The Port Gibson reveille., 1908-12-10

Look here. Dalton, hows this?"
said one of them. pointing with his
finger at an advertisement, which
ran as follows:
Boarders Wanted. Farmhouse on
Little Hawk Mountain. Fine scenery,
trout brooks, swimming in the lake,
maybe shot at a bear No ham
mocks or croquet, and just plain coun-
try living, but mothers a frst-rate
cook. Five dollars a week w. Al
len, Pembridge, Maine.
Dalton broke out laughing. isn't
that delicious? He calls his wife
'mother! l vote we go there"
"It looks like what we want said
the other man, Cornish, and with
vacation only ten days away, we'd
better make up our minds now. This
w Allen is evidently an honest,
straightforward old fellow, who will
treat us well and make no fuss about
it."
I'VE must get some buckshot and
load up few shells for that bear,
remarked Dalton.
When Billy opened letter and read
that Mr. Thomas Dalton and Mr.
Edward Cornish wished to engage
two rooms for two weeks, and would
arrive on August 31st, he was tremu-
lous with Joy at his success. He
gave the letter to his mother with
out a word; and when he saw how
her face lighted up, first with sur
prise and then with sudden hope, he
went out and split wood for an hour,
because he felt so happy that he had
to break something.
During thu week before the thirty
first there seerped to be new spirit
of energy in the Allen family. Billy's
mother freshened up the spare rooms
with pictures and chairs from her
own room, and gaily stripped her own
and Billy's beds of the best sheets
and coverings.
Pm going to see that our guests
go back inclined to give us a recon-
mendation, even If the rest of us
have to put up with few things
she said
Her husband displayed renewed
activity in >dcultivating the garden,
which at least had not suffered much
from the bad year. And Billy went
about, tinkering and mending, and
roofing the grass out of the path;
it did not do much good, but it show
ed a good spirit. Also he wrote a
formal letter to Mr.. Dalton, announc-
ing that he had reserved two rooms
for him and his friend.
On the afternoon of the last day OF
August he was at the station, with
the old horse and wagon, to meet
the guests. When the train stopped
and two young men alighted. Billy
sauntered forward, with broad, EN-.
barrassed smile on his freekled face.
Hello. son!" said one of the young
men to him. @Can you direct us
to Mr.. w. Aliens house?"
'I'm w. Allen" said Billy. LET
me take your things"
Dalton stared down at the small
boy, who strove to relieve him of
his valise.
"WeH, WE'LL" exclaimed the young
man. 'And you're the gentleman
with whom I've correspondent"
eyes, sir" said Billy, still tugging
at the valise. Wont you let me
take these?''
iT guess we're better able to lug
them than you are," Cornish remark
ed, looking kindly at the small, eager
figure. "You lead the way and We'll
follow"
And that was what Billy did in
defatigably for the next two weeks.
The young men had taken fancy to
him. and insisted that he should ac-
company them on all their excursions.
4e guided them to all the trout
brooks, where their success was be.
yond anything that they had dream
ed: they took him swimming with
them in the lake. Two days they
beat the mountain slopes in search
of the bear; but traditional bear
is always hard to kill, and doubtless
that one still roams the forests of
Little Hawk.
The young men joked Billy good
deal about the bear, but on the last
day of their vacation, when they
had strolled to the hilltop for
last view of the distant lake, Cornish
said to Dalton:
'aThe little fellow ought to have
a gun. Did you see how he looked
at ours? Maybe he could kill the
bear
Dalton laughed. There's village
boy who offers muzzle-loader for
FIVE dollars" he said.
That afternoon they sought out the
village boy and secured the gun,
and in the evening, just before leav-
ing for their train, Cornish gave it
TO Billy, with an elaborate presenta-
tion speech.
'But you oughtn't to give it to mel
cried the boy. ] haven't done a thing
for you; it's all been fun for me"
Never mind said Dalton. All
we ask is that when he come back
to stay with you next summer, you
have a bearskin to show u.s."
The Aliens summer season" did
not close for three weeks longer. On
returning to the city Cornish and Dal-
ton sent a friend of theirs with his
two young sons.
The upshot of it all was that with
the returns from Billy,s boarders and
the money that Emma earned at the