The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1907-06-20
m. A MILLION BEANS. N,
by WALTER LEON SAWYER.

count or undercount, you eat 'em!"
Blake hesitated. He liked beans
but And then Berry snickered.
Thought you wern't so sure of ii
as you pretended to bel" he tainted
"I'll take that up" was Fred's re-
tort. eff I'm right, you'll eat 'em
and If I'm wrong, I'll eat 'ena. Good
night"
There had been an instant when he
was tempted to ask If Berry realized
how many meals a million beans
would make. But Berrys sheer put
him beyond the reach of consider
alton. He deserved to have to eat
them all!
And yet suppose A horrid doubt
afflicted Fred. He had counted a
hundred thousand beans, a tenth OF
his million, but when he got home
he started counting them over. and
the new result, when he reached it,
showed five too many. He shuddered
at the multiplied chances of error
that million afforded. Hereafter
There were beans enough, but his
mothers supply of fruit jars would
run short before he reached the end.
He lined new barrel with stiff
paper, through which no bean could
penetrate, put placard over the top
to show that this was "Fred's barrel,
and as fast as he had counted hun
dred thousand beans into fruit jars,
carried the jars to the barn and care
fully emptied them in.
Then it was beans, beans, beans, at
every odd moment. for days and days
and days. Handling beans until his
fingers stiffened. looking at beans un-
til he literally saw double, register
ing beans until his brain reeled with
numbers and totals. But the fruit
jars filled fast, the store in the barn
increased, and the end of the million
came constantly nearer.
whats the market price of beans
to-day" Berry would sometimes say,
jeeringly; and Fred would smile a
queer sort of smile and answer that
only fun he had was the thought of
Berry's face when he discovered what
quantity he had bound himself to eat
within two weeks.
But the joke on Berry lost it's sus-
tanning influence when the holidays
came-and Fred must keep on count
ing. He had to find comfort then in
the assurance that he was approach
ing the end.
Meanwhile he was of not much use
to himself or anybody else. At
school his mind wandered, with low
marks as a consequence, and he got
himself disliked by refusing to come
out for the hockey team. At home
his little sister Katie, who had been
his pet, appealed to him in vain for
the help he had been used to give.
"My dolly's cwadle bwoke, Fwed-
dy." she reported. "Her wants bed
'tead, to go sleep!"
20 scat! Go way! Go out in the
barn and play!" the big brother
would answer, irritably, as he labored
with his beans.
"Play slide down-hill, Fweddy?"
"Yes, play slide uphill II you want
to. Fifty, five. sixty. five, sew
There, confound it, I've lost my
count! Have to go over that cupful
again, just by your bothering round! "
"Fweddy cwoss!" the baby lament
ed, as she fed from that uncomforta-
BILE neighborhood.
ayes, he Isl" growled the boy.
4But now I've started this I'll put it
through II it kills mel"
1t might have killed him had he
had to keep it up much longer. Had
his been the nervous temperament,
the strain would have racked him
beyond endurance. Even as it was.
there came a time when his heavy
lidded eyes saw beans and fruit Jars
wherever they looked, and when the
horrid vision was reproduced in
dreams wherein he was eternally
counting, and always coming out
wrong.
Yet when he seriously considered
the matter, he had very little doubt
about the accuracy OF his count. Ma
ture had given him talent for &C
curacy. as well as stubborn will.
And now, at last. with an uplifted
spirit. although with swimming eyes
and Keeling brain. he made his way
to Berry wilkins, prepared to hurl
back the challenge.
Saturday, the 18th. Not the mid
die OF January. is it," Fred began.
Why, no! What
I've counted the million beans.
Took me forty-f1ve days. At ten cents
q day. you owe me four dollars and
q half. Fork over!
That Berry could do: he was one
OF the few boys In town who had "a
allowance. But Fred's manner Jared
on him: It had frequently done SO 81
late, and he fell back on his rights.
How do know you've counted
'em correctly2r he argued.
You don't. You've got to count
EN- All over again. II nv count II
correct, you'll eat 'em ali ii two
weeks. Il # isn't, I'll eat 'em. :
The two boys stared It each Other
Il - -