Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1915-04-17
Little Billy S
Car Fare

pulled his legginS on, and then went tc
the closet and brought out red wool
en- cap and mittens.
Nov, little Billy" she said, as she
kissed him, "I'll tell the conductor on
the street car where you are to get Off
and Aunt Hannah will meet you. Al
three o'clock she will put you on the
car again, and I'll be at the corner
waiting for you. You may take this
basket. 1t will just hold the chicken
that she is going to give you
And the chickens named Biddy
isn't she?" asked Billy, who was much
excited.
Eyes, that's her name,' said his
mother.
And she has white tail feathers, and
nice red hair on the top Of her head?'
That's her comb, Billy boy said
his mother, laughing. She's White
Leghorn, and she will lay eggs for you
You can have one for breakfast"
"And mebbe she'll lay one for dinner
and supper if we're real good to her.
Billy was so impatient that he could
hardly wait to put on his overcoat, but
when his mother had at last got him
ready, they went down to the corner to
wait for the green car that was to
take him to Aunt Hannah's, just out of
town. When Mrs. Blinn had told the
conductor just where to let Billy off,
she ran back to telephone to his Aunt
Hannah.
1.-TWO four two" she called, and
some one at the other end of the line
answered. Aunt Hannah was waiting
Cor tho y,,ocoooo
SIS this you, Hannah" called Mrs.
Blinn, who was just little anxious.
yes"
well, want to tell you that just
put Billy on the car, and you can meet
him at the gate He's coming after the
little hen that you promised to give
him. He's SO pleased about 1t! Thank
you so much for it; it will make him
very happy. You can put him on the
car at three o'clock, and I'll meet him
him at the corner. Good-by!"
When Aunt Hannah met Billy, she
took him in her arms and gave him a
big kiss on his red cheek. Then she
led him out to see the chickens.
''Oh, what a many, Aunt Hannah"
he cried. where did they come
FROM"
'They were Matched in the incubator
Billy - big, warm box in the furnace
room, - good while ago. I'll show
it to you. Now here's your Biddy. Is
she not beauty"
Anut Hannah reached into a box in
the corner of the house and held up
a white hen. She is for your birth
day, Billy, and hope that you'll like
her and feed her we'll; then she'll lay
ever SO many white eggs. Don't forget
to give her plenty of water. She gets
thirsty, just as you do
Aunt Hannah reached into box In
to Billy's basket, and then took him to
the house, where she filled his pockets
with oatmeal cookies that had raisins
in them; then they had to run for the
car. Just as it was nearly up to the
farm gate Aunt Hannah said, Her
name is Biddy, don't forget and the
little boy was SO happy with his new
birthday gift and the oatmeal cookies
that he called back: Thank you, Bid
dy. I'll be good to Aunt Hannah"
When the conductor came for his car
fare, Billy set his basket on the floor
and put his hand into his coat pocket
to get his little red purse; but there
was no purse there. Then he stood
up and reached into the pockets of
his little trousers; but no, it was not
there, and so he knew that he had lost
it. What was he to do? Billy Blinn
was brave boy, but he came very
near crying when he found that he
had no money for his fare. Just as
a lady sitting next to Billy was look.
ing into her. pocketbook to find five
cents to give him, the cover of Billy's
basket began to bob up and down, and
the white hen began to cackle as loud
as she could. The people in the car
looked at Billy and laughed; he was so
much surprised that his eyes stood out
like big blue balls.
why, sonny said the lady, II be-
lieve your hens laid an egg! Look and
see."
AS soon as Billy took the cover of
the basket, Biddy flew out, and there,
as sure as you live, in the bottom OF
the basket was a beautiful white egg!
Billy was perfectly delighted and held
it up for them all to see.
An old gentleman across the aisle
smiled at Billy, and said, I'll give
you five cents for that egg, sonny
Cali right cried Billy, quickly, 'and
that will pay the conductor man, won't
it,"
2 So that was the way Biddy Blinn
paid her little masters carfare when
they travelled together and he had lost
his little red purse.
Floyd Wayne Morrison of