Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-01-31
THEKING'SRUBIES
A STORY FOR BOYS AND GIRLS.
By Adelaide Fuller Bell
Copyright by Henry T. co.te. 4 o.,

l sop9tiBnI W 1enry L. coates = C0.D
Thanking his friend again and again for
his Kindness and with the words Of praise
ringing in his ear. Phil hurriedly put the
| book in his pocket and hastened to get the
bicycle that he had left leaning against
the building, for he had fingered so long
in the bank that he feared that he would
be late to his work, and he knew Dean
| would grumble and be disagreeable for
the rest Of the day. If that occurred. What
was his dismay on reaching the sidewalk
| to find the wheel gone! The town seemed
| to fly round and round In the hot noon air.
Only a few minutes. however. He dashed
down the street. asking every one he met
1t he had seen anybody with wheel At
| last boy told him that only a moment be-
| fore man had turned into side street,
| walking between two bicycles Phil wait
| ed for no further information, but darted
| Off after him, hoping that one might be
Covers. Great was his relief when, on
turning a corner, he saw Mr.. Glover with
| his own bicycle and the one for which he
was searching.
The tutor was much surprised to see Phil
| come painting after him.
| Ah!' cried he, where Is COVER"
| He Is at home, as far as 1 know. He
loaned me his wheel to come to town"
| "Oh, l see." was the reply. land now I
must explain to you I saw Covers BIZ
|
for carelessly leaving it where it could be
taken. made off with it!'
Well, you have taught me lesson that
1 shall not soon forget" Phil said, shame
| facedly. please let me have the wheel.
| must get back as quickly as I can or Dean
will be angry" Then, laughing I've
notion to have you arrested. Mr.. Glover,
| for stealing it!''
Not for my first offense!' pleaded Mr..
Glover. and as he was returning to the
lodge the two rode along together, although
| the somewhat deliberate pace at which the
| tutor rode made his companion chafe i'm
patiently.
When they reached home Phil saw the
! bicycle in it's owners care before he re-
| turned to his work.
coming back, growled his employer.
| Here's half an hour wasted. You ought
| to have 1T taken from your wages
| That's true" replied the boy. II don't
| want any wages that don't earn, and you
| can take 1t out when you pay me-
This answer so astonished Dean that he
| had nothing further to say, and Phil
| chuckled in triumph at being able to silence
| his enemy. Besides, he was feeling very
| rich and thought he could afford to lose the
| half hours wages. Now, while the gar
dener was apt to grumble a great deal
with his assistant, he was secretly very
well pleased with the way in which he per-
| formed his work, and had shown him many
kindnesses. Noticing how well the boy
appeared to love the flowers among which
| pIants-the smaller, sickly ones that he
| would not use in the gardens
Phil had begged little spot of ground in
| the dooryard from Mrs Irwin, and there
planted the weaklings, which he had coax
| ed back to life. They had responded to his
| kind efforts like human beings, and many
| Of laughing girls had paused to let them
enjoy the beauty Of the flowers
| Mrs. Irwin and her five children had been
away from home all day. When Phil re-
/ f11Cp ad In hn wit n
protruding in an important manner from
| his hip pocket, he found his beloved flow
ers almost ruined by the wanowing of
pig that had escaped from the barnyard and
| had spent a blissful afternoon with his
| nose buried in the cool earth, among the
posies.
"Just my uck!" he exclaimed aloud. as.
after hasty supper, he went out to see II
| he could repair the damage.
Serves you right" piped voice through Oh
| the bars-the voice of Tom Irwin. 5r. If
mebby the bars wouldn't have been left
open SO the pig could get in. ha. ha!' and
| Tow flew toward the house to claim his
| mothers protection.
by, had also come up, and the latter was
| indignantly declaring that it was shame,
and that he would like to get his hands on
that imp of boy.
II shall not try to fix UP the flower bed,
| Phil said. "Luck's against me-"
| Nonsense! There Is no such thing as
luck" said Mr. Glover, land 1t Is the peO-
| pie who believe in it who are the unsuccess-
| full ones in life. When a boy persuades
| himself that luck Is against him. he does
| not try to do his best. What Is the re-
suit? One failure after another disheartens
| him and he goes from bad to worse HIS
! unluckiness proves to be Lack OF foresight
| or else careleSSneSS.
but it was not my fault that the pig
| got into my flowers"
| Are you sure Of that? If you had been
as good to the boy you should have
] been, would he have left the gate open so
| the pig could enter?'
| "Well I don't know; that boy needed to
| have his ears pulled. and II l hadn't done
it should have neglected my duty!'
| IT presume" with a smile, that you SAID
it was your bad luck this noon when a,, you
| thought Covers bicycle was stolenT
II don't remember was SO excited. But
| know I should have said it If I hadn't
! found it right away
| Mr.. Glover laughed at this honest COMES
p, sion. "Weu, you must own, Phil, that II
| would have been careessness instead OF
| luck IL the wheel had been taken. Never
| believe in luck: but II you can't help be-
lieving In it to some extent, believe rhat II
| is on your side and you will find yourself
| working with all your highland that al
| ways brings it. And now. instead of allow
| ing your flowers to wither and die, and
! blaming it on luck, you would better get 10
! work. replanting and watering them, ana
| your bed will be as fine as ever In Two
weeks. And here endeth my sermon on
| luck!'
| The BOYS clapped their hands and as soon
| as the tutor and his pupil rode away Phai
began to replant his flowers.
/