Smyrna times., 1904-05-18

~as reasoning. WDr.e had he seen n
bottle Just like that one with the peas?
Ma had one Just the same down in the
cellar. Sure!
Suddenly. when the white aproned
assistant peeped out of the door.
Stumpy melted. Hockey? Fine he
knew what hockey meant, and ma
mustn't see him get the bottle-naw.
nor the peas! And she didn't.
At o'clock that same afternoon Pa
Dent came Unexpectedly upon his off
spring. Pa seldom disturbed the stable
loft till the evening. when he brought
the horses in, and therefore had Stun
py chosen it as a fitting place for his |
operations. A newspaper spread length |
wise, the French prune bottle, a pyra-
mid of peas. Stumpy carefully count |
ing every pea he dropped into the bot
tie, and on the white margin of the
newspaper a record of red chalk
strokes-that was what pa saw when
his head topped the open trap.
"Stumpyv' he cried sharply. "What
are you doing? Why are you not at
school?'
Taken in the act and breathless from
the shock. Stumpy did not reply at
! once. Under such strong incriminat-
ing circumstances the grand impulse
of the - Alinary boy would have been
instant confession and take the con-
sequences" Not so with Stumpy. A
splendid evasion loomed up before
him.
"Subtractin', pa" he gurgled. dabbing
his finger on the last chalk mark so as
not to forget his total.
"Ah | see!" said pa.
Certainly the excuse was a feasible
one. He had told the teacher to send
Stumpy home if he became too dense.
Left to himself, pa said, subtraction
might come in a fash, but the jeering
of his companions would make him
worse. Sensible Miss NARROW had act
ed on his advice. Yes, that was it.
and pa. quite satisfied. descended the
ladder from the loft. When he disap-
peared Stumpy smiled and went on
adding.
Came 3 O'Clock, and Darby was
again besieged Every boy and girl
in Munkersville had a guess to give
in, and every slip had to be carefully
examined. At last, amid breathless
silence, Darby, beaming like a harvest
moon, mounted a chair and in loud
tones cried:
"Nine-two-twO is the winning num-
Der, boys, and Stumpy Dent guesses
nine-two-one! Stumpy gets the bill!'
Wild was the scene in Darby's. Up
and out went Stumpy on the shoulders
of the fifth grade gang. And pa. driv-
ing home in his buggy. felt a lump in
his throat when he heard the loud
cheers for Stumpy.
How did you do it. sonny?" he ask
ed when the demonstration was over
and the boy safe at home
''Jes' this way" whispered Stumpy
81 fetched mas prune bottle from the
cellar. Darby's was jes' the same in
size an wi the same wee rid labe
on the neck. So | filled mas bottle
neat wi peas. emptied 'em out on the
newspaper an counted 'em as l filled
it up ag'in. That gave nine-twO-
one"
"Ha. ha, har' laughed jubilant pa
"Come, Stumpy, lad" he cried, count
ing out five shining silver dollars fol
the bill; come an We'll put your mon
ey in bankr'
n 1t was a miniature iron bank, a pen
: ny in the slot affair, and the silver rat
y tied and rang as it dropped to the lit
tie vault below.
Now. Stumpy," said pa proudly
Q ''that's your first deposit, an it draw
e interest at per cent in one month"
L But when the month was up and p
/ pried open the lid only three shinin
dollars demanded per cent. Stump
e had learned to subtract.