Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1900-04-21

~ WIN sn1S 1oNeiy uttle DraSs
key?"
"And be very sure you don't lose
the key" said her mother. For care
iessness is one of your faults, as well
as unpunctuality."
I'll be very careful" promised Phil.
lis, retreating with he's little clock in
one hand and it's key in the other.
For Patty, the scholar of the FAM
lily, there was q fine new diarv-book
with gilt edges and tiny socket to
keep its accompanying pencil from
straying away.
Oh, how NIGEL" said Patty. "I1l
write down in the pages at night
everything that has happened during
the day, and when Uncle Eric comes
back, I'll read it all aloud to him" :.
Poor Uncle Ericl" said Nathan.
Perhaps he'll think he had better
have been shipwrecked first, or eaten
up by the eannibals,"
For Sam, last of all, there was a lit
tie brown-leather pocketbook, some.
what worn, lined with cherry silk.
with an especial space for postage
stamps.
he looked at it with rather a disap-
pointed expression of countenance.
Only thisl" said he. Goodness
mel Uncle Eric must surely have
meant to play a joke upon me. be-
cause L never have any money to put
into pocketbooki" He turned awsv
on his heel. IF Uncle Eric had meant
to remember me-" he grimbled, "why
couldn't he have given me that pretty
little ship of his that the old French
sailor made for him? or the magnet
or the music-box inside the paper
weight? 1 don't think much OF an,
old leather pocketbool<."
The more he thought about it, the
less he was pleased with Uncle Eric's
remembrance of him; and at last he
wrought himself up to such a condi-
ZION of mind that he pulled the pook-
etoook out OF his pocket and flung it
out Into the row of leafess currant-
bushes that siirted the garden fence.
And then he went about his business
and studies, feeling relieved.
This was in the morning. When the
long afternoon shadows began TO lie
on the snowy ground, Sam drove to
the railway depot with the horse and
cutter, to meet his father, who went
daily to the city.
| Father, said he, II wish you would
| give me n dollar"
Mr.. Buddington looked grave.
"A dollar" said he what do You
want of doliar2 Don't YOU know
that dollars are not picked up, like
butternuts, under the trees?"
Il want a new sled awful bad" said
Sam. I've tinkered mine up, and
ttnkered 1t up, until 10 won't hold to-
gether another day. And Lew Peck
Is going to have a new one, and he'll
sell me his old Eagle for a dollar and
= half, and take out the half-dollar in
my Pocketknife with the corksorew
blade"
THAT Is the arrangement, is itf''
said his father, half smiling.
Yes, sir" Sam answered. "And the
Eagles an out-and-out beauty. All
she needs is g set CT new steel run
ners."
We'll" said Mr.. Buddington, 'Tn
think of 10, and If there's a dollar to
be spared, III try to help you through
with this bargain"
Father" said Sam, al wish we were
I wanted to spend"
And how much would that be?''
asked Mr.. Huntington, amused at the
lads earnestness.
"Oh, i don't know" replied Sam.
Five dollars, think--or perhaps ten.
Ten, guess, father. Oh, could get
whatever wanted for ten dollarsi'
well, you are about as likely to
get ten as five for all can see," OBJ
served his father. There's Jake. You
had better go around to the barn with
him, and see that Sorrel is quickly un-
hitched and well blanketed."
| Jake. the little colored boy who
helped around the barn and poultry
| yard, was in great excitement.
81 done found you's pocketbook,
NJ. Sam" he whispered, mysteriously,
as they were unbuclkling the traces,
"outen in de curran' bushes. Here it
isl Wild bright, new cent into It'll"
l. "a cent. Jake?"
"Clar in de inside" said Jake. 81
found it outen in de curran' bushes"
Let me see," said Sam, dropping
his part of the harness.
Sorrel, who was by this time sufti-
GENTLY detached from the sleigh,
shook himself, and walked deliberate
ly into the stable, and Jake grinning-
ly handed the pocketbook to his
young master.
He was right. In the very inner
most pocket-one which, in his haste
and displeasure Sam had neglected
to investigate-was,n not bright, new
penny, but a gold eagle-a shining
| treasure.
| This, then, was what Uncle Eric had
meant by the gift of the worn pocket
book, which had so sadly wounded
Sans spirits and mortified his pride,
81 always knew 1 was Uncle Eric's
favorite," he cried, joyfully, as he set
off on full run up to the house, to
disclose his good luck to the rest of
the family.
"Aha, SAM" said his father, when
4 H. 4 & he