The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1909-01-16
If you had boarders, mother. how

from seven to ten dollars a week.
| If folks would put up with what we
could give them, I'd be glad to get
! five dollars. With the garden-truch
| / could save half of that
Would you like to take boarders,
! mother?'
The boy tried to make his question
seem as casual as possible.s
Would | be glad Of a fortune.
she answered.
Billy did not wish to rouse MS
| mothers hopes. He determined to
proceed on his own responsibility!
BY picking blackberries. which ne
i sold to his aunt. he earned enough
money to insert one advertisement IN
a Boston newspaper Then he cast
his bait ont into the great rich
world, and waited anxiously for a
nibble
| On the second day after Billy had
taken this step, two clerks in Bos-
| ton drv-goods store sat down to sup
per in their boarding house and
| spread out newspaper between
! them.
Look here. Dalton, how's this? p
said one Of them, pointing with his
! finger at an advertisement, which
ran as follows:
| Roarders Wanted. Farmhouse on
! Little Hawk Mountain. Fine scenery,
| trout brooks, swimming in the lake,
maybe a shot at bear No ham
mocks or croquet, and just plain coun-
try living, but mothers a first-rate
cook. Five dollars a week. w. Al
len. Penbridge. Maine.
Dalton broke out laughing. ""lsn
that delicious? He calls his wife
mother I vote we go there
at 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 now
Ter 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 tho week before the thirty,
/ first there seemed 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.
I'm 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 a renewed
activity in cultivating 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
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 a broad, EN-
barrassed smile ON his freckled 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. Lei
me take your things"
Dalton stared down at the small
boy. who strove to relieve him o.
his valise.
We'll. WE'LL" exclaimed the young
man. and you're the gentleman
with whom I've correspondent"
Yves, SIR said Billy. still tuggins
at the valise. Wont you let me-
take these?"
IT guess we're better able to lus
them than you are Cornish remark
ed looking kindly at the small, eage1
figure. You lead the way and wei
follow"