Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1886-10-07
FOOLED HIS MOTHER.

her little house after breakfast To 90
away for her days sewing. Billy was
busy with hammer and nails in corner
of the shed.
What are you doing, Billy?' she
asked
"Oh, nothin'."
BILLY, want to know before I 90.
You must tell me this minute.
Sae spoke in a tone half suspicious,
half complaining. Billy loo ked up with
out the scowl it might have seemed to
provoke.
why, mother, I'm going to April
fool Sue the biggest kind you ever
saw
Mrs. Brands heart sank, if thing
can be said to sink which is very far
down already. She had forgotten il was
the LIST day of April and Saturday.
Where might not all the tricks and
pranks sure to be coniurcd up by
Billy's active brains and carried out
by his restless limbs lead him by
night?
BILLY, don't do it. Don't now, do
anything to torment Susie while I'm
gone. She's feeling bad to-day, |
know, for saw her crying when she
tried to move 'rouad. Now, Billy,
promise me you'll let tina, alone, what
ever it Is"
She pointed toward his work, which
he had hidden from view. Billy shook
his head stoutly.
Il couldn't do that. mother; but
don't YOU be scared won't do any
til 9 bad t. Sue"
He jumped up and kissed her as he
spoke, procedure which so astonished
her that, with another warning, she
went of, with fewer misgivings than
she had felt before.
Billy worked away very busily for an
hour. He was skilful with tools, and
by the time he held up his work it was
qu te worthy of the approving nod and
smile he gave as be said to himself:
"That'll do. Wonder what she'll
say"
1t was three small shelves rather
cleverly made of pine boards, hung to-
gcther by leather straps. The edge of
each shelf was finished with trimming
made of strips of red flannel which he
had found among his mothers carpet
rags. Pinked with a pair of scissors
and nailed on with common silver-plated
tack, set at regular intervals, it gave
then: an appearance of neatncss which
highly del GIFTED Billy.
Real STYLE about it," he again re-
marked to himself as he carried it to-
ward the house. Now, if can only
| get if in without her seeing
Peeping cautiously in at the door, he
watched until he saw Susie go with
slow and painful steps into the small
bedroom which opened off the kitchen.
Dart ng noiselcssly in, he hung the
shelves on a nail which he had driven
when favorable chance hal offered a
few days before. Then with has;y
movements he brought a few of his SIS
ter's Looks and laid on one of the
shelves her work basket and lastly a
few pansies which he had gathered in
neglected bed in the garden. All
thes arranged to his full satisfaction,
he waited for the sound of the hes tat
ing steps returning, and shouted:
April fool!
Susie gave little scream and said
peevishy:
,'Ob. yon tease You gave me such
start Why-Billyr
Her eyes fell on the shelves, and
Billy, with his stumpy little figure
drawn TO its full height, watched with
/ I.,n, and Lost of
prise and pleasure which lighted up her
face
Billy, did you do it?''
Eyes. little sheepishly, as she put
her arms about his neck.
why did your
"Oh, I'm so awfully sorry when il
hurts YOU to walk. And | seen one OF
them things down 10 the book store,
only twas shiny and got up stylish
and thought if you had such one
you could keep lots of things handy
right by you, and wouldn't have TO hurt
your foot gettin' up. faint very
smooth, you see. Deacon Todds old
plane wouldn't work worth II cent.
Its beauty" Suse looked down
ut her poor crooked foot without n fret
full scowl for the first time, perhaps,
since the cruel hurt had come to il
wears ago. saving softly:
You wouldn't a done il for me il
haln' been lame, Billyg"
Il lly shuflled his feet, took u few
lounging steps about the kitchen, pokec
at the fire, gave the wood-box a kick,
and then went to his sister with face
that showed that something lay heav,
on his mind.
Sue. I've -well-thinkin'. The
tallcst kind of thinkin', Sue
"Oh!' said Sue, in rather a disap
po nted tone.
"You see," Billy scratched his head
reached up to make sure the shelves
hung evenly. and went on, laboriously
Il want to turn over new leaf Sue
The biggest kind of leaf.
II gazed anxiously at her, as If ap
pcalng for her help to go on. Sh'
wanted to help him.
",vhy, what made you think of that
Billy?"
"Oh, somethrn'. You see last Sun
day gon' to school l tripod up jim
Pratt-leastways / went to trip up jim
Pratt. and he tripped me up instea'
(rll be up to him next time, though!)
land gave me the awfulest big whacl
on the head, and then Ihad headache
so didn't feel like pokin' the boys. no
pulln' their hair nor nothin' in Sun
,lay-school-jest had TO sit still and lis
ten. And--cracky, Sue, II you'd hear'
Mr. Lay talk"
How, BillyW
.sOh. solemn. Looked RICH
through and through chap. and PSI
his voice down low, and say boys tina
a.. ho ,.,<.tkaro In