Evening star., 1912-02-04


my hand and rolled down between
two rotten planks, had drop my schoolbooks and
fish for it. Underneath the sidewalk much mud,
and was obliged little; but brought up the
corny, and as l did so the other thing gistened.
| dug it out 1t a large coin, with ladys head
on one side, and shield and "TEN D." the other.
l didn't know what the D stood for: didn't stop to
think The biggest coin l had ever seen was half
dollar, and this wasn't quite so large. Yet do remem
Der thinking it strange that it worth only ten and
half-dolar worth fifty. However, one shouldn't
look gift horse in the mouth. | saw Willie Bingham
coming out of his house. craming slice of bread and
molasses into his mouth as he ran.
@Woola Woola! Woola! Hi Willie, lookit what got!"
Willie the street, swinging his books by
strap cluched the coin in my muddy hand, and he
bent to what it might be gingerly unwound
my fingers until thought that Willie could enough
without any danger of his acquiring it by sudden grab
AN action that would not have put past him.
"Goly!" he exclaimed. "Whered We git lt:'
@Found it under the sidewalk"
"There?"
"Uh-huh! Here! Whatever tryin' to do?" For he had
made quick, but ineffcacious snatch at my hand.
@'Smine," he said "My uncle dropped it there last
week. He told me so'
"He didn't do no such thing! How much was it,"
Willie thought. He resolved to go high. "Er-
era quarter he said
sneered "Aw! that's where you git left then, cause
this amt quarter"
Baked in his attempt to secure possession of the
treasure trove, Willie not yet entirely thwarted.
With smile intended to be expressive of heartfelt de-
voton, but which lost of its force through the
border of molasses and crumbs with which it
framed he said Il was only fooln', Pauie Er-er-
Come on, lets spend lt
Mentally caviled at the "us' but, spending the
coin entered my calculations, | replied heartily, "All
right Come on!' So we fell into dogtrot and swung
down the street, side by side.
"Lemme carry it part of the ways?"
aNo, stree, guess not! An if you say much more
won't spend it at ALT"
"Hum! Tell yer if you dont'
This despcable threat cowed me- had been battling
with feeble idea that ought not to spend the money
but should take it to the postoce and have Mr. Hollis
the postmaster, put up card the round pillar in
the middle of the waiting room, announcing, Found:
A Sum of Money"
Everybody did that when they found anything in our
town. But my friends utmatum drove the last rem
nant of any such idea of my head. accelerated my
trot, and he kept pace.
MO need for us to ask where we should go. There
was only one place in the world to spend money,
One Arm Jakes Of course, you could get rock candy
and gumdrops at the drugstore; but they didn't give
you such good measure. At One Arm Jakes you could
get slathers for cent,-twenty candy eggs three
chocolate mushmalers if you wanted it all in one
jawbreaker that you could hardly get into your mouth
and would last all day. you took it out when you got
to school and kept your handkerchief Then there
were slate pencils and boxes full sponges and pens
and rulers, and such things called Scholars Com
panion," and blankbooks Gf you inclined to cater
to your mind rather than your body) and nickel
els and buckshot for sings, and moasses hunks and
vinegar candy (Which you could through like thick
glass;, and doh, yes, pickle limes,-pcke lines in big
glass jar with thick, dust laden brine the top,
into which you plunged your hand latter paying your
cent; for One Arm Jake did business cash in ad-