The French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1896-1912, 1910-12-15

~ 8 2 lest1GcL Hill 10 get MIN there.
Billy tried to get out Of it by say
ing, Well, # / do not go you can
go with Ma and Joyce. I had RAJ
thergo with you. If you are sick
will stay at home with you. j.
always went or stayed with father
She seemed to think that the only
reason to stay at home was to be.
sick. I'll take you,said Billy as he
picked up his hat and walked off
like a man who has made up his
mind to do his duty Nextday, sure
enough, he came with her. Some
of the young folks nearly laughed
out loud when Billy walked IN,
holding Mary by the hand, his
face like piece OF red flannel. He
looked like martyr being led to
the stake, and I know he felt that
way. Mary did not notice the stir
she made, but sat in the pew, and.
sang the hymns in her sweet child
ish voice, just as she had been ac-
customed to do. Finally Billy
got so he wanted to take her with
him wherever he could, and she al
EA
ways ready to ge.s IF he had a
headache, as he sometimes did,
she would slip into his room as
quiet as a mouse, and rub his brow.
or If he went to sleep she would
sit: there and watch him. He gave
her a Newfoundland puppy, and
she was wild with delight. Then
he bought her a pony, and taught
her to ride. She was perfectly
fearless, and it was a pretty sight
to see her riding ike the wind,
with her curls flying to the breeze.
He thought. she was wonderful,
and she was unusually smart, not
only in books, but the most OBJ
servant child II ever saw. She
could just twist Billy around her
finger, and yet if she was ever
wanted to do anyt hing she did not
like, all they had to say was Do
it for Billy. She went to school
to Miss Alice Blake, an excellent
teacher, who took great pride in
her progress. She too used her
love for Billy as an incentive, Of
ten persuading her to learn some
thing or other by saying Learn
this. for Mr.. Carroll, or Mr.. Car
roll would be proud to have you
know that. She never needed
any other spur. When Joyce got
married and went to housekeep-
ing, she did her best to look after
Evelyn and Billy the same as
Joyce had done. She called Eve
Ign Ma like the rest Of the child
rem. When she came here she had
four thousand a year. That was
a big pile of money for little girl
and some folks thought Billy
would make a great thing out of
it. He had good business sense
and invested her income safely.
He di dnot lose dollar of it, and
besides that.never cent would he
take for anything he ever did, nor
for her board. Of course he had
a right to do SO, but he never
would. When Mary was sixteen
Evelyn and ! persuaded him to
send her to a first class boarding
school. Billy could not bear the
idea, but when convinced him that
it was his duty he sent her to a
fine old school in Va. He was
just miserable and lost without
her. / saw how things were drift
ing, butt do not think Billy even
knew what was the matter with
him. Not long before the time
for Mary to come home for vaca-
ton, Mrs. Olcott wrote to say she
was going to be in this country
for the summer and would like to
have her niece spend the holidays
with her. It was a disappoint-
ment to all of us, but especially
10 Billy. Her aunt was to take
her to New York, Newport, Wash
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