The Knights of the White Shield / Up-the-Ladder Club Series, Round One Play

d Door an

Table of

arlie had noticed before. He now traced these half-obliterated words in chalk on the door: "This is not to be opened." He was standing before this prohibition, wondering who put it there, and for what purpose, thinking how nice it would be to have the door open that the club might have a chance to get down that way into the dock. Then he thought how pleasant

t startled, and there w

ne out, I g

or for? I don't believe your Aun

not going

een a written threat, "On pain of death," he could no

adger, who shut and

self. I saw her w

u d

ow but I'm telling a secret-but

e from Charlie, Simes, who dearly loved to tell a thing, and es

is your Aunt Stans

said Charlie,

ell, you are young, and I spose nobody told you. Well, Stanshy and old Tim were brought up side by side in this neighborhood and were good as chickens to one another. Some folks say th

I've seen that boy, and he is rough," said C

saw him. He hardly ever comes down this way now, though he often did once. We

the drunkard he had watched the afternoon of his severe sick

'em and prepare 'em for market. Sometimes Stanshy kept a horse and cow below, and then Tim would hist his fare into the upper window and clean his fish there. But one day Aunt Stanshy cleaned him out, and when Stanshy starts on a cleanin' tour, she makes thorough work of it, and puts things through promptly. And she did clean out old Tim! But I must go back and hitch the horse into the cart, and say what you know as well as I, that your Aunt Stanshy is a great teetotaler, a leetle too much I think." [Simes liked

reading about

he flash is there, and the thunder is there a-rumblin', and the lightnin' is there a sawin' up and down, but nary a drop of rain! At last Tim spoke, and he declared it was the last he'd ever have to do with her, and afore he'd ask a favor of her, he took a horrid oath, he'd see hisself a-drownin' in that dock fust. I hated to hear him swear that way, for, sez I, 'Young man, you may get there yet, and you may be glad to have Stanshy's help.' Then he took a barrel of fish he was fillin', and he was so mad he rolled the whole mess into the water, sayin' he would have nothin' to do with any thing that had touched Aunt Stanshy's barn. I asked him why he didn't then throw himself over! That touched him up, and he grabbed his knives and pitched them into the dock. It was a queer sight to see them fish in that barrel floatin' away. But then the rum was

evolent wish,

pe," remark

aid the abstemious and ascetic Simes. "They

p at all," stoutly affirmed the young me

ps so," rep