The Van Buren press., 1874-05-12
Budget Of Sciss0rings.
ONLY A CENT.
By LESLIE TuoRNk.

piled up at one end-three handsome
BOYS, noae ef them very far from twelve
years old
Come, Charlie cried Bruce "youvc
got your parcel, haven't You? four copy
books at SIX cents piece. What are
you waiting for?
II ain waiting for my change said
Charlie; ~ gave the man quarter
Ralph and Bruce burst into a laugh.
"Your change! a whole penny ~
1t belongs to me, nevertheless, and
mean to have it,, F." said Charlie, resoute
ly. 81 don't see why should make the
shopman present of a penny.
The man, who had evidently intended
to take advantage Of the matter, opened
his money drawer, and took out copper
cent, grumbiag, as he did so, something
about some people being very particu-
lar"
You don't mean to say you were
really waiting for that cent?" said Bruce
Cardwell, scornfully, as they went down
the street towards the school house
'sOf course | vas! said Charlie
"why shouldn't ?"
"Well," cried Ralph, " before would
be so mean Only a cent! =
my father gives me City cents a
week, said Charlie, bravcly, "and
don't see why l should not cconemize
itw
"Mine gives me seventy fve," said
Bruce, loftily.
And you're always borrowing from
the other fellows, at that" said Charlie.
81 amt stingy. anyhow, " said Bruce
"Oh, look here! - cried Ralph, rs they
turned the corner, here is fellow with
a lot OF those pretty little paper wind
mills, only a cent piece Let's buy
some.
You may buy as many as You please"
said Charlie Walters; 81 don't want
any.
"They'ro SO cheap" said Bruce, stop.
ping to examine the mans stock n'trade.
Nothing is cheap that you don't
need, said Charlie, sagev.
:" mean to bug 'cm all, F." said Ralph,
laughing" and at noon I'll stick one in
every desk in school, and then open the
windows to set them twirling won't it be
fun :"
But the man had forty wind mills, and
there we're forty two desks in the school
room, and Master Ralph had but twenty-
Eve cents
"Lend us quarter, that's n good fel
low" he said to Charlie. Blu: Charlie
shook his head.
"Tve better use than that for my
money" he said, laughing
You old miser J" said Ralph. Bruce,
haven't you any changer
Fortunately, Bruce Cardwel had if.
teen cents, which he Immediately invested
in the paper wind mills, pronouncing it
"a jolly lork -
Wont the fellows stare - IL said
But although the wind mill were iU}
mounted with the aid of crooked pins
and sticks, in the slate Sits of each desk,
there was not wind enough, even with
every window opened wide, TO set them
whirling and although the scholars nat
urally stared little To see bits Of pink
and blue and white paper stuck in their
desks, when they came IN from recess,
the wonder did not amount To forty cents
worth, by any means.
"It's regular 1at out, " said Bruce,
GA fash in the pan, said Ralph 81
wish had my twenty-five cents back
again.
"Your forty cents, you mean, said
Bruce, did not give you the fifteen-l
only lent EN- -
"Itsa le!" said Ralph. "you bought
fifteen wind mills yourself didn't ask
you to buy them
"You did, too !" snarled Bruce-and
il the teacher had not entered just then,
they would have come to blows on the
subject
And when old Peggy O'Brien came in
with her basket of cakes, oranges, and
candies, Bruce and Ralph could only
look envyingly on; for old Peggy had
had too many dealings with them to go
on anything but cash principles.
"Arent tthese Spitzenburg apples
beautiful" said Bruce. elf had as
much money as Walters, I'd buy one.
But Charlie Walters went oa with his
sums in compound numbers, without even
noticing the remark.
II wouldn't wonder if he had got two
or three dollars saved up, +" said Ralph
Emerson, IN whisper. Hes a regular
screw.fst wouldn't be so mean, no.
for anything"
Idon't think it's any meaner to save
ones money than tits to copy ofanother
fellows exercises when he isn't looking"
said james Archer, indignantly, jerking
his oopy.book away from Ralph's elbow
"The teacher says that Is every bit as
bad as stealing
"Just give us another squnt at EN-
that's a good fellow!" cried Ralph, ca
gerly. " really haven't had time to do
mine myself.
Then you'd better have spent less
time In putting up windmils. said
Archer, ruthlessly, locking up his desk
You're as mean as dirt, growled
Ralph.
Everybody is mean but you, " said
James. "You really ought to have a
pair Of wings somewhere under your
suspender straps!'
Ralph could not help laughing; but
that did not help him to his unfinished
exercise.
II shall be kept after school" he
said.
"And serve You right, said James
Archer. II don't believe in borrowing
othnr neonle's brains as well as their