The Central Nevadan. [volume] (Battle Mountain, Nev.) 1885-1907, 1885-01-30
no attention to the steamboat. Ben
stared moment and then said:

| he gave MS DfuSh another gentle
sweep, and surveyed the result as be-
fore. Ben ranged up alongside oil
him. Toms mouth waterca for the
apple, but he stuck to his work. Ben
said:
"Hello, old chap! You got to work
heyl"
Tom wheeled suddenly, and eaid
"Nhy, it's you, Ben; / warn't motto
ing
"Say, Tn going in a-swimming, ]
am. Don't you wish you could2 But
OF course you'd ruther work, wouldn't
you2 Course you would"
Tom contemplated the boy bit and
said.
''What do you call worklp
"Why, amt that work."
Tom resumed his whitewashing and
answered carelessly:
"Well, maybe it is, ind maybe it
amt. All | know is, it suits Tom
Sawyer"
"Oh, come, now, you don't mean to
let on that you like It'll"
"Like it, Well, l don't see why |
oughtn't to like 1t. Does a boy get a
chance TO whitewash fence every
dayl"
That put the thing in new light.
Ben stopped nibbliug his apple. Tom
swept his brush daintily back and
forth--stepped back to note the eff
feet added touch here and there
criticised the effect again, Ben watch
ing every move and getting more and
more interested, moro and more ab-
sorbed Presently he said:
Say, Tom, let me whitewash a
little.
Tom considorcd--was about to con
sent-but he altered his mind. mo,
no, | reckon it wouldn't hardly do,
Ben. You see, Aunt Pollys awful
particular about this fence-right here
on the street. you know-but If it was
the back fence | wouldn't mind, and
she wouldn't Yes, she's awful par
iicular about this fence; it's got to be
done very careful / reckon there
amt one boy in a thousand, maybe
two thousand, that can do it in the
way it's got to be done"
"No-is that 500 Oh, come now
lemme just try, jus, little. I'd let
you, If you was me, Tom.
''Ben, I'd like to, honest Injun; but
Aunt Polly-well jim wanted to do it,
but she wouldn't let him. Sid wanted
to do it, but she wouldn't let Sid.
Now don't you see how I'm tixedl II
you was to tackle this fence, and any
thing was to happen to it"
"Oh, shucks III be just as care
full. Now lemme try. Say, I'll give
you the core of my apple.
"Well, here; no, Ben, now don't;
Tn afeard--"
| "Ill give you all of it. "
Tom gave up the brush with reluc-
tance in his face, but alaerity in his
heart. And while Ben worked and
swoated in the sun, the retired artist
sat on barrel in the shade close by,
danggled his legs, munched his apple,
and planned the slaughter Of more in
nocents. There was no lack of ma.
teral; boys happened along every lit
tie while; they came to ieer, but re.
manned to whitewash. BY the time
Ben was tagged out, Tom had traded
the next chance to Billy Fisher for a
kite in good repair; and when he
played out Johnny Miller for dead
rat and string to swing it with; and
SO on, and so on, hour after hour. And
when the middle of the Afternoon
came, from being a poor, poverty
stricken boy in the morning, Tom was
literally rolling in wealth. He had
Aesides the things before mentioned
twelve marbles, part of jews-harp
a piece of blue bottle glass to look
through, a spool cannon, key that
wouldn't unlock anything, a fragment
of chalk, glass stopper of ecanteri
a tin soldier, couple Of tad-poles, six
fire crackers, kitten with only one
eye, brass door knob, a dog collar
but no dog, the handle of knife,
four pieces of orange peel, and dilsp
idated old window sash.
Tom hid n nice yond i5lo t;n,a al