The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1878-05-04
HARRY'S ALLOWANCE.

Grandfather stood on the terrace
looking down to the front gate through
which came a small boy of seven.
Rushed would be better word, for
Harry seldom had time to walk, and
flew up the steps now at such a rate
that grandfather stepped aside hastily,
saying:
What now, Harry boy?"
Its n new store, grandpa; a new
store, with all sorts of things in it:
everything we want, figs and slate pen
ellis and shoe strings and everything,
and old Bob Fields keeps it. l want
mamma. Where is mamma?''
"Up-stairs with baby; but, child,
don't walt to turn a somerset down the
front steps if there is new store. Can't
you go a little slower?n
. 81 didn't mean to run into you,"
Harry said, apologetically, "only
couldn't wait, | was in such hurry
And he plunged up the stairs at the
same rate which had nearly upset
grandfather.
"Come stiller, DEAR" said voice
from the window, cor | shall think
own a cannon ball instead of little
boy. What is the hurry?"
Onlyt to tell you all about the store"
and Harry planted his elbows on man.
mas knees and looked into her eyes.
Where is it?''
"Close by the school-house, mamma,
that speck of house, you know. Bob
Field is going to live in the back room
and have store in the front, and he's got
oh, everything! Mammal
"Well, Harry"
Il wish | had some money!
"What could you do with it?"
"Oh, spend it. I'd buy taffy, or
something else, maybe. Why can't
have some pennies every week? Don't
you know Charley Durkee does?
Couldn't have two?"
"That doesn't seem unreasonable for
beginning, said Mrs. Morrell. "Will
you be cOntented with two, though?'
Eyes, indeed" Harry answered, be-
ginning to jump up and down. BE
cause often | go week and don't have
one. Unless you meant to give me
more" he added, hastily. I'D love
to have three
Very well, you shall have three.
You love to share everything too well
to run any risk of making yourself sick
with what is left. III give them to
you now, only remember that it is only
three a week, and that you must plan
how to do the most with them"
"Oh, you loveliest mammal Harry
said, with choking hug, and then ran
down to tell grandfather Of his good
fortune.
Harry was village boy, as you may
have, by this time, guessed, sure that
city boy would never be so excited over
a store of any sort. And store in the
village itself would have been nothing
to think about. But lame Bob Field,
who had not peddled molasses candy
in the old school-house for nothing,
knew very well what would come of
settling near it, and that every spare
penny owned by those small boys and
girls would, sooner or later, find its
way into his till. He chuckled quietly
as he arranged his window, piling up
the white peanuts, and making star
of figs and dates in the center. There
were other things, too, which might be
useful to the people who lived on the
farms close by; needles and pins, and
behring's and crackers, and so on, but
Bob had spent almost all his capital on
what the children would buy, sure that
they would prove his best customers.
Harry, as it happened, was the first
one, and, after good deal of thinking,
decided upon stick of wintergreen
candy with which to treat Amy Green,
who lived next door to them. The stick
seemed so small that he hesitated; and
Bob said:
"Well, you want something else?"
"Fll take half cents worth of pea
nuts and half a cents worth of raisins,"
Harry said, putting the other penny at
the very bottom of his pocket 1t new
er would do to spend all three the first
day.
THAT amt no way to trade" said
Bob. 81 don't do business that way"
"Then I'll have all peanuts" Harry
said, so cheerfully that Bob changed
his mind, and counted out thirteen pea
nuts and four raisins.
Just for once" he growled; land
don't you let on"
NO" Harry said, delighted, and
running out to Amy, who was just COM
ing down the road with her brother and
Charley Durkee. Miss Brown tapped
on the window, and all Harry could find
time for then was to say, in a loud
whisper: Pm going to treat at re-
cess
Recess had never seemed longer in
coming, and Harry found so many good
things in his pocket very distracting,
and almost wished he had waited till
after school.
Thirteen peanuts could not divide
evenly; and, having eaten the twelve,
Amy and he spent the rest of recess in
planting the thirteenth and bringing
water from the spring to water it.
Charley, in the meantime, indignant
that he had not been shared with,
watched his chance, and, digging it up,
ate it with great relish, which, as the
peanut was roasted one and never
could have grown, anyway, was perhaps
Just as well.