The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1886-10-30

Ine room.
"Why, Billy, what's the matterp"
she asked.
81 don't feel very we'll, mother"
said Billy.
Unlucky word! His mother felt his
pulse, which. indeed, was beating at
furious rate from excitement. She was
sure that he had a fever, and she
thought of calling doctor, but Billy
would not consent to it. At least his
mother could give him little sweet
spirit of inter, which she said was very
pillow for him, so that he could sleep.
"Why, goodness me! What's this?"
and with that she drew out the re-
volver, but she had no sooner drawn it
out than she let it drop to the floor, as
though it were snake.
With that, Billy's father, hearing the
cutlery and the noise, came running
into the room.
''How on earth did that get under
your pillow?" he said.
Oil was afraid'--
"You were afraid! And you thought
you could shoot him! Why. you would
L.
you should shoot Besides. this rusty
old thing hasn't been loaded for five
years, and you couldn't make it go off
If it was loaded. Maria, that boys out
of his head. / am sure it is a case of
scarlet fever. Rise up here; let me see
your throat"
The throat looked well enough; but
something wasSthe matter. At last it
was concluded that he was bilious.
Whenever you can not tell what is the
matter with a person, you may safely
conclude that he is bilious. So Billy
had to take one Of McHum's World
Renowned, Ambitious, Blood-Purify-
ing and General-Regulator Pills. He
had taken them before. and he knew
that if he were not sick before taking
one, he would be sick enough after
wards. His father locked up the FIVE
shooter in drawer where no thief
would be likely to kill himself with it,
and his mother left lamp burning in
Billy's room and the door open into
her own. The General-Regulator made
him so deathly sick that Billy had to
give up the buffaloes for that night.
What was his disgust when his moth
er came into his room in the morning
with cup of tea and told him that
Ben Clark had run off in the night.
And his mother added that it was all
because Ben's mother hadn't man.
aged him right. Mrs. Clark never did
know how to manage her son. And
then Billy's mother said it would Just
kill her if her boy should run off But
Mr.. Clark said Ben could stay till he
got sick of it, and then he'd surely
come back.
Poor Billy! he was so overcome by
his mothers kindness that he made up
his mind not to 90 away for the pres
emit But his heart was full of envy fol-
the good luck of Ben Clark. He had
one little note from Ben announcing
his arrival at Denver; and from not
getting any more letters, he supposed
that Ben had gone directly out on the
plains to hunt buffaloes. Clearly he
was where there were no post-ofiices.
The other supposition that he might
not have money enough to buy two
cent stamp did not occur to Billy. In
the stories he read, boys always found
money somehow when they needed it
badly.
But Billy had lost all interest in his
lessons. The teacher had written to
his mother, but nothing could make
Billy study. He pasted the walls of his
room over with pictures of bloody en-
counters between white men and red
men and between all sorts of men and
wild beasts. At last, after half a year,
he determined to go to Colorado hav-
ing had a second letter from Ben.
Then came another letter. This last
letter from Ben Clark had been very
short and very indefinite. 1t said: Il
have had many adventures, some of
them awful rough ones, but l have not
killed a buffalo yet. They are not so
thick as ! thought Better stay where
you are if you don't want to see rough
times. Now, my dear friend, want
you to lend me little money. l
haven't got any clothes, and am almost
starved to death. | expect to find a
place in restaurant, and when l come
home 1 will pay you"
This was an unexpected turn of
events. Billy thought the matter over.
Billy d d not 90 off that night. The
next morning he had conversation
with poor Mrs. Clark which resulted in
the Disguised Ben's coming home.
Billy's father and mother found it
all out after awhile, and Billy tore
down all the pictures of hunting. The
next week he began to improve in his
studies. In month he was again
among the best scholars in his class.
But he has never shot a buffalo with
that old rusty revolver. -Bdward Eg-
gleStoa, IN Youths Companion.