The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1895-01-05

better than | can do, can 1? | know
I'm slow. and | guess Pa don't regret
it any more than | do. Lee is work
ing hard for that prize. He's going to
college. anyhow; but | heard him say
ing he'd like that money to splurge on
when he gets there. His ma is going
IL take him to the city and rig him up
in new clothes before he starts"
IF you go, I'm afraid you'll have to
do on what you got now, or a little
more" sighed Mrs. Bixby. ''Of course
a boy of sixteen don't want much; but
anyhow, your pa, yOu know, is
II don't care about clothes, if l
only get there" interrupted Jim. part
ing a tough stick of wood. The
books are what I'm after. Lee hardly
has a thing to do, though there is SO
much work to bedone around their farm
and house now. You know the baby
amt well. and little Alice tags around
after her ma whining all the time.
She's ailing, too, l guess. It's mighty
hard on Mrs. Raymond: but she doesn't
Ike Lee to spend time off his books
helping her"
Ills hard on her." agreed Mrs. Blk
by, thinking of the time when she
and the pretty Mrs. Raymond had
been girls together. 'She and l We're
mighty fond of each other once. l
wish l could go over and help her
some, but your pad be mad. Anyhow,
l guess she can't be SO bad off or she'd
let Lee do something. faint good
fur a boy to be ct his books all the
time; he needs some work"
''Oh, ma, don't you get to thinking
like pa" groaned the usually uncom-
planning Jim. "He says it's good tor
a boys mind when his body is all tired
out; but that's not so. | wish l could
make him go and sit on a hard bench
all day at school studying, and then
come home and do chores, finishing off
by milking so many kicking cows
that his fingers get too nerveless to hold
4 book. Then | wish he'd set up a ge-
ometry before him. and try to work
out an original problem. lguess he'd
find it hard"
why, sonny" cried Mrs. Bixby.
Il know oughtn't to say anything,
but | do get SO tired"
1T amt easy fur you, dear" whis-
pered Mrs. Bixby, laying her knotty
hand on the boys brown curls. But
l do what ! can for you"
Jim looked ashamed, as he furtively
squeezed her fingers.
You're the best ma there is" he
said, the very best. I'm pretty good
on history, and I'll work well, and per-
haps I'll win the prize. The examira-
ton is three weeks off, so you see l
won't be hurried at all in getting ready
for it."
But don't neglect your other stud
les" cautioned Mrs BiXby, as they
walked together to the house.
Jim studied faithfully for three
weeks, and so did Lee Raymond. The
latter was the only boy whom jim
feared would surpass him OF the eX-
animation. Every evening as he
tramped homeward he had to pass the
Raymond house, and he would see Lee,
seated by the sitting-room window,
working away on the history. The
boys never spoke, but Lee would let
his lips widen in a superior sort of a
smile, that decidedly irritated the
other lad.
The night before the ~momentous eX-
animation, Mr.. Bixby leaned over his
sons shoulder, as the latter was trying
to fix in his mind the fact that Busiris
was said to have built the city of
Thebes.
Jim" he said, you had be tter come
out head on this examination, sonny.
Raymond was talking in the village
this morning, boasting about his boy
and his boys smartneSs. He limited
that Lee would win the history prize.
You recollect what's at stake for you,
and beat him"
III do the best 1 can, pa" Poor
Jim was almost tired of repeating hat
phrase of late.
Jim, it's twenty minutes past
seven" said Mrs. BiXby next morning,
glancing at the clock. Don't you
b'lieve you better start now, on &C
count of the weather."
Land, ma" laughed Jim, nervous
ly; presume 1 could walk four miles
in an hour and Il half if the snow was
up to my neck"
But in a few moments he put on his
coat and cap. took the precious history
to study on the way and, despite his
usual undemonstrative ways, returned
the hearty kiss his mother gave him.
Ten minutes wore away until it was
half-past ten.
Guess Jim must be bout half
through his questions now," thought
Mrs. Bixby. At the same moment the
kitchen door opened, and Jim, white
faced and red-eyed, entered.
''Oh, Jim, what is it?" cried the wO-
man.
II was late. ma" said Jim, slowly.
SIT was five minutes past nine when l
got to the classroom"
Surely you didn't loiter on the
way?"
1T took me from half-past seven till
five minutes past nine to get to the
schoolroom, answered Jim, constrain-
eddy.
But what kept you?"
Don't ask me anything, ma. You
don't know how bad ! feel"
You're holding something back,
jim"
..Yes'm. But l got to do it. Oh, ma,