The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1900-10-18

} NECK, N. c.. THURS
rusty, and the hooks are bent or some
thing"
every we'll" said Mr.. Peters, and he
sent him to the postofice.
What do you think? By the close
OF the next day Charlie had been paid
and discharged, and the old sign hung
in the window.
Give no kind OF notion why ]
was discharged grumh!ed Charlie to
!, his mother. "He said he had no faul,
to find, only be saw that I wouldn'l
suit. It's my opinion that he doesn't
want boy at all, and takes that way
to cheat. Mean old fellow I"
It was Crawford Mills who was hired
next. He knew neither OF the other
boys, and % did his errs ,ds IN biissful
ignorance OF the long box until the
! second morning OF his stay, when in a
leisure hour he was sent to put 1t in
order. The morning passed, dinner
time came, and still Crawford had not
appeared from the attic. At last Mr.
Peters called him. "Got through?"
"No, sir; there is over so much
more to do"
Cali right. It is dinrer-tine now.
You may 60 back to i. after dinner
After dinner he went back. iii the
short afternoon he was not heard from
but Just as Mr.. Peters was deciding to
call him again he appe4red.
i've done my best, sir" he said,
"and down at the very bottom of the
box I found thls.'
"This" was five dollar gold piece
"That's a queer place for gold,''
said Mr.. Peters. "It's good you
found it. Well, sir, I suppose you
will be on hand tomorrow morning1"
This he said as he was putting the
gold-piece In his pocket-book.
After Crawford had said good
night and gone, Mr.. Peters took the
lantern and went slowly up the attic
stairs. There was the long, deep box
in which the rubbish of twenty-five
years had gathered. Crawford had
evidently been to the bottom. He
had fitted shingles to make compart-
ments, and in these different rooms be
had placed the articles with bits oi
shingles laid on top, and labeled thus !:
"Good SCREWS" "Picture-nails.'
"Small keys, somewhat bent" epic
ture-hooks." "Pieces of iron whose
use don't know" And so on through
the long box. In perfect order 1t was
at last, and very little that really could
be called useful could be found within
1t.
But Mr.. Peters, as he bent over and
read the labels, laughed gleefully, and
murmured to the mice: eff we are
not both mistaken, I have found boy
| and he has found a fortune"
Sure enough. The sign disappeared
from the window, and was seen nc
more.
Crawford became the well-known
errand-boy of the firm of Peters & Co.
He had little room neatly fitted up
next to the attic, where he spent his
evenings, and at the loot OF the bed
hangs a motto which Mr.. Peters gave
him. "It tells your fortune for you,
don't forget it," he said, when he hand
ed 1t to Crawford and the boy laugh
ed and read it curiously: "He that Ii
faithful in that which is least, is faith
full in much" "I1I try to be. sir"
and he never once thought OF the
long box over which he had been
faithful.
ALL this happened years ago. Craw-
| ford Mills is crrand-bOy no more, Dut
the firm is Peters, Mills & Co. A
Young man and rich man.
"He found his fortune in a long box
| OF rubbish" Mr.. Peters said once
laughing. "Never was FIVE dollar
gold-piece SO successful in business az
that one Of his has been 1t is good he
found it."
Then, after q moment of silence. be
said, gravely:
"No, he didn't; he found 1t In hif
mothers Bible; He that is faithful IN
that which is least, is faithful also II
much It is true; Mills the boy wal
faithful, and Mills the man we trust.
! When you have no appetite, do moi