The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1907-03-29
THE KING OF BOYvILLE.a
BY william Allen White

not afraid to steal them from him H.
made straight for his school-room, ans
stood holding them in his hands While
the girls gathered about him. teasing for
the beauties. Il was nearly time for tse
last bell to ring, and Piggy knew that
his Hearts Desire would be in the room
by the time he got there. He WAS ma
mistaken But Hearts Desire ala nat
clamor with the other girls for one 81
the roses. Piggy stood off their plead,
ings as long as he could with Nav.
why, nav, OF course | WON'T; "Naw.
what ! want to give you one for?s and
Go away from here, / tell YOU" Still
Hearts Desire did not ask for her aow- !
ers. There were but a few moments lefs
before school would be called Ia ordef
and in desperation Piggy gave one g5sc
away, 1t was not very pretty rose
but he hoped she would see tllat the
others were to be given away, and ask
for one. But she, his Hearts Desire.
stood near a window talking to the
freckle-faced boy. Then Piggy gave
away one rose after another. AS the
last bell began to ring he gave them to
the boys, as the girls were all supplied
And still she came not There was one
rose left, the most beautiful of all She
went to her desk and as the teacher
came in, bell in hand, Piggy surprised
himself, the teacher, and the school 81
laying the beautiful flower without /
word, on the teachers desk. That dav
was dark day When new boy who
didn't belong to the school, came I'D at
recess to play Piggy shutfied over Is
him and asked gruffly:
What's your name I"
"Puddin' N tame, asst me ag'in an TIL
tell you the same,n said the new boy. and
then there was fight 1t didn't soothe
Piggy's feelings one bit that he whipped
the new boy, for the new boy was sniaii
er than Piggy. And he dared not turn
his flushed face toward his Hearts De-
sire, 1t was almost four o'clock when
Piggy Pennington walked to the mas
ter's desk to get him to work out a prob
lem, and as he passed the desk of
Hearts Desire he dropped note ii herxs
lap. 1t read:
Are you mads"
But he dared not look for an answer
as they marched out that night. So he
contented himself with punching the boy
ahead Of him with pin, and stepping
on his heels when they were in the back
part of the room, where the teacher
would rot see him. The King 81 Bow
vile walked home alone that evening. Z
The courtiers saw plainly that his najes-
ty was troubled.
SO his lonely way was strewn W.
broken stick-horses which he took
the little boys, and was marked.
trees adorned with the string which N
took from other youngsters who ran
across his pathway playing horse. In
his barn he sat listlcssly on q nailskcg.
while Abe and the freckle-faccd boy did
their deeds of daring on the rings and
the trapeze. Only when the new boy
came in did Piggy arouse himself "a
mount the flying bar, and, swinging in
i to the very rafters, drop and hang ty
his knees, and again drop from his Knees.
catching his ankle in the angle OF the
rope where il meets the swinging barr 4
That was TO awe the new boy
After this feat the King was quiet.
AT dusk, when the evening chores
were done, Piggy Pennington walked
past the home Of his Hearts Desire, and
howled out a doleful ballad which be-
gan
you ask what wakes this darby U
wee-eep.
Why he like others am not gay9
But a man on the sidewalk, passing. IL
said well, son that's pretty good but s.
wouldn't you just as lief sing ais to mike
hat noiseS" So the King went to bed
with heavy heart
He took that heart to school with him l.
he next morning, and dragged Il over "
he school-gronnd, PLAYING crack-thc-
whip and "stinkbase" But when he saw
Hearts Desire wearing III her hair one
il the white roses from his mothers
Penninptons had the only
white roses in the little townA-he knew
I was from the wreath he had given ter
md so light was his boyish heart that
/ was with an effort that he kept il ouf
If his throat There were smiles and
miles that day During the singing
hey began, and every time she came
ast him from a class, and every time hc
ould pry bis eyes behind her geography
If her grammar a flood of gladness
wept over his soul That night Piggy
followed the girls from the
to the post-office, and ira
urst Of enthusiasm walked on bis hands Fl
. front Of the crowd for nearly half
lock.
When his Hearts Desire said, "Ohta
int you afraid you'll hurt yourself
ding that?" Piggy pretended not to
car her, and said to the boys:
Jaw, that amt nuthin' come down
) my barn and III do somepin' that'll
lake your head swim"
He was too exubcrant TO contain bim4
III, and when he left the girls he started
, run after stray chicken that hap
ened along, and ran till he was out Of
reath lie did not mean 10 run In the
rection his Hearts Desire had takcn
II he turned corner and came up
it'll her suddenly.
Her eyes beamed upon him. and he
,uld not run away as he wished She
adc room for him on the sidewalk,
I'd he could do nothing but walk be-
de her. For block they were 50 en-
rrassed that neither spoke.
1t was Piggy who broke the silence
is words came from his heart He
ID not yet learned 10 speak otherwise
Where's your roseT he asked. not
eng It.
What rose5" said the girl, as though
c had never in her short life heard 81
Oh an absurd thing as : rose.
"Ob, you know" returned the boy.
.pping rreguiafly, to make the tips 81
5 toes come on the cracks IN the sHIct.
ok There was another pause dui
rich Piggy picked up a pebble All
rev IT at bird in tree. His heal
IS sinking rapidly