for material. At last it lighted on an
article of furniture: this was a bureau, highly prized by my much-loved
relative. I have attempted, feebly, in the subjoined sketch to convey
an idea of it, but am fully conscious that I am far from doing it
justice. But this bureau was of solid mahogany, and had belonged to her
grandmother--qualities enough to make anything dear to the heart of a
true woman. On the side of this solid mahogany bureau I scrawled a
ragged line with the sharp corner of a piece of soap, and gummed some of
my screw-beads down each side of the mark, as in Fig. 2. Then I waited
until my much-loved relative returned.

"Aunt," I said, in solemn tones, "look at the end of your mahogany
bureau. It is all my fault, and I am as sorry as I can be. I know how
you value it, and realize the extent of the disaster; but I've fixed it
up as well as I can, and I guess it won't show much."

My aunt rushed to the bureau, and there she saw the patched and botched
wreck.

"Oh dear!" cried she, "to think--just to think--how could you be so-- I
knew something would come of swinging those vile clubs. I'd rather have
given a hundred dollars. It's too bad. And such a mess! Why didn't you
wait till I could send for a proper man--a cabinet-maker or
something--to mend it?"

Then she ran into the garden, and called to her husband: "Oh, George, do
come here, and see what that boy has been doing! My dear mahogany
grandmother's bureau all knocked to pieces, and patched together with
big screws. Such a sight!"

As soon as my aunt left the room I seized a wet towel, and quickly
removed all the appearance of damage, so that when she returned with her
husband, and with averted face, bade him look upon the wreck, the mild
old gentleman, after putting on his specs, and making a careful
examination, reported that he could see nothing the matter.

"For pity's sake!--the man must be getting blind and foolish," cried my
aunt. "It's as plain as Charley Meeker's nose on his face."

A discussion of some length here followed between my aunt and her
husband, which was terminated by the lady stepping up to the bureau,
with an air of triumph, to point out the broken places. Never before was
seen such a perplexed woman. She looked and looked, and felt all over
the precious piece of furniture with her finger, and, I believe, would
have fairly gone demented had I not broken the spell by a roar of
laughter. When I explained the trick I had played