Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1917-02-16
T he Mee-cent Piece

the supper QlSneS every night III
three weeks, and had not spoken
word while she was doing her work.
Her mother wished her to learn to
be quiet child. The mothers did
not like to have their little daughters
talking, talking, from morning TIL!
night, years and years ago.
The three-cent piece was IN her
pocket. 1t was hers to spend as she
liked. She thought she would go to
the store and buy candy with it.
The store was mile away. 1t was
not large. fine building, such as you
have seen. 1t was small place. They
kept the postoffice on one side of the
room, and on the other, potatoes.
flour. sugar. cucumber pickles, onions.
brooms, washboards, tinware and
nails. animal crackers. and sticks Of
candy in large jars. Sara Jane had
always loved to look at those jars OF
candy. Now she was on her way to
buy.
AS she went skipping and singing
along the road. she heard some one
calling her name. :.
twas brown old man. and he stood
on his brown old doorstep and waited
for her to come up. Sara Jane knew
him. It was good Mr.. Gibbs. He was
their neighbor. He said to Sara, Are
you going to town."
eyes. sir" she answered.
"Will you do an errand for me-?
"Oh, yes. sir!"
81 want ten cents worth Of three
penny nails" said Mr.. Gibbs. cts to
fix a ward for my buff cochins. Here
is the money"
She held her pocket open and he
slipped it in. The dime went down
and jingled on the three-cent piece II
made a pleasant sound as she went
skipping on toward town - the Jingle.
Jingle in her pocket. And the more
merrily she skipped, the more mer-
rily the money jingled.
But all at once the sound stopped.
What do you suppose had happened?
One piece Of money was gone. The
dime was gone! The three-cent piece
that was left had no ten-cent piece to
Jingle against, so 1t could not Jingle
any more. That was the reason the
sound stopped. It was not long,
though, till there was another sound
1T was little Sara Jane crying While
she hunted for the money. But the
CRYING did not make her eyes to see
any better, and other little girls who
CRY while they hunt for things might
think OF that.
She did not know how she had lost
It, and do not know, either; but
think she was like rubber ball,
bouncing and bouncing along toward
town, that It made the dime bounce
and bounce in her pocket, until 1t
finally bounced out at the top. Any
how it was gone, and she could not
find it, though she hunted in the road
and in the grass at the side OF the
road
At last she was quite tired out, and
she sat down on the ground and tried
to think what she should do.
Her three cents was not so much
al Mr.. Gibbs ten cents, but she would
give him her money. because she had
lost his. That made her cry again.
You see, she wanted her candy so
very much.
After a while she got up and went
on to the store. She thought she
would get three cents worth OF the
nails and carry them to Mr.. Gibos.
Then all at once she seemed to nav e
very bright idea. She could not
buy three cents worth Of three-penny
nails, as Mr.. Gibbs had said. but she
could buy three cents worth of ten
penny nails and wouldn't that be just
the same? She had a shining face
when she walked into the store and
asked for the ten-penny nails. Simple
little Sara Jane.
Mr.. Gibbs looked surprised when
she handed him the small package OF
large nails.
"Why, what's this?" he said, and
for a moment Sara Jane was afraid
she had not done the right thing
after all.
But he was a pleasant man. He sa"
she had been crying, guessed why
and kept asking questions until he
found out just how it was.
Yes, he was very pleasant man.
and he kept looking pleasant as he
nut his hand in his pocket. $50 you
hought the nails with your candy
money" he said. well, here's three
cents. Get you some candy now, and
never mind about the nails
She thanked him. but she did not
90 back to the store. for she knew
mother must be looking for her by
this time. She was very happy
though. all the way home, thinking
about the candy she would buy the
next day.
Mr.. Gibbs took the ten-penny nails
to town and changed them for some
smaller ones. On the way home (you
will be surprised when l tell YOU ne
found the dime where 1t lay tipped
against two grass blades and shining
in the sun.
Who would expect an old mans
ewes to be sharper than little girfs?
But l think little Sara Jane might
have seen it herself If her eyes had
not been full Of tears. - Unknown
Exchange.
THE LOST GLASSES
80 Johnnie, my laddie, your eyes are