The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-04-28


 "E Hal" suggested Arthur
 A 'I know itS' replied Hal.
 but I'm not worrying; I'll pass"
 Arthur looked dubious.
 Not at this rate." he said.
 "Why not?" asked Hal. as he buried his face ir the soft fur on Jacks back, the dog answering this caress by squirming around until he could lick Halls ear.
 You're not studying hard enough" said Arthur.
 'No," said Hal. I'm not studying hard, but I'm studying enough. I'll pass; don't look so worried about it. old Dryasdust"
 Do you know your Spanish for to- morrow?" persisted Arthur.
 Not welL" admitted Hal "but I'll do"
 Still Arthur shook his head. The two boys were as unlike as two brothers could be. Hal was a jolly boy. who liked a bit of fun rather better than his studies, but who did not neglect the latter, either. Arthur thought of noth- ing but lis studies. and because his brother did not study as much as he would like to have him. constantly wor- ried about the outcome of his examina- tions.
 Hal was hailed by some boys from the street, and in two minutes had bounded out of the house and was down the street, Jack close at his heels,
 What kept you in the house so long?'' asked Halls most intimate friend. Bur ton.
 Listening to a sermon by Arthur; ex- aminations are coming, and he thinks I won't pass.''
 "Neither will you" replied Burton, quite happily, for he didn't expect to pass himself, and it pleased him to think there might be others, Hal began to feel worried. Perhaps he wasn't going to pass. He suddenly refused to go any farther with his com panions, ran home and sat right down to his Spanish lesson.
 THE CALL OF SPRING
 Arthur had watched Hal march off with his three friends into the glad, bright sunshine a little enviously. He thought of all the hard lessons he had set himself to learntthat beautiful spring afternoon, and he sighed. After all, he began to wonder whether it was worth while; surely, a little sunshine now and then wouldn't do himbany harm.
 This line of thinking finally carried a little ashamed of himself for yielding to the call of the spring day. This feeling of shame prompted him to take the Qp- posite direction to that taken by Hal and his friends, and he sauntered along, breathing in the beautiful air and feel ing glad that he had poked his nose out of his books for a little while. at any rate. It was to be very little while, he assured himself But 1t wasn't It's always that way when you make up your mind not to do thing; the first thing you know, there you are doing it. In the meantime. Hal studied hard and found that he had made great progress by the time dinner was an- With the happy sensation of having thoroughly earned his dinner, Hal bounded downstairs, only to find his moth mother in m grea1d fnmnd snYwbSre a1S1sfss Arthur Hal immeGIately offered to hunt for him, and, meeting his father at the door as he went out, was told he was getting as fretful as Arthur. Surely Ketcham said. and he was too staid to run away.
 But somehow or other Hal shared his mothers anxiety. and in great other of their boy companions, but no one had seen Arthur.
 Hal icame back at last to his home. completely discouraged. only to find that MT. Ketcham, alarmed at his long absence, had gone in search of Arthur. too, and Mrs. Ketcham was having mysteries in the sitting room. The long night passed somehow. morn found. But with the morning a strange thing hapened. A little boy. apparently on his way to school brought a note addressed Hal It said:
 "Pieass bring aalarTa1 brena~@