| Show r 1 Y Tupper S. S 1114 lIU N H T WAS New Years Year's Day and the JJ snow began to fall tall In blustery fashion about the street corners of of f At the Simmons Corner Grocery the morning business business' was was rather dull and It was now ten o'clock when Isaac or Ike lIke ashe as as' he arty arly called sat In his dingy dusty office of ace fice shut off by lt looking over his hll past Palt years year's accounts The y young ung clerk Bill DIU Wilkins was a little more Idle than usual and he be sat lIat quietly on ona ona ona a cracker box Interested In the story of Huck nuck Finn having a broad grin upon his hll round mischievous face tace Ike Ike Simmons It it was true had a sour disposition ev even nto to a sense of meanness and arid sometimes sometimes' If his friends greeted him kindly to be obstinate and hateful jie he would think of some act of meanness to counteract goodness good ness news and nd generosity If It were not for tor bargains Ike Ikes trade would go on the decline but he be possessed a keen Insight for business and often marked his bis goods some pennies below the telling selling price of Sis competitors So on New Years Year's morning Ike Simmons Sim mono mons was In no pleasant mood and who would dare to wish him a Happy New Year and especially In a snowstorm snowstorm snow snow- storm and business dull t All Al was quiet within the little grocery office oce and a great stack 01 of papers papua was eagerly examined when Ike with his specs laid up high on 00 hIs his brow leaned over quietly onto his desk deskIn In a thinking way In a few tew minutes min min- utes be saw the trapdoor open and an arm with lIh a revolver appeared Then Thena a face with a handkerchief covering It showed to the stricken horror-stricken Ike Simmons A real burglar lip sprang rang out Ilie I He lie took a heavy beavy rope and bound Ike to the stool Now old the burglar said eald saId Im not here bere only tor for your money but to flog you YOU you-you you who cares not for tor the pleasant things of life lite You are ugly to your friends Now I 1 am m going tl to beat you And he thrashed Ike with a heavy rope an anthe and the pain was awful He lie knocked Ike lite from his hll stool There was a dull thud The clerk ran Into the office and found Ike Simmons struggling on the floor surrounded sur sur- surrounded rounded by his books and papers About the same time tilDe Lemuel came into the store and exclaimed A Happy New Year Ike Ikel I Ike scrambled up and looked amazed amazedly about him Happy New Year Lein Lem and many more Both Hoth persons persona stood I aghast I Ike Simmons was Willi a transformed trans form formed d being He lie hall had learned In a brief dream the lesson of the cost o of being unkindly when the teal real cost Ct o or of being kind was nothing and he kept kep tHe Ne New v Year happy and other New Years Yun following tollo with an increased business bushes to bless his hi efforts I h |
