The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1899-03-01
JIMMIE'S .......
AMBITION.
"Uello. Jimi What's M now?"
BY LESTER L. LOCKWOOD.

Sam Simmins vaulted the low fence,
and, standing with his hands in his
pock cts, watched Jim a few moments.
Then he gave m amused whistle. 81
say, Jim. there's nothing like having
conveniences to work with. Now, ii
1 were to build chicken coop
should be silly enough to use new
wire eightpennies and n steel-tipped
hammer; but daresay I'm quite be-
hind the times, and that assorted sizes
of bent and rusty nails and slippery
stone to drive them in with are the
latest improved Implements sort of
renaissance in carpentry, eh?"
"Not exactly" replied Jim, laugh
ing, "but it gives you chance to mir
that French pronunciation that you
had to stay for after school for last
night. So there's some good comes
from my impoverished resources; after
all, that was the phrase 1 struck on
yesterday"
"Don't Miss Lamb put us through
the definitions and pronunciations for
all they are worth, though? Father
says If this thing keeps up he'll have
TO buy new dictionary before the
year is out--such wear on il, you know.
But, to resume the original theme
what are you going to put in your
coop when it is done?"
"That is also Miss Lambs doing.
You see, she knows all about my
poultry craze knows I'm saving up
to go into the chicken business, /
mean-and yesterday she showed me
chance to begin. The folks where
she boards are regular chicken cranks,
you know-fine stock, incubators, and
all that. Well, yesterday she heard
Mrs. Jansen says that she had a hen
30 determined to set that she couldn't
break her up, and that she'd sell her
very cheap to get rid Of her. So Miss
Lamb told her about me, and she
offered to sell me the hen and set
ting of fifteen eggs-all good stock,
too, mind you-for 81. Don't you
call that layout now?"
"Tis. for fact. And you happen
ed to have the dollar?"
eyes; I've saved up $1.15, and if 1
can get the coop done I'm going after
school tonight for the hen"
"And l suppose You will buy a
bicycle with the proceeds? But that
doesn't explain why you are using
rusty nails and q stone hammer"
'Why, you see, our hammer is lost,
rs usual. Some of the children are
always getting away with it, and 1
can't afford to spend my extra 10 cents
on nails. That has to go for chicken
feed, and don't know when I'll have
chance to earn any more. So I'm
drawing these nails out of the boxes
OH the kindling pile. They are really
mine, you know. 1 worked for them
at Mr.. Lakes grocery last vacation. "
"Going into business on strictly
cash basis, eh?"
"Yes, sir-ee!, That's my ticket,
every time"
"Been reading the life of Rockefel-
Ter and all those penniless-boy mil
liopaires, suppose?"
Jim flushed.
"Well, that's the way to begin, any
how" he said, sturdily, wrenching
at stubborn nail with the cold chisel
''but do wish they wouldn't always
lose the hammer"
why don't you wait till it turns
up2"
nToo much risk. You must make
hay while the sun Shines, you know
i'm other words. set hens while
they're in the notion"
"Going into the poultry business
with one hen is too slow for me. Tn
going to Klondike as soon as school il
out, aud when strike it rich in mines
you'll be puttering away with an old
clucking hen and a half-dozen scrawny
chickens"
"All right" responded jim
cheerily. 'It may be slow, but 4
bird in the hand is worth two in tn,
bush.'"
(which, being translated, means
"a hen in the coop is worth two mines
in the ground, suppose?"
"That's about the size of it. Blu
I say, Sam, before you start for Klon
dixie won't you please hand me tha
stone lying at your feet-the smootl
one that looks like petrified potato
This loose granite chips off So.
''It does look like potato-th
white elephant variety" said Sam
tossing the stone to Jim.
s"Thank you. This will make
fine hammer-so hard and smooth. I"
"Hai Ha! Hal / should say sol
for at the first stroke on the rusty mai
head the stone broke in two, one-hal
falling to the ground and the nail hea
grazing Jim's hand. As he turne
his hand over to examine the scratc
the broken surface of the ston
caught his eye. He gave lou
whistle.
'Look here, Sam. Stop your laugh
ing and see what is inside your whit
elephant potato.
With that keen interest in "specI
mems" which is the natural birthrigh
OF every Rocky Mountain boy. Sal
stepped eagerly forward.
''Geode?"
mot mnchl Nothing so commo
as that. ! never saw anything lik