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Show PAPA'S DEVELOPER "Xn( "' By WILLIAM CHfl YIOK OLKSTEAD. MMOJIGYUUS, lmvo 3011 brought fi S home the do; eloper for the tJ k IO children?" ' Jfl 1 "l M$L, 3 "Yes; I hno under uiy ??l ifi,, We arm the fijlug trapeze," r I answered Mr. Moichousc. And the I family swooped down on him mid lie I m robbed of the lmndlo beforo ho I tad Uine to tulec off his hat I "At lastl" exclaimed Mrs. More- I liouse, as bho tore the wrapping from I the package. "But, Cjrus, don't call tt a flying trapeze. Don't put such ideas Into their heads. It Is simply a developer." "Oh, It will develop nil light," said Jyrus. "Now, children, watch mo put It together." It consisted of n rope, two hooks' for the colling, four iron rings and two pall handles. It required a little consideration con-sideration to decide the best placo for It to hang. Thcio was a recess at the bead of tho stairs on tho second lloor I Which was not a thoroughfare, and I there Mr. Morehouse concluded to lo- I cato tho machine which was to amuse I and develop tho little shut-ins. When I the hooks had been securely scicvved I into the joints at n suitable distance I apart, and two ropes had been sus- I ponded by the rings from tho hooks, I and tho pall handles had been at- I tacheel to tho ropo ends for tho little I bands, and the two sets of rlugs had I been so arranged that tho ropes could I bo raised or lowered, according as I fclssy, of sK ycais, or brother, of four years, was "at tho bat," then mamma Was called to bcc. 1 "Isn't that bplenclld!" mamma ex- ', i claimed. Sissy was showljg It off, and ' her heels were Kicking about In the air tn suggestlvo nearness to the railing syhlcb separated her from tho lower floor. Mamma was looking up, nnrt It seemed to her n groat way fiom whero sissy's heels were fljlng to the lloor below. "But, Cyrus, supposo they go over tho railing?" "Well, you must Impress on tho children chil-dren that It Is only a developer, and not a flying trapeze." When Mrs. Morchouso had gone away Cyrus tested tho ropes with his own weight, nnd tho operntlon brought back to him lili boyish excitement of "skinning tho cat" that Is, turning a I back somersault w 1th tho hands on the I ropes. Ills wlfo cumc upstairs again H Just bb he was trying to explain to H tlie little nciobats how It was done. H His face was Hushed and ho was pant-I pant-I tna- "Cyrus," said Mrs. Morehouse, her H eyes snapping, "I want to seo you a H minute," Klio led the way to their H bedroom and closed tho door. "Don't H you know nnythlng?" she then said to H him. "Those children will break their H necks If you teach them circus tricks H on that developer. I wish you would H let it alone. It was my idea, any way, H not yours. It Is a chest developer, not H a trapeze." , "All right," replied Mr. Morehouse, - and he looked at his watch and went H down for his hat and coat. H As he passed out at tho front door H mamma had hold of tho ropes, and was H saying to tho children: H "Do It quietly, this way, like mamma, H with both feet on the floor and tho H body thrown backward and forward, H this way; sco?" H Both young ones wcro In a galo of H laughter, and brother was saying somo- thing that sounded like "rats." H When Mr. Morchouso had cooled off, H be fell to thinking of all tho queer H things men do In gymnasiums, and H woiiderud If It paid, after all, for a man to mako a monkey of himself. H Ifor soino reason or other ho went homo H early that afternoon, and found a hush H over the houso nnd n smell of cam-H cam-H phor. Then ho heard a subdued cry H of pain In tliu sitting room, nnd, going H In, Baw mamma rubbing brother's H neck, as ho lay on tho sofa, with a H pleco of blown paper over his eye H Mrs. Morchouso looked at her husband H reproachfully, nnd hissed: H "So much for jour cat-skinning." H "Is ho much hui tV" "It will bene. Probably paralyzed and blind." ' "Great heavens!" H "Pupa, I stluucd do cat," said brother, turning over. "Want to sec I BIO?" H "He can't bo paralyzed," said Cyrus, j breathing easier. "Well, ho shall ncer swing on that thing again nevei !" "I see," bald Mr. Morchouso, "he ban dovcloped something over tho left ej e," Mrs Moichouse set down the cam-jmor cam-jmor bottl and left tho loom, and pupa took brother In his lap. "lie hasu't icit rili vwunW MM Mr. Morchouso the next morning at breakfast "I think brother had better bet-ter let the i.ovclopcr alono until ho gets older. But I think sissy is old enough to hold on " "Then she will have to do as I tell hcrj not as jou tell her. Xo, sissy, girls don't skin cats. It Isn't proper." Th( topes weie raised one sot of rings. That morning mamma was busy below stairs when .1ip heard 11 sound which was nt Hist lntcipictcd as tho sliding of snow from tho roof. She paused with he.ut in her mouth, how-cer, how-cer, and presently n well known cry came to her imis fiom the gymnasium, nuiining upstairs, sh0 MW si,y raa. Ing her head from the bnsoboiiul and slowly getting to her feet. As Mis. Morehouse described her daughter's appeaianee to her father afteiwaul, her fnco was pale and spotted nnd by the time her mother got tho camphor bottle, thcio was a hump on the back of her head as big as a teacup "Sissy's giip plow's to be too weak for the di eloper, too," said Mr. Morehouse. More-house. "Yes, for such development as jou teaih," said Ills wife. "I left tliPiu both to jour tuition after the lirht daj " "Yes. but pnpn'rt example Is stronger than my piocept." "What wns liu trjing to do?" "Tjing to kick do nicdlciue bottles off de top of de secretary," cried little brother. Mis. Mot chouse hung the developer handles on the hooks In the celling aud sighed. Waverley Magazine. |