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meal, Smart,” he said, with agrin, ‘“ Best
feed I've had in a mouth, Much obliged
to you for consulting my tastes.
I sume it’s the first “zood meal
you’ 1 had in your life,” said Sam, “‘Come
on, T this oe will want to eat the
man’ "3 able m
t pet xt Smart,” laughed the
other. ‘* That’s one on you, thatis. You
may! pe pan t, but m game is——"
‘rintérrupte
Trent e two young fellowes walked out,
the water hurrying after th
sk Are ,you really Mr. Smart, sir?” he
aske
“T am and I ordered dinner for two at
half-past eleven.
“Tm very sorry, sir, but this man came
in and said he was Mr, Smart and I hadn't
seen you and the clerk said there was a
dinner for Mr. Smart at half past eleven
an ears: sall right,” said Sam. “Tam not
blaming ou in the lea
* But w did the follow get onto it,
Sam?” ‘asked Tom.
“He was in the office when I ordered
the | stuff, I didn’t pay much attention to
au ‘Wet, rr ll tell you how to get even
wit m,
“ "Make him pay for the two dinners r
s ue eee but in another way, too.”
Tom ‘shispered something iy in Sam's ear,
‘That's great. We'll do
Sam pave ‘the clerk a tet ‘tip about the
two dinners and then asked who the hun-
gry man was,
“JTIe's a drummer, name of Ifyde, came
in town this morning, doesn’t think much
of. the place, expects to leave by the 7:17.”
“IIyde, eh? Well he’s got one, pretty
thick, 00 but I think I can penetrate it.”
. ys had their dinner at the regular
how ur, and Jater on met Mr. Dru omer
aes as they were about to start off
net So you fellers are peddlers, are you?”
he asked.
“That's our business.”
oO!
“Well, you won't seit anything in this
town, I've sto cked it
0 myself,
“Oh, [think we'll sell something—you,
” r
62”
“Stay over a train and see us do busi-
“Oh, T couldn't. It ain’t worth my time,
What do you ell anyhow
“ Everyth Tons of coal, grand
pianos, everythin .
‘Tons of ‘coal,”’. laughed Hyde. “Say,
Willie boy, you're trying to kid me, How
are you go ing to weigh out coal in that
wagon
“Don’t have to, I can Buess the weight
of a sping by looking at it.
** Ah, go take a bath! Do you think I'll
swallow that ”
“Well, I've seen you swallow and you
ought to "be able to take in most anything.
What'll you betI can’t guess your weight?
I've got a way of my own of doing it.”
‘* How's that?”
“ By taking you on my bac
** You can’t guess nothing | that wi
“Bet you t the price of a dinner I can “tell
toa p .
“You ean’t do it.”
‘Then bet me.”
“TH! go you. “Bet you can’t tell within
ten ounds,”
hs yes, Ican, I can tell exactly, Will
wee Yes," said Hyde, who thought he had
cinch,
“Get around here and let me lift you,
then. Put your hands on my shoulders.”
Hyde did 5
He didn’t notice Eph and Jeff and Tom
come from behind the wa;
3s back was toward it nt "that time.
Sun reached back, grabbed the drum-
mer’s wrists, and suddenly bent over
double,
Hyde was lifted clean off his feet,
He was also bent like a bo
w.
Suddenly up rushed ‘Tom, Eph and Jeff. | a:
ria had a long, thin, flat Rtick in his
Bik!
Whaek !
mack |
Hyde caught it where he lived.
He was bent over,
His Trousers were stretched tight over a
ertain part of his anato
Tom had carefully lifted u up his coat tails,
Smac
Whack !
Bifk!
°
Once more all three put in cracks,
They didn’t spare any m
teen the little coon made ‘his whacks
You can imagine what Jeff did.
Hyde owled and kicked and tried to
get dow
No
Smack, whack!
Whack, biff
!
They each got In a double ender crack
that time,
—TYHAPLSYT
Ilyde yelled as if he was being murdered.
sting’ ‘out that those cracks he got didn’t
ovthey didn’t do anything cise.
Sam held on good and tig!
He enjoyed it if the drunmner did not,
Smack!
Birk! .
Whack !
Those last ones were teasers,
Hyde gave a yell.
He also gave a kick.
Eph got
He flew about six feet.
Then Sam dropped his victim.
There had been peveral “Spectators to the
little tragedy.
he cleric was there, | the head waiter
also and several boarde'
A number of loungers “about town had
also happened a
Of course it was ‘avite by accident that
they were all
am, would never "send out cards to his
little matinee, oh, n
Well, he ‘dropped It
Tyde. 8
ithe latter felt as if’ a mule had kicked
Phere you are,” said Sam, ‘ You
weigh jus just | iitteen pounds more than you
“Ee ifteen pounds !”
He had received that. number from the
three jokers.
The Spectators all laughed.
Hyde felt sick,
“ Pretty ood joke, wasn’t it?” said Sam,
with a quiet
Lyde looke
« Aimost as good a joke as eating a fel-
low's dinner, isn’t it?” asked that cool and
airy
oh, ‘0. to—""
“Thanks, ra know where you mean,”
broke in Sam, “but this climate suits me.
Will Av stay and see our show
“Tl break your jaw for you, that’s what
I'll do,” said the angry drummer.
“Let me know when, will you?” asked
ras getting the worst of it, and only mal.
ng a donkey of himse:
‘Then he wal Ike off and Sam drove
around the
When liyde “went to settle his bill he
found those two dinners ut down to him.
his was another cra
eRe I didn’t order then” he said.
ut ‘you ate then
“ Well, that was a joke on Smart.”
“Yes, ‘and this is Sa a Joke on you—see?””
Hlyde saw fast e
ile didn ty t want tO | Day just the same.
e ha
hi The landlord used a little persuasion on
nim.
“Now, see here,” he said; ‘‘ you thought
it was awful funny to eat the extra nice
dinner prepared for those boys, but yon
kick like a steer when any one plays a
joke on you. You never ordered any extras,
and you've bossed every body about the
lace. Now, ay for those din-
ners, or you'll get a worse hiding than you
got this afterngon, and you'll get in the
foele-up pale
Hyde
The iandlord’ ‘3 powers of persuasion
were too strong for him.
He did not wait to see “the sh
be Sam g gave one, and hada bully ¢ good sale
ye S10 eC:
Ev verybody seemed to have heard of him
and Tom and the coons, and the population
came out in full force.
Whatever Sam put up jhe e sold, and all
hands were kept busy till long beyond the
usual hour of shutting up shop.
The lights were put out at last, the wag-
on was closed up, the horses put in, an
the whole business taken back to the ho-
tel where the boys concluded to remain,
3 the town was good enough for two
nights, and perhaps m more.
m’ was sitting alone in the reading-|?
room jwaiting for Sam, when the latter
cam
“ lave you been at my cigar box, old
m
“Not lately, You know I asked you if
I gould 0 to it yesterday.”
w, and that’s all right.
You TS iveleome to help yourself, but youl,
st .
moking more, than usu
0, not a bit more.”
ee very funny. How many did you
leave there yesterday ?” .
“Oh, a couple of dozen, r Should think,”
“ Well, there isn’t but o
“ Gee!’ Aren’t you going rit rather strong,
my boy
“No, but im afraid somebody else has.”
“The big
“T think so. ean have to watch him.”
“He's a hight toned duck, smoking fine
cigars like th:
at.” 0
“ Yes, nothing seems to be too good for i
him.”
“Well, you want to fix him.”
DAYS"
“
So
The how no t np for half an : hour and
finally eeneted off to bed.
in the way to their rooms they suddenly
saw Eph sneaking along the hall and
smelled cigar smok
m put after the little rat and nabbed
im
ad a big cigar in his mouth and had
evidently just lighted
m recognized the weed as one of his
wn.
“So, you young villain, I’ve caught you,
have re he said, ‘Grab him, Tom, We'll
x him.”
They ‘took Eph into Sam’s room and set
himi ina chair.
Ne hen. you smoke that cigar toa
nish,” ald
“Has T gotter ‘do it, Marse Sam?” plead-
ed E h, looking scared.
es, sir, every bit of it. Goon, now,
moke awa;
“T don’, want ter,” muttered Eph,
“Go on, I tell you. Pi cure you of
moking, you little thief.”
‘s one of the strongest kind,” said
‘om. “It’s a regular soaker.’
“Yes, I left it out on purpose, but I ex-
Rae to catch Jeff, not this young ruf-
Are I gotter smoke it all, Marse Sam?”
asked Eph.
“Yes, sir, and I hope it‘ll make you as
sick as a dog. After that I'm going to
give youa a good licking.”
won’ make me smoke dis yer one
I won’ neber steal no mo’, Marse Sam,”
said Eph, ftremblingly.
“N you've got to smoke it to the
last vos ‘Go on, now, or Til give you your
lickin;
Then Eph proceeded to smoke with a
look of resignation on his face, while ‘Sam
and ‘tom watched eagerly for the first
signs of a disturbed stomach,
[10 BE CONTINUED.)
DON’T FORCET ABOUT THE 10 TAN-
DEMS WE ARE CIVING AWAY. SEE {6th
PACE.
he Senator’s Secretary.
(Continued from page 7.)
the Washinton papers, when he came
across an accountof the parade and Kd
Ifoliy’s speech, He read it and laughed,
‘Then he read it again, and laughed more
and more.
“Well, well!” he exclaimed. “He isthe
brightest boy in Washington” and he read
jt the third time. ‘One the neatest
I must. show this to ae t,” and he threw
te his cigar and went in search of
Beatrice. He found her reading a letter
from E
“ Pet,” he said, giving her the
inting to the part he wanted
er to read. ‘* Read that, and tell me what
you think I ought to do Sith that boy.”
She did not know what he meant when
she took the paper. She did know ere she
read it half through. | Her eyes sparkled
and er cheeks # owe
idn’t “hints he could do
that r she exclaime:
“Neither did I, He has a head for poli-
ties far beyond one of his yea
so, too,” she assented, “He
ought to study law, father,
“Just what I think, Til suggest it to
him when Igo back to Washington.
hot ashington is no place for’ aman
who nts to rise in the world,” said she.
“He Daght to go West and grow up with
the country.”
Yes, ess that’s so. Tll talk to him
about i
“ wast tell him to study law in your
fice when we go home, ' He could still act
as your secretary and yet have leisure time
to Study, as you won't have one fourth the
amount ot work for him to do as you have
nel guess that’s a good idea, Pet,” said
he Senator, “‘and he could help me in the
campaigns out there, He has tact, witand
udgment. Did you ever read such
a live 5, witty speech! Show it to your
nd he went back to enjoy an-
other cigar.
Beatrice took it to her mother and told
er to read it, leaving the paper with her
while she went to her room to write to Ed,
She told bim what her father had said, and
ow proud they all were when they "read
the speech,
“Now you must let me plan your future
career,” she wrote. ‘You must go West
ith us when Congress ad ourns. Study
law in father’s office and still be his secre-
tary. ¥ ‘athens term has still two years to
we could become life partners. Oh, you
things I ever read, and full of humor, too !| sti
- always make it for
to make father bush you for the Senate
when you are ol ou see Iam
something of a politician myself,”
When Ed got that letter he was beside
himself with jo
es—yes,” he said, ‘I'll let her man-
age it. he ages everybody—bless
her, Sheis right. Tought to study law,”
and he wrote her that he was bound to her
—to love, cherish, honor and obey—in ‘all
she might suggest.
A few days Tater the Senatorreturned to
the city to resume his duties in the Sen-
ate. He told Ed how pleased he was with
all he had ‘Gone in his absence, ; particularly
with his speech to the paraders on thi
night of the election.
A day or two later a friend told the Sen-
ator about the speech Ed had made at the
club rooms the night after the parade, and
said he was the brightest boy he had ever
en le is as fomiliax with the great oss
tions of t ay as any membr
House or Senate.” added the fri fend, “and
handles them in a vein that keeps a
crowd ina roar, That boy has brains and
will yet make his way in the wor'!
“Tam going to give him a chance,” re-
marked the Senator, “He has. been of
great service to
at very evening the Senator sat down
‘o dictate another speech, and Ed wrote it
down as fast as he uttered his sentences,
was finished in two hours, and the
tion, he was regarded as speaking authori-
tative’
next morning, knowing that the
Se nator. wished to have the speech as soon
as possible, Ed was down in the library at
least two hours ahead of _ usual time,
ready to get to w ork on it, Yo his surprise, .
when he opened the draw cr of the library
table his notes were not th
e remembered putt them in there
ust before retiring the night before.
tote searching the drawer he failed to
find them. e looked among the
pavers on the Table, and later through the
other drawer, Still he could not find them,
“T wonder if the Senator took them?” he
said, as he sat down and looked about him
and I know he hasn’t been up this morn-
ing. What | in thunder has become of them
then? I put them in that drawer there the
last thing I did Jast night.”
‘Then he made another search for them,
but failed | to find t!
“The. e lost, 4 he "said, dropping. back
into the ‘chair, “or stolen, just
what o has happened. They have oes
olen,”
nls sat there at the table thinking over
mysterious disappearance of the notes,
and of what the Senator would say when
he heard of it. He would have to dictate
the spe speech again, a pretty tough job for
im ti
ie will be angry, f for the speech was in
my charge. o dictate it again
would be the third time when he delivers
it in the Senate, Why shouldn’t he be
angry?”
Ed was worried, for the Senator had been
kind to him, and this was the first time
anything had gone wrong with his work.
Half an hour passed, and one of the
maids came to the library door, She stop-
ped suddenly ¢ on seeing him, changed color
a bit, and said:
“* You are b yery early this morning.
“Yes,” he said. “I have work to do. ‘toe
day, and thought I would get at it early.”
She turned away and went back to the
dining-room. In ‘about twenty minutes
she game back and said
ere’s a cup of hot. coffee for you in
he dining-room, Miss Beatrice told me to
you, if I saw you up at
work very early in the morning.
you; that is kind "ot you a
thoughetal on ber part. She thinks né
everybody’s comfort,” and he arose and fol:
lowed her into the dining-room, There | wa
the table, and he sat down to enjo: im
the more because Beatrice had ordered it
to be prepared for him.
The girl went out of the room, but re-
turned’ before he had finished the coffee.
“Will you have another cup?” she ask-
ed, when he had empti
a No, thank you. T hat wil do till break-
fast,” and he arose and re’ eturned to the lib-
rary, where he again sat down to thin
over the disappearance of his short hand
notes. Nearly a half hour passed and then
he opened the na ver again n to get some
writ! ve paper, and— ther lay the notes !
was dumfounded.
Ile took them up, Tooked over them,
and found them all ther
But somebody had reversed the pages,
“She had tiem,” he said, ‘That cup
of colle el wad a ruse to get ‘me out so She
could return them, She is a sharp girl,
But what did she want with them? Can
must let me plan it all, dear, Iam go! oing
she read short-hand? Is she studying