The Arizona sentinel., 1888-03-24
FIFTY CENTS FOR A MARBLE.
How Roy Was Reminded to Stand by Fair
 and Honest Dealings.

and Honest Dealings.
 Don't put your fingers in the dish, dear, and don't pick at the cake," said Roy's mother.
 Don't take an apple without leave from a tree belonging to any one else. "
 Roy was good little boy in most things, but he took no pains to correct himself of this habit of picking up and pilfering in small way. And as a bad habit, like great many other bad things-and good ones, too-grows very fast, it was not long before he would take an orange or half dozen maca- rooms from a dish waiting for dessert; and if marble or pencil belonging to another boy came in his way, he would slip it into his pocket if he was quite sure that nobody would see him. His mother some times came to know of his ugly tricks, and talked to him of the sin and meanness of taking any thing belonging to another.
 Twill you go down town and get some Berlin wool for me, Roy?" asked grandmother, coming into the room.
 ''Yes, ma am," says Roy.
 That one of the things your hands can do" said mamma, as he took up the half-dollar and the bit of paper on which grandmother wrote the errand, although he insisted he could remem- Der it without writing.
 1.-Two ounces like sample" said the man at the store. "Yes, that's right" as Roy laid down the money. its twenty-five cents an ounce"
 The man put the wool in a paper bag, which he showed toward Roy, and then turned to wait on another customer.
 Roy began looking at the marbles which stood in little round wooden boxes on the counter. He had never seen so many in his life before. There were commies, chinies and potteries and brandies and crystals and agates, and if there is any other kind of mar ble, it was there, too. They were all colors of the rainbow, plain and streaked and shaded and spotted. He felt almost like buying some of them. But he had been for weeks sav- ing up his half dollar to buy fishing rod, which he could not do without; for he was going home with grandmother, and they al- ways fished there. He began to think it was very unfair that MT. Pike, the store-keeper, should have so many Y1 Ho out to look at. What beauty it was with it's red and white stripes, with a delicate twist of blue insidei His pa- per-bag of wool lay near as he gave the marble soft roll on the counter. The paper had become unfolded and the marble rolled toward it. With an- other little touch it actually rolled in all of itself! Roy was sure it was none of his doing. He glanced quickly to see if Mir. Pike was looking; but no. he was still busy with somebody else. There was such lots of marbles. Roy said to himself: "What harm could it do to let it stay in the bag, as it would roll there? Just one, when Mir. Pike had so many" He had never taken any thing from store before, and his fngers-the fingers. alas! which his mother thought good for so much bet ter work-trembled as he began fold ing up the opening of the bag.
 Let me see," said Mr. Pike, turn ing suddenly towards him. '1 wonder if I got the right weight on that woolP It was two ounces, wasn't itP''
 "Ye-es, sir," stammered Roy. His face turned red, and he felt hot down to his feet as Mir. Pike took the bag from his hand.
 ''Why, have made mistake" said 1 MT. Pike. putting it on the scales. ''Sure as the world, I've given you four ounces, I must take some out. ."
 "Oh, nor' said Roy, in great fright, taking hold of the bag.
 How could he bear to see that marble found there? In @ moment it flashed upon him that by paying for the extra two ounces he could prevent it.
 1T believe grandmother would just as lief have four ounces," he said. He took his own half-dollar and offered it to MT. Pike.
 ''That'll be all right. said Mir. Pike, dropping Roy's half-dollar in his change drawer. The poor naughty little boy set his lips tightly together as he went out of the store, carrying his paper bag. His half-dollar was gone, and with it his fishing-rod-the | beautiful bamboo rod with which he | had expected to astonish all the little l country boys. who had nothing but saplings cut in the woods. He took | out the marble and looked at it as he | walked home It was a finer one than any one of Johnny Pringle's, there was no mistake about that; but he had paid a half-dollar for it, and he knew it was worth just about five cents He could not bear to look at it. He carried the wool to grandmother and then went and bid the crystal in an old box of