The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1888-12-05
for tbr CHILDREN.
A Poor Bargain.

said his father.
Roy was a good little boy in most
things, but he took no pains to correct
himself of this habit of picking and pill
fering in small way.
And as a bad habit, like a great
many other bad things-and good ones,
too--grows very fast, it was not long
before he would take an orange or a
half-dozen maccaroons from dish
waiting for dessert; and if marble or
a pencil belonging to another boy came
in his way, he would slip them into his
pocket if he was quite sure that nobody
would see him.
His mother sometimes came to know
of his ugly tricks and talked to him of
the sin and meanness of taking any
thing belonging to another.
Will you go down town and get
some Berlin wool for me, Roy?" asked
grandmother, coming into the room.
Yes, ma'am," said Roy.
"That is 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
remember it without writing it.
"'Two ounces like sample,'" said
the man at the store. Eyes, that's
right" as Roy laid down the money.
It's twenty-five cents an ounce"
The man put the wool into paper
bag, which he showed towards Roy,
and then turned to wait on another Gus
toner.
Roy began looking at the marbles
which stood in the little round wooden
boxes on the counter. He had never
seen so many in his life before. There
were commies and CHIMES and potteries
and brandies and crystals and agates,
and if there was any other kind of
marble 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 saw
ing up his half dollar to buy fishing
rod, which he could not do without,
for he was going home with grand
mother and they always flshed there.
He began to think it very unfair that
Mr.. Pike, the storekeeper, should have
so many marbles and he so few. He
took one out to look at. What beauty
it was with it's red and white stripes,
with delicate twist of blue inside.
His paper bag of wool lay near as he
gave the marble a soft little roll on the
counter. The paper had become I'M
folded and the marble rolled toward it.
With another little touch it actually
rolled in-all of itself! Roy was sure
it was none of his doing.
He glanced quickly up to see if Mr..
Pike was looking, but no, he was still
busy with somebody else.
There were such lots of marbles, Roy
said to himself.
What harm could it do to let it stay
in the bag, as it ,oould roll there? Just
one, when Mr.. Pike had 80 many"
He had never taken anything from a
store before and his fingers-the fingers,
alas! which his mother thought good
for so much better work-trembled as
he began folding up the opening of the
bag.
Let me see," said Mr.. Pike turning
suddenly toward him. 81 wonder if |
got the right weight on that wool? 1t
was two ounces, wasn't it?"
Ye-es, sir" stammered Roy.
His face turned red, and he felt hot
down to his feet, as Mr.. Pike took the
bag from his hand.
Why I've made a mistake!' said
Mr.. Pike, putting it on the scales.
"Sure as the world, I've given you four
ounces. l must take some out"
"Oh, nol'' 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.
Ell believe grandmother would
Just as lief have four ounces" he said.
He took his own half dollar and offered
it to Mr.. Pike.
"That'll be all right" said Mr.. 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 as
tonish all the little country boys, who
had nothing but saplings cut in the
woods.
He took out the marble and looked at
it as he walked home. 1t was a finer
one than any of Johnny Pringle's, there
was no mistake about that. But he
had paid half a 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 hid the crystal in an old
box of rubbish in the farthest corner of
the tool house.
4.
Hi, there!" called voice to Roy, a
few days afterward.
Roy was walking along the street,
having just taken sorrowful look at
the window inside of which were the
fishing-rods, and settled upon the one
he would have bought, if he could have
bought any.
1t was Mr.. Pike who called, and Roy
looked toward him with cheeks again
turning red, and wondering as he had
wondered the hundredth time, if Mr..
Pike knew.
Here's your half-dollar," SAID Mr..
Pike. Did you think l meant to make
you pay it for one marble?
ROy hung his head and held back