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About The Sunday Oregonian. (Portland, Ore.) 1881-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 31, 1905)
THE SUNDAY OKEGOXTAy. POTtTLAXD. DEGEHBSR 31, 1906. 47 TROUBLES His Little NED was a nice boy in 'most every way except- And that, "except" is a sad thing to mention. Ned was a miser: a plain, mean, common miser, though he was only 12 years old. Everybody tried to euro him of it. His father, who wasn't a miser at all, used to scold and lecture and' coax him. His another used -to look so sadthat it actual ly made Ned feel bad all over: so bad, indeed, that once or twice lie almost re solved to be generous. But he never quite got around to It. He would think over It, keeping his hands on his .money all the time, and then, bit by bit, the thought of his mother's face would fade from his mind and the thought of the beautiful, beautiful money would grow and grow, and all at once he would say to himself: "I simply can't afford to spend it. I guess that dad or ma will buy mo what 1 want, and then I'll have the money, too." This was all very lovely for a time, and Ned used to sri-ak upstairs to the attic, where he had hidden his money away, and gloat over it And mind, he didn't do this because he was willing to be economical. No, Indeed. He wanted just as many things as the other boys, and even more. But he calculated on getting them from his relatives and friends, and he used to cry and lament and coax and carry on and beg till people got him what he wanted so that they should have peace. "We must stop this kind of thing," his father said over and over again. At last it was decided that Ned should have no more things ofany kind unless he paid for them himself. This was a week after Christmas, when he had been remembered by everybody with beautiful gifts, while he himself, though he had more than ten dollars saved up, had not bought a single, solitary present for any one, oven his parents. About the time that Ned's parents had reached this decision ho was walking along the street, dragging his broken sled behind him. It was a .beauty of a bob sled that had been given to him for Christmas by his uncle. That morning, in coasting downhill, it had struck a stone and one of the rupners had become weakened through the breaking of a bolt His uncle met him and asked what was the matter. When Ned explained it, the uncle said: "That can bo repaired easily for a dol lar. Here I'll give you two dollars one for repairing the sled and the other for a New Year's present." liennyvme Ml Delayed THD people of Pentiyville had a town clock that was the best clock that ever was made, and they esteemed It so highly that nobody except the Mayor -was allowed to touch It Each morning tho citizens used to set their watches by it, and they were all sure that It never varied a minute. But on the morning of December 31 a terrible tiling happened. When the citi zens looked at their watches they saw the hands pointing to S o'clock, but the town clock said that it was only 7. Everybody nt once set his watch back an hour, but when the people looked again tho watches all said S o'clock and the town clock said that it was only half-past seven. It kept going moro and more slowly, and when tho sun was high overhead the great clock of Penny ville said that it was only 9 o'clock. "What can wo do? What can we do?" said all the people.- "Wc are very hun gry, but tho clock says that It is not tlmo for luncheon, although tlio sun is high." "We can do nothing except to wait un til the clock shows noon,' paid the Mayor. "Something has happened to Jhe day." The nun began to sink and the clock only showed 11. Then it got dark and all at once tho clock stopped entirely. "Horrors!" said everybody. But tlie schoolmaster clapped his hands and shouted: "Hurrah! Hurrah! Stop your watches, all you people! Time has stopped, and if It will only stay stopped we will never .get ojd." "Hurrah!" cried all the citizens. "How about New Year's?" asked the butcher. "There will be no New Year's, of course." said the schoolmaster. "It will be December 31 all the time." "I can feel myself keeping young al ready." said the Mayor, trying to hop on on foot. The people of Pennyvllle were nearly mad with Joy. Every morning when they awoke, they looked at the town clock the first thing to see if time had begun again, but the clock never moved and then every body would shout and bing again. So things went for two weeks. Then the Grand Duke of Bratwurst suddenly remembered that he had seen nothing of the taxes which were due from Penny vllle every New TTcar's day. "Hurry," said he to his treasurer. "Put on your coat of mall and collect the money, and don't lose any on the way, and be sure to charge them Interest for two weeks and ask them what they mean by keeping me waiting!" The treasurer returned after a few flays and threw himself down before the Grand Duke. ".Sire." said he. with chat tering teeth, "I have no money. The people of Pennyvllle say that time has stopped and that New Year's has not "I im HYHHiT KXXriNG YOUNG ALREADY," JQi TMX XAYfHC OF NED, THE MISER New Year's Present and What Came of It TIIK Kl'NNlilt SNAWKD OFF AND HE Ned stuck the two dollars into his pock ets and as soon as his uncle had dis appeared he said to himself: "I hate to spend a dollar for fixing the sled. Now. I think I can fix that myself. I'll go into the toolhouse and try. Then I'll be ahead of Uncle Ned." And his come, and therefore they do not .owe any taxes." "What" roared the Grand Duke. "Say that again. Or. rather, do not say that again. It will make mo too mad. Get my executioner and we will see about this!" "How dare you refuse to pay taxes?" he yelled when he arrived in Pennyvllle. The Mayor told him how time had stopped and thje Grand Duke said: "What impudence! Dp you suppose that time could stop unless. I gave permission? Tjierc is something the matter with your clock, that's where, the. trouble is." The Mayor struck his forehead and ex claimed: "Why didn't we think of that?" But the schoolmaster muttered: "Im possible. If it were iwssible. 1 would have known it." However, the beadle climbed to the clock and opened it. and he found a nest of owls in th works. The moment It was taken out the clock commenced to go again. "See the trouble you have caused me." said the Grand Duke. "I really think I shall order a few heads cut off this time unles you do something very extra wise about this thing to amuse mo." "We cannot do wise thing to amuse you." said the Mayor with dignity, "not even to save oilr heads. But we are sure to do something very wine, because we never do anything else." So the citizens met then and there, and the beadle said; "The matter Is simple enough. The clock has lost two weeks and the only way to correct the error and give us back our lost tlmo is for me to climb up and turn the hands around as fast as I can until they catch up." "You are a very pearl of a beadle," said the Mayor admiringly. The beadle immediately began to turn the hands very fast and the clock truck 12 and then one and then two and so on in rapid succession. The people below ran around as fast as they could go. tumbling over each other and paying: 'Out of the way! Out f the way! We have two weeks' business to do." When the clock struck nine, tho womon all seized the children and put the"m to bed. and then they "dragged them out again almost immediately, because the beadle was turning the hands so fast that the clock struck six in the morning al most before the bedclothes had been tucked around thrm. Some of the people tried to eat a meal every time the clock struck tioon. and others tried to turn the jiands of their watches as fat as he badle wnt- turn ing the hands of the clock. And all Jhe while everybody was saying: "We feel ourselves getting older fast Wo feel ourselves getting two weeks older! How queer!" At last the, beadle finished turning the hands and the Mayor raced off at once and brought the tax money and the Grand Duke said: "Well. I won't order any heads cut off lecause you surely did something extra wise thai time." And the people of PonnyvJlle trotted away singing: "We are so wise that we cannot lose our heads." Polly's Measle-Catchinp. Polly caught the measles from some street playmates and received a severe scolding from her mother for playing outside of the yard. After her recovery she was very cir cumspect Whenever she chanced to meet any one. her big brown eyes looked critically from under her long lashes. "Have you got any of them catching measles?" she asked brusquely. Of course, the children indignantly denied the insinuation, but if there was the least cause for doubt her face W KNT IIURTLtXXi OVER THE ICE. I -------------- -F --A eyes glistened as he thought of adding two dollars to his secret board. He went into the tool house, but he could find no bolt big enough. "Well." thought he, a bolt won't cost much and I'x'e got two dollars." He started to the hardware store for a would assume a freezing expression and she would hurry toward home. Then they went out to her grandpa's farm, and as there were no children there, grandpa bought her a King Charles spaniel. Polly named him Snap on account of his eyes, and tied a bow of hrown rib bon to his collar. One day Snap be came uneasy, and instead of bounding after t;e butterflies, he hung about his mistress, whining wistfully. Polly tried to coax him into a game of tag. but he only whined more piteously and crouched trembling at her feet She grew alarmed and began to cry in sympathy. Then she caught him up closely in her arms. When grandma came out she found her lying on the ground with Snap's CHAPTER L ONE cold Winter morning three men were seated in a room In the Town Hall of a village in a New England State, They were the village Select men or Trustees, and they were sober and earnest-looking men. At the back end of the room sat a boy 13 years old.. His garments wore clean, but much worn, and tfcre were , tears in tho lad's eyes and on his cheeks, as he sat and looked at the men and wondered what they were going to do with him. The boy was named Joseph Shaw, though of course everybody In the vil lage called him Joe. His father was on of the three or four village car- ! pntecs. and though always a poor man he was known and liked for his hon esty and Industry. Jce had been rent to the village school for several years and had betn brought up better than some rich men's .sons In regard to his manners. He was accounted one of tho best lad In the village-, and when not In ftVs so very , bier nd new-" S&d cj&ne. - . I'm I Q.u'i1e shuT ouT Ji-ooi view- t is out oj Sight" ifs true--But oViil eo-v-cTl .school was employed to run errands or- do light work for many, families. Two weeks before our story opens Mr. and Mrs. Shaw had gone one eve ning to ride on the millpond in a boat. No one knew Just how the accident came, but the boat was in some way upset and the two people drowned. Their 'bodies were recovered after a day or two, and when they had been buried It was found that there was nothing left for the orphan. Tho carpcuter had -assisted to build many houses for others, but had never owned one himself. The furniture in. his rented cottage hardly paid the funeral expenses when sold at auction. For two weeks Joe lived with a neighbor, and then the Selectmen de cided that they must dispose of his case. All sympathized -with the orphan boy and wished him well, but no -one wanted to adont him and give him a nome until he became -a aaa. Some parents thought they had too many children already; while others thought the boy would be toe such ex pense. If the matter had Ven left to Joe he would hare left .the' village and Koncaway and hired out te Hat farm er, but under the. law the Selectmen were the oaee to say what he sfcottld . They Mnt wiMf many wMw mvtr ft It wa dec Med that fcM fee The Trials of an Orphan Boy fefrt Oft J ilfeQ tVfet 9Jftfl lag even a few yawtlcg mC the yretty sew two-dottar bid was tarn aiih.ttf V. So 3 west back and pawed aver the M sails and sc?ewa in the teeth ec tfM lie fouad so that looked as if they mtgtet lit. No of them fitted exactly. toK fey this time Ned had become determined te save all of the two dollars. 93. aKtetga aM Ms skill was cot enough to make a seed Job with the poor stuff be fetwd. he tin kered away till at last the runner seenud fairly firm at least Ned convinced aba self: that it was. although, to teM the truth. -he did not dare pull at It too much. Then he hurried upstairs to the attic and put the money away with the rest. The hill where the boys of the village coasted was a very steep one. with sev eral bad turns on it- The. run was a very long one. and by the time the bobs got near the bottom they were whizzing at an amazing rate of speed. When Ned got there, more than 15 boys were flashing down and climbing up to do it over again. He hastened to the crest of the hill, threw himself on his bob and went spinning. All was well till he reached a sharp curve half way down. Here it was necessary to turn the hobs quickly. Ned was going extra fast. The moment he threw his weight to one lde the run ner snapped fT and he went hurtling over the Ice. Three other bobs were coming down behind him. and before they cosld veer they were on top of him. The whole business went down the rest of the hill In a snarl, and when the mass of sleds and boys was disentangled. Ned was a wreck. His face was slashed and cut. his arms and legs were black and blue, and his ribs were so sore that he could hardly breathe. He was helped home and had ' to stay In bed for more than a week, with a great deal of pain. . While he lay there he resolved that be would try to cure himself of his miserly habits; but perhaps he might have changed his mind after he got well if something had not happened to help his good resolution along. When he got so that he could go around the house, he went upstairs to the attic to look for his money. None was there. Rats had carried all the nice soft paper bills out of the hiding place and taken them off to their unknown nests. And they had chewed a hole through which the loose change had fallen, so that Ned. though he fished for half a day, never recovered more than two dimes and a few odd pennies. For awhile he felt Just as bad as If he had not determined to stop being a miser. But all at once be remembered his re solve and said to himself: "It serves me good and right' And from that day on he grew gradually to be like other boys about money. face pressed .closely against ner own. "Com, Polly, dinner's ready." said grandma. But Polly held up a finger warnlngly. "Don't 'sturb us now," sh5 entreated In a whisper. "I'm trying to catch If "Catch what 7' asked grandma curi ously. "Snap's measles. Now. go way. please." But grandma reached down and took Snap from Polly's arras. "Let me look," she said sympatheti cally. A bnef examination revealed a thorn In one of Snap's feet Grandma re moved it and placed him on the ground. "Oh. said Poll), "I thought it was sent to the .poorhouse until somebody would come forward and adopt him. In some localities the poorhouse Is called the county-house. but both terms mean the same thing. It Is a place In the county to which old peo ple who can no longer work and take care r.f themselves are sent Orphan boys and girls also become Inmates. Should a stranger without money come along and fall ill he would be hustled to the poorhouse to get well or die. It has always been thought a great disgrace to" be sent to the poorhouse. and when Joe was told that he mu.:t become an inmate he was sadly hu miliated. He kneW that he was old enough and strong enough to go out and earn his living, and he felt that It wrong io lorce him to become an object of charity. That was the law of the state under which he lived, how ever, and he must submit Within an hour after the selectmen had come to a decision, one of them was ready to drive Joe out to the poorhouse. which was situated about three miles from the village It was sometimes spoken of as the poorfarm. The building Itself was of brick and .looked comfort able enough from the outside, and It was surrounded by SO acres of land which were tilled by one or two hired men and such 'inmates as could work. The news had gone through the village that Joe was to be taken to the poor house. and quite a crowd gathered to see him off. A few incn shook hands with him. and n few boys said to each other that it was too bad. whne Jim Snover. thcbad boy of the village, .called out: "I" glad of It! Joe ws always stuck up. and now let's sec how he will feel as a pauper!" A man -turned around and cuffed him. and two boys drove him away, but Joe's feelings had been dreadfully hurt and he was crying as he drove off. The man In the buggy with him could havo talked and cheered him up a bit, but he hadn't a word In It -n n. Jf Joe was the worst boy In the world and ne was taking htm to prison. When they arrived at the poorhouse Joe was taken Into the -office. There he met the overseer or superintendent He was a stern looking man, without one kindly line In his face, and after he had written the boy's name and the date down' in a book he closed it and said: "Young man, T want you to understand a few things. You are not here to be fed on sweetcake." ' "No. sir." replied Joe. "Nor to spend your time In play. You will eat what is set before you and make no fuss about it and you will be ex pected to work hard and cam your way." "Yes. sir." "And I don't want saucy words from you. If you give me any I will make your ears ring. You may think of run ning away. If you try it on, then look out for me. I will follow you a thousand miles but what I catch you. and when I have you back I will give "you such a dressing down that you will remember It to your dying day. Now go out Into the cornfield and ask for Mr, Tompkins, and tell him he is to set you at work." (To Be Continued.) Tree Sleeps at XlghU A curious member of the vegetable kingdom has been discovered in the Far Bast It is a specie of acacia which grows to a height of about eight feet and when full grown closes ite leaves to gether in curls each dayat sunset and curls Its twigs in the form of a p4gtalL After the tree has settled itsek la thk way for a night's sleep, Uke wot sleep ers, it objects to being disturbed. If touched, it will flutter as if agitated and Impatient at the Interrupties of Its slumbers. The; Way to Falrjiantl. X rttea my to s . "12 x wm Mc m yec And eoaU r saywkere I Witi. l-taiow wSMj iiIH." And tK tbwrmy. Wkt woaW yo da: Ab4 I jr. 'hr. 14 s A ltd trsvtl ,4rWy u Z. cmM - t To KaTM4. 3e Htm." X4 fcWr hr iwSfi me urf'ujr, "Amk Wre jr M M! The wy mm 1m 44 dw. -fur Jkrt im tac arc i "." MY NANTUCKET SLEIGHRIDE It Was a Sleigh That Ran on the Sea and the Steed Was an Ocean Monster "HE BEAT THE SEA INTO LATHER BY CAPTAIN A- B. HAWSER. "I F we can fasten a good fish tomor row when you are with us." said the captain of the New Bedford whaling bark Morning Star, to me. "1 will try to givo you a Nantucket sleigh ride." "We were on the 3X0-fathom curve off the Azores. The air was soft and lan guorous and the sky was a clear Sum mer North Atlantic sky. Sleigh riding seemed about as unseasonable a thing as any that could have been mentioned. "Don't know what a Nantucket sleigh rldo is. eh?" laughed the captain of the whaler. "Well, live and learn, I think you'll enjoy It" I was dredging from a schooner for specimens for a museum, and two days J before wc had fallen In with the whaler and had been able to render him a serv ice by picking up one of his crCw af ter their boat had been store by a sperm The Little Candle, by Sarah THE little Candle stood on the edge of a rickety dresser and spluttered discontentedly, so that the grease all ran down one side of It and -made the old brass candlestock look older and mouldler than ever. Its feeble light flickered on the walls of a poor room, high up In a tenement, where an old wom an fat rocking and knitting. The little Candle looked out of the window, over the great city. Everywhere there were lights gaslights flared from J the windows: electric lights made the i long streets as bright as day, and the "I'm simply nothing In the world." It said. "I wouldn't even be seen If I were out mere with the great arc lights. How happy and gay the world Is beyond this wretched room. T ople are laughing and singing In the streets: carriages, filled with beautiful ladles and grand gentle men, are jostling their way to theatres and balls: and the rich lights will fall from the chandeliers on their jewels and" make them glitter. The soft eyes of the women will shine and sparkle while the men breathe love words to them. "I have never seen a Jewel nor a beau tiful woman. Grandmother Martin here Is not beautiful and she does not even need me. for she can knit just as well In the dark." The Candle gave another little fretful splutter. Grandmother Martin looked up from her knitting and let her bands (fall Into her lap. "The Candle sputtered so." she said, "the night John first came courting me." Grandmother Martin's eyes shone soft ly with the light of old memories. Ah. surely they were as tender as those of the beautiful ladies at the ball! "He was a good man to me." sighed Grandmother Martin, "and we were very happy those few years we lived together. Then he left me to find the stars. Ah. it has been lonely since." A tear dropped on the ball of yarn In her lap and another glistened on her eye lid. The little Candle started and flared up brightly and Grandmother Martin took up her knitting again. Rat-tat, sounded irom the dim corri dor; then the door partly opened and a small, thin face peered In through the crack. ' "Oh. Grandmother Martin, you have got a candle. Will you bring It and come quick? Mother's dying and It's all dark in our room." The small voice shook with sobs. Grandmother Martin took up the little Candle and hurried after the child down the dismal dusty hall, up the rickety staircase and Into a shabby room where the roof hung down slantingly, and. except Ip the middle, one must walk with head bent and mind the rough splinters. The beam of the little Candle fell on a poor ragged coverlet and on the white, thin face of a woman who gasped for breath. Three children huddled by her, trembling and frightened. Thank God!" gasped the woman, as she saw the Candle. "I can see my children once more. I didn't want to go out in the dark. "It's lighter outside than here." whis pered the little Candle. Bat she only thought of the brilliant streets. The woman's thoughts were still with her children. She turned her eyes upon them with the sweet glow of mother love. The little Candle had never seen anything so lovely. The children clasped her dose and cried: "Stay with us. mother. Don't go asd leave us all alone!" But the light In the woman's eyes was already fading. Now a new look came Into them. The woman's thoughts were finding a way for her soul to follow pres entlybeyond the candle' light, beyond the brilliant streets, out Into the unknown dark beyond the world. The little Candle felt that it most help somehow. "Beyond the lights of the town, there are the stars." It whispered. The wossaa lay back and smiled, and Grandmether Martin, heeding lower over her, heard her whisker: "Beyond the candle light: beyond the city light: beyond the right f the stars God!" It-ring's Xiasc Autograph. F&tfcettc -MMeauTfei ewwefteii with Sir ' & FOR HALF A MILE IN DIAMETER." whale. Later we helped him save the whale, too. and as a result he did me the great and rare favor of inviting me to go with him in his boat and experi ence the sensation of making fast to a big whale. Whalers rarely have time or Inclination to take passengers in a 'whale boat, and I was eager to take advantage of the opportunity. Soon after breakfast the next morn ing wc saw a boat go down on the run from the whaler. It darted to my schooner and the captain, who was in the stern wielding a long steering oar, said: "Tumble in quick. There's a pig bull about a mile to leeward." Almost before we knew It the splen did oarsmen In our crew bad driven us so close to the whale that we could see his little pig-like eyes and hear the water ripple and sluice down the furrows In his skin. "A barrel fish." whispered the cap tain. The harpooner stood up quietly In the bow, motioned to the men to cease rowing, and the next instant the harpoon sped across the space and went Into the revealed. A Bradford boy who had shown considerable ability as an artist did a portrait of the great actor and asked him for his autograph. The breakdown of Sir Henry'8 health at Wolverhampton pre "0 O-O-O-P. k-koo-o-o-p, oo-oo-o-o-p!" came hoarsely through the lab yrinth of palmetto and loblolly. Stubborn ly the boy's paddle strove with the dark, impassive waters, and the clumsy con trivance of flattened log and alligator skin moved slowly forward. He was des perately tired, for he had paddled for two days and a night. A woman stood on the bank and said: "Who are you? Where are you from?" "From up the creek." answered he. "You've never heored of me afore, for me an my paw never left the big lagoon 'cept to take skins to Peter's Landin'." "Did your father come with you " Tho boy caught his breath and swal lowed hard. ' "He was killed by a 'gator," was the low-voiced answer, "after huntin an catchin 'em for more'n ten years." "An alligator!" she cried. "Why, It's It's awful!" The boy nodded. "Folks never ought to git careless with 'gators," he observed simply. "3Iy paw said that hisself. He was the oldest an' most knowin' of 'em all. But he got careless an was took. That's what made mc git so lonesome an' come off." "Hits almighty purty." he observed. "I never seen so much fixln's up afore. I don't reckon you'-e got need for a man to hunt "gators here?" "No, we do not have enough for that. There are very few In the creek, and they do not bother us much, except to. take our ducks." He looked disappointed. A sudden com motion arose in the water. A dog came racing from the house and sprang into the water. At that moment a long, dark snout rose from the water near the line of grass. Before the woman could speak the boy Escape From Alligator Haunts r . - " A SMALT, THIN TACK FE8XKB IN THROUGH TKK CRACJC - - - r, 4 ii,' - - - " '' r whale fair and true Just under his steetti der. He sank almost at once and then catte 1 up and ran. towing us at the rate ef at least nine miles an hour, so that spray and waves literally poured over us. Af- . ter he had raced for nearly Mve. mileskln this manner the harpooner began te sway In on the line and the boat was slowly- hauled up on the whale. To my amaie t ment he continued to do this till we were V actually abreast of the huge beast, and J not more than 50 feet away. Then he passed the line to one of the men aratd- t ships, who at once laid it over a. elftai . and hauled in firmly, bringing the beat?' right up to the monster. ' The captain meantime steered so as -to head her away from the whale. ThusJI what with the line helng held tlght' aaild; ships and the. bow swinging out uh4T J the guidance of .the steering oar, the. ba approached the, whale sideways until ihe harpoo'her actually reached over and latdT. ! his hand on the: harpoon that was stick--?' Ing In th$ whale. , X , The brute was frantic by this tlrae. His terrible box-like head TO sweepfii from, side to side, crashing through tfi. sea and absolutely raising J a .constast- cascade in front of him. The enormous' Jaws.- big -enough to take la tw -bo4tt like ours with all their crews, were wJdttw open and showed the- immense-' whjgJJ teeth, which make 'the sperm. whale,s'ij. Jaws ;so dangerous as compared wjth the . harmless Jaws of tho whale that carries J the whalebone. Astern' of us the vast tail was sweep- Ing like the head. If either head or tall j had so much as flipped, us our boat would have been smashed into bits and . we would probably have been killed. But ; as It was, we lay where neither head otr tail could touch us. Thus we sped along for another mile or so, the whale going faster all the time. ? "How do you liko a Nantucket sleigh ride?" asked the whaling captain, with a chuckle. "I guess we'll put a stop to It now. We don't generally go so farr but I told my harpooner to give you a little time to enjoy it. Better glve.jt him now. Bill." he . cried to, rhis pooner. TZ The latter lifted a long,, slander lahce.. with a blade' sharpened to a razor edgS from the chocks. In the bow of thi boat Then he took a firmer grip thaasi ever on the harpoon .that was sticking-. In the whale, and thus braced, he drcJtfdS the lance with all his might Into the vicKi tim. :zz , Three times he did this and then;; great black and red mass came outof the sperm . bull's, blow holes. "He's found his life," said the capta40. ; "Starn all!" and the men immediate' J rowed desperately to stern to get out of the way of the dying "fish." The sperm bull went Into his flurry al most before we had backed clear. . He ! swung around and around In a great ring and beat the sea Into lather lor nau a mile In diameter. Then, suddenly, he turned on his side and the next Instant, with a great wash, his flukes went up and his buck went down. Late that night we saw ruddy clouds and black smoke hanging over the whal er to tell that the prize was being tried out - , Noble Ivise vented his signing the picture, but omthe fateful Friday night the last night of Sir Henry's life the boy was handed the por trait, with a bold, unwavering autograph the last which the actor ever wrote. was in the water. For a few, moments the alligator persisted in his course, .untir he was within a few yards of the dog:; then it sank, beneath the water. The boy caught the dog in his arms and returned to the bank. "Wasn't you afraid?" the woman asked tremulously. "It was such a monster.'t "Not over "leven feet" contemptuously;, "an there wa'n't a bit of danger. 'Gators, are all cowards, big an' little, when .you, get 'em face.to face. Now I'll be goinV'- "Walt! asne was turning away. "Lunch . will be ready soon. I want you to meet, my husband. Ob. here he is now." A man was coming down the path from, the house. The boy flushed and dxiew. back. At the same time the man recog nized him, but he came forward quickly with outstretched hand. . . -. "Hello, youngster," he called cheerily; "I want to apologize for licking you this morning. I thought you were trying to' rob my fish lines, but I found afterward, that I was wrong." "Most of em had no bait." the boy. exi plained, "an besides they wa'n't in good places. You had all ofem set right oyer a current, an you couldn't catch half, so many that way. I was puttln 'emjjack-ln- -a likely place where you'd catch lots more." "Js that so?" the man asked, Iooking at him curiously. "Do you understand fishing?" "I've fished an hunted 'gators all lifo." "Really! How'd you like to come Itr' with mc, then? I don't know the first thing about fishing, and I believe a fine business can be established on this creek." It seems full of fish. We can ship our catches down to Miami and obtain good' prices. Will you join me?" "An live right here all the time?" "Of course." The boy drew a long breath. "Yes, I'll jine with you." he answered with a little catch In hi3 voice "I'll like it better'n anything." . ,