Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1875-09-30

The boys climbed upon the wheels and
looked longIngly at the fruit
:. Let you have three baskets for half-a
,dollar.'
What'll you take for the lot.n Wyatt
couldn't have told. to save his teeth, why
he asked this question He had no more
, thought of buying the whole lot than h,
had OF buying out the circus that was ex
pected next week
Well, let's see,'' said the farmer; but
instead of seeing, he shut his eyes w
close and bent his forehead on his hand
"They's thirty FIVE baskets. I'll let We hey
the hull NV EN- fer four dollars, seem it's
you; that's less'n shillin' a basket That's
dreadful cheap, an wouldn't let We hey
UNI fer no sich money eff we wus men an
women. But bein' ye're boys we kin take
um. Ye kin easy git twenty-five cents the
basket. I'd git that eff / had time to wait
on the sales; but, We see, want to gil
back to hum. I've got a lot NV young
beets that's that full uvweeds they're nigh
choked 10 death. want to git hum to
weed UNI fore Sunday, else the weeds'll
git clean the start NV me. Weeds don't
keep no Sunday, We know; pears like
they growed twicet as fast Sunday as
weekdays, anyhow. Ye kin hev the hull
lot fer four dollars" he repeated, an
that's just givin' um away. Yell double
your money fore shutdown"
g Say we take EN-" said Wyatt.
All right" was Snaps answer.
Then the subject of the baskets came
up; SO the boys promised solemnly TO
leave them, when emptied, at Mr.. Nod
ler's grocery, where the farmer would call
for them. Then Wyatt ran over to the
savings bank to draw the money.
Well, the money was paid and the straw
berries were delivered on the sidewalk.
After discussing matters the boys agreed
in the first place, u eat each basket of
/ the berries. Then they decided to set up
a stand on the corner of the square for the
sale of the remainder Wyatt borrowed
one chair from his fathers Office which
was near at hand, and another from his
mothers kitchen, which was quite re-
| moved.
BY the way, while at home he offered
his mother the whole or any part of the
| thirty three baskets at twenty-five cents.
But she had already bought six baskets
that day at eighteen cents. Then Wyatt
offered his at eighteen cents for canning
but il was baking-day and churning-d day,
and the mother decided that she could not
/
was a disappointment to Wyatt, for he
had confidently reckoned on disposing OF
dozen baskets TO his mother. Snaps
mother was out of town.
The spectators borrowed plank; this,
resting on the chairs, made the stand for
| the baskets. These were speedily put in
artistic and tempting array. Then the
| boys wiped their hands and faces, combed
Al. LIZ, ~, Gs,n nod
| their neckties, Strengthened themselves up
and made ready for the rush Of customers
with which they woull be assailed. They
sauntered about the plank, shifting at the
| berries, occasionally eating one, looking
meanwhile up and down the street for
customers. A half-hour went slowly by.
Yonder comes Billy Barlow" said
Snags "lll bet he'll want trade his old
| barlow-knife for some berries. He's been
tryin' for year TO get somebody TO trade
something or other for that old, broken
bladed, riekerty knife"
Billy Barlow's right name was William
| Williams, but, as Snaps had said, he had
barlow knife. 1t was the only thing in
the world over which he had undisputed
control The one blade was broken and
| the rivets were loose. But Billy ever had
| it on display and was ever trying to trade
itfor any conceivable boy property. Hence
his schdolmates had given him the name
of Billy Barlow.
exclaimed B., Il. " Are they yournf''--
and he ran his hungry eye up and down
the double line Of baskets.
"Of course they're ours" replied
Snaps, with quiet superiority. a..
[ q. n, coH INN tNE Et.haE
"Of course" said Snaps, in like supe-
riority. "We didn't buy them to give
away" he added, by way of forestalling
i a possible request.
"How much are they?" asked Billy
Barlow, with his hand in his ragged
pocket.
4 Twenty-Five cents a basket" and then
| Snaps winked at Wyatt, as much as 70
| say, "Look out now for the barlow-knife. ~
That's what / ask for knife I've
got" said b. b., rummaging around for
the said article amid the balls and strings
ard marbles and slate pencils which a
BOYS pocket is sure to hold.
Here 'tis,n he said, directly, holding
out the knife before Snaps eyes.
"I've seen il before" said Snaps,
coolly, looking away down the street.
=" I'll swap il for one of them baskets
of strawberries
81 don't think you WILL" Wyatt an.
| swered.
/ ats a first-rate knife said b. b., with
the sad light of disappointment in his
4 eyes.
Snaps whispered few words in the
ear of his partner.
"All right" Wyatt answered aloud.
"Look here, Barlow" Snaps said
don't want your knife-I wouldn't give it
pocketroom. You've tried to trade it to
every boy in this town. We're all tired
hearing about that old barlow Now, if
you'll throw il as far as you can send it
we'll give you a basket OF berries"
Its bargain" said Billy Barlow.
He placed himself in position, and
threw the knife halfway across the
Square.
"All right take your basket" Snaps
said, with a good feeling at his heart.
Billy walked down one side Of the
plank and up the other Then be picked
out the basket which seemed the nearest
full and to have the largest, ripest berries.
With this he walked off in the direction
his knife had gone. Afew days after he
was discovered trying TO trade il to little
girl for halfstick of liquorice.
But that Saturday morning be met, a