f2'> -<p class='c009'><a href='#r2'>2</a>. Jack had found this sentence in a note from one of his father's -unfortunate debtors, and he had been carefully saving it for years -until a proper opportunity for using it should occur.</p> -</div> -<p class='c008'>This letter had been begun at the top of the -page, with the intention that it should cover the -entire front, but as it was, there was a considerable -blank space at the bottom. So Jack labored hard -to devise a postscript, but his head was not equal -to much composition. Suddenly his fond resolution -came to mind; it was to have been a dead -secret, but now it seemed only just that his father -should have something to break the shock of his -son's departure—something particularly comforting -and uplifting. So he wrote:</p> -<p class='c016'>"P. S. The first thousand dollars I earn, I'm -going to send to you, to pay for the stable that -burned down on account of the matches in my -jacket pocket getting scrunched under Bob Pinkshaw's -foot."</p> -<p class='c009'>This postscript gave Jack a great deal of comfort -as he looked at it, but he doubted whether it -was the part of prudence to linger over it. So he -sealed and addressed both letters, and put his father's -on the mantle in the doctor's room, just under -the hook where the doctor's watch was always hung -at night; the other letter he determined to mail -at the first post-town he reached in his wanderings.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Then he got a little hand-valise of his father's, -having failed to find a pocket-handkerchief large -enough to hold the traveling outfit which he considered -necessary. He packed all his fishing tackle, -a red shirt, a pair of swimming tights, the box containing -the remains of nice little Mattie Barker's -bouquet, some underclothing, his Sunday suit, and -his whole assortment of old felt hats. He looked -around the room lest he might have forgotten -something, and beheld the little Bible which his -mother had given him on his tenth birthday. He -had not read a word from it for a month, but then -runaway boys always carried their mother's Bibles, -or Testaments, he was not sure which—and they -beat everything for turning off murderous bullets -or the daggers of assassins. Then he remembered -how his mother had looked at him and kissed him -when she gave him that Bible, and he wished that -she had always looked so, and he nearly cried -without knowing why, and he longed to go find -his mother and give her a great hug and kiss, but -it would be just like her to ask awkward questions -if he did. He would have a last look at her, anyhow, -come what might, so he tiptoed to the sitting-room, -and there she sat darning one of Jack's -stockings, with a lot of others before her, and she -was looking very tired and seemed to have been -crying.</p> - -<p class='c009'>"She won't have to darn stockings any more," -said Jack to himself, "and that'll be a comfort." -Then he slipped out of the back door, through the -garden, behind the blackberry rows, into the -meadow, and so down to a wild little gully which -would lead him out of town unseen by any one.</p> -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c000' /> -</div> -<div class='chapter'> - <h2 id='ch15' class='c004'>CHAPTER XV. <br /> <br /> RUNNING AWAY.</h2> -</div> - -<p class='c008'>Jack's first care was to get out of town; once -out of sight of any house, however, he began -to wonder seriously what course he should take. -The terrible thirst with which he was consuming -suggested that he should keep close to the river, -the water of which, now that October had come, -was quite cool. There was a scarcity of houses -along the river bank, and Jack had entirely forgotten -to bring any food with him; still, if he developed -no more appetite than he had at present, -he would want nothing to eat for days. Besides, -the river bank was well wooded for miles, and -though the trees had begun to shed their leaves, -there was still foliage enough to secrete a boy from -anyone who might be impertinently curious. Still -better, the dry leaves would make a delightful -couch, and Jack began to think that the sooner he -tried them the more comfortable he would be, for -his head persisted in aching, and his legs were very -weak. So within two miles of town, he halted, -scraped a great many leaves against a fallen tree, as -he had heard was the habit of hunters and trappers, -and stretched himself upon them. The air was -balmy, the shade was most grateful, so Jack soon -dropped into a slumber.</p> - -<p class='c009'>When he awoke, it was quite dark, and he found -himself unaccountably chilly. Fortunately he had -brought matches, so he managed to make a fire of -leaves and dead sticks, and the blaze was very -cheering. But, somehow, he could find no side of -that fire at which he could stand without having -the wind blow smoke into his eyes, and his brandy-swollen -optics were not in a condition to endure -smoke with equanimity, even for the sake of belonging -to a runaway who was going to enable them to -see all the wonders of distant lands. Finally, Jack -scraped the fire toward his bed, and by lying on -the latter he avoided the smoke and obtained his -first tuition in positive woodcraft. Piling on additional -wood, he soon had a very bright fire, in front -of which he again dropped asleep, but the fire -crawled from leaf to leaf until it reached his bed, -and he awoke to find himself half smothered, and -his clothing charred in several places. His tours -for fuel began to extend farther than the light of -his fire, so that he had to feel about very carefully -for wood, and the rustle in which the dead boughs -indulged as he dragged them from beneath the -leaves suggested snakes, of which Jack stood in -deadly terror. The obduracy of several small dead -trees provoked him beyond the limits of his small -store of patience, the smokiness of old and rotten -boughs did not tend to peace of body and mind, so -Jack began to swear and then to cry. Both of these -exercises made him feel better in some way, however, -and he at last succeeded in making a very -large fire.</p> -<div class='figcenter id001'> -<img src='images/p188.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' /> -<div class='ic002'> -<p><span class='small'>JACK IN CAMP.</span></p> -</div> -</div> - -<p class='c009'>But he realized, for the first time in his life, that -the blood of a man recovering from intoxication, -acts as if it had been passed through a refrigerator. -He revolved before that fire as if he had been upon -a turnspit, but cold chills would creep down his -back while his front was roasting. He wished that -somebody had accompanied him, so that he would -not be so dreadfully lonesome, and the remarks of -a distant owl, who exclaimed "Hoo—hoo—hoo—hoo—are -you?" in endless iteration, did not at all -satisfy his longing for human society. There was -at least one comfort to be anticipated,—the morning -could not be far distant.</p> - -<p class='c009'>As Nature slowly cleared his head, Jack began to -weave plans for the future. Whether to go east or -west, he could not for a long time decide. The -two countries were about equi-distant, and each had -its advantages, but the tendency of story papers for -boys preponderated strongly in favor of the latter; -besides, the names of certain western localities -were particularly enticing, so he decided to go -west. He wished he had a revolver, but if he could -beg or work his way west on the trains, as runaway -boys always did in stories, he might have money -enough left to buy a second-hand pistol. Besides, -he could sell his personal effects—all but his fishing tackle -and his Bible and nice little Mattie Barker's -bouquet; as for the Bible, he must have a -breast pocket made for that at once. If the morning -would only come!</p> - -<p class='c009'>Suddenly he heard a familiar bell; ha!—a fire -had broken out in Doveton, and he was not there to -see it. Well, he deserved some punishment for his -wrong-doings, and he felt that this would be a sufficient -one, for a fire was a rarity at Doveton, and -he was therefore losing a great deal. The peal ran -on, but stopped at the ninth stroke. What? Could -it be but nine o'clock? The night seemed to grow -darker and colder all in an instant, as Jack realized -that he must have fallen asleep about noon and was -to be alone in the woods all night.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Then the wind awoke, and made the most dismal -of noises in the trees overhead, and it blew harder -and harder, and once in a while it disturbed a bird -who protested shrilly and with a suddenness that sent -Jack's heart into his mouth. The wind stirred the -leaves, and Jack recalled, with violent agitation, the -fact that a panther had been seen in those very -woods a few years before. He had heard that such -animals were attracted by bright lights, so the reflection -of fire on dewy leaves a little way off took, -to Jack's eyes, the shape of the glaring eyes of a -wild animal. He hastily separated the sticks on his -fire, and beat down the coals, looking behind him -several times a minute as he did so, for fear the animal -might spring suddenly upon him. Would a -mother's Bible arrest the jaws of a panther, he wondered, -and if so, to what part of his person would it -be advisable to tie the Holy Book?</p> - -<p class='c009'>Then the velocity of the wind increased, and, -soon a drop of water struck Jack in the face. It -must have been dew, shaken from the trees overhead? -But no; another drop came, and then another, -and then several at a time, and then too many -to count. It was raining! Jack began to cry in -good earnest, but something must be done, so he -began to strip bark from the dead tree against -which he had lain. It came off in very small pieces -at first, but by careful handling, Jack managed to -get several strips long enough to reach from the -ground to the log as he lay under them. But even -then things did not work as they should. Between -each two pieces there was an aperture, so in a few -moments the rain had marked out at least four vertical -sections of Jack's clothing and made itself felt -on his skin. A slight drawing up of the knees displaced -one piece of bark, and the cautious twisting -necessitated by the replacing of this piece, disarranged -two others.</p> - -<p class='c009'>And this was the sort of thing which he would -probably have to endure all night! Jack cried and -shivered, and shivered and cried, until his coat -sleeve was wet with tears, and his remaining garments -were soaked with the rain which the continual -displacement of the bark admitted. He -thought of other lone wanderers—Robinson Crusoe, -Reuben Davidger, the Prodigal Son, but all of these -had lucky things happen to them. Even the last-named -personage had something to eat, such as it -was, while Jack now felt as he imagined Esau did -when he traded off his birthright for a mess of pottage. -He would certainly starve before daylight, -in spite of the money he had to buy food with.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Meanwhile his parents were as miserable as himself. -The doctor spent the morning, between professional -visits, in devising some new and effective -punishment for the boy. But when he found Jack's -room empty, and was unable to learn that the boy -had been home at all, he forgot all about punishment, -and started on horseback in search, with the -fear that Jack's unsteady legs and light head had -got him into trouble. He searched fence corners, -wood-piles and barn-yards between his house and the -place from which Jack had started, and he questioned, -without success, everyone he met. Returning -in real agitation through a fear that the boy might -have fallen into a well in search of the water for -which he must be constantly longing, the doctor retired -to his own room for special prayer and supplication, -when he found Jack's letter. With this he -hurried to his wife, and so frightened the lady that -the doctor attempted at first to make light of the -whole matter, but his fears and his apprehensions -were too much for him, so he sank listlessly into a -chair and covered his eyes, while Mrs. Wittingham -cried, and wrung her hands, and asked what was to -be done.</p> - -<p class='c009'>"I don't know," said the doctor. "I know what -should have been done long ago—I always do, after -trouble has come, and it's too late to remedy it. We -should have made ourselves more companionable to -Jack, but instead of that, we've only tried to make -him a person like ourselves. We're so bound up in -our own round of daily affairs that we've never paid -much attention to him except when he has got himself -into mischief."</p> - -<p class='c009'>"I'm sure I've always seen that he had food and -clothing, and you have sent him to school, and given -him everything he's asked for that was within -reason."</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Within <i>our</i> reason, yes," said the doctor, "but -I remember to have had tastes different from my -parents, when I was a boy, and they were not at all -bad, either."</p> - -<p class='c009'>"I've prayed for him, heaven knows how earnestly," -said Mrs. Wittingham.</p> - -<p class='c009'>"So have I," said the doctor, "but I don't cure -my patients by prayer. And my own boy, my only -son, who has more good qualities than all my patients -put together, I've never paid special attention -to, except when his ways were irregular. And I am -the man whose address—'An Ounce of Prevention -is worth a Pound of Cure,'—made me such a -name when I read it before the State Medical Association! -Oh, consistency!"</p> - -<p class='c009'>"But what are you going to do, doctor?" asked -Mrs. Wittingham. "There's no knowing where he -may be, or what he will do—perhaps we'll hear of -him in some penitentiary."</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Or in Congress," said the doctor. "He'll be a -smart enough rascal to get there, with that busy -brain and smart tongue of his."</p> - -<p class='c009'>"But you must do something, doctor," pleaded -Mrs. Wittingham.</p> - -<p class='c009'>"I'll tell you what I'll do first," said the doctor -springing from his chair; "I'll go and burn up that -infernal book on heredity; a man who can't understand -his own flesh and blood, isn't fit to write -about those of the rest of the race. Then I'll hire -both constables to track him, first swearing them -to secrecy. I guess I won't burn the book, though—I'll -learn enough by this experience to tell the -truth instead of running a lot of theories on the -public."</p> - -<p class='c009'>The constables were on the road in an hour, and -the doctor, pleading a sudden call out of town, -turned over his patients to the least disagreeable -of his rivals, and took the road himself. But no -one seemed to have seen Jack. Matt knew nothing -about him, and the doctor reached home at midnight -looking as many years older as he certainly -was, wiser and sadder.</p> - -<p class='c009'>All night long Jack's parents lay awake in each -other's arms, crying, praying, reproaching themselves -and excusing each other, and forming self-denying -resolutions for the future in which they -hoped to have their boy again. With each gust -of wind, Mrs. Wittingham shuddered and suggested -dreadful possibilities, and the doctor comforted his -wife while he kept to himself suggestions equally -dreadful. The rain sat the doctor to fearing dangerous -sickness to the boy who was in such unfit -condition to breast a storm. When <i>he</i> was a -scrapegrace boy himself, and away from home, he -had always sense enough to go into a barn when it -rained, but he never thought to attribute this -much of wisdom to Jack, for his thoughts kept recurring -to the boy's earlier days, when Jack was a -sturdy, merry, helpless baby, and his parents had -planned such a delightful future for the jolly little -rogue.</p> - -<p class='c009'>A swing of the gate leading to the barn-yard -brought the doctor to his feet, and hurried him out -into the storm with bare head and feet, but alas, -it was only the wind. A muffled step on the back -piazza called him again from his bed, but he found -only the family cat. He grew too weak to try to -silence his wife's fears, too weak to think, too -weak to examine his own apprehensions, too weak -to do anything but pray and promise. At early -dawn he dressed himself and hurried out to feed his -horse, so that the animal might be ready for an -early start. He gave the pony an extra measure of -corn, and climbed into the hay-loft to push down -some hay. An old hat of Jack's lay upon the hay -a little way off, and the doctor snatched it and -kissed it passionately, his eyes filling with tears as -he did so. Then, as he wiped his eyes, he saw -something else that reminded him of his boy, -though he scarcely knew why. He stopped to -pick it up, and a loud yell resulted, for the dingy -object was Jack's hair, the owner of which had -burrowed the remainder of himself deep in the -warm hay. Tears, fears, prayers, good resolutions -and all other products of night and penitence escaped -the doctor as if they were dreams, and he -exclaimed:</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Well, sir?"</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Oh, father!" said Jack.</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Is this as far as you've been?" demanded the -parent, indignant about what seemed to him sympathy -obtained under false pretences.</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Oh, no," said Jack, "I've had an awful time. -You may punish me all you want to, but you can -never make me suffer as I've done to-night." And -Jack cried as if his heart would break.</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Your poor mother," said the doctor, "has been -nearly crazy."</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Let me see her!" said Jack. "Just let me see -her once more." And in a moment Jack had -jumped from the hay-loft window and was limping -toward the house.</p> - -<p class='c009'>The doctor, recalling with some shame his good -resolutions, followed with all possible haste, though -by the conventional means of exit, and when he -entered the house, he beheld the runaway hugging -and kissing his mother in most frantic fashion.</p> -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c000' /> -</div> -<div class='chapter'> - <h2 id='ch16' class='c004'>CHAPTER XVI. <br /> <br /> LOSING A REPUTATION.</h2> -</div> - -<p class='c008'>Jack was so overjoyed at getting home again -that his plain little room seemed a palatial -residence when he entered it. As long sections of -bare skin were visible through his dried but burned -clothing, and as the latter was also well sprinkled -with hay-seed, he made haste to change his apparel. -He really hoped his father would whip him, he had -been so bad, and lest the punishment should not be -as heavy as he deserved he put on very thin clothing, -and neglected to put anything between jacket -and skin to temper the blows. If his father did not -punish him, he would punish himself; he would go -without pie and cake for a year, or he would commit -to memory a chapter of the Bible every day. -Of course nobody in the village would speak to him -now, but he didn't care, if only he could remain at -home, never to go away, not even when he became -a man.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Suddenly, as he emptied the remaining pockets -of his burned clothes, he found the letter which he -had intended to mail to his sweetheart from some -convenient post-office. At sight of this his heart -gave a mighty bound, and he retracted his resolution -to remain at home all his life, unless, indeed, -his mother might be brought to fully approve the -choice of his heart. He would lose no time in consulting -both his parents about this affair of the -affections, and he counted it as a sin that he had -not done so long before. What very different -people from what he had supposed them to be, -that night had taught him his father and mother -were!</p> - -<p class='c009'>The expected punishment not manifesting itself, -Jack ventured out of his room and stood upon the -back piazza to look at the garden, which suddenly -appeared to him to be the finest garden that the -world ever knew—the garden of Eden excepted, -perhaps.</p> - -<p class='c009'>From here he listened to the breakfast bell, and -wondered if any bread and water would be sent to -him; if not, he would at least have the consolation -of knowing that he didn't deserve any. But suddenly -his father shouted that his breakfast would -be cold if he didn't eat it soon, so Jack descended, -in a maze, to the nicest breakfast he had ever -seen, and oh! wonder of wonders, his father gave -him a cup of coffee, a luxury which he had been -taught to forego, because the doctor thought it -very injurious to growing boys with large heads. -Jack occasionally stole a loving look at both parents, -but it pained him greatly to discover for the -first time, that his father looked as if he was going -to be an old man, and he was confused by seeing -his mother's eyes fill with tears at short intervals.</p> - -<p class='c009'>When breakfast was over, the doctor went into -his office without saying a word to Jack, and Mrs. -Wittingham, first kissing her boy, went to her -household affairs, and Jack felt very uncomfortable. -He was too full to be silent, but it was not the sort -of fullness, so often experienced, that could be relieved -by whistling, or singing, or dancing, or teasing -the family cat. He was absolutely longing to -pay the penalty of his misdeeds, and he was determined -not to be the cause of any delay, so he followed -his father into the office—a thing he had -never done before in his life in the face of impending -conflict. The doctor was surprised beyond -measure by this unexpected demonstration, and his -astonishment increased as Jack, after lounging -about uncomfortably for a few moments, suddenly -exclaimed:</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Father, I want to be punished."</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Bless me!" exclaimed the doctor, turning so -suddenly that a powder which he was preparing -dusted all over his clothing. "Have you lost your -senses, my boy?"</p> - -<p class='c009'>"No, sir," said Jack, hanging his head. "I guess -I've just found them. I've been a dreadfully bad -boy, and I think I deserve to be punished severely."</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Well," said the doctor, after several moments of -silent contemplation of his boy, "that's the -strangest case I ever heard of."</p> - -<p class='c009'>The doctor dropped the paper which had held -the powder, hurried to the desk, took out the notes -for his work on heredity, and made the following -memorandum: "It is undeniable that the mental, -like the physical nature, sometimes generates a -quality utterly different from itself." Then the -doctor erased this, and re-wrote and amplified it. -The second form did not satisfy him entirely, so -again he erased and wrote, and repeated the process -several times. As he was making his sixth erasure -he became conscious that Jack had lounged up to -his elbow.</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Oh!" said the doctor, "you said you wanted to -be punished, didn't you?"</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Yes, sir."</p> - -<p class='c009'>The doctor wanted to say "Confound it!" but -he habitually refrained from such remarks before his -boy; as he looked back to his doubly scrawled page, -however, he unconsciously penned "Confound it!" -directly after his late erasure, and he followed it -with exclamation points to the end of the line.</p> - -<p class='c009'>"What do you think should be done to you?" -asked the doctor, finally.</p> - -<p class='c009'>"I don't know," said Jack, "but it ought to be -something dreadful, for I've been so bad."</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Why did you get drunk?"</p> - -<p class='c009'>"I didn't mean to do it," said Jack, "but that's -just the way with everything I do," and Jack explained -the affair with the brandy-bottle.</p> - -<p class='c009'>"You did something worse than get drunk when -you took that brandy, my boy," said the doctor.</p> - -<p class='c009'>"I suppose so," said Jack; "I always do something -worse. But I don't know what it was."</p> - -<p class='c009'>"You showed yourself to be a coward," replied -the doctor. "What do you think of cowards?"</p> - -<p class='c009'>"They'd have called me a coward if I hadn't -drunk it," said Jack.</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Yes," said the doctor, "and that's what you -were cowardly about, can't you see?"</p> - -<p class='c009'>Jack admitted that he could.</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Wouldn't it have taken more bravery to have -laughed and fought down such a charge, than it required -to drink the liquor?" asked the doctor.</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Yes, sir. And I want to be punished for being -a coward too."</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Goodness!" exclaimed the doctor, seizing his -hat and vanishing. A few minutes later the Reverend -Mr. Daybright, just as he had entered his -study, received a call from Dr. Wittingham, and the -doctor promptly proceeded to detail Jack's case and -ask for advice. Now Mr. Daybright belonged to a -denomination which has very pronounced ideas on -the subject of sin and punishment, and the minister -preached as his church believed, and was sure that -he believed what he preached, yet he counselled the -doctor to let the boy alone.</p> - -<p class='c009'>"But he wants to be punished," urged the doctor.</p> - -<p class='c009'>"What good can it do him?" asked the minister; -"if he is in that frame of mind, the sole object of -punishment is attained in advance."</p> - -<p class='c009'>"But he has done wrong; he has kept his mother -and me in intolerable misery for twenty-four hours, -and it seems to me that something should be done -to him."</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Ah!" said the minister, "you're thinking about -revenge, which is very different from punishment. -And it is my duty, as your pastor, to urge you to -give up the thought at once, for it is unchristian -and brutal."</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Why," said the doctor, flushing angrily, "I don't -want to punish him; I simply think it a matter of -duty."</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Yes," sighed the minister, "revenge has generally -been considered a duty, so great is the influence -of inheritance even upon minds intentionally -honest."</p> - -<p class='c009'>The doctor abruptly departed, muttering to himself:</p> - -<p class='c009'>"That's a point for the book, any how!"</p> - -<p class='c009'>Arrived at his office, the doctor found Jack still -there. He picked the boy up in his arms, and as -Jack mentally submitted to whatever was to be his -fate, his father sat down, hugged the boy close, -and said:</p> - -<p class='c009'>"My darling fellow, tell me what I can do to keep -you out of further mischief and trouble. That -shall be your punishment."</p> - -<p class='c009'>The exquisite sarcasm of the potter questioning -his clay did not strike Jack, which is not very -strange, as the doctor himself was unconscious of -it. But Jack could only say:</p> - -<p class='c009'>"I don't know."</p> - -<p class='c009'>"I would sell everything I own, if money would -do it," said the doctor.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Jack was still unable to answer, but the doctor's -assertion caused the boy to squeeze closer to his father's -breast, which movement greatly comforted -the old gentleman.</p> - -<p class='c009'>"I think if you'd always let me be with you, -father, I would be a real good boy," said Jack. "I -like you better than I do anybody—but Matt; yes, -better than Matt either."</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Thank you, my boy," said the doctor, with -some little coolness which Jack detected.</p> - -<p class='c009'>"I've got to do something," said Jack, "and if I -can't see things that's good to do, I have to do -others."</p> - -<p class='c009'>The doctor remembered having had some such -experience himself, in the days of his own mischief-making, -but he answered gravely:</p> - -<p class='c009'>"I have to spend a great deal of time in sickrooms, -my boy, where it would be inconvenient for -you to be."</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Then let me be with you when you're at home," -said Jack, "and," he continued, rather hesitatingly, -"let me ask questions, and you try to answer so -I can understand you."</p> - -<p class='c009'>The doctor dimly realized that when he was busy -he did not answer questions willingly or lucidly, but -he replied:</p> - -<p class='c009'>"You ask a great many questions about things -which I don't think you should know about, Jack."</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Well," said Jack, "I can't help thinking about -them, and when you turn me off, I nearly always -ask somebody else and I find out anyhow."</p> - -<p class='c009'>The idea that other people should be telling his -boy about matters which he declined informing him -upon was a blow to the doctor's self-respect, and his -sense of propriety, too, for he knew what class of -people Jack would be likely to apply to for information, -and the nature of the answers which would be -given. The doctor pondered a little while, and then -said:</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Jack, how would you like to learn a trade? You -could be with me in the evenings, you know."</p> - -<p class='c009'>"What sort of a trade?" said Jack.</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Whatever you like," said the doctor, "I -wouldn't for anything have you at any that was distasteful -to you. You certainly like to use tools—you -have ruined all of mine in various ways."</p> - -<p class='c009'>"I think I'd like to be a carpenter," said Jack.</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Then you shall," said the doctor. "If you like -it, and stick to it, I'll set you up as a builder when -you learn it, but the moment you grow sick of it I -want you to let me know. You are smart enough -to become a good architect, and that's a more profitable -profession than mine."</p> - -<p class='c009'>"May I have tools of my own?" asked Jack.</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Yes," replied his father, "the best that money -can buy. And I will go right away and find some -one who will teach you."</p> - -<p class='c009'>The doctor went straightway to the best builder -in the neighborhood, and had the proposition civilly -but promptly declined.</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Every boy I ever took managed to ruin all my -best tools within a year," explained the builder, "to -say nothing of the lumber which he worked up into -fancies of his own, and ruined by failures of one -sort and another."</p> - -<p class='c009'>"I'll buy my boy the best and largest set of tools -that you can select," said the doctor.</p> - -<p class='c009'>For a moment this offer seemed an inducement -to the builder, for there were many tools which he -disliked to buy yet needed occasionally to use; he -might borrow from the promised outfit. But as he -thought further, he replied:</p> - -<p class='c009'>"You're very fair, but tools aren't everything. If -I do the square thing by the boy, I must use a great -deal of time in teaching him, and time is money. -My time is worth a great deal more than the boy's -work will be for a couple of years."</p> - -<p class='c009'>"I'll pay you cash for your time," said the doctor; -"I'll give you a thousand dollars in advance, if -you say so."</p> - -<p class='c009'>This offer staggered the builder, prosperous -though he was, for where is the man who does not -want a thousand dollars?</p> - -<p class='c009'>But still the builder hesitated, and the doctor -asked:</p> - -<p class='c009'>"What else do you want?"</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Well," said the builder, prudently retiring to -the doorway of a house he was building, "what I -want is to tell you something that maybe you won't -like, but I can't help taking it into consideration. -They do say—<i>I</i> don't say it, mind, but I've heard -it from a good many—that Jack is the worst boy in -town."</p> - -<p class='c009'>"It's a lie!" roared the doctor. "He's the best—that -is, he has the best stuff in him. He's never -quiet; he learns his lessons as quickly as a flash; he -hates work about the house, just as I'll warrant you -did when you were a boy, and he must do something. -He likes to handle tools, though, and wants -to be a carpenter."</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Liking is all very well," said the builder, "but -sticking to work don't naturally follow."</p> - -<p class='c009'>"Did you ever hear of his dropping a job of mischief -until he had thoroughly finished it?" asked -the doctor.</p> - -<p class='c009'>"No," answered the builder with great promptness.</p> - -<p class='c009'>The final result was that sundry papers and -moneys passed between the doctor and the builder, -and on the following Monday morning, Jack was at -work at seven o'clock nailing planking upon a barn. -The news got about town very rapidly, and by noon -there were at least twenty boys looking at the unexpected -spectacle, and tormenting Jack with ironical -questions. When night came Jack's hand felt -as if it could never grasp a hammer again, and he -was otherwise so weary that he declined, without -thanks, an invitation to go with the other boys to -serenade a newly-married couple with horns and -bells. Then he helped shingle a portion of the roof -of the new barn, but his mind was greatly distracted -by the awkwardness of a boy, in an adjoining -pasture, who was trying to braid together the tips -of the tails of two calves; the consequence was -that he had progressed so short a distance with his -own row of shingles that the other workmen had -gone across the barn and returned to start afresh, -and, as they rested until Jack got out of the way, -they ungratefully upbraided him because of his -slowness, and he wasn't going to be called slow -again, not for all the calves' tails in the universe.</p> - -<hr class='c022' /> - -<p class='c009'>This book might have been continued indefinitely, -had it not been that Jack was steadily at -work which he liked, and had a great deal of his -father's society out of working hours. Gaining -these, he lost his reputation for being the worst -boy in town, for although he remained for several -years a boy and a very lively one, he had something -besides mischief to exercise his busy brain -upon, and a boy cannot be honestly busy and mischievous -also, any more than he can eat his cake -and have it too. Even the doctor and Mrs. Wittingham -reformed, though it was very hard for the -latter to stop fretting at the boy, and for the former -to cease acting as if his son, like his horse, -merely needed food, rest and correction.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Jack did not go about preaching reform to the -boys and advising them all to be carpenters, but he -unconsciously talked from a standpoint very different -from that which he had habitually occupied in -other days, and his talk came gradually to exert -considerable influence among the boys, though they -seldom noticed the change themselves. Jack's -very title, "The Worst Boy in Town," was in considerable -danger of lapsing for lack of a successor, -and the inhabitants of Doveton are still undecided -as to where it belongs.</p> - -<p class='c009'>As for the doctor's great work on heredity, it is -not in print yet, for the doctor happened one day, -while mourning over a neglected and consequently -unproductive Bartlett pear tree, to drift into some -analogies between the animal and vegetable kingdoms, -with the result that he realized that if the -splendid hereditary tendencies of the tree could not -prevent its bareness and its running to superfluous -wood, there could be no hope of an untrained boy, -even if he was a scion of the Wittingham stock. -This idea took such entire possession of the doctor -that he went into the house and burned his -manuscript as far as completed, and all the notes -beside.</p> - -<p class='c009'>According to Jack, who professes to be an infallible -authority on the subject, nice little Mattie -Barker grows nicer every day, and she has promised -to change her name in the course of time, and -her parents have endorsed her decision, for though -Jack is not yet of age, steady boys who are also -bright, and have learned a business which is not -akin either to gambling or theft, are not numerous -enough to be despised. And Jack has a whole -portfolio full of cottage plans, all of his own designing, -over which he and Mattie spend long and -industrious evenings, and Jack has taken a solemn -vow that when the proper plan is decided upon, and -the building begins, Nuderkopf Trinkelspiel shall -be the sole hod-carrier, and shall be paid the highest -market rates for his services.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Being practically a successful man, Jack is the -receptacle for the confidences of hosts of his old -playmates, who feel that their good qualities are -not appreciated by a world which is quick to complain -of their occasional irregularities, but he has -sent many of these youths sadly away by remarking:</p> - -<p class='c009'>"It doesn't matter how many good qualities are -inside of a fellow, if only his bad ones make themselves -lively on the surface."</p> - -<p> </p> -<p> </p> -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c000' /> -<p> </p> -<p> </p> -</div> - <ul class='ul_1 c002'> - <li>Transcriber's Note: - <ul class='ul_2'> - <li>Punctuation, hyphenation and spelling were made consistent when a predominant form - was found in this book; otherwise they were not changed. - </li> - </ul> - </li> - </ul> -</div> - -<p> </p> -<hr class="full" /> -<p>***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE WORST BOY IN TOWN***</p> -<p>******* This file should be named 55080-h.htm or 55080-h.zip *******</p> -<p>This and all associated files of various formats will be found in:<br /> -<a href="http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/5/5/0/8/55080">http://www.gutenberg.org/5/5/0/8/55080</a></p> -<p> -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed.</p> - -<p>Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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