Show 1 A 10 r aas amse 71 I 1 when the average bo be Is in his teens he thinks his father doega doesn t know anything sa d a city business in man an the other day whose bohrod davs days were spent on a farm but ahn be lie reaches the age of thirty he begins to think that the old man knows a te fe v tt tl ings after all and usually upon arriving at the age of forty he will tell everybody what a great man his father is I 1 remember one incident however that rather dis agreeably impressed upon me the knowledge that my father knew a few things even when I 1 was not more than fifteen father had one of the finest water melon patches tor for miles around I 1 had always been extremely fond of watermelon plon and not being satisfied with what was given me I 1 began to do a little marauding at night on father s patch finally as the best melons welons were gradually disappearing night after night father resolved to put a stop to it vo he loaded up his old Shot shotgun glin with rock salt and then sat la in one corner of the patch every night until about 12 0 clod waiting for developments well I 1 knew just exactly where he sat at so I 1 would reconnoitre dur burng ng the daytime and select the melon epich was to be used on the folio ing night al ays mak ing sure located on the furthest side of the patch from where father sat with the g bvm u n everything avent yent for a week or more each day father would discover that notwithstanding his precautions the were still bing taken and he awas was almost beside himself with ex aspe ratton all this time I 1 had been gorging myself on the choicest melons the patch had to offer and besides was tickled to death almost on ac count of the way I 1 was fooling the old man although I 1 was a very smart boy somehow I 1 overlooked the aw 4 fact that in my anxiety to enter the i patch at a point furthest away from 1 I 1 father the melons were all disappear ing from ore certain spot one 0 lit about 10 0 clock when ou could hardly see your hand before you I 1 groped my wa ua into the patch toward a big fine melon wh ch I 1 had made up my mind to commandeer the day before just as I 1 stooped over and placed my hands on the melon I 1 heard a loud report and then felt the most acute pam pair I 1 sprang to my feet ran to the tence leaped over it and then made tor for the house with the speed of a scared cat I 1 got in through the kitchen door and then went up to my room father had given chase but I 1 soon outran him and apparently got away without his discovering my identity but oh how eore sore I 1 was the pain was so great that I 1 couldn coulden t sleep a wink the whole n long but was kept kepi awake cursing nursing my wounds the next morning I 1 made an excuse about not feeling well when breakfast time came for I 1 was so stiff and sore that I 1 just couldn coulden t sit down mother looked anxiously at me when I 1 said I 1 didn dian t care to eat for she thought something serious must surely be the mitter with me but I 1 staved off all sympathetic questions ions and went out to do the farm work that evening when time came for I 1 was so hungry that alt although hugh it caused much agony 41 1 I seated myself at the supper tible but only occupied abbit abo it halt half of the chair however after eat ing in silence tor for some time I 1 finally said father are you going out to the patch to night he looked at me over his spec tables significantly for several mo me ments and then with a twinkle in his eye replied well del D cl that just depends are you going outa |