Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-05-27
CHAPTER II.
(Continued.)

You'll have TO send that loafer
away. right now, ayes 1 guess you
will"
"Why?"
Because this boy has learnt to
swear like a pirate-ayes- has.''
Uncle Peabody didn know it
but l, myself had begun to suspect
it, and that hour the man was sent
away, and l remember that he left
liz anger with a number of those
new words flying from his lips. A
forced march to the upper room
followed that event. Uncle PEI
body explained that it was wick
ed to swear-that boys who did it
bad very bad luck. and mine came
in a moment. / never had more of
it come along in the same length
Of time.
One day in the spring when the
frogs were chanting in the swamp
land, they seemed to be saying,
"Dunkelberg, Dunkelberg, Dunkel-
berg" from morning to bedtime. 1
was helping Uncle Peabody to fix
the fence when he said:
Hand me that stake. Bub. Don't
be so much of gentleman"
1 handed the stake to him and
then I said:
Uncle Peabody; I want to be
gentleman"
"a gentleman" he exclaimed as
he looked down at me thoughtfully.
"a grand, noble gentleman with
q sword and a gold watch and chain
and diamonds on 1 exclaimed.
He leaned against the top rail OF
the fence and looked down at me
and laughed.
Whatever put that in yer head?"
he asked.
"Oh, 1 don't know-how do ye be
it?" I demanded.
''They's two ways" said he. Zone
is to begin fore you're born and
pick out the right father T'other
is to begin after you're born and
pick out the right son. You can
make yerself whatever you want to
be. It's all inside of a boy and it
comes OUT by and by-swords and
gold and diamonds, or rags an dirt
an shOyels an crowbars."
I wonder what I had inside of me.
81 guess 1 amt got any sword in
me-" l said.
when you, have been eating
green apples and l wouldn't won
der" he answered as he went on
with his work.
"Once I thought I heard a watch
tickin' in my throat" I said hope
fully.
4 don't mean them things is real
ly in We, but the power to git 'em
is in ye," said Uncle Peabody.
That's what l mean-power. Be
a good boy and study yer lessons
and never lie, and the power'll
come into ye as sure as you're
alive
l began to watch myself for
symptoms of power.
After I ceased to play with the
Wills boy Uncle Peabody used to
say, often, it was a pity that I /
hadn't somebody of my own age
for company. Every day felt sor-
~ that the Wills boy had turned
out so badly. and 1 doubt not the
cat and the shepherd dog and the
chickens and Uncle Peabody also !
regretted his failures, especially |
the dog and Uncle Peabody, who |
bore all sorts of indignities for my
sake.
In the circumstances I had to |
give good deal of time to the |
proper education of my uncle. Nat !
urally he preferred to waste his |
time with shovels and rakes. But !
be soon learned how to roll a hoop |
and play tag and ball and yard off |
and how to run like a horse when I |
sat on his shoulders. 1t was rather |
bard on him, after his work in the |
fields, but he felt his responsible !
ty and applied himself with due
diligence and became a very prom
sing child, I also gave strict at
.ention to his talent for story-tell-
ng. 1t improved rapidly. Being
rank in my criticism he was abs
o profit by all his failures in taste
md method, so that each story had
I fierce bear in it and fair amount
IF growing by and by. But
Gould not teach him to sing, and it
vas a great sorrow to me. I often
ried and he tried, but l saw that
7 W. cT't oniT1U TIa |