Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1904-11-17
BILLY.

plain enough if one but looked at his
tron trousers, his ragged shirt and his
battered straw hat To be sure. these
we're his everyday summer clothes
and he had better ones for Sunday
His father was an honest man and
worked hard in the mills, and whc
if he could have spent more time with
him.
! When the schools were going Billy
generally went to school, but al
through the long summer days he just
ran wild. Only one person in the
world seemed to take a real interes.
ir him, and that was Miss Alice, who
had been his teacher the last year
Even of her Billy was shy, though
he would have done almost anything
to please her. A long while ago she
had picked him up on the street on
Saturday afternoon and had led him
to her home There she talked with
him. showed him pictures, read a
story and finally took comb and
pulled the tansles out of his yellow
frowsled hair. That was too much for
The stories but for a fellow of 9 to
have his hair combed.
Since then he eenearlly lodged
around the corner if he saw Miai
Alice. coming. To his thinking
tangled mair was best suited to
fieckles and torn clothes. Anyway he
was not a baby, to have his hair comb
cd He did love Miss Alice and would
not willingly have displeased her, buj
yet he was very shy.
One day the billposters cane to
town Up went the great f7arng
sheets, yellow and red and blue, on
all the sheds and billboards to tell
the boys and girls and every one elsa
that the circus was coming on tn
18th. Billy read # all, just as tn
other boys did Perhaps he wished
that some fairy, or even some oil
ugly goblin, would come along and
give him the necessary half dollar
hut If he did wish it that was all the
good there was in it. The bills "te"e
fp ten days before the show, and Bill
" read them daily. but he knew thar
he could not hope to 90.
On The afternoon before silowls
Billy went fishing. alone. He knew
the fellows be played With wore eoin9
10 the circus and that some Of the'a
We're mean enough to taunt him he
cause he could net go. In fact. h
lad not been al the river great
y hi1c before several Of these very
avs came by. The first thing they diJ
s5as 70 eall out:
oh, Billy, are you eoins to tn
cireHz -
"None." said Billy erfsnlv: q went
= = circus once, and circnses are al
aHke. They never have anything ne'4.
fm ret 2oine.
.ah ha,s laaghed til bevs; @vouId
II 90 if vou could. wonla you?"
Billy felt his blood tin@lc. Int h
lid not answer.
Suppose save y@l a'v half a dol
lar. Billy. would you eoo"
II was To,ey who spoke and al tha
same time ran his hand into his pocll-
q as if 10 show that the money was
actually there But just then Tony's
face suddenly changed its triumphant
pockets inside out and to look in az
directions. The money was gore.
Usually Rilly would have felt sorr,,
fcr Tony, but somehow he did MOI
this tine He slowly wound up his
fshline and arted for home.
About half way across the meadow
h1% eye cau@ht the sieht of sowethi0@
aEieht lying just ahead in the path.
Il was a silver half dollar, and did
not take Billy long to guess who had
les It. Here was his chance to g
eyen. All he had to 10 was 70 tax
fho nsoasE, 80 TO the circus and say
nothing. Tony had teasod him am
h. deserved 10 miss the show.
Something under the bosom Of his
raeeed shirt kept saying: Run home
ef=f tell Miss Alice about l."
No, n,llr could not do that. H
w q.-ite we'll what Miss Vice
saltll sax.ZThat se;tled i. With hi
tooth shut .ieht ae # 10 keep his hear,
Ton jumping ito his throat he ran
hack to 'he river.
"!Iore, Tony, ! have found your -
cents. You must have lost il comin~