The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1878-03-22
A Bushel of Nuts.


"Phin ! oh Phin ~
Little Eben Dixie began saying that
at the end of the lane, though he must
have known his brother could not pos
sibly hear him, and kept on all the way
until he reached the door, where Phin
stood whiting. BY that time Eben
was so out of breath he could only stand
gasping.
"Try again, boy" said Phin, thump-
ing him on the back. g suppose you
have something to say"
"Oh, Phin - said Eben again, "Mr
Sumner said he will give us one of his
little dogs if we pay him."
"How much p asked Phln, without
excitement. "Ive got just cents"
"'Tisn't money, it's nuts" said Eben.
ga bushel of chestnuts for the dog"
Phin's eyes sparkled. He had long
wanted one Of the roly poly puppies
that tumbled anil played about Mr..
Summers handsome Folly. But, hay
ing no means to purchase one, he had
tried not to think about it. Now he
shut his knife briskly.
-" Come on, boy" he said. eff a
bushel of chestnuts will do it, I'm on
hand"
However, chestnut trees were not
plenty near Phin's home, and week
later he lay on the hillside grumbling.
" That puppy will bea grown-up dog
and gray haired before we can get him.
It's no use, Eben.
The little brother looked sober but
he did not mean to give up.
"We have quite good many nuts
now" he said.
"Not third enough" said Phin.
"Over to Scranton's woods there are
enough"
"Six miles away" muttered Phin.
eff Trudie's grandmau just let us
ride old Dapple bare backed over there
and carry bag, we could do it. And
maybe she will. We helped Trudie pick
blackberries, you know"
"Eben, you're a smart boy !" cried
Phin. "Come on"
Perhaps Trudies grandma would not
have let old Dapple go had not Trudie
whispered more than once "please In
her ear. But she did consent. So the
next day the old horse was astonished to
find four short legs astride his back and
to be trotted slowly toward Scranton's
woods.
Phin held the bride, and Eben held
Phin's jacket, and they set on a folded
blanket. It wasn't quite so easy to
stick on as the boys had expected, and,
going up the first steep hill, Eber
slipped off over Dapple's tail and fell
in mud-puddle But he climbed or
by help of the nearest fence, and never
cried.
Chestnuts were plenty in those woods,
and the boz g were glad to hammer them
out of the prickly burrs, and fill Their
bags in spite of feeling stiff from theil
ride. And when, as they were about
going home, they met another small
boy and bought his nuts with leather
and 3 cents Phin had in his pocket they
felt very grand indeed.
Three miles of the homeward way
were passed, when a stray dog, helpinl
to bring somebody's COWS home, sprung
barking out of the bushes at Dapple'
nose.
Up went the old horses heels, and of
went the boys, and then away trotte,
Dapple toward home, leaving his rider
fiat on their backs.
But the nuts are SAFE" said brav
little Eben, scrambling up, and vein,
the precious bag that had also come +
the ground.
"Safe and heavy" said Phin, tuggin
it up. "If we've got to walk and carr
this all the rest of the way, think W
don't buy that dog very cheap"
1t was hard work. Both boys wer
almost crying with fatigue when the
got home; but when supper and slee
had cured their stiff limbs. and th
bushel OF nuts were exchanged for th
dear little dog, you may be sure they III
not repent of their bargain.
"You might call him Pluck" sal
Mr.. Sumner, who had heard of the
toll to earn him
Eben fondled the puppys ronnd hea
and answered
81 think well call him Nuts ,"
And 30 they did.