Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1873-11-20

Tho children agreed, and felt worry impor-
tant when he put thoir bank-books, into
their hands. These were slips of blue pa-
por, with a name at the top of each one,
Every time they made deposit of black
eyed. Susans, they were to put down tho
number ON these slips, and then they could
toll any time by adding up how near they
wero to II hundred. Aftor great deal Of
debate it was decided to keep the bank in
the wood-shed. This was always locked at
night, so it would he perfectly safe. Ada
wanted to keep 1t in tho sitting-room but Of
course Nh.t never would do. In the first
place, Mrs. Bowen never would allow IN
old teapot there, even if it was the " Bank
Of Africa" and in the next place, If she
did, every ono who came in would DO want
it in tho wood-shcd behind an empty raisin
box.
Jem was fairly established Us a black.
eyed-Susans merchant. The next day no
brought fifteen, and said he had been away
up to Captain Macy's on the hill. For these
he received bout from Benny, a rag.doll
from May, four sandall-wood beads from
Ada, and sugar heart from Maggie The
children played with their black-eyed- Su-
sans little while, and then very contented-
~ dropped them into the bank. All but
May. She reserved hers Just this once to
plant in q fiower-pot, hoping that beauti.
full African bean vine would spring up there
and bear pods upon pods full of back-eyed-
Susans.
ut does beat all" said Mrs. Bowen to
Mrs. Gillett, "to see how crazy those chill
dren are over those little red beans!0
Mrs. Gillctt smiled languidly; she did
not care what Ada and Maggie were about,
as long as they were happy and out Of
harms way.
The enthusiasm increased. Not q day pass.
ed that Jem did not appear, now with ten,
now with fifteen, now perhaps with only
five or six of the precious black-oyed- Susans.
He came with the air Of hero who had
been through tolls innumerable, and the
children in their fervor were ready to sacri-
fee everything to his demands. One BY
one went all the little treasures they had
hitherto dotted on. Now it was Maggie's
beautiful little ivory box, now it was Mays
small chairs and table, all of Benny's lead
soldiers had to go, and his trumpet aud his
old knife. Ada parted with bead-basket,
and four elegant paper dolls. But the
black-eyed-Susans were ACCOMPLISHING rap.
idly, that was the joy aud triumph Of it to
the children. They actually began to feel
like misers over their hoard. 1t was their
greatest pleasure to go every little while to
the bank, and lift it and rattle it, and notice
that it was really getting heavier all the
White. The day Ada sold her four paper dolls
she counted up and found she had ninety
five black-eyed-Susans in the bank. Benny
had ninety.three, Maggie had ninety.six,
and little May had eighty four. By anoth-
or week they might safely calculate on each
having q hundred. Ada and Maggie OK
pected TO make greatsensation with their
friends when they went back to the city.
"Where ON earth, mother, do you sup
pose Jem gets all those things that are
slowed away up in his room ~ said Susan
Towne that very day, as she came down
stairs; ~ went to put his stockings in his
chest, and it is half full of trinkets and
playthings. I can't got a word out of him,
only that no is going to set up storel"
Pm sure don't know" said Mrs.
Towne, uneasily, " l can't keep track of all
his mischief. He ran through here lust
now, and upset my pan of dried peas all
over the shelf. guess those Gillett chill
dren over to Mrs. Bowen's let him have
some of those things. He told me he was
getting ready to be peddler."
"Well, Pm going over to Mrs. Bowens
to SEQ about it," said Susan, theoretically,
" for / don't believe he has any business
with that ivory box, and all those fancy
notions!"
And over she went. The children were
all called in, and in a very straightforward
way told her about the black.eyed-Su
that Jem brought to them every day.
"And you know,n said Ada, very polite
ly, " it is good deal of trouble for him to
30 all over town, from house to house, to
get them for us, and 50 we give him things
to pay him.
"Au over town, from honse to house {"
exclaimed Susan Towne, i" why he has been
clamming and fishing every day for q fort.
night. He hasn't been down town ut all
Let me see the black-eyed.Susans.''
20, they're in the bank ~ said Maggie,
and go then they had to explain all about
the bank, and Miss Susan was taken out to
SEQ it. She took it in her hands at once and
began to open it.
"You mustn't open it, it's against the
rule {! " said little Ben Bowen.
II don't care for the rules ~ said Miss
Susan, grimly, as she turned the teapot
over, and poured quantity Of dried peas
out ON tho floor! The children looked on
in utter dismay, and Ada Gillett's face
turned crimson. May began to cry, but
Maggie sprang forward and examined thu
teapot.
10, that wicked, wicked Jem Towne!'
| she cried, "he has taken away all our love
~ black.eyed. Susans, and there were al
most four hundred. and he has put thes,
horrible old peas here insteadl /"
"Tho fact u.s." said Susan unsparingly
" he has been trading with you for the sam,
ones over and over, and as fast as you hav,
put them in here, he has taken them out
Have you any in your pockets 20
Yes, the four children had Just five apiece
which they had bought of Jem not mor'
than an hour before.
"That's all there are, you may depend o,
it, said Susan. "He has used them owe
and over. But you shall have all your littl'
notions back anyhow!"
So, saying, she marched home again, and
filled her apron from Jem's chest with dolls
boats, beads, boxes, all sorts of toys ant
keepsakes, and did not stop till she hat
laid them all down in heap on MIR
Bowen's table. The children crowded
around to sort them, and divide property
It was something to have all tho old treas
ures back, but they felt terribly tlefraudct
about the black.eyed. 1t was al
most impossible for them to believe tina
there were not nearly four hundred some
where, and it seem so poverty-stricken to b.
left with only five apiece.
"But have free planted in my flower
pot" said little May, with CLEAN of hope
But Maggie too suspicious now to believ
anything, went to the little Aower-pot whiol
had been so carefully tended and watered
and dug up the earth with her fingers
She found three peas there Just beginnin,
to sprout, and no black-eyed-Susans at all
That broke poor May down completely.
It was just as Susan Towne said, ant
Jem did not deny it when he found he wa
discovered. But he laughed and said h,
meant to tell them all about it when the,
opened the Bank of Africa,r and that !;
was only good joke.
tits q great while ago that all this hap
pened, and don't know as l should eve
have heard tho story if had not bee,
walking drought the Salom's Bazaar som
weeks since with friend, and we present.,
reached counter whore stood a box full o
black.eyed. Susans, selling at ten cents
cupful She bought cupful at once, an,
told me with smile that one of the long
ings OF her life was now satisfied, for sh
had always wanted q hundred biack-eyed
Susans ever since she was little five-year
old girl, called May Bowen.
Egyptian Corn.
Among the many novelties embraced
in the wide range of agricultural pro
| lucte of the stafo one which bids fa;