The Port Gibson reveille., 1908-12-10
Billy B0ard8rs


ssssSsas
Billy Allen sat on the chopping-
block, whiting dejectedly. He had
been listening to a conversation be-
tween his father and mother, and
it was quite evident that things were
going to the dogs" The crops had
failed miserably, the interest on the
mortgage would be due in two months,
and even with the money that his sis
ter Emma earned in the c'rn can
merry, could not De met by fifty dol
lars.
But what had hurt Billy worst of
all had been his mothers final re-
mark. the pathos had been in her
voice perhaps more than in the words
themselves.
Its pretty place" she had said,
turning away; and Billy knew that
meant they would have to leave the
old, rocky, hillside farm, which, af-
ter all, they. loved.
He was summoned to carry the
daily can of milk to his Aunt Sue.
and having harnessed the horse, he
drove OFF on his errand, still frowning
and melancholy with unproductive
thought.
His aunt lived mile and a half
away, in the middle of Pembridge
village. To Billy, whose own home
at the foot of mountain ana he,
hind a forest was remote, the Wis
Iage was highly interesting place;
and in summer the mcst interesting
thing in 1t was his dunt's house, for
she took in" boarders. At the even
ing hour, when Billy arrived with the
milk, these well-dressed city people
would usually be sitting on the piazza
or under the trees, or perhaps play
ing croquet on Mrs. Snyder's bit of
lawn.
On this evening Billy looked at
them wistfully They seemed to him
so inhumanly free from all the cares
and worries of this world.
He carried the milk into the kit
chen. His aunt was on the back
porch, turning the crank of an Ice
cream freezer.
Billy" she said, have you FIVE
minutes to spare? Turn this while,
and I'll give you some of the ice
cream"
Billy took his aunt's place, remark
ing his time was not valuable.
They're going to have party
tonight she explained, pouring the
milk into her pans. ct makes lots
of extra work, but land! they pay.
l don't complain"
How did you get 'em, Aunt Sue?"
Billy asked, languidly.
Advertised Can't get anything
without advertising, nowadays"
They have to have croquet and
hammocks and ice-cream, don't they,
Aunt Sue?"
my folks do My sakes, they want
the earthl But there's always a
profit on it if you manage right, {"
she added, cheerfully.
On the way home Billy's thoughts
centered upon summer boarders. If
there were only some way of persuad-
ing them to come to his mothers
housel There were two spare rooms,
decently furnished and every one said
his mother was a "natural-born" cook.
But what attractions could he offer
in place of such impossible luxuries
as his aunt was able to afford? Moth
ing except the great, overtowering
mountain, with its trout brooks and
its one traditional bear-which many
professed to have seen and at which
few had shot
When Billy reached home, he said
to his mother:
"H you had boarders, mother, how
much would you charge them?"
That depends she answered. with
out much interest. Aunt Sue gets
from seven to ten dollars a week.
II folks would put up with what we
could give them, I'd be glad to sci
five dollars With the garden-truck
I could save half OF that
Would you like to take boarders,
mother?'
The boy tried to make his question
seem as casual as possible.
Would l be glad OF fortune" -
she answered.
Billy did not wish to rouse his
mothers hopes. He determined tc
proceed on his own responsibility
BY picking blackberries, which he
sold to his aunt, he earned enough
money to insert one advertisement in
a Boston newspaper. Then he cast
his bait out into the great. rict
world, and waited anxiously for q
nibble
On the second day after Billy hat
taken this step. sw0 clerks ia Boa
tcn drgHee4s stegs sas dewH to SUP
gee L. tAslT beApAIAa.hsase 30