The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1888-03-10
FIFTY CENTS FOR A MARBLE

'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 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 a 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 dish waiting for dessert;
and if a 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.
"Will you 90 down town and get
some Berlin wool for me, Roy?" asked
grandmother, coming into the room.
Eyes, lam" says Roy.
That's one of the things your hands
can do, said mamma, rs 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. Eyes, that's right, :"
as Roy laid down the money. ITS
twenty-five cents an ounce"
The man put the wool in 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. CHIMES and potteries
and brandies and crystals and agates,
and if there is any other kind of mar
BILE. 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 grandmother and they al
ways tished there. He began to think
it was very unfair that Mr.. Pike, the
store-keeper, should have so many
marbles and he so few. He took one
out to look at What beauty it was
with its red and white stripes, with q
delicate twist of blue inside! His pa
per-bag of wool lay near as he gave
the marble soft roll on the counter.
The paper had become unfoIded 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 Mr.. 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 Mr.. Pike
had so many" He had never taken
any thing from store before, and his
4ingers-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. II wonder
if got the right weight on that wool?
1t was two ounces, WASH 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, | have made a mistake" said
Mr.. Pike, putting it on the scales.
''Sure as the world, I've given you
four ounces, 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 a moment it flashed
upon him that by paying for the extra
two ounces he could prevent it.
IL believe grandmother would
just rs lief have four ounces" he said.
He took his own half-dollar and offered
it to Mr.. P Ike.
"That'll be all right" said Mr.. Pike,
dropping Roy's haif-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
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 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 hid the crystal in an old box of
rubbish standing in the farthest corner
OF the tool-house.