The Olneyville tribune. (Providence, R.I.) 1893-189?, 1894-06-02
SO much? He thad passed three OF

so much? He thad passed three OF
Sammy's traps already that day,
which held a further store OF skins
for that lucky brother They would
add at least another dollar 70 his saw
ings. Not one OF Mats own traps
had been sprung. Why couldn't IL
have been different
Why 1t was sudden, half
formed idea which fitted through his
mind. but 1t startled him and
brought swift color To his cheek
1t made m feel hot and angry, as
though some one had struck him.
But there IL was again, bobbing I'D
as though IL had nothing 20 fe
time too.
'Sammy's skIns," Those we're
the two words which formed it. Nat
get his teeth together and plunged
ahead sturdily through the drifted
snow, trying TO get it out OF his
mind. 1t did not seem atall anxious
TO 20, but came uD again and again,
stronger and larger with every ap-
pearance.
n
lucky" Sammy has Sl5, and three
more skins in his traps today"
What will Sammy DO with his
money when he gets it? Just
waste it-spend it for some foolish
thing or other Why couldn't"--
No. Nat wouldn't think OF 1t.
And yet he did think OF il; he
couldn't help it.
'There are Sammy's skins There
Is no one TO see. sammy doesn't
need the money. You could pay il
back TO h m, anyway, some time.
Take Sammy's skins"
Oh. the shame Of it.! lie would
not listen. He turned far out OF his
way after that, SO as TO avoid seeing
Sammps traps, and hurried home as
fast as nc could, TO find relief in his
studies.
But when he lay awake In the
night the first drifting bits of
thought were OF Sammy's skins; he
dreamed OF his little brothers good
fortune, and in the morning, when
he arose and went down TO his early
hour OF study in the kitchen, he
could not fasten his mind upon his
work, but sat Tor long time with
his eyes fixed upon the dancing red
flames.
To-day the thought did not wait
for him To get TO the woods before it
attacked him. When he left the
house IL was busy in his brain, and
had persuaded him to listen VIII lie 1t
argued. Long and persistently it
worked; and when he reached the
dark shelter OF the timber land he
was too much occupied in his struggle
with it TO think OF avoiding Sammys
traps to-day
The very first one upon which his
eyes fell held a beautiful red fox
Was 1t ordered TO be SO? No one
can tell. Nat hardly stopped TO
question. II il had been rabbit or
a muskrat he might have resisted;
now he did not struggle. but with a
sudden fierce determination he re-
leased the fox and slung it across his
back, then carefully reset the trap
and covered all traces Of his visit
He did not care to stop TO reason
now; it was too late. lIe only forced
himself to say. over and over again:
"l'll pay Sammy back, some day.
Then he won't care"
After that, yielding was easier. 1t
is always easier after the first strug-
gle is lost
Then Mats dollars increased. 1t
seemed TO those at home that some
kindly fate must be determined TO
help Nat on, his little hoard OF money
grew SO rapidly. Sammy's grew, too,
but SO slowly!
The beasts have found out it's
Nat that wants the education, their
father said, okingly: that's why
they've quit coming TO you, sammy"
But Sammy had nothing to say; he
only looked across ut Nat, seated at
the other side OF the fireplace, bent
over his b, oks Nat would much
rather read the pages Of his history
than look into Sammy's honest brown
eyes.
Well, and so IL was accomplished.
The first Of March brought new
sense OF living to the ambitious boy,
Wllcll ICdllLtu llllU Dt Olly .
three or tour dollars more to win.
He would trust To good fortune in
earning them In some way at Bel
mont, in odd moments out OF school
hours He would certainly not let
that keep him at home.
Then came the day OF leave-ta taking.
That is uay always clear in the
memory OF every boy until boyhood
slips into the dreamy shadows of
final forgetfulnesS. Belmont was
only twenty miles away, down the
river, hut there was as much OF sor-
row and hope in the preparations for
leaving home rs though IL had been
on another star
"iood-bv, Nat Mind what your
mother tells you"
There was an unaccuStomed
warmth and tremor OF feeling in his
fathers voice il seemed 10 Nat, and
in his mothers close clasp and words