said to himself, "that boy is not as bad as some people
think he is," and then he looked around and saw a sign hanging up in
front of the store, written on a piece of box cover, with blue pencil:--

SPOILED

CANNED HAM AND TONGUE,

GOOD ENOUGH

FOR CHURCH PICNICS.

and he looked after the boy who was slipping down an alley and said,
"The condemn little whelp. Wait till I catch him."

CHAPTER XII.

THE OLD MAN SHOOTS THE MINISTER--THE BAD BOY TRIES TO LEAD A
DIFFERENT LIFE--MURDER IN THE AIR--THE OLD MAN AND HIS
FRIENDS GIVE THEMSELVES AWAY-DREADFUL STORIES OF THEIR
WICKED YOUTH--THE CHICKEN COOP INVADED--THE OLD MAN TO THE
RESCUE--THE MINISTER AND THE DEACONS SALTED.

"Say, I thought you was going to try to lead a different life," said the
grocery man to the bad boy, as the youth came in with his pockets full
of angle worms, and wanted to borrow a baking powder can to put them
into, while he went fishing, and he held a long angle worm up by the
tail and let it wiggle so he frightened a girl that had come in after
two cents worth of yeast, so she dropped her pitcher and went out of the
grocery as though she was chased by an anaconda.

"I am going to lead a different life; but a boy can't change his
whole course of life in a minute, can he? Grown persons have to go on
probation for six months before they can lead a different life, and half
the time they lose their cud before the six months expire, and have to
commence again. When it is so alfired hard for a man that is endowed
with sense to break off being bad, you shouldn't expect too much from a
boy But I am doing as well as could be expected--I ain't half as bad as
I was. Gosh, why don't you burn a rag? That yeast that the girl spilled
on the floor smells like it was sick. I should think that bread that was
raised with that yeast would smell like this cooking, butter you sell to
hired girls.

"Well, never you mind the cooking butter. I know my business. If people
want to use poor butter when they have company, and then blow up the
grocer before folks, I can stand it if they can. But what is this I hear
about your Pa fighting a duel with the minister in your back yard,
and wounding him in the leg, and then trying to drown himself in the
cistern? One of your new neighbors was in here this mo