The Van Buren press. [volume] (Van Buren, Ark.) 1859-1914, 1896-08-15

for some comic weekly, representing a
town on n bicycle. Yes, he was getting
rural material for literary purposes;
only. as he thought with another in
ward smile, he was getting it, not from
the country people, but from a city
visitor. However, he conquered his
smile and asked:
do you think the experiment is sue
eeeding?"
Succeeding? OF course it's succeed
ing. / hope you don't mind very mich
about the beefsteak?"
mo, don't mind very much so far.
Hiram is probably used to cultivating
literature on little oatmeal, and you
seem to be as much of June Rose as
ever. Only I'm little afraid Of turning
myself into a Grahame biscuit be-
fore the season is over"
But il is such a paradise!" and her
eyes wandered over the verbena beds.
sAnd to think there is never serpent
in i'll"
"0h, but there is. regard Hiram in
the light of serpent
and an angel. He has promised to give
half the crop of his turnip field to the
bicycle fund"
"That's nothing. I'm willing to give
my entire share of the turnips."
"Oh, no! She couldn't expect you to
give up beefsteak and turnips both.
I'm sure she wouldn't"
And so the bicycle fund grew and
grew. Miss Matilda was entirely I'M
disturbed; she simply let affairs take
their own way. She had set the bail
rolling, or, rather, the wheel rolling,
and the boarders were doing the rest.
That was as it should be. She denied
them nothing-in fact, she even added
crullers to the frugal breakfast. But
their interest in the fund did not seem
10 need tanning. The strawberry fes-
tival was a great success, chiefly owing
10 the fact that the June Rose had Or
dered 20 boxes sent TO her mother,
While the other boarder, for lack of q
mother, ate, himself, as many saucer
fuls at ten cents plate. The Rose had
imported a large number of friends,
who cheerfuly paid fares and expenses
amounting to two OF three dollars that
she might reap the benefit of their ten
cents admission. Everybody said it was
beautifully managed. The Rose had
announced that she should pay for
everything and only hope to make legit-
innate profits; but when she went the
rounds to bargain for the berries and
the sugar, and the cream and the cake
the silver quarters that she dutifully
drew out of her little purse to bear
witness to her willingness to pay, chung
SO lovingly to her little gloved fingers
(mind you. don't say that her fingers
clung to the money!, that farmer, farm
cr's wife and groceryman at once an
nounced their firm intention not to ac'
cept cent Then they went and paid
ten cents admission to look at their
berries and sugar, and cream and cake
as arranged for the festival, and ten
cents more for the satisfaction of see
ing how they tasted in such novel sur
roundings, and then, because they
tasted well. ten cents for another plate
full. Oh, yes! 1t was beautifully man
aged.
And so the fund grew and grew. Ora
hame bore patiently the depletion o.
his purse and the sacrifice OF his beef
steak. but when the Rose suggested
that he begin deliberately to earn fol-
the fund, and give up riding his bicycle
in the afternoons to hoe corn fol
Farmer Platt at so cents a day, he de
INJURED.
Cant l make you understand thai
IL we give her our bicycles at the end o.
the season there isn't any need of rails
ing fund?'
"Of course there isn't any need. Blu
It's such fun to see the money accumu
late! And you can always buy more
things to go with 1t; tools, and Ian
terms, and cyclometers, and waterproof
capes, and lunch baskets"
"Well, If you must have money II
accumulate, / promise to pay so cents
week into the fund for the privilege o
riding my own bicycle till the tint
comes to give it up, if you'll allow mi
to lA Farmer Plat hoe his corn with
out me. There may be less corn TO
the market, but If there is l promise
to eat canned corn next winter"
"But if there isn't any corn how cal
there be any corn canned?"
There can't. That's the advantage
don't you see? Wouldn't you be glac
| to have canned corn eliminated from
the market?'
"Yes, if could have mushrooms in
stead"
every well, you shall eat mushroom
If you'll only let me ride my wheel il
peace till the time comes to give it up.
So she graciously accorded her per
mission.
But the fund idea was too fascinating
The next day she had formulated new
plan.
She would help gather in the crops
She could pick berries and cut the fresl
egetables-and-oh, glorious new idea
She could preserve the strawberries lief
over, and jelly the currants, and churl
butter for market, and make ever 81
muchl She could help Hiram"
This was too much. She was not onl,
going to stop riding with him, but sh
was going to begin lingering will
Hiram.
Didn't | point out to you the othe
day that there wH3 no need of fund a
all, as we are going to present the tow
with our wheels?"
YES, but"
"But what?"
Its such fun to see the money accu