The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1891-10-22
A PROFOUND SECRET.

PROFOUND SECRET.
What John Did with the Money He Mad.
Out of His Garden.
''What are you going to do with the
money from your garden this year
John?'
Mrs. Leslie had just taken an iron
from the stove and was holding it to
her cheek to test its temperature. She
looked at her little boy, who was start
ing out with his bat for game of base
ball.
''rhat is secret, mother said John
in a mysterious voice. coming back into
the room, that / am not going to tell
anyone. even you, until the summer i.
over" and John ran out and gave a
peculiar boyish yell to some of his
friends.
His mother smiled to herself John
had saved up his money for two sum
mers in order to buy himself Il row
boat, and had talked SD much about il
that his family was quite sick of the
subject by the time the boat was
bought; but this year it was to be diff
ferent. lie intended to keep his inten
ton with regard to the disposal of his
money profound secret.
lie was bright boy, whose parents
lived i'm the village of Sandwich, on the
beautiful Detroit river, nearly opposite
the city of that name. Attached to
their house was large garden Oh chard
the former of which was Johns especial
care. All the vegetables which were
not required by the family belonged t.
him, and from this source he realized
all his pocket money. This stimulated
his ambition and he was besides natur.
ally very active.
Every morning John would work for
about an hour i'll my garden" as he
proudly called it. In one corner was a
patch of potatoes in another corn, and.
in their season. he had cabbage, cauli-
flower, beets, tomatoes, onions, let
tuce, radishes, etc. 1t was his pride to
keep his garden perfectly free from
weeds and the ground well hoed up
around his plants.
John and the captain of the ferry boat
that stopped at Sandwich were great
friends The former sometimes pre-.
scented the captain with q basket of
nice, ripe tomatoes or some of the first
green corn of the season, in return for
which he was allowed to ride on the
ferryboat as often as he wished.
One summer. two little cousins, Alice
and May Leslie, were visiting at his
home. John asked them to accompany
him for ride on the ferrybo think.
ing the captain would have no objec.
tons. They were enjoying themselves
on the deck, when the captain came mp
to the little boy, and, in stern voice.
demanded: where is your farce
John, astonished at this unusual sever.
ity, looked up and said, timidly: Wont
tomatoes do?" At this the good cap
tain burst into hearty laugh, which
was very reassuring u the poor little
boy.
Little Cora Leslie, Johns sister, was
about seven years old, but had never
been able to walk. on account of some
spinal trouble. She was an intelligent
child. of great beauty and had re-
markably sweet disposition. She was
the pet of the family and it was John S
delight to give her any pleasure in his
power. He would often wheel her out
in the baby carriage, which was now
almost too small for even her frail
body. She took great interest in his
garden and he had made for her little
summer-house of lattice-work, with a
grapevine climbing over it. Into this
he would wheel her and she would sit
there watching him at his work.
Even to Cora John did not tell his
secret. although she tried hard to coax
it from him and even cried when he
would not tell her. John was obliged
to console her by promising to take her
over to Detroit on the ferry boat, which
was the great delight of her life. She
was pet of the captains, who would
tell her stories and carry her all over
the boat.
There was only one person who knew
Johns secret besides himself. This
was the captain, whose advice he had
asked in regard to the purchase he in.
tended to make.
Alithat summer the little boy worke
faithfully, and as it happened to be a
very good season he earned more money
than usual. At last fall came and John
announced one Saturday morning al
breakfast that the great secret would
be disclosed that day.
II am going over to Detroit and the
captain is going with me to friend OF
his to pick out what I am going t.
buy" said John. and having bid them
all good-by. he started off with eigh'
teen dollars, the proceeds of his labor
snugly tucked away in his vest pocket
He ran down to the ferry boat, throw
ing his cap up in the air and catching i
and shouting to give vent to his higl
spirits.
His little sister sat at the window
and watched for him to return until sh'
grew tired and fell asleep. She wa
awakened by q strange noise. and t
her great surprise saw her brother sit
ting in curious chair with wheels Oh
it, in which he was propelling himsel
up and down the room.