The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, September 08, 1909, Image 6

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    TFDHF
&
How He Came to Go to College With
the Judge's Jim.
$
(W. R. ROSE, In Cleveland Plain Dealer.)
The boy waited just Inside tlie
doorway. Tho man at the desk
looked up.
"Are you the hoy who called at my
borne this morning?" he naked.
"Yes, Blr. I think I'm the boy
you mean."
"Sit hern, plenso. My wife tele
phoned that she liked your looks.
.Tour name la "
"Stephen Bruce."
"That sounds like It. Yes, Stephen
Bruce. Have you any recommenda
tions?" "No, sir. I hnva no Bc.tiiialntanc.es
here."
"Where are you from?"
"Bllthedalo. I came yesterday."
The man nt the desk looked the
boy over.
"How old?"
"Just eighteen."
"Do you know what you will be
expected to do If I give you this
place?"
"Take r-nr? of the outside of the
house, keep the ynuml In order and
look affr the lr.dy's horse and ,ha
eton." "Yes. And what would you do
With the rest of your time?"
"Go to school."
"Good. The school Is '.'lose nt
band. What sort of an education
have you had?"
"It has been rather Irregular. I've
been to school every winter and this
spring I bad a three-months' chance
to tench."
"Teach?"
The boy smiled faintly.
"Thero was nobody else available."
The man looked nt the boy with
Interest.
"I'm sorry ynu haven't any recom
mendations," bo said.
The boy drew a neat little packet
Bf papers from his Inner coat, pocket.
"I have a few linps from the school
trustees and a kindly word or two
from, the minister who has known
tne since I was born, and to-whpm-lt-may-concern
from Judge Oliver, of
the circuit court. Of course I realize
thdt these are not the sort of recom
mendations a boy who wants a job
cutting grass and tending horses
Jhould carry around, but they are all
I can show."
Tlie man stared hard at tho boy.
"Why don't you look for something
better?" he demanded.
"I want nn education," the boy re
plied. "I must have a place where I
can work odd hours and go to school.
And I mean to work my way through
college."
The man wnlfcd a moment.
"All right," he said, "the job is
yours if you want It. I'll give you n
dollar a day and your board as long
s you suit."
"Thank yru," said tho boy. "I ex
pect to suit."
"You can b;j!n nt any time," said
the man.
tThtt will be this afternoon," the
boy replied. "I left my valise ut the
house."
T)ie man stared again.
"Very well," lie said.
For s"ver.;l days tho man saw very
little of the boy.
He noted, however, that the grass
had never looked In better condition
and that the horse and phaeton left
nothing to be desired along tho lines
Of cleanliness.
"How Is the new boy turning out?"
he asked his wife.
"Better than I expected," she an
swered. "I wish we could help him
till more. . He seems very deserv
ing." "Steady, Caroline," said the man.
"You mustn't let your kindly im
pulses run away with you. And the
boy Isn't asking any help."
The next afternoon he encountered
the boy near the gate. The boy had
a black eye, an unmistakable black
eye.
At the dinner table tho man locked
across at his wife.
"Has our protege been fighting?"
be asked.
'"Yes," his wife replied.
"He told you about it?"
"Yes. And It Isn't to his discredit,
Henry."
"The black eye?"
"The entire affair."
"But you have only heard the boy's
Ide of the story.
The lady smiled. .
"That's all I want, Henry.". But
Henry shook his head.
The next morning Stephen Bruce's
employer had a call from Judge Dan
iel Strong, of the district court.
"I've come on a rather peculiar er
rand, Appleton," he said as he took
a proffered chair. "My boy Jim came
home last night pretty badly battered
up. He Is at the . Jefferson high
school, you know, and neither his
mother nor myself could get a word
out of him. Well, I did a little de
tective business and found out that
be had been fighting with a boy named
Stephen Bruce, who Is said to be
your hired man. . Is there such a man
In your employ, Appleton?"
Henry Appleton stiffened a little.
"A boy of that name works about
my premises and attends the Jeffer
son high. He Is eighteen and con
siderably lighter than your Jim. I
can't believe be would fight against
such odds."
Did you see the boy last night?"-
"Yes, and I noticed he had a black
eye."
"Is that nil?"
"That's all I noticed. Ho attended
to his work as u.unl."
The judge shook his head.
"And you are sure he is not a big
quarrelsome biute with brass knuc
kles, or something of that sore?"
Henry Appleton frowned.
''He is a unlet, well behaved boy,"
he answered. "Do you want me to
talk to him?"
"Not until 1 talk to Jim," replied
the Judge. And ho went away, look
ing worried.
That night Henry Appleton told bis
wife about the call.
"Well," she said, "I'll tell you
what Stephen said. He confessed he
had been fighting, and that bo was
heartily ashamed of it. Tint, he
added. It couldn't be helped. The
fight was forced on him and the only
way In which he could retain his
place In the svhool was to resent the
treatment ho had received from some
of the pupils. If I thought he bail
done wrong he would go away."
"And what did you do?" Henry
Appleton asked.
"I pave him a lotion for his eye."
tho lady replied.
The next morning Judge Stro:!.g
called again.
"Old you speak to that boy or
yours, Appleton," be asked.
"No."
"I'm glad of it. I had a talk with
Jim. Mini,' I said, 'you had a fight
rt school tho other day." Jim ad
mitted It. 'You fought with a boy
named Stephen llnice.' Jim ad
mitted the charge. 'And he whipped
you?' Jim nodded. 'Yes,' he re
plied, 'ho whipped me. And bo can
whip any hoy in school.' " Tlie judge
looked hard at Appleton. "Do you
know that that pleased me," ho said.
"It did me good to find out that Jim
had tlie moral courage to admit bis
defeat. Jim lias been a pretty diffi
cult proposition for us, as I suppose
you know. lie has neglected bis
studies and run pretty wild. Hut we
won't admit that he Is really bad.
He's just foolish and wayward."
"Of course," said Henry Appleton.
"I guess I won't say anything to
Stephen."
The judge suddenly laughed.
"I hope he won't Insist upon teach
ing my boy prize fighting. What do
you know about him as a scholar?"
"Nothing. All the curiosity along
that line is confined to my wife. I'll
ask what she knows."
He ttilrl his wife whpt the judge
bad said end !:'n" laughed over it.
"Xo'.v I'll tell you what Stephen
told me about t"ic trouble." K!io said.
"I judge from what he sild that the
Strong boy i3 th? bully ef the school.
I!e must have borne down pretty
heavily on Stephen and finally be
went a little too far. He ridiculed
Stephen's clothes and his country
manners, and his red hair. And fin
ally he taunted Stephen with being a
coward and slapped him. Then Ste
phen took off his coat and they
fought In the little grove behind the
school. And Stephen whipped him.
It was tho only thing he could do, he
told me. He Eald his connection with
the school would have been unendur
able if he had lot tho Strong boy con
tinue to tyrannize over him."
Henry Appleton laughed.
"And where did our Stephen ob
tain his unusual prowess?" he asked.
"He taught a district school," his
wife answered. "And he had to whip
every one of the big boys before he
could establish his authority, and
some of them were as big as full
grown men. And after he had
whlnped them all ho had no more
trouble."
Henry Appleton laughed again.
"Our Stephen grows more and
more Interesting," be said. "And
didn't the worthy principal find out
about this little scrap In the grove?"
"Yes, Stephen told him."
"Stephen?" ,
"Stephen went to the principal
riin LITTLE GIRL'S NEIGHBOR. z
By John Mtckcnon.
Throe men gazed Impatiently out of the window as the
train drew Into the station, and leaped to the platform before
It stopped. They were equally prominent and engaged In
equally weighty affairs. Also they were all church mem
bers and anxious in a general way to do what was right. It
was late at night and the station was deserted, except for a
tired looking little girl, who was sitting, wide eyed, In the
corner, too tired to keep awake, too timid to allow herself
to sleep. Two of the three pushed through the dingy waiting
room, on to the platform and Into their carriages and were
whirled out Into the dark. The third stopped and questioned
the little one.
"I missed the train," she said, "and the man Bald another
went to-morrow. I don't know what to do."
The rear lights of the carriages of the first two men were
Just disappearing when the third carriage drove up. Only it
had two occupants and they had held but one. The little
one slept that night in the home of the third man and went
on her Journey in the morning, refreshed and encouraged
and glad.
There were three men who rushed Into the station that
night and all of them were anxious In a general way to do the
right thing.
But which, think you, was neighbor unto the little girl
who had missed her train?
next day and told him he had vio
lated one of the school rules and was
very sorry. 'la that the cause for
your black eye?' the principal asked.
Stephen told him It was. 'What was
the name of the other boy?' the prin
cipal asked. Stephen said lie couldn't
tell Mm that. 'Then run along,'
said the principal, 'and don't forget
thnt you have two examinations to
morrow.' And Stephen has heard no
more about the fight."
"I'd like to know who told the
principal?" said Henry Appleton.
"Stephen didn't know."
"I wonder If It could have been
Jim Strong?"
"I hope It was," said his wife.
"Whosoever told was careful not to
throw any blame on Stephen."
"Which, of course, is greatly to his
credit," said Henry Appleton. "And
I hope it was Jim Strong."
Henry Appleton was a busy man.
His work required close attention.
Ho was quite too busyto Interest him
self In Stephen Bruce.
One night his wire told him thnt
Stephen wanted a favor.
"Let's hear It," Appleton re
nponded. "He wants you to let him use the
upper room of the stable. He has
cleaned It out nicely. He wants to
have a school friend or two visit him
there."
"He'll set fire to the place won't
he?"
"Ho seems careful."
"Very well. Tell him ho can use
It."
"I'll thank you for him, Henry."
So that was settled and then Henry
Appleton forgot all about it.
Hut one morning Judge S'.rong
came Into bis office.
"How are you. Appleton? I
dropped In on a little personal busi
ness." "You are always welcome, judge.
.Take a chair."
The jndjo hesitated.
"It's about Jim," ho said.
"Nothing wrong?"
"I don't know."
"Dut I thought Jim was doing bet
ter." "He has done bettor. I hoped the
reform would be permanent."
"And what is the trouble?"
"I wish I knew. He seems to be
completely under the Influence of
that hired boy of yours."
Henry Appleton looked around
qujekiy.
"And you think the Influence Is a
bad one?"
"I'm afraid It Is. I can't quite Im
agine that Jim would be fascinated
by n good Influence more's the
pity."
"This Is all news to me, Judge,"
said Henry Appleton. "And I'm a
little slow to believe that Stephen
Bruce Is a bad companion for your
Jim."
The judge nodded.
"I see your point," he said, "but
that doesn't relieve my mind. Those
boys, Jim and your hired lad, meet
somewhere nearly every night. I've
no Idea what they do. Perhaps they
gamble."
"Hnve you talked to Jim?"
"Yes, In a guarded way. He has
nn unreasonable temper. I have to
be very careful. What does your boy
do evenings?"
"I don't know," Appleton an
swered. "I don't see anything of
him."
And then he remembered some
thing and suddenly frowned.
"By George," he said, "I guess I
know their rendezvous."
"Where la It?" the judge eagerly
csket!, (
"I'll let you know later. I'll take
you there this evening. We will root
out this mystery together."
"Yes, yes," said the Judge. "Where
shall we meet?"
"On my porch. Be there at 8.30."
"All right," said the judge.
It was a dark evening and the two
investigators had little fear of de
tection. Henry Appleton was waiting for
the judge.
"The place of rendezvous Is my
stable," he said, "and I think your
boy Jim Is there now. Come."
They stolo around the house and
up the drlvewny.
There was a light In the upper win
dow of the stable.
Appleton pointed to It.
"There is a ladder back of the
Etablo," he whispered. "Help me
with It."
Then the two men carefully raised
the ladder to the window.
"I'll go up first," said Appleton.
He climbed the ladder slowly and
noiselessly and peered through the
window. (
He remained there for perhaps five
minutes. Then he rejoined the Judge
at the foot of the ladder.
"It Is Just what I suspected," he
gravely whispered. "Climb up care
fully and I will hold the ladder."
The judge ascended to the win
dow. This is whnt he saw. Stephen
Bruce was standing before Jim
Strong with a paper in his band.
Jim was seated nt a table. By get
ting close to the glass the Judge
could catch their voices.
"Blame you, Jim," Stephen was
saying, "you don't catch the trick oC
It. The problem Is simple enough if
you npply the rule. If you expect me
to pull you through In algebra you've
got to give me a lot of help."
The son of the Judge looked up
with a sheepish grin.
"Don't be so awful rough, Steve,"
he said. "I'll get through somehow.
Wasn't I a credit to you In history?"
"You did beautifully," Stephen re
plied. "But I had my doubts up to
the Inst week."
Jim chuckled.
"You should hnve seen the Judge's
face when I told him I stood ninety
three In my history final. He put his
hand In his pocket and pulled out a
$20 bill and pushed It at me. I'm
saving It for you, Steve."
"For me!" snapped Stephen. "Do
you take me for an ordinary tutor?"
"You're an awfully good fellow."
"Cut It out," growled the other
boy, "and get back to your problem."
The Judge noiselessly descended
the ladder and with Henry Appleton's
assistance carried It behind the sta
ble. Then the two men returned to the
porch.
There was a prolonged silence. "
"Does that boy want to go to col
lege?" the Judge aBked In a con
strained voice.'
"He told me ho did," said Henry
Appleton. "He means to work his
way."
The Judgo leaned forward.
"He won't have to work his way,"
he said. "I'm going to send him. I
want him to go with Jim."
Henry Appleton stiffened.
"I may be a little slow In waking
up," bo said, "but I fancy I'm en
titled to a share In this venture. Isn't
he my boy?"
The Judge stared at Henry. Then
he put out his band.
"Make It a joint affair, share and
share alike," he said.
And their hands met.
SCIENCE
AND
INDUSTRY
A Sotchman has Invented a new
life-saving apparatus which Is capa
ble of throwing a line half a mile.
The main lesson of leprosy Is
somewhat philosophic. All Europe
for centuries was covered with It, but
the quick, strong, reactive blood of
the white raco strangled the germs of
death, so It Is doubtful if whites could
ever be pestered much again. Yellow
races, of slower, weaker blood, are
still slowly stowing with It.
Professor Frederic S. Lee, of Col
umbia University, while declining to
express a final opinion about Welch
ardt's antitoxin for promoting recuperation-from
fatigue, says that It
seems probable from recent experi
ments that lack of oxygen Is a potent
factor In producing fatigue. Hill ap
pears to have demonstrated the effi
cacy of oxygen taken Into the lunga
In quickly restoring one who Is suffer
ing from extreme fatigue.
Mon. Putseux, the distinguished
solenographer of the Paris Observa
tory, has reached the conclusion that
tho curious rays or bands, extending
In straight lines away from many lu
nar craters, such as the celebrated
Tycho, were produced by the deposi
tion of volcanic ashes carried to great
distances by the winds that happened
to prevail when the eruption oc
curred. He accounts for the relative
narrowness of these bands, which are
never more than thirty miles broad,
although their length Is sometimes
many hundred miles, by supposing
than only the central axis of the de
posit has remained, the les3 dense
borders having been destroyed by the
denuding forces of the air, when the
moon bad a considerable atmosphere.
A method of preventing the distri
bution of coal dU3t in mines is de
scribed by Mr. H. Hall In the Trans-j
actions of the Mining Institute of
Scotland. It consists In watering thej
dust with a concentrated solution of
calcium chloride, and introducing the
same salt, In the form of a dry pow
der, into seams where watering is not
possible. This treatment Is claimed
to "lay" the dust effectually, and
need only be applied once every three
months. Comparative experiments to
determine the corroslveness of such a
concentrated solution of calcium'
chloride upon iron showed that that
metal was oxidized much more rapid-j
ly by alternate exposure to air and
ordinary tap-water than to air and
calcium chloride solution. The metal
lost in weight about three times as;
much when immersed in. water as
when placed in the solution of the
salU :
CHILDRENS.
THEN AND NOW.
Paid grandma: "When I went to school
We had to lcnm tlie 'rule of three,'
And many another tedious rule.
1 well remember them!" said she.
"Tlie children nowadays, it seems,
Don't even know what study means!
I don't believe they really know
As much as I did, long ago!"
Said Nannie: "Did you ever!"
And then with mischief in her eye:
"Make me a ratlin basket try!
I made a sweet one yesterday
It's in two colors, pink and gray,
Juat right to hold a ball of twine,
And you shall have it, grandma mine,
If you can saw a board in two,
And drive a nail as straight and true,
And paint a water-color rose,
And sketch from life a Roman noae,
And mold in clay a baby's hand.
And broil beefsteak with ready hand,
And make a cake, and write a song
And sing it, too six stanzas long
And" "Mercy, child!" said grandma,
"Stop!
My head is spinning like a top!
You don't tell me you learn all these
By going to school!" "Yes, grandma,
please,
And many more delightful things
About a bird and iiow it sings,
About a bug and how it crawls,
About a leaf and why it falls,
And oh, so ninny things 1 know.
I haven't told you half oh, no!"
Said grandma: "Well, I never!"
Harriet Crocker Leltoy, in Youth's Com
panion. "SIMON SAYS" A GAME.
8eat yourselves In a circle and
choose one of the company to be the
leader, or Simon. His duty Is to
order all sorts of different things to
bo done, the funnier the better,
which must be obeyed only when the
order begins with "Simon says." As,
for Instance, "Simon says: 'Thumbs
up!'" which, of course, all obey;
then, perhaps, comes: "Thumbs
down!" which should not be obeyed,
because the order did not commence
with "Simon says:"
Each time this rule Is forgotten a
forfeit must be paid. "Hands over
eyes," "Stamp the right foot," "Pull
the left ear," etc., are the kind of or
ders to be given. Philadelphia Rec
ord. HE SPOK73.
An eminent English surgeon,
whose bru3queiiess with grown-ups
recalls that of the famous Abernathy,
Is quite another person when children
are his patients. Then he Is as amia
ble as an angel or a big St. Bernard
dog.
A short time ago, according to St.
James' Budget, this gentl9 giant got
up out of a warm bed at 3 o'clock of
a bitter morning to attend a tiny boy
In piteous plight from diphtheria. He
performed the operation of tracheo
tomy and saved the child's life.
Time went on and his general con
dition Improved, but there was one
disquieting symptom. He refused to
use his voice. When questioned, he
nodded or shook his head, but would
not speak. Finally the surgeon found
a way. One morning he talked at
his stubborn little patient.
"I'm sorry he can't speak to me,
nurse," the surgeon said, "because
I'm going up to London to-morrow
and sha'n't know whether to bring
him a horse or a gun."
There was a brief sllenco. The
surgeon and nurse waited breathless
ly. Then a tiny finger stole up to a
wounded throat, and the ghost of a
baby's voice said:
"Please, doctor, bwing me a llckle
gun!"
GUARDIAN OF THE SQUASHES.
Grandpa was sitting on the porch
one warm spring day, when Tommy
came in from his garden with two
little wrinkles puckered right across
bis forehead.
"Grandpa," said he, "why did Noah
let any toads come Into his ark?"
"What do you mean. Tommy?"
asked grandpa, hiding a smile be
hind his newspaper.
" 'Cause I juat wish he had lot
them all drown," said Tommy, in a
disgusted tone. "I went out to sow
some sweet-william seeds, 'cause you
know William is papa's name, and
there was a great big toad, right in
the middle of my garden. I most
know he Is waiting there to eat up
my seeds."
"Toads do not eat seeds," said
grandpa. "Do you suppose that toad
Is not good for something?"
"You said the earthworms were
little spades, and dug my garden for
me," said Tommy, thoughtfully, "but
a toad can't dig, and I don't see what
use he Is, anyway."
"Well, then, I will show you,"
aid grandpa.
So be went to the workshop and
chose four blocks of wood of the
right shape and size. He carried
them to the garden and built a little
house of them beside a row of young
squash-plants. Then he gave the
toad a ride on the coal-shovel from
Tommy's garden to the little block
house. "This Is Mr. Toad's house," said
grandpa. "We will leave him here
and never disturb him.
Mr. Toad seemed to take kindly
to his new quarters. He was often
seen sitting In his front door and
looking out with a very serious ex
pression, winking his bright eyes and
spreading ont his fingers Just as
baby spread hers when Tommy
counted "O-u-t, out," on them. Tom
my was very much amused, but still
he could not gee how the to?.d ild any
food.
DEPARTMENT.
"Neighbor Smith says that the bug
have eaten up all his squash-vines,"
said grandpa, one day, "Why bavo
they not touched ours, Tommy?"
Tommy did not know.
"How about our lodger In the gar
den?" said grandpa, smiling.
"Do you mean Mr. Toad?" asked
Tommy. "Does he catch the bugs?"
"If you watched him long enough,
you would see," said grandpa.
"When be sits In his front door, he
Is taking care of our garden, and
when a trespasser comes along, Mr
Toad arrests him at once. The least
that we can do for him Is to give
him a house rent-free, don't you think
so?"
"O grandpa," said Tommy, eager
ly, "Is everything In tho whole world
of some use?" Youth's Companion.
CANOE CAPERS.
Water sports, during the past few
years, have come to be among the
chief "events" on the holiday pro
grams of many seaside and yacht
clubs. Some of these sports call for
no small amount of skill and
strength.
The "tilting" on canoes Is familiar
to most young folks; but I want to
tell you of some novel "stunts" dono
by a clover member of a lakeside
club, a trained canoeist and expert
swimmer. As every boy knows, or
ought to know, no one, young or old,
has any business In a canoe who Is
not a skillful and powerful swimmer,
and quite able to take care of him
self In the water under any and all
circumstances.
Moreover, no canoe tricks should
ever be attempted by any one, ex
cept In comparatively shallow water,
not far from shore; and even then
there should be companions close at
hand. In a boat, ready and alert to
give Immediate aid In any emergency.
The canoeist began his tricks by;
f-i ll Inn. nut ' t tliA nqnno 1.1am, Ia
overturning the canoe with him. This
was easy enough, or seemed to be,
although the knack of falling out
of a canoe so that the craft tilts after
you. Instead (of capsizing in clumsy
fashion. Is only acquired by practice.
Next the young man climbed bacK
Into the canoe, after getting It on an
even keel. This was not so easv. IB
required some skill, a lot of agility;
and a practical acquantance with tho
eccentricities of a boat of the light
ness and delicacy of build of a canoe.
It was not difficult to capsize the boat
again In climbing back. If this was
done too many times the performer
was not unlikely to become ex
hausted. For this reason he was
careful not to go too far from tho
banks when attempting his aquatlo
practice, for It might have been nec
essary to swim ashore, towing tho
canoe, to rest for a while before mak
ing another attempt. When the dif
ficult knack of righting the canoe,
climbing back again, and falling over
board once more had ben thoroughly;
acquired and the wabbly tendencies
of the little craft had been over
come, then the real feat was at
tempted.
The feat was to take a back flip)
from the side of the canoe, holding
the hands on one side of the boat and
balancing with the feet on the other.
As the canoeist went over backward1
into the water he still retained his
firm hold on the side of the boat with)
his hands and kept his feet firmly,
planted in the original position.
In this way he went into the water
with the canoe turning with him. At
first it was found essential to com
fort to release the hold on the canoe
as the water closed over the canoeist.
It was sufficient for a time to turn
the canoe completely over until It
was resting on the water Immediately
over the head of the performer.
When this lesson had been learned,
then a step further was attempted.
The object to be ultimately gained
was to keep the boat turning, empty
ing It of water during the process,
until It had turned completely over
again to its original position. It wilt
be seen at once that this feat was not
an easy one.
The impetus of the first backward
fall went far toward carrying tho
boat into the position where iticould
be righted. But the performer had
to be skilful and quick If every ad
vantage was to be taken of the in
itial start in the direction desired.'
When the canoeist came to the sur
face again he was still clinging to the"1
side of the boat, pulling that side to
ward blm and kicking the other side
toward the place It would . assume1
when the canoe was once more la'
its right position In the water. As'
the canoeist came up he gave the
boat a twist with his shoulder that
emptied the water from It, and then
he turned it on its side with a dex-!
terous twirl that dropped it right
side up, ready for occupancy one)'
more. It was very skilfully done.
H. D. Jones, In St. Nicholas.
The International office of publle
hygiene, recently established in Paris,'
has for its principal object the gath-j
ering and distribution of information!
concerning the more serious epidemic'
diseases, particularly cholera, plague
and yellow fever.
There Is a great shortage of theo
logical students in Wurtemburg.