diff options
| -rw-r--r-- | .gitattributes | 3 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | 5882.txt | 2693 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | 5882.zip | bin | 0 -> 45953 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | LICENSE.txt | 11 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | README.md | 2 |
5 files changed, 2709 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6833f05 --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,3 @@ +* text=auto +*.txt text +*.md text diff --git a/5882.txt b/5882.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..4be4ea0 --- /dev/null +++ b/5882.txt @@ -0,0 +1,2693 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of A District Messenger Boy and a Necktie Party +by James Otis +(#2 in our series by James Otis) + +Copyright laws are changing all over the world. Be sure to check the +copyright laws for your country before downloading or redistributing +this or any other Project Gutenberg eBook. + +This header should be the first thing seen when viewing this Project +Gutenberg file. Please do not remove it. Do not change or edit the +header without written permission. + +Please read the "legal small print," and other information about the +eBook and Project Gutenberg at the bottom of this file. Included is +important information about your specific rights and restrictions in +how the file may be used. You can also find out about how to make a +donation to Project Gutenberg, and how to get involved. + + +**Welcome To The World of Free Plain Vanilla Electronic Texts** + +**eBooks Readable By Both Humans and By Computers, Since 1971** + +*****These eBooks Were Prepared By Thousands of Volunteers!***** + + +Title: A District Messenger Boy and a Necktie Party + +Author: James Otis + +Release Date: June, 2004 [EBook #5882] +[Yes, we are more than one year ahead of schedule] +[This file was first posted on September 15, 2002] + +Edition: 10 + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK, A DISTRICT MESSENGER BOY AND A NECKTIE PARTY *** + + + + +This eBook was produced by John Kaler. + + + + + + + + + +A DISTRICT MESSENGER BOY AND A NECKTIE PARTY + + +BY + + +JAMES OTIS + + + +AUTHOR OF "TOBY TYLER," "TEDDY AND CARROTS," +"JENNY WREN'S BOARDING-HOUSE," "THE BOY CAPTAIN," "LITTLE +JOE," ETC., ETC. + + +CONTENTS. + + + + + +A DISTRICT MESSENGER BOY. + +I. UNWILLING PASSENGERS +II. HOME AGAIN + +DAN HARDY'S CRIPPY + +A NECKTIE PARTY. +I. SI'S SCHEME +II. AGGIE'S SCHEME +III. TOM'S SCHEME + + +A DISTRICT MESSENGER BOY. + + +CHAPTER I. +UNWILLING PASSENGERS. + +"What is your name, boy?" + +"Joe Curtis, sir." + +"And your number? " + +" Two hundred and ninety-seven." + +" Very well, now listen to what I say, and see that you do exactly as I +tell you. I am going to Providence by the Sound steamer that sails in +an hour and a half; take these tickets, go to the office of the boat, +get the key of the stateroom I have engaged and paid for, and put these +satchels in it." + +"Yes, sir." + +"Then wait near the gangway of the steamer until I come, for I shall +probably be late, as I +have to take a sick friend with me. Be sure to have the room ready, so +that I can have him +carried directly from the carriage to his berth." + +" I will wait for you, sir." + +" What are the rates?" + +"For an hour and a half, ninety cents, sir, and car fare extra if you +want me to get there +in a hurry." + +" Very well, here is a dollar, and see that you do exactly as I have +told you." + +Joe touched his cap, took the two valises that the gentleman pointed +out to him in one corner of the office, and, staggering under the heavy +weight, started for the nearest elevated railroad station. Joe was +scarcely large enough to carry the valises; but, when he succeeded in +getting a situation in the messenger service, he knew that he would +have plenty of hard work to do, and was fully prepared for it. +.Besides, this acting the part of porter was by no means so difficult a +job as some that had been assigned to him in the past six weeks, and he +went about it as philosophically as if he had been a man, instead of a +boy only twelve years old. + +Arrived at the dock, he had no trouble in getting the stateroom key, +since he had the +proper tickets, and, after caring for the baggage, it was only +necessary to wait near the +gang-plank until his employer should appear. + +It was by no means hard work for Joe to wait for the gentleman; in the +bustle and confusion everywhere around him he found plenty to occupy +his mind, and, forgetting how hard he had. struggled to get the baggage +down there, he thought he had been particularly fortunate in being +assigned to the work. + +The moments went by so fast that, when the last bell sounded, and Joe +heard the cry of "All ashore that's going," he could hardly believe it +possible that he had been on the boat more than an hour, waiting for +the gentleman and his sick friend. + +" He's got to come pretty soon, or else his stateroom won't do him +much good," Joe said +to himself as he stood close by the gang-plank with the key in his +hand, ready to deliver it +without delay. + +But although carriage after carriage was driven up just in time for its +occupants to get on the boat, Joe's employer did not come, and the boy +began to understand that, unless he made some decided move at once, he +would be carried away. + +"He told me to look out for the baggage until he came; but I don't +s'pose he meant for me to go to Providence if he didn't come." + +The sailors were pulling the gang-plank ashore, and Joe saw that his +time was indeed +limited. Since he had been ordered to care for the baggage until the +gentleman came, he +had no idea of leaving it on the steamer, neither did he propose to +make a trip to Providence. + +"I'll get the things out of the room, an' then wait on the pier," he +said to himself as he ran +up to the saloon where the stateroom was located. + +There were a large number of passengers on the boat, and, despite all +Joe's efforts, he could not get through the crowd quickly. He struggled +and pushed, even at the risk of incurring the displeasure of those +gentlemen who were in his way, until he reached the stateroom. To get +the valises out after he was once there was but the work of a few +moments, and then he had another difficult task to reach the main deck. + +When he did get there, breathless and excited, he saw that his efforts +had been in vain, for the steamer had already left the dock, and was so +far out in the stream that; unless he had been Mr. Giant-Stride of +fairy-tale fame, he could not have leaped ashore. + +" Well, this is nice!" exclaimed Joe, as he stood with a valise in each +hand, looking at the +dock, on which he fancied he could see the man who had been the cause +of his involuntary voyage. "Now, what'll I do?" + +He stood looking about him in doubt and perplexity, uncertain whether +to go to the captain of the boat, and demand that he be landed at once, +or to explain the situation to some of the passengers, in the vain hope +that they might be able to aid him, when he heard the sound of sobs +close 'beside him. + +" Hello! did you get carried away, too?" he asked, as he saw a boy, not +more than eight or +nine years old, crying bitterly. "Come here, sonny, an' tell me. what +the matter is, for it +looks as' if you an' I were in the same scrape:" + +"They're takin' me away from mamma an' papa, an' I'll just jump +overboard," was sonny's +answer. + +"Oh, don't get like that," said Joe, soothingly,as he placed the +valises carefully in one corner, and took the child by the hand to +reassure him. "They ar'n't to blame, 'cause they told everybody to go +on shore' that wanted to, an' we didn't go." + +" I couldn't," sobbed the boy, "he held me, an' when I cried he struck +me in the face." + +"Who did?" + +"The man that made me come here with him. Mamma let me go out in the +street to play if I wouldn't go away from the block; but that man came +up an' asked me if I did not want a real live pony, an' I did, an' I +went with him to get it" + +"An' you forgot what you promised your mother," said Joe, sagely. + +" Yes, 'cause he said it was only a little ways off; but when we'd +walked two blocks, I wanted to go home, 'and he told me he'd cut my +throat wide open if I said anything; and then we come here." + +"Why, he's up an' stole you, that's what he's done," said Joe, as, with +his hands deep in his +pockets, he stood contemplating the boy, whose trouble was so much +greater than his. + +"Oh, dear!" wailed the child, as he hid his head in the corner, and +gave way to his grief. +"I'm goin' right straight home, an' I won't stay here." + +Joe was touched by the boy's distress; he forgot his own troubles, +which .were light as compared to the little fellow's, and did his best +to comfort him. + +"Now, see' here,-what's your name, though?" + +"Ned." + +" Well, Ned, you couldn't get home now, so you'd better stop crying, +an' we'll see if we can't fix it in some way. Where's the man?" + +" He went down-stairs when the boat started, an' he told me he'd beat +me black an' blue if I spoke to anybody while he was gone." + +"An' prob'ly he would," said Joe. "If he dared to reg'larly steal you +he'd dare to do +anything else; but I'll get away before he comes up, an' I'll go an' +tell the captain of the boat. Then t rather think the man will wish +he'd never'd said anything about a pony, for he'll be arrested." + +" No, no, don't! " cried Ned, "he'd be sure to kill me if you should do +that, an' then what good would it do me? " + +"But you hain't goin' to let him carry you off, be you?" + +"Oh, I don't know," said Ned, and he began to cry piteously again, +while Joe tried to soothe him by wiping away the big tears with the +cuff of his jacket. + +"I think you'd better let me tell the captain," he said. + +"I can't, 'cause he knows another man on the boat, an' one of them +would be sure to kill me. Why won't you let me just go with you?" + +"I would if I knew where I was goin'; but you see, I'm most as bad off +as you are;" and +then Joe told him of his misfortune in having become an involuntary +passenger, concluding his story by saying, "An' I've got a mother +that'll feel just as bad as yours will; it will be worse for "her, too, +'cause she says now that father's dead I'm all that she's got, an' +every cent I make I carry home to her, 'cause she has to work hard to +get money to pay the rent." + +Joe could understand very readily, by Ned's clothing, that their homes +were widely different.Had it not been for his uniform, the messenger +boy would have worn a very shabby suit of clothes, while Ned was not +only dressed expensively, but he wore what was, to Joe, the very height +of extravagance - a gold ring. + +"Even if you don't know where you're goin', take me with you," said +Ned. "If you'd help +me, I'd try to get away from that man, - there he comes now; don't 'let +him whip me.". + +"I'll go off, so's he won't know we've been talkin', an' just as soon +as he leaves again I'll +come back," said he. + +He had just time enough to dart behind a pile of baggage, before the +man came up, and he +needed but one glance to convince him that Ned had good cause for fear. +The man's face +was so brutal looking, that even he began to think perhaps it might not +be advisable to appeal to the captain of the steamer, lest the story +should not be believed, and he be called to an account for interfering. + +The valises were still where he had left them, and, marching boldly +out, but feeling quite the reverse of what he tried to assume, he took +the baggage, not heeding the pleading look Ned gave him, and went to +the stateroom, where he remained some time, trying to make up his mind +what he could do to aid the boy who had appealed to him. He did not for +a moment entertain the idea of leaving him with that man. Suddenly, +what seemed to be a very brilliant idea came to him, and he walked +down-stairs on to the main deck again, leaving the door of the +stateroom unlocked. + +The man was seated by Ned's side, smoking, and Joe went from one place +to another, keeping the couple in sight all the while, until he saw him +walk away with a companion who spoke to him, and looked quite as +detestable as he. + +Joe made sure that the two had gone into the lower cabin, and, running +quickly to where Ned sat, he said, "Come up-stairs with me as fast as +you can, an' I'll show you what to do." Then, taking the little fellow +by the hand, he hurried to the upper deck, not looking around, and +hardly daring to breathe until they were in the stateroom, with the +door securely fastened and the blind of the window closed. + +" There!" he exclaimed, triumphantly, in a whisper, "I guess this fixes +Mr. Man, an' when +he tries to find you he'll think that stealin' boys hain't so easy as +he thought it was." + +"But he'll come up here to get me," said Ned, hoping that there was an +opportunity for him to escape, yet frightened at the step he had taken. + +" He may come up-stairs; but how can he find you? See here, Ned, I've +got two tickets for the passage in my pocket, an' the room's been paid +for by the man I told you about. Now we can keep in here till the boat +stops, and then I guess we can give him the slip; but I hain't thought +yet how we either of us can get home." + +"But s'posen he comes right up here to the door?" + +"He w6n't do that. Can't you see, Ned, that he don '.t know anything +more about this room +than he does of any other? We're all right for awhile anyhow; but I +guess we'll be pretty +hungry, 'cause we can't get anything to eat." + +" I don't care 'bout that, if he don't get hold of me again," said Ned, +growing bright and happy as he realized his temporary safety. + +The boys examined the tickets Joe had, looked curiously at the snug +little cabin, wondered what the man would say or do when he could not +find Ned, and, finally, the first novelty of the situation having +passed away, they talked of their homes. + +It was the most unwise thing they could have done, so far as peace of +mind was concerned, for at the thoughts of their mothers waiting and +watching for them, both broke down. Ned lay down in the berth without a +thought of hiding his grief; but Joe, who considered it his duty, in +his position of protector to the younger boy, to appear unconcerned, +was obliged to stand by the window in order to cry without being seen +or +heard, and he wiped his eyes with the curtain until his cheeks were +stained blue and green +from the dye of the fabric, in a sorrowfully ridiculous fashion. + +However it happened, neither of the boys quite understood, but, despite +their deep sorrow, they both fell asleep, shortly after Joe lay down by +the side of Ned to comfort him, and did not awaken until morning. The +sun was streaming in through the slats of the blinds, the throbbing of +the engine was stilled, and everything betokened the end of the voyage. + +Neither of the boys had undressed, for they had anticipated a long, +dreary evening during which they would be very hungry, and Joe had +fully intended to walk around the boat for the purpose r of learning +what Ned's enemy was doing. They had not laid any plans, arid in this +Joe felt that they had been culpable, since, now that they were at +liberty to go on shore, neither had an idea of what course to pursue. + +"While you are washing your face I will go out and see if that man is +around anywhere," said Joe, finally, "an' I'll lock the door and take +the key with me so's there won't be any chance of his gettin' in while +I'm gone." + +Ned did not much like being left alone, but he made no objections, +since he could readily see that it was of the highest importance that +they should learn if the man and his companion were watching for them. + +Joe went into every portion of the boat in which passengers are +allowed; but without seeing either Ned's captor or his companion. Had +he been on deck when the steamer arrived at Newport, he would have +seen the two men land there, after searching vainly for the boy they +had stolen, much as if they feared they might be called to an account +for what they had done. Of this, of course, Joe knew nothing; and when +he failed to see either of the men, he naturally feared they were +waiting on shore in the hope of catching Ned as he landed. + +It was but seven o'clock, and as a number of the passengers were yet on +board, the stewards had paid no attention to the stateroom the boys +occupied; otherwise an explanation might have been made which would +have prevented both the young passengers' much trouble. + +"It's morning, Ned, an' I s'pose we're in Providence," said Joe, as he +came back to the stateroom where the child was waiting, in fear and +trembling, the result of his trip on deck. "I can't see anything of the +men, an' perhaps if we go on shore now they won't catch us. We've got +to 'take these valises, for the man told me to watch 'em, an' that +means that I've got to keep right side of 'em." + +Ned manfully took hold of one side of the heaviest piece of baggage, +and with anxious +hearts the two left the room. At the gangway the children were stopped +by the man whose duty it was to collect the tickets. He looked at the +small boys with the large valises, +curiously; but as Joe gave him the two pieces of pasteboard that +entitled them to first cabin passages, the officer could do no less +than allow them to land. + +Even though they were supposed to be in Providence, they were some +distance from the +city, as they learned when they were off the pier, and Joe said: + +"Now, Ned, I'm sorry to make you do it, but we've got to walk fast if +we don't want those men to catch us," and that was sufficient to induce +the boy to do his best. + +But no matter how frightened a boy may be, he cannot walk very far on a +hot morning, without breakfast, more especially if he has had no supper +the night previous; and some time before they were near the city, both +Ned and Joe were obliged to rest. + +As' a matter of course, they had seen nothing of the men, and with the +feeling of freedom came the question which should have been settled the +night before, - that of where they should go. + +"I declare, I don't know what we will do," said Joe, in answer to Ned, +and then he chewed a piece of straw, vigorously, as if by that means he +hoped to be aided in arriving at some satisfactory conclusion. " You +see, the trouble is that we've got all this baggage to lug 'round, when +it's about as much as we can do to get along ourselves." + +"Why don't you leave the things somewhere? You never can find the man +that owns 'em, even if you carry them all the way back to New York," +said little Ned, sensibly. + +" That's so, bub," said Joe, "but all the same, you see he told me to +take care of them, an' I've got to do it, or else they'll blame me at +the office." + +Just then an express wagon passed, which suggested to Joe a very simple +way of disposing of his burden. + +"I'll tell you what we can do," he said, as he started to his feet +quickly, while his face lighted up with pleasure at the idea. " We'll +walk along until we come to an express office, an' then we'll just send +the valises on to where I work. I know we can do that, for last week +somebody sent two trunks there, an' the manager had to pay the bill for +bringing them." + +Unfortunately, it never occurred to Joe that it also would be possible +to get money sufficient to pay for the passage .home by telegraphing to +the manager of the office. + +"We've got a dollar," he said, as they trudged along, the valises +seemingly growing heavier each moment, "and jest as soon as we get rid +of these we'll get something to eat." + +At the express office the clerk took the baggage and gave Joe a receipt +for it without un- +necessary conversation. If he had not been so busy he might have asked +some questions, and thus the boys would have been advised as to the +proper course to pursue; but as it was, they walked out, little +thinking how much they might have learned, and rejoicing that they were +freed from a heavy burden. + +After they had made a very satisfactory breakfast on a pie; which Joe +bought for the small sum of ten cents, in consideration of the fact +that it was not as fresh as a first-class pie should be, they walked in +the direction of the wharves as a first step towards learning how they +should get home. + +It surely seemed as if they had been singularly fortunate in taking +this step, for they had gone hardly more than a block when they met a +boy about ten years old, who appeared to know all about it. It was not +a difficult matter to make his acquaintance, for he met their advances +considerably more than half-way, and in a. few moments the three were +comfortably seated on some barrels near the pier, discussing the +situation. + + +A DISTRICT MESSENGER BOY. + +CHAPTER II. +HOME AGAIN. + +"You see you have to go up that way to get to New York,!" said the boy, +pointing with an +air of wisdom, "an' if you fellers want to get home real bad, I'll +carry you there tomorrow +myself in a boat." + +"How long would it take you? " asked Joe, just a trifle doubtful as to +whether this boy +could do as much as he said he could. + +"Only two or three hours if we have a fair wind." + +"But we was all night comin' down in the steamer," remarked Joe, +quickly. + +"That's nothin'," said the boy, contemptuously, "for this boat I'm +goin' to take you in can sail more'n four times as fast as any steamer +you ever saw. Why, she sailed right around Tom Stevens's boat the other +day, an' there wasn't any wind at all. I tell you what it is, just you +come up here with me an' see her, then you'll know what she can do." + +There was no reason why the boys should not accept the offer, since +they had plenty of time at their disposal, and they started at once. + +"What's your name?" asked Joe, thinking that perhaps it might be as +well to call the boy +by his right name, as to be obliged to attract his attention by "I +say," or "look here." + +"Bartholomew West," was the prompt reply, as the boy looked around much +as if he expected they had heard of him, and would recognize the name. +at once. Not seeing the flush of joy he had expected would lighten up +the faces of his acquaintances when they knew who he was, he walked on +ahead, much as if he were angry, until they arrived at the end of the +street at the water's edge. + +Bartholomew pointed to a beautiful little yacht that was riding at +anchor a short distance from the shore, and said, in a tone of triumph: + +"That's the boat!" + +Joe and Ned stood looking at her with such undisguised admiration that +Bartholomew seemed willing to forgive their ignorance in not knowing +him, and at once entered into a detailed account of what the yacht had +done in the way of sailing. + +"Do you s'pose you could manage her?" asked Joe. "You see I don't know +anything +about boats, an' of course this little shaver here don't." + +"Manage her? Why, I could sail a whole ship all alone if I wanted to," +was the confident +reply. "Now you fellers be ready just as soon as it's light to-morrow +mornin', an' we'll start." + +"Then you'll have to come back alone," and Joe began to fear that they +were accepting too much from this new acquaintance, who must belong to +some important family in the city since he was the owner of such a +beautiful craft. + +"Well, I hain't sure but I shall stay in New York after I get there, +an' if I do I'll give +you fellows lots of sails in the boat. You see I'm-" + +Bartholomew had assumed a confidential tone, much as if he were about +to impart some important secret; but evidently concluded not to, since +he stopped suddenly, and looked as if he had already betrayed too much. + +" Why can't we go now? " asked Ned, who was growing more and more +homesick each moment. + +"We can't start until to-morrow morning," said Bartholomew, decidedly, +"'cause we couldn't get the boat till then. You see some of the men +will be aboard of her pretty soon now." + +" Couldn't get the boat? " repeated Joe, in surprise. "Why can't you +have her whenever you want her, if she's yours?" + +" W ell- well - you see some other fellers are going to have her to- +day," said the. boy, in confusion. + +"If she was my boat I wouldn't lend her to anybody," .said Ned, gazing +at the beautiful +yacht. + +"I have to sometimes.," said Bartholomew; "but we can get her to-morrow +mornin' if we're down here early enough." + +It never occurred to Joe that his new acquaintance intended to steal +the yacht; he had +no idea but that the boy owned her, although it did seem a little queer +that he did not offer +to take them on board then. "But what'll we do all dayan' to-night?" he +asked, finally. "We hain't got but ninety cents, an' -" + +"Ninety cents!" exclaimed the yacht-owner. "Have you fellers got ninety +cents?" +Joe explained how it happened that they had that amount, and Master +West was so delighted that he acted very much as if he wanted to +embrace them. "You stay right with me," he said, as he took each by the +arm in an affectionate manner, walking with them directly away from the +water. I'll show you where you can sleep, an' nobody won't ever find +you. Now come. up with me, so's we can get what we want." + +"What we want?" + +"Why, yes, if we're goin' to sail from here to New York we've got to +have some things to eat; so we'll go up an' get some candy, an' some +peanuts, an' crackers, an' a lot of things." + +Joe was not just certain whether or no it was wise for him to spend his +money, although it did seem as if it was his duty to do so since +Bartholomew was going to take them home. + +He did as the owner of the yacht proposed, spending half of his money +in the purchase of +such dainties as Master West fancied, and then, in order to see if they +had been cheated, as Bartholomew proposed, they sat down on a doorstep +to test the goods. + +I t seemed to Joe as if Master West ate a much larger proportion of the +articles he had +purchased than was strictly necessary in order to learn whether they +were as they had been represented, since more than half the stock had +been consumed before the question was decided. Of course Ned and Joe +ate some of the dainties; but they only tasted of them, while +Bartholomew had a regular feast, and only stopped when, by eating as +much as possible, he had lost his appetite for such things.. + +After this repast was ended, and the remainder of the eatables packed +away in Joe's and +Ned's pockets, Bartholomew appeared to have lost his desire to show his +new acquaintances around the city; he still said that he would carry +them to New York on the following morning, but he seemed to think that +they should be able to care for themselves until then. + +"I've got to lay 'round so's to find out whether anybody's goin' to be +on the boat this evenin'," he said, "an' you fellers had better wait on +the wharf awhile. Perhaps we can all sleep on board the boat to-night, +an' if we can, I'll come back for you and take you aboard." + +"Where are you going now?" asked Joe. + +" Over near where the boat is." + +"Why can't we go with you?" + +"It wouldn't do, 'cause somebody might see you, an' then they would +know what we was up to." + +"What if they should?" asked Joe, quickly, beginning to think that the +yacht-owner did +not appear to have many rights on board of his own vessel. " Can't you +take your boat +when you want to?" + +"Oh, I'll tell you all about it to-morrow, after we're on the way to +New York," said Master +West. "You stay right around the wharf till I come back." + +Before either Joe or Ned could prevent him, he had darted away in the +direction of the yacht, leaving his two friends at whose expense he had +just been feasting to look out for themselves. + +"' Do you know, Ned, I don't believe that feller owns the whole of the +boat, 'cause he acts so queer about her, an' I'm almost sorry we spent +that money for what we did. You see, it belongs to the office, and when +I get back an' tell the manager that I had to spend it to get something +to eat, he'll take it out of my wages." + +"' I wish we was home, an' my papa would give you the money to pay +back," said Ned, warmly. '" Oh, dear, have we got to stay here a whole +night? " + +"I'm 'fraid we have, Ned, an' it makes me feel awful bad to think about +mother. She must be about crazy 'cause I don't come home, an' as likely +as not the manager thinks I run away with the money." + +"My papa had gone away, so he don't know that I didn't come home," said +Ned, with quivering lip; "but my mamma is feeling as bad as yours is." + +"Yes, Ned, but we won't talk about it now, 'cause it don't make me feel +very good. We'll +wait awhile, an' if that West boy don't come, we'll start off +somewhere, 'cause I'd rather walk than stay 'round here." + +"Don't you s'pose the captain of the steamboat would let us go back, if +we should tell him +what made us come here? I'm sure my mother would pay him when we got +home," said Ned. + +"Do you s'pose she'd have money enough? You know it would cost much as +two or three +dollars apiece." + +"Course she's got enough. Why, sir, if she wanted as much as twenty +dollars she could +get it, my mother could." + +"Then let's go right down to the steamboat an' see if they'll take us, +- you are a sensible +little chap," and Joe started to his feet; but he stopped, suddenly, as +a second thought came to him. "It wouldn't do to go, 'cause the man +that stole you is waitin' round there, prob'ly, an' he'd catch you +sure." + +"Oh, dear, I'd forgot all about him," said the child. + +Joe made no reply; seated on a pile of boards, with his chin in his +hands, he gave himself up to the most gloomy reflections, so hopeless +did the case, seem. He had remained in this sorrowful attitude some +moments, with Ned silent by his side, when both were startled by a +shout: + +"Hello, there I why hain't you up to the office?" + +Joe sprang to his feet. He saw just behind him a boy about his own age, +in the uniform +of a district messenger. "Why, you hain't one of our boys, .are you? +Where did you +corne from?" continued the newcomer. + +Joe looked first at the uniform and then at the boy that wore it, as if +uncertain whether he +could trust the evidence of his own senses. " Well," said the +messenger, "what's the. matter with .you now? Does it overcome you very +much to see me?" + +" Where did you come from?" asked Joe. + +"Corne from? Why, I belong here. What are you doip'? Where do you +work?" + +" In New York." + +" New York!" exclaimed the boy, and he uttered a prolonged whistle. +"You don't mean +to say that you was sent way down here with a message, do you?" + +"See here," Joe made up his mind in an instant, "I'm in an awful bad +scrape, an' so +is this little feller; sit down here an' I'll tell you all about it." + +"All right; but I guess we'd better get behind those barrels, 'cause if +anybody should see me they'd think I ought to go back to the. office, +even if I have got half an hour off." + +A convenient place for conversation was found behind some barrels, +where the two were almost completely screened from view, and then Joe +told the story; but not without many interruptions in the way of +exclamations of surprise, almost incredulity, from his brother +messenger. He concluded by telling the story of their meeting with +Master West, and his offer to take them to New York in his yacht. + +"Was it Bart West that you met?" asked the boy. + +"His name was Bartholomew." + +" An' where is the boat? " + +Joe explained, as well as he was able, the locality in which they had +seen the yacht, and the messenger said, quickly: + +"Well, you don't want to have anything to do with that feller, 'cause +he's a reg'lar duffer. He's too lazy to work, an' he hangs 'round the +city like a loafer. That boat hain't his at all. I know who owns her. +Bart West hain't got money enough to buy one end of a punt. He +was goin'. to steal the yacht, that's what he was goin' to do, if he +was goin' to do anything, an' if you had gone off with him, you'd got +into a pile of trouble." + +Quite naturally, both Joe and Ned were alarmed at the narrow escape +they had had, for +they would have gone with Bart West without a question. + +"Well, how are you goin' to get home?" asked the Providence boy. + +"That's just what we don't know. We don't dare to go to the steamer, +'cause that man might catch Ned again. I'm afraid we'll have to walk, +if that West boy don"t own the boat." + +"Walk !" echoed the messenger, "why, it would take you a year to do it, +an' then I hain't +sure that you could get there." + +"Well, what can we do? Can't you help us somehow, if you know all the +folks here?" . + +" I s'pose I could," said the new acquaintance, as he rubbed his chin, +reflectively. If I should tell our manager about it, I guess he could +telegraph to New York to find out if it was all right; an' then he +could fix it so's you could go back on the boat; but he couldn't send +the other feller, 'cause, you see, he hain't one of the crowd." + +"Oh, don't go away an' leave me here, will you, Joe?" asked Ned, +imploringly, a sense of +utter loneliness coming over him as he thought of what might happen to +him if he were left alone. + +" Indeed, I won't, Ned. If we can't get home together, I'll stay and go +with you, if we have to walk every step of the way." + +Ned stole his hand shyly into Joe's, to thank him for the promise, and +the messenger said, in a tone of superior wisdom: + +" You see, if he was a messenger, like we are, it would be all right; +but I'm most sure our manager wouldn't have anything to do with him. +But you stay here, an' I'll tell him what you've said, an' .then I'll +come back to let you know . what he's going to do about it." + +The boy leaped out of the hiding-place, running swiftly towards the +office, as if he would +scorn to walk while he had his uniform on, and Ned and Joe were left +alone, two very forsaken-feeling little' fellows, even though there was +a faint prospect. that they might escape from their present difficulty. + +Joe was obliged to repeat, again and again, to his weary little charge, +that he would remain with him, and they were talking of what they would +do in case they were obliged to walk home, when suddenly they heard +Master West calling to them. + +"Well, what is it?" asked Joe, coolly, feeling that he had good cause +for complaint against +this boy, who would have allowed them to get into trouble by going away +in a stolen boat. + +"Come up-town, an' let's get some more things, for we hain't got half +enough to last us +to New York." + +"I guess not," said Joe. "I hain't goin' to spend any more money for +such things, and, too, +we won't go with you in the boat if we never get home." + +"Why not?" and Bartholomew stood before them, a perfect picture of +painful surprise. + +"Well, you see we hain't sure that you own the boat, an' we concluded +not to run any +risks." + +"S'posen I don't own the boat, so long as I can get her. I'll fix all +that, an' you've only got +to come along." + +" I guess we can walk, thank'ee. We'd rather do that than steal a +boat." + +"Oh, you're too much of a girl to suit me, if you don't dare to do a +little thing like that," +said Master West, loftily, and then he walked slowly away, much as if +he expected the' boys would call him back, when they found that he was +really intending to leave them to their fate. + +" We want to get home pretty bad," said Joe; "but not so much that +we're willing to steal a +boat to go in." + +"All right, you can stay here, an' starve to death, for all I care. +You'll be sorry, though." + +"You'll be sorry, Bart West," cried a voice from up the street; "but +you can't get any messenger boy to go in with you when you're goin' to +steal Mr. Longley's yacht." + +"Then it was you, George Browning, who told these fellers that the boat +wasn't mine?" said Bart, angrily. + +" Yes, it was," replied the messenger, who appeared excited, "an' these +fellers can get home without you, for our manager says he'll pay their +fare. He. telegraphed to New York, an' if the little feller's name is +Edward Hawley, he's goin' to give 'em all they want to eat, an' buy a +stateroom, an' they are to go like reg'lar swells." + +"'Tis Edward Hawley," piped Ned, jumping up on his tired little feet. + +It was not many seconds before Joe and Ned were out from behind the +barrels, questioning George, in breathless excitement. + +"The manager of your office had telegraphed down here,to know if you +come on the boat," said George, as soon as the boys gave him an +opportunity to speak, " an' to pay your fare back if you was here. So +when I told our manager, he knew all about it. Then when I told him +about the other feller, he said folks in New York had been telegraphing +all around the country for a boy by the name of Edward Hawley. Now +you'd better come up to the office, an' everything'll be all right." + +As may be imagined, it was not many moments before Joe and Ned were +telling their +stories to the manager of the office in which George was employed, and +then their troubles were over. The fact that they were in Providence, +and safe, was telegraphed to New York at once, and George was. detailed +to show the boys around the city until time for the boat to leave, for +Mr. Hawley had sent word that Ned should be supplied with what he +needed to make him comfortable and happy. + +Nothing more was seen of Master West, and the two boys returned to New +York on the same steamer on which they had been involuntary passengers +the night previous. + +" Hello, there's the man come to look for his valises," said Joe, next +morning, as he and Ned stood by the rail while the steamer was being +warped into the dock. "I s'pose he'll be mad, now, 'cause I sent them +on by express." + +"' Why, that's my father!" exclaimed Ned, when Joe had pointed his +employer out from +among the crowd on the pier. + +It was indeed the case; and the .reason why Mr. Hawley had not come to +relieve Joe, was +that word of Ned's non-appearance at home had been sent to him nearly +an hour before the steamer sailed. + +Joe went back, to the office, after he had been home to see his mother, +but he did not remain there very long, for Mr. Hawley gave him a +position in his store, in return for his kindness to Ned, and to-day +the district messenger boy is in a fair way to become a successful +merchant. + + +DAN HARDY'S CRIPPY. +. + +Among the flock of geese that toddled in and out of Farmer Hardy's +barn-yard last winter, +hissing in protest at the ice which covered the pond so that there was +no chance of a swimming match, was one remarkable neither for its +beauty, nor its grace. This particular goose was gray, and was looked +upon with no special favor by Mrs. Hardy, who had great pride in all +the flock but the gray one. + +When .it was a little fluffy, drab-colored gosling, one of the sheep +had stepped on it, crushing out its life so nearly that Mrs. Hardy had +no idea it would ever recover, but Dan begged for its life. He felt +sure he could set the broken leg, and he pleaded so hard that his +mother finally allowed him to make the attempt. + +And he did succeed. The gosling was naturally a strong little thing, +and, thanks to Dan's +nursing, was soon able to limp around the shed that had been converted +into a hospital. One of its legs was nearly a quarter of an inch +shorter than the other; but the little fellow increased in strength as +rapidly as he did in size, and seemed to consider Dan as his owner and +especial protector. + +Like Mary's lamb, it followed Dan about whenever the opportunity +offered, until "Crippy" - which was the name Dan had given it - was +known in the village quite as well as the boy was. + +Many were the long walks, confidential chats, when the boy talked and +the goose cackled, that Dan and Crippy had, and, when the preparations +for the Thanksgiving festival were begun, the gray goose was decidedly +the fattest in the flock. +Dan had always given Crippy a share of his luncheon, or had supplied +for him a separate and private allowance of corn, and by this very care +of his pet did he get into serious trouble. + +"Dan's goose is the largest and the fattest, and I think we had better +kill him for the +.Thanksgiving dinner," Dan heard his father say, three days before +Thanksgiving; and Mrs. Hardy had replied: + +"I had thought of that; gray feathers never bring as much money as +white ones, and the +goose is terribly in the way; he is always in the house, and always +directly under foot." + +Dan could hardly believe his own ears. The thought of killing and +eating Crippy seemed +wicked. Why, he would as soon have thought his parents would serve him +up for dinner, as Crippy, and as for eating any of his pet, it would, +to his mind, be little short of cannibalism. + +"You wouldn't be so wicked as to kill Crippy, would you, Mother?" he +asked, while the big tears came into his eyes, almost spilling over the +lashes. + +"Why not?" Mrs. Hardy was so busily engaged in her work of making mince +pies that she +did not notice the sorrow on Dan's face. "Why not? He's only a goose, +and gray. We've got to have one, and Crip is the fattest." + +"But, mother, I couldn't have poor Crippy killed. He an' I do love each +other so much." + +" Now don't be foolish about a goose, Danny. Come help me stem these +raisins." + +Dan said nothing more, for he knew by the way she had spoken that his +mother had fully +made up her mind, and that it would be useless to try to induce her to +change her cruel plans. He stemmed the raisins as she had requested; +but he worked as quickly as possible, and when the task was done he ran +out to the barn. + +When the gray goose toddled towards him immediately he opened the barn +door, cackling and hissing with delight at seeing his young master, the +tears, which Dan had managed to keep back, came at last, and, with the +goose in his arms, he seated himself on the barn floor with a feeling +in his heart that he and Crippy were the two most unhappy and abused +fellows in the world. + +"0 Crippy! they say they're goin'to kill you, an' I'd a heap sooner +they'd kill me! What +shall we do, Crippy? " + +The goose made no reply; he was perfectly content to nestle down in +Dan's arms, and, so +far as he could see, he and his master were in remarkably comfortable +quarters. + +Much as the goose had been petted by Dan, the affection bestowed upon +him just then +seemed to surprise him, and, while the boy was still crying over. him, +he struggled until he got away, when he limped over to the corn-bin as +a gentle reminder that grain would please him far better than tears. + +During that day and the next Dan spent his time alternately begging for +Crippy's life and +petting him; but all to no purpose, so far as inducing his mother to +change her mind was +concerned. + +On the following morning the gray goose was to be killed, and Dan could +see no way +to save him. + +That afternoon he spent the greater portion of his time with the doomed +Crippy, crying and talking until all the fowls must have wondered what +the matter was, for, there being no almanac in the barn, of course they +could have no idea Thanksgiving was so near. Suddenly Dan thought of a +plan by which Crippy might be saved. It was a desperate one, and +almost frightened him as he thought it over; but with his pet's life in +the balance he could not hesitate at anything. + +"I'll tell you what we'll do, Crippy," he said, as he succeeded in +making the goose remain +quietly in his arms by feeding him with corn. I' Uncle Robert lives in +New York, an' he's +awful good. I know if we could find him he could save you. Now I'll get +up in the night, +an' come out here for you. It's only seven miles, an' I'm most sure we +could walk there +in a day. Then if he won't come out here to see mother, Thanksgiving +will be gone, an' +they can't have you. for dinner." + +Crippy swallowed the corn greedily, and Dan looked upon this as a sign +that he not only +understood what had been said, but was eating an unusually hearty meal +by way of preparation for the journey. + +Under any less desperate circumstances Dan could not have been +persuaded to go away from home for an hour without asking his mother's +permission, and even as he was situated then, he felt that he was about +to do something which was almost wicked. But since he could save +Crippy's life in no other way, what could he do? He almost felt as if +by taking the goose away he was preventing his parents from committing +a crime, for it could hardly be less than one to kill so intelligent +and loving a creature. + +But though he tried to persuade himself that what he was doing was, +under the circumstances, a favor to his parents, there was a big lump +in his throat. as he did his work that night, and realized that in a +few hours neither his father nor his mother would know where he was. He +was more than usually careful about the kindling-wood and the water, +and when his mother spoke to him so kindly, he had the greatest +difficulty in keeping his secret. + +It was only the thought that he was by no means "running away" that +prevented him from +telling his mother what he intended to do. He argued with himself that +he was only going to uncle Robert's on business, and that he should +return the day after he arrived there; that would be entirely different +from running away. + +During the evening Dan worked hard at a message which he was to leave +for his parents, +feeling obliged to take every precaution lest they should see what he +was about; and after the most painful efforts he succeeded in printing +this note: + +CRIP & ME HAVE GORNE TO UNKLE ROBERTS TO +GET HIM TO COME UP HERE TO KOAX YOU NOT TO +KILL CRIP. WE WILL COME RIGHT BACK. +DANIEL K. HARDY. + +Dan had six cents, which he had earned carrying milk, and his +preparations for the journey consisted simply in putting these in his +pocket, together with some corn for Crippy, and in placing the little +clock and some matches by the side of his bed, so that he might be able +to tell when the proper time had come for him to start. + +Perhaps Mr. and Mrs. Hardy were surprised by Dan's unusually +affectionate manner when he' bade them good-night; but, if they were, +nothing was said about it, and the inmates of the Hardy farmhouse +retired on the night before the proposed execution of poor Crippy at +the usual early hour of nine o'clock. + +Dan's idea was to lie awake until three in the morning, then steal +cautiously out of the house, get Crippy, and start. But it was much +harder work to remain awake than he had fancied, and before he had been +in bed an hour he was sleeping soundly. + +But even though his eyes persisted in closing despite his will, Dan did +not sleep very long at a time. He was awake at least every half hour +and his small stock of matches was exhausted as early as two o'clock. +With no means of procuring a light, it would be impossible for him to +know when the time had come, and, since he did not dare to go to sleep +again, he concluded it would be better to set out at once than run the +risk of delaying until his father should awaken. + +During the time he was making very awkward attempts to dress himself in +the darkness, his fingers trembling violently, both from fear and the +cold, he fancied each moment that he could hear his parents moving +around, as if they had suspected his purpose, and were on the alert to +prevent him from carrying it into execution. It seemed, too, as if each +particular board in the floor creaked in protest at what he was doing, +and to give the alarm. + +The note which was to inform his parents of where he had gone was +placed conspicuously on the chair by the bed, where his mother could +not fail to see it when she came to awaken him; and when that was done +his journey seemed more like some demand of business, and less like +disobedience to what he knew his parents' command would be. + +He did finally succeed in dressing himself, although his jacket was +buttoned in a very curious fashion; and then, with his shoes and +mittens in his hands, he started down-stairs. If the boards of the +floor had tried to arouse his parents, the stairs appeared bent on +awakening the entire household, - although he did his best to put as +little weight as possible upon them, they creaked and screamed in a +most alarming fashion. + +It seemed strange to him that his parents could sleep while so much +noise was being made; but when he finally succeeded in closing the +outside door behind him, there had been no sign made to show that his +departure was known. + +Dan was so nervous and excited that he hardly felt the frost when he +stepped, with stockinged feet, upon the snow; but instinct prompted him +to put on his boots and mittens, and it only remained to get Crippy and +start. + +He almost expected that the goose would be waiting for him at the +stable door when he opened it; but, since he knew he should find his +pet in 'the warm box he had made for him, he was not greatly +disappointed at not seeing him ready for the journey. Besides, he had +come an hour before he told Crippy he would be there, which was +sufficient reason why the goose was not ready and anxious to start. + +After groping his way around the barn to the corner in which was +Crippy's sleeping apartment, Dan. was considerably surprised because +the goose was so very careless, both in regard to his safety, and the +possibility of arousing the household. He cackled and hissed when Dan +took him from the box, as if he preferred to be killed and served up +for the Thanksgiving dinner, rather than go out-of-doors so early on a +cold morning. + +Dan whispered that he knew it was hard to be obliged to start so early, +but that they must do so, and the more he explained matters the harder +the goose struggled, until it seemed much as if the attempt to save +Crippy's life would be a dismal failure. + +"I'm doin' this so's you won't have to be killed, Crippy," whispered +Dan, as he held the +goose tightly clasped in his arms "an' it does seem's if you might help +a feller, instead of tryin' to wake up father an' mother." + +Perhaps Crippy was weary with struggling,- Dan thought he began to +realize his position, +- for he ceased all protests after his master's last appeal, and, with +his head tucked under +Dan's coat, submitted quietly to the rescue. + +If he had not repeated to himself so many times that he was not running +away from home, +but simply going to uncle Robert's, to save poor ~ Crippy's life, Dan +would have felt that he was doing something wrong because of the +warning cries uttered by everything around. The stable door, when he +tried to close it softly, shut with a spiteful clatter, and even the +snow gave forth a sharp, crunching sound, such as he had never heard +before. But he must keep on, for to remain would be to see the plump, +brown body of poor Crippy on the Thanksgiving dinner-table, while to go +on would be, at the worst, but a few +hours' discomfort, with Crip's life as the reward. + +Once they were out-of-doors Crippy behaved much as if he had suddenly +realized how important it was for him to get away from the Hardy farm, +and Dan had no trouble with him while he was passing the house. + +There seemed to be an unnatural stillness everywhere, amid which the +crunching of the +dry snow sounded with a distinctness that almost frightened the boy, +who was simply going to his uncle Robert's to spend a day or two. But +finally Dan was on the main road, where the snow was frozen so hard +that his footsteps could not be heard as distinctly, and where the two +tracks worn smooth by the runners of the sleighs lay spread out before +him, looking like two satin ribbons on white broadcloth. + +Dan trudged slowly on, his heart growing lighter as the moments went by +and he knew +he had actually gotten away without arousing anyone; but after he had +walked some distance he began to realize how heavy Crippy was. He had +thought he could carry his pet almost any length of time; but at the +very commencement of his journey his arms began to ache. + +"It's no use, Crippy, you'll have to walk some of the way," he said, as +he put the goose on the snow, and then started off to show him he must +follow. Now a moonlight promenade on the snow, in the morning, with the +thermometer several degrees below zero, was not at all to Crip's +liking, and he scolded most furiously in his goose dialect, but he took +good care to run after his master at the same time. + +As Mrs. Hardy had said, Crippy was very fat, and when he toddled on at +full speed he could only get along about half as fast as his master, so +that Dan's journey was made up with alternately trudging over the +frozen road, and waiting for his pet to overtake him. + +And soon it was necessary to make a change even in this slow way of +travelling, for before Crippy had been half an hour on the road he +began to evince the most decided aversion to walking, and it became +necessary for Dan to take him in his arms again. On he walked, carrying +Crippy the greater portion of the time, and coaxing him along when it +became absolutely necessary for him to give his aching arms a little +relief, until the sun came up over the hills, and he could see the +great city but a short distance ahead of him. + +During all this time he had not stopped once to rest; but now, since he +was so near his destination, at such an early hour in the morning, he +sat down in the snow, and began to arrange with the discontented Crippy +as to how they might best find uncle Robert, for Dan had not the +slightest idea of where his relative lived. + +"I'll tell you what we'll do, Crip," he said, as he gave the goose a +handful of corn, contenting himself with half a biscuit he had taken +from the supper-table the night previous. " We'll walk right along till +we see uncle Robert, or some of the folks. It's the day before +Thanksgiving, you know, an' some of 'em will be sure to be out buyin' +things." + +Crippy had finished eating the corn as his master ceased speaking, and +he looked up side- +ways into Dan's face much as if he doubted the success of their plan if +carried out in that +manner. + +"Well, if we don't find him that way, we'll ask some of the boys" an' +they'll be sure to know," said Dan, replying as earnestly to Crippy's +look as if his pet had spoken. . + +Then the weary journey was resumed, much to Crippy's displeasure, even +though he was +carried comfortably in Dan's arms, and it was not until the outskirts +of the city were reached that the goose was requested to walk. There +the pavements were free from snow, and Crippy could move along much +faster than on the icy road; but yet his progress was far from +satisfactory. + +The great number of people, all of whom regarded the boy and the goose +curiously, bewildered both the travellers. More than once, when Dan was +sure Crippy was close at his heels, on looking around he would see the +goose, standing on one foot near the curbstone, looking sideways at the +street, much as if trying to decide whether he would continue to follow +his master, or toddle back home as fast as his legs of unequal length +would carry him. + +"Oh, come on, Crippy," Dan said, in a tone that showed plainly how +tired and discouraged he was. "We sha'n't ever find uncle Robert this +way, an' if a strange dog comes along, where will you be ? " + +It seemed very much as if Crippy had not realized that he might chance +to meet a dog, +until Dan spoke of it, for then he ran hurriedly on, as if he fully +understood the danger that might come to him by loitering on the way. + +But there were other enemies besides dogs, which Crippy was to meet +with, as he and Dan learned when they reached the more densely +populated portions of the city, and those enemies were boys. + +Dan was walking slowly on, looking first at the houses, in the hope of +seeing some of his +uncle's family, and then at Crippy, to make sure he was following, when +half a dozen boys, who had been watching the singular pair from the +opposite side of the street, made a sudden dash at the goose. + +The first intimation Dan had that his pet was in danger was when he +heard the shouts of the boys, followed by Crippy's angry hiss, and the +flapping of his wings. Quickly turning, Dan saw the goose closely +pressed by the boys, all of whom were trying to catch him; and some of +whom already had one or more feathers as trophies. + +It did not take Dan many moments to catch his pet up in his arms, and +then he stood ready to do battle for the goose, while the city boys +advanced towards him, threateningly. + +There could have been but one result to such a battle, where six boys +attacked one who was hampered in his movements by the goose, and some +serious injury might have been done to both Dan and Crippy, had not a +policeman come from around the corner just at that instant. Dan's +assailants fled at the sight of the officer, and the country boy, with +his heavy, noisy burden, continued on his journey. + +There was no further interruption for nearly an hour; for when Dan +carried the goose in his arms he was by no means the object of +curiosity he was with Crippy following him. At the expiration of that +time it dawned upon him that in a place as large as New York it was +useless for him to walk around in the hope of meeting his uncle, or any +of his family. + +"I declare, I don't know what to do, Crippy," he said, as he seated +himself on a doorstep with the goose by his side, and looked mournfully +up and down the street. ,. I shouldn't wonder if we hadn't been more'n +half-way 'round the city in all this time, an' yet we hain't seen any +of uncle Robert's folks. What. shall we do?" + +Crippy made no reply to the question; but a boy about Dan's size, who +was looking wonderingly at the goose, as he stood on his shortest leg +in a mournful way, spoke: + +"Wot is it yer don't know wot ter do? " + +"I don't know how to find my uncle Robert. Crippy an' me come down to +see him, an' now we can't find his house." + +" Do you call him Crippy?" asked the boy, as he nodded towards the +goose. + +"Ves, he's Crippy Hardy. Mother was goin' to kill him for dinner to- +morrer, so we come +down here to get uncle Robert to go up an' see about it." + +" How far have you come? " + +" Seven miles." + +" Did you walk? " + +" Every step." + +" Well," said the boy, as he looked at Crippy in a critical way, "it +seems to me that's a mighty mean kind of a goose ter walk so far fur. +He hain't handsome no ways, an' I think he'd look a good deal better on +ther table roasted, than he does out here on ther street." + +Up to that moment Dan had been disposed to trust this boy who was so +friendly; but when he spoke so slightingly of Crippy, he was +disappointed in him. + +"Vou don't know Crippy, or you wouldn't say that," replied Dan, +gravely. "I would walk +seventeen times as far if it would keep him from gettin' killed." + +" Well, I tell yer wot it is," and the boy spoke like one thoroughly +conversant with geese and their ways, "he's got ter be a good deal +better'n he looks, ter 'mount to anything." + +"An' he is," replied Dan; and then he gave the stranger a full account +of Crippy's sagacity +and wisdom, with such success that, when he had finished, the goose +evidently stood high in the city boy's estimation. + +"He's prob'ly a mighty nice kind of a goose," said the boy; "but it +seems to me if I had a pet I'd want one that could sleep with me, an' +you know you couldn't take this goose to bed." + +"I could if mother would let me, an' I don't see why she won't, for I +know Crippy would +just snuggle right down as good as anybody could." + +For some time the two discussed the question of pets in general, and +Crippy in particular, and then the city boy remembered that his mother +had sent him on an errand which should have been done an hour before. + +Dan felt more lonely than ever after this new-made friend had gone, +and, with Crippy in his arms, he started wearily out in search of uncle +Robert, hardly knowing where he was going. In his bewilderment he had +walked entirely around the same block four times, and an observant +policeman asked him where he was going. + +Under the circumstances, Dan did not require much urging to induce him +to tell the man his story. + +"Do you know your uncle's name?" asked the officer. + +"Uncle Robert Hardy." + +"What is his business - I mean, what kind of work does he do ? " + +" He keeps store." + +The officer led Dan to the nearest drug store, and there, after +consulting the directory, told him there were several Robert Hardys +mentioned, at the same time giving him a list of the names. + +Dan took the paper with the written directions upon it, feeling more +completely at a loss +to know how to proceed than he had before, and it was in a dazed way +that he listened to the instructions as to how he should find the +nearest Hardy. + +But he started bravely off, still carrying Crippy, who seemed to have' +doubled in weight, +and when he had walked half an hour in the direction pointed out by the +policeman, he appeared to be no nearer his destination than when he +started. + +"What can we do, Crippy?" he cried, as again he took refuge on a +doorstep, weary, +hungry, and footsore. He had seen no opportunity to buy a breakfast +with his six cents; it +was then long past his usual time for dinner, and his hunger did not +tend to make him more cheerful. + +The goose was as unable to answer this question as he had been the ones +Dan had previously asked, and the only reply he made was a loud +cackling, which, in his language, signified that he thought it quite +time that he had some dinner. + +By this time, and Dan had not been on the doorstep more than five +minutes, a crowd of +boys gathered around, all disposed to make sport of the goose, and to +annoy the boy. +. +"Say, country, why don't you sell your . goose? " + +" Where did the bird find you? " + +"Does yer mother know you're so far away from home? " + +These and other equally annoying questions Dan listened to, until he +could no longer control himself, and he cried to his tormentors: + +"See here, boys, if you had somethin' you thought a good deal of, an' +it was goin' to be +killed an' roasted for dinner, what would you do?" + +The boys were too much surprised by the question to reply, and Dan +continued, earnestly: +"This goose is Crippy, an' I've had him ever since he was a baby, an' +got his leg broke. We come in here to find uncle Robert so's he could +tell mother not to kill poor Crip, an' now we can't find him, an'-an'- +well, we're jest two as lonesome fellers as you ever saw, an if you +knew jest how we did feel you wouldn't stand there, pokin' fun at us. + +For a moment none of Dan's tormentors spoke, and then the tallest one +said, sympathetically, as he seated himself by the country boy's side +to show that he took both the boy and the goose under his protecting +arm: + +"They sha'n't plague you any more, an' ef I'd 'a' known how you was +feelin' I wouldn't 'a' said a word. Now tell us all about it." + +Dan was in that frame of mind where he needed sympathy, and he told the +whole story, +while the entire party stood around, interrupting him now and then by +exclamations of +surprise that his parents should have been so cruel as to even think +.of killing that faithful +Crippy. + +This consolation, even though it did Dan no material good, was very +sweet to him, and he +would have continued to sing the praise of his pet, had not one of the +boys proposed that an effort be made to find uncle Robert's house. Then +each one had a different plan to propose, none of them thinking that +.at that hour-four o'clock in the afternoon ~ it might be an act of +charity first to give Dan and Crippy something to eat. + +It surely seemed as if this discussion as to how the search should be +begun would continue until it would be too late to do anything, and +while each one was stoutly maintaining that his plan was the best, an +old-fashioned sleigh, drawn by a clumsy-looking horse, stopped directly +opposite where the boys were holding their conference. + +"Why, father!" cried Dan, as he saw the occupant of the sleigh, and at +the same time +he hugged Crippy close to him as if he believed his father had come for +the goose. + +"Well, Dan, you did find your uncle Robert, after all, didn't you?" +asked Mr. Hardy as he +alighted, covered old Dobbin carefully with the robe, and then went to +where Dan was sitting, already deserted by his new-made friends, who +feared Mr. Hardy was about to inflict some signal punishment. + +"No, sir, I didn't find him," faltered Dan, wondering what his father +would do to him +and Crippy. + +"Why, haven't you been in yet?" + +" In where?" asked Dan, in surprise. + +"In here, of course; this is where .your uncle Robert lives," and Mr. +Hardy pointed to the +house on the steps of which Dan had been sitting. + +To his great surprise, Dan learned that he had followed the policeman's +directions exactly; but, not knowing it, had neglected to look on he +house doors for his uncle's name. + +In a few moments more he and his father were in the house, while Crippy +was in the +kitchen actually gorging himself with food. + +When Mr. Hardy found the note Dan had left, he was not at all worried +about his son's +safety; but when, later in the day, he had leisure, he started to the +city for the travellers, and, driving directly to his brother's house, +found them as has been seen. + +It is easy to understand that, after all this labor on Dan's part to +save his pet, Mr. Hardy +readily promised that Crippy should be allowed to die of old age, +instead of being killed and roasted, and Dan, with Crippy hugged very +close to him, started for home with his father, sure that no boy in all +the. wide world would spend a merrier Thanksgiving than he. + +Crippy was also happy on that day, if food could make him so, and it is +safe to say that, +if he survives the wonderfully. big dinner Dan proposes to give him +this year, he will live to a green old age. + + +A NECKTIE PARTY + +CHAPTER I +SI'S SCHEME. + +WHEN Deacon Littlefield dismissed the pupils of the one school in the +little town of Orland, on a certain day in December some years ago, he +was at a decided loss to understand what caused such an excitement +among them before they had walked the short length of the playground. +The deacon had a very large bump of inquisitiveness on his bald head, +which, perhaps, accounted for his great desire to know why nearly all +the boys and girls had stopped beside the tiny brook that scolded and +fretted all the long summer days away, but which was now closely +encased in ice, and why they were apparently holding a very animated +discussion, despite the intensely cold weather. But the deacon's bump +of inquisitiveness was counterbalanced by one representing dignity, and +he thought that it would be hardly the proper thing for a deacon and a +school-teacher to be seen running through the snow with a skull-cap and +dressing-gown on; therefore he watched his pupils from the window, but +without being able to satisfy his curiosity in the slightest degree. + +The girls and boys were indeed in a high state of excitement. + +On the noon of that same day, Agnes Morrell had, under injunctions of +strictest secrecy, told Maria Gilman and Annie Rich of a certain plan +which she had developed in her own mind. In some unaccountable way it +had been whispered around until, before recess was over, nearly +everyone, excepting Deacon Littlefield, knew that Aggie proposed giving +what she called" a necktie party." There were but two others who knew +what kind of a party this could be, and they were Maria and Annie; +therefore it is not to be wondered at that she was almost overwhelmed +by questions from the other girls, even before she was fairly out of +the schoolhouse. + +As a matter of fact, the boys were equally interested; but Si Kelly had +said to his particular friends, "Now, don't let on that we care a cent +about the party, whatever it is;" and, acting under what was both +advice and a command, none of the boys had condescended to ask any +questions, although they took good care to be near Aggie when she +finally explained the purpose of the party. + +"Now, this is what it is," she said, as she tied her muffler closer +about her neck, and sought shelter from the cold wind behind the high +board fence. "All of us girls must meet as often as we can, during the +coming week, to make aprons and neckties out of print. Only one apron +and one necktie is to be alike, and Walt Haley and Mr. Dilloway are +going to give us as much calico as we need." + +"I thought you said you was goin' to have a party!" And Master Kelly, +forgetting his own caution to the boys not to appear interested in the +scheme, looked decidedly disappointed. + +"So I am; but we are going to get money enough out of it to give aunt +Betsey Bolton a +nice present." + +"Oh, it's some begging thing, is it?" And although Si knew very well +that he had not a +single penny about his person, he plunged his hands deeply in his +pockets, as if to prevent any inroad upon his wealth. + +" It isn't anything of the kind," replied Aggie, indignantly, her face +flushing with something very nearly resembling anger until her numerous +freckles stood out quite prominently. Aggie had a large supply of +freckles, as even a very near-sighted person could see. "We are going +to have just as many boys as girls, and no one is obliged to come. But +if any boy is willing to pay ten cents' towards helping Aunt Betsey, he +buys a necktie, and the girls each buy an apron. Either one will be +worth the ten cents, so it hasn't anything to do with begging." + +"But what do you have these things to sell for? Why not let each one +give ten cents for . +going to the party?" asked Winny Curtis, in a tone that was very nearly +a squeak, so shrill and peculiar was his voice. + +"That's the fun of it," replied Aggie, triumphantly. "After we girls +have made the neckties +and aprons, mother will wrap each one in paper, so that no one can tell +which is which. Then when a boy buys one of the packages, he sees what +color of necktie he has got, and he hunts for the girl that has an +apron like it. He must go in to supper with that girl, and walk home +with her after the party is over." + +"Are you goin' to have a supper? " squeaked Winny. + +" Yes, mother says she will get a nice one for us, and that will be the +only party I am to have this winter." + +"Goin' to have cake?" continued Winny, growing deeply interested, +despite Si's caution. + +"Of course we are. It will be just like any party, except that each boy +will have to pay +attention to the girl whose apron matches his necktie. Now, we want all +of the boys to come, because it won't be any fun if there isn't an even +pattern of aprons and neckties. We girls are going to Maria Gilman's +house tonight to begin the work, and tomorrow morning the boys that +will come must tell us, so we'll know just how many neckties to make." + +Winny Curtis, thinking more of cake than of the charitable purpose of +the party, and remembering how difficult it was for him to persuade any +of the girls to allow him to walk home with them, because of his +diminutive size and disagreeable voice, at once announced his +determination to be present. The other boys looked at Si, and as he did +not choose to commit himself, they also remained silent. + +Aggie saw at once that there were more difficulties in the way of this +manner of giving a +party than she had supposed. She knew that Winny, as the only boy +present, would not make matters very lively, even though he should be +willing to buy a dozen neckties, and escort as many of the girls home. + +" We'll have lots of fun," she said, "if you boys will come, for I'm +sure the girls will all be +there, and while we're enjoying ourselves we shall know that we're +doing something to help aunt Betsey, who's a good deal poorer this year +than she was last." + +Then Aggie understood from Si's face that he was growing more and more +opposed to the +plan, and as her freckles came prominently into view again, she said, +with a show of dignity that even Deacon Littlefield might have been +proud of, as she started down the street: " Come, girls, let's go home, +so that we can get over to Maria's house early. We'll have the party, +and we'll each buy an apron." + +Then Aggie walked away, followed by the girls, each one trying to +appear as if perfectly +indifferent whether any of the boys came to the party; but all thinking +that it would be a +very tame affair if no one but Winny was present. + +On this particular year there had been but little to amuse the school +children of Orland; +therefore the girls, if not the boys, had hailed Aggie's scheme with +delight. None of the girls had openly expressed any opinion as to the +advisability of having the party for the double purpose of enjoying +themselves and helping aunt Betsey; but it was easy to tell from their +faces that the plan had their unqualified approval. + +Winny looked around him' as the girls walked away. He had but just +begun to understand that he was the only boy who had agreed to attend +the party, and it was by no means pleasant to be in opposition to Si +Kelly, who had a most disagreeable way of making sport of anyone who +did not agree with him. Nothing but the thought that he could have a +perfect feast of cake would have caused him to forget, even for an +instant, that the self-appointed leader of the boys had not approved of +the plan. Now, since he had accepted the invitation without first +consulting Si, he believed it necessary for him to make some effort to +correct what had undoubtedly been a very grave error on his part: + +"Of course I sha'n't go if" the other fellers don't," he said; "I +thought you was- all in for it +when I spoke." + +"Well, you'd better run home now, an' see how many ten-cent pieces you +can find," said +Si, in what he intended should be a scornful tone. " You'll be the only +feller to the party, +and you'll have to buy a good many neckties " + +"Where are you fellers goin'?" asked Winny, feeling that he was in +disgrace. + +"That needn't bother you any. We're goin' to have a reg'lar good time, +none of your tencent parties, - an'. you can go home now." + +" But if you are to have a time, I want to be in it." + +"Well, you can't, 'cause you've agreed to go to Aggie Morrell's an' +wear a ten-cent necktie; so run home, sonny, for we want to talk about +what it wouldn't do for you to hear." + +Poor Winny! his desire for cake had caused him to place himself in a +most unenviable position. He knew that Si and all the boys would call +him a "girl baby" during the remainder of the winter, and he was quite +sure the fellows would get up some kind of a good time which would be +more jolly than the girls' party. He knew, however, that it would be +useless for him to say anything more after having offended \Si, and he +went sorrowfully home, while the other boys remained to discuss a +scheme their leader had decided upon on the impulse of the moment. + +"We won't have nothin' to do with the ten-cent party," the Oracle said, +as soon as Winny +was so far away that he could not hear. "If the girls had come to us +an' asked what we +thought of it, then p'rhaps we'd gone in with 'em; but instead of that +they fixed the thing +up to suit themselves, an' then told us what they was going to do. Now +they can have their party, and Win Curtis will be the only feller +there." + +It is safe to say that fully half the boys wished to go to Aggie +Morrell's, and that nearly every one would have been pleased to have +done something towards helping poor old aunt Betsey; but Si had said +that it must not be. + +" But what'll we do to get even? " asked Lute Hubbard, anxiously. "We +shall have to get up something that'll be better than the party." + +"I guess that won't be very hard to do," replied Si, loftily. "If I +couldn't get up a better +kind of a time than following girls 'round by their apron - strings! +We'll each of us put in +twenty-five cents to hire Grout's two-horse sleigh, an' go on a ride to +Bucksport for all day." + +There was no question but that Si was right. A ride to Bucksport in +Mr. Grout's handsome sleigh was the one thing the boys could enjoy, and +for the moment all desire to go to the party was forgotten. Each boy +pledged himself to raise twenty-five cents, and with some little +difficulty in "counting noses," after which Si laboriously figured up +the total amount, it was learned that they would not only have money +enough to hire the sleigh and horses, but there would be a surplus +sufficient to buy such a goodly supply of candy and nuts as would make +a really respectable feast. + +"' Now that's all right, an' we'll have the sleighride," Si said; "but +we've got to fix it with +the girls. Let's go back to the schoolhouse, an' I'll write a letter to +Ag Morrell that'll show +her she can't make us do just what she thinks best." + +"What's the use of writin' her a letter?" asked Tom Hardy, who wanted +to get home in +time to do his chores before dark. " We can tell her in the mornin' +that we hain't goin' to the party, an' that will settle it." + +" We'll write the letter," said Si, with the air of one who does not +allow himself to be contradicted. "We've got to let the girls know that +they can't do jest what they want to with us, an' I now's the time to +do it." + +Then Si led the way back to the schoolhouse, knowing that every boy +would follow him; and while Deacon Littlefield was making his +preparations to leave for the night, Master Kelly wrote a letter to +Aggie. The composition and writing required no little amount of time +and labor, for if Si was the leader of the school, he was not a +remarkably brilliant scholar, and he was forced to pucker his brows and +bite his tongue a good many times before it was completed. + +"There," he said, as he handed it to Tom Hardy, after he had tried +unsuccessfully to wipe +off a large blot of ink with his coat sleeve, "read that out loud, an' +if it won't show them girls that they can't do jest what they want to, +then I don't know what will." + +Tom read, after considerable difficulty, the following remarkable +production, which, in justice , to Si, is given here exactly as he +wrote it: + +"MIS MOREL US BOYS DONT WANTER COME TO YOUR PARTY CAUSE WE'RE GOIN +SOMEWHERE ELSE YOU THINK YOU CAN DO WHATEVER YOU WANTER JEST CAUSE YOUR +GIRLS BUT YOU MAKE A MISTAK THE NEXT TIME YOU WANTER START ANYTHING +YOUD BETTER ASK US. ABOUT IT & THEN PURHAPS YOU CAN DO SOMETHING WE HOP +YOULL HAVE A +GOOD TIME AT YOUR TEN CENT PARTY BUT DONT GET TOO MUCH MONEY SO THAT +ANT BETSEY WILL THINK SHE IS RICH & GET RECKLIS. THE BOYS." + +No one ventured to express an opinion on this ungentlemanly epistle, +although there were several in the party who did not think it fair to +send such a reply to the kindly meant invitation, and Si said, with a +satisfied air: + +"I guess that'll show 'em what kind of fellers we are I When they want +to get up any more +times, they'll find out first what we think about it. I'll put it in +her readin' book, where she'll be sure to see it the first thing in the +mornin', an' then I'll talk to Grout about hirin' his sleigh." + +Even those who were opposed to sending so harsh a reply in answer to +the invitation, did not remonstrate against the plans of their leader, +and that which was believed would be the death-blow to the girls' +necktie party was left where Aggie would be sure to see it when she +came to school next morning. + + +CHAPTER II +AGGIE'S SCHEME + + +While it is a fact that nearly every boy who had allowed himself to be +influenced by Si Kelly in the matter of refusing to attend Aggie +Morrell's necktie party was almost ashamed of himself for permitting +such a letter to be written without making protest, each one was at the +schoolhouse early next day in order to learn "what the girls were going +to do about it." + +Aggie had always been a favorite with her schoolmates; but on this +particular morning, +when she came into the schoolhouse a quarter of an hour before Deacon +Littlefield called the pupils to order, the boys., with the single +exception of Winny Curtis, were very careful to keep on their own side +of the room. Every fellow was anxious to hear what she would say when +she read Si's note; but no one was willing to put himself forward more +prominently than another, for even the redoubtable Si was rather afraid +of Aggie's temper. + +Although Winny had no idea of what the boys were intending to do, he +was. at the schoolhouse quite as early as anyone, in order to see all +that might take place, as well as to make his peace with the boys, if +possible. Si refused positively to have anything to do with the "ten- +center," as he called Winny, and the others gave him the " cold +shoulder," acting very much as if they blamed him because they had +refused to go to the necktie party. + +When the girls entered the schoolroom in a body, the boys were gathered +in the back seats, strictly following Si's commands to "act as if +nothin' was up." + +It was not many moments before Aggie and her friends understood that +the boys had decided against the party; therefore, when, just before +school was opened, the letter was found, it caused but little surprise. +Indignation was the feeling that predominated, and had Deacon +Littlefield not rapped loudly on his desk, as a signal that it was time +for school to open, it is probable that Master Si would have heard from +more than one of the "ten-centers" the exact opinion they all had +regarding him. + +The good old deacon knew that some great and barely suppressed +excitement among the +pupils was the cause of the inattentiveness, even on the part of those +who were usually the most studious, and he acted as if his life was +particularly a burden to him during the hour and a half that elapsed +before recess. He had reproved nearly every pupil before half-past ten, +and then he said, in his most severe tones: + +"I hardly know whether you or I feel the most relieved because the +forenoon session is +half finished. If it was any other time than immediately before the +holidays, I should think it my duty to inflict extra tasks upon you +all; but, under the circumstances, I propose to do just the reverse, by +increasing the length of recess, giving you half an hour instead of +fifteen minutes. After that time, I expect you will be in a more +fitting condition to give proper attention to your studies; if such +should not be the case, it will become my duty to remind you forcibly +that you must not try to unite your amusements with your studies." + +The boys, headed by Si, rushed out with their customary shout of joy, +and the girls went at once into one of the classrooms, where an +indignation meeting was held, but not called to 'order. + +" It's all Si Kelly's doings!" exclaimed Aggie. " The other boys would +have been in favor of the party if he hadn't said they shouldn't. I +should think they would be ashamed of themselves to come and go at his +beck and call!" + +Si's ears must have tingled during that recess, . if there is any truth +in the old saying that those useful members grow warm when their owner +is being spoken ill of, for every girl present seemed to think it her +duty to say something against him before she could discuss the matter +with calmness. + +"It's no use standing here talking about that Kelly boy," Maria Gilman +said, at last. "The +bell will ring, and we sha'n't have anything settled. The question is, +what are we going to do? Of course it is foolish for us to say that we +can have very much of 'a party if all the boys stay away." + +"We must have it," said Annie Rich, decidedly. "It would never do to +let them think that +we had given up a good time just because they wouldn't join us." + +"Yes, we must have the party," said Aggie, thoughtfully, " and we must +make the boys come, if possible. It's no use for me to try to study +now, and I'm going to ask the deacon to let me go home. Some of you +girls catch Winny Curtis, and find out from him what the boys are going +to do. I'll think up some kind of a plan, and after school to-night +we'll see what can be done." + +Then, refusing to answer a single question, but cautioning the girls +not to look as if they +cared in the slightest because of the letter, Aggie went into the +schoolroom, where she had no difficulty in getting permission to go +home. As a matter of fact, Deacon Littlefield would have been more +pleased than his pupils could have been, if he could have given them +all a holiday; for trying to teach a number of boys and girls who were +in the highest state of excitement over Aggie's proposed necktie party, +was a task. + +Maria and Annie "caught" Winny Curtis, as Aggie had proposed; but the +information they succeeded in getting from him was limited, for the +reason that he knew nothing of the boys' plans. All he could tell them +was that "Si Kelly was fixin' it for a reg'lar high old time," but, +unfortunately, he had not been permitted to join them, even had he been +disposed to give up the party, where it seemed probable that he would +be the only boy among twenty-five or thirty girls. + +The boys did not have as much sport out of the letter as they had +expected. The girls spoke to them pleasantly, without any reference to +what had been said or done, and they began to fear that some plan was +under way which might promise even better sport than their sleigh-ride. + +"They'll get up something to beat us," Tom Hardy said, mournfully. +"It's got to be a pretty +smart boy who can get the best of a lot of girls, an' I tell you what +it is, fellers, they'll serve us out before we get through puttin' on +airs." + +"Now, don't be an idiot, Tom," cried Si, angrily. "Do you want them to +say that we can't have a good time unless they're along too? Our +sleigh-ride will go ahead of anything they +can get up, an' they'll be mighty sorry they can't go with us." + +"P'rhaps so," replied Tom, doubtfully; "but Aggie Morrell has gone home +to cook up some plan, an' we sha 'n 't know whether we're goin' to have +the best time or not till we find out what she's about." + +"If you want to go in with the' ten-centers' an' wear a calico necktie, +why don't you say +so?" cried Si, now thoroughly angry. " If I wanted to, I would," +retorted Tom. "I stood by an' saw you write that letter, an' I'll stick +to it; but all the same I'm sorry we've done what we have, 'cause +whenever we've started anything the girls have always gone in with us, +an' it looks mean." + +More than one of the boys believed as Tom did, and the result was that +the opponents of +the necktie party held a stormy meeting, although no one had the +slightest idea of "backing down" from the position he had taken under +Si's leadership. + +Aggie did not show herself to friend or foe until just as the afternoon +recess was ended, +and then she entered the schoolroom with such a demure, innocent look +on her face that every girl knew she had decided upon some plan that +promised success. Even Si Kelly looked anxious when she came in, and he +immediately resolved to collect, on the very next morning, the money +each of the boys was to pay towards the sleigh-ride, in order that no +one might be tempted to join the necktie party. + +S0 attentive was Aggie to her studies during the remainder of the +afternoon, that Deacon +Littlefield must have thought it would be a good idea to send each one +of his pupils home for a few hours. + +The girls tried in every way, except that of breaking the rule against +whispering, to induce Aggie to give some hint of what she had decided +upon, and the boys watched her jealously; but neither to the one party +nor the other did she make a sign betokening that she had even thought +of the necktie party since she went home. + +When school was dismissed, the boys, instead of rushing out at full +speed, as was their custom, appeared to have a remarkable amount of +trouble to arrange the books in their desks, and Deacon Littlefield was +yet more surprised by seeing every one of his boy pupils loitering +around as if pained at being obliged to go home. + +The girls understood at once that they might have some trouble to hold +a meeting in the +schoolroom and at the same time prevent the boys from knowing what was +said or done, and they adjourned to the classroom, locking the door +behind them. + +"Now tell us all about it, Aggie," said Annie Rich, as she stuffed the +keyhole with paper. +"What is it to be?" + +"Did anyone find out from Winny Curtis what the boys think of doing?" +asked Aggie. +"He doesn't know anything about it. Si Kelly won't let him join them +because he said +he would come to our party." + +"Jen Hardy, you must try to find out from Tom to-night what they are +going to do, and at +the same time you mustn't whisper to him a word of what we say here," +and Aggie spoke in a tone of authority warranted by the fact that the +girls looked up to her as their leader. "Now I believe we can shame +those boys so that, whether they come to our party or not, they won't +serve us such a trick again. Here is a letter I have written to Si +Kelly, and each one of you must write the same thing to some other boy, +so that they will all get one. 'Now listen; .I'll read it, and then +eyery one can copy it." + +With a look of the most intense satisfaction on her freckled face, +Aggie read: + +Dear Si: - All of us girls are sorry that you can't come to the party. +We made a great mistake when we proposed that each one should pay ten +cents, even though the money was to be used to help aunt Betsey. We +know that only the lack of money prevents you from coming, and, in +order that you need not be obliged to stay away when we all want to see +you, I have paid the ten cents for your necktie, which I send with this +letter. Will you please come as early as eight o'clock? + +Your friend, +Agnes Morrell + +For several moments after Aggie ceased reading, the applause was so +great that it was impossible for anyone to make herself heard.. The +girls were so pleased with the scheme that they were almost as noisy as +the boys would have been under similar circumstances. + +"Now we must each give twenty-five cents," Aggie said, as soon as the +tumult had partially subsided, "and we will buy the things for aunt +Betsey, so that the boys will know we have really paid the money. Each +one decide which boy she will write to, so that everyone will get a +letter, and mother says you may all come to my house to-night to make +the neckties. I've been to Mr. Dilloway's and Lute Haley's and got the +prints, so +that we can have everything fixed this evening." + +"When will we send the letters?" + +"The first thing in the morning. Mother will wrap up the neckties to- +night, so that we +-sha'n't know which ones we are sending away. We will leave the +letters, with the packages, on the boys'. desks before school begins, +and if they are not ashamed of themselves by the time they read them, +I'm mistaken." + +" But suppose the boys don't come after we do all this?" said Maria, +dolefully. + +"Then we'll have the party just the same, and I guess we can manage to +have a good time +even if Mr. Si Kelly does not permit the boys to come." + +" But how can we leave the letters?" Maria appeared to be full of +doubts, even though +Aggie's plan seemed so promising. "The boys will be sure to come here +the first thing, and we shall look rather silly carrying the letters +around to the desks when they are all here." + +"I know that," replied Aggie, promptly, "and I'm going to tell Deacon +Littlefield the whole story just as soon as we get through here. We +will ask him to let us come in first, and to keep the boys out until we +get everything fixed." + +There was no question but that Aggie had thought of all possible +contingencies, and the +girls were convinced that under her leadership they would be able to +rout Master Kelly, even though they might not have the satisfaction of +seeing him at the party. + +"Now we'll go home and write the letters before supper, so that we +shall have nothing to +do this evening but work on the neckties," said Aggie, as she made her +preparations for leaving the room. II You girls go, and I'll arrange it +with the Deacon, so that we can get in here in the morning ahead of +the boys." + +Of course girls don't cheer, when anything pleases them, as boys do, +but this particular +party of girls were strongly tempted to do so as they left the room, so +thoroughly convinced were they that they would soon triumph over those +who had tried to humiliate them. + + +CHAPTER III +TOM 'S SCHEME + +DESPITE all efforts, not a boy had been able to learn what course the +girls had decided upon during the meeting in. the classroom. Several +of those who were in favor of the sleigh-ride had sisters among the +"ten-centers," and they used every effort to learn what had been the +result of the meeting; but, in each individual case, before the boy had +asked very many questions, he found that his sister was more successful +in getting information from him than he from her. + +During that evening the girls kept their secret closely guarded, while +more than one of +the boys had inadvertently divulged enough of Si's great scheme to +enable the girls to judge quite clearly what they proposed to do. Si +had notified his friends and adherents that he would meet them at half- +past eight in the schoolroom, when he expected that each one would be +prepared to pay his share of the cost of the sleigh-ride, and all hands +were in the playground at an early hour next morning, anxious, but +unable to get into the building. + +Why it was that the schoolhouse door should be locked so late on this +particular morning, +when it was usually opened as early as seven o'clock, no fellow could +imagine. That the girls were the cause of their being deprived of their +regular place for holding business meetings never occurred to them, and +the only reason they could assign for this remarkable delay on the part +of the janitor was that Deacon Littlefield was ill. They did not really +hope that their teacher was sick; but they would have been willing he +should be slightly indisposed, if, in such case, they would have an +unexpected holiday. + +Si did not think it advisable to neglect business simply because they +were obliged to stand out-of-doors instead of being in a warm room, and +he promptly collected twenty-five cents for the proposed sleigh-ride +from each boy who was so fortunate as to have that amount of money with +him. + +At ten minutes before nine, the boys, who had begun to grow surprised +because none of the girls had' appeared, were disappointed at seeing +Deacon Littlefield, whom they had believed to be sick, come into the +yard, and in five minutes more they trooped into the schoolroom behind +him, the door having been opened by the janitor from the inside the +moment the teacher stood before it. + +All this looked mysterious, and the mystification was complete when the +sleigh-riders saw every individual member of the "ten-centers," with +the single exception of Winny, seated at their desks much as if they +had remained there all night. On going to his seat, each boy found a +letter and a package staring him in the face; and from that time until +the Deacon called the school to order, no sound was heard, save the +rustling of paper as the boys read the missives, .while the girls +appeared to have no thought save for their books, which they were +studying with most remarkable intentness. + +No one of the boys had time to compare notes with his neighbor when +Deacon Littlefield +said, after he had rapped vigorously on his desk to command attention: +"It has been suggested to me by such of your parents as I have had time +to call upon, that, in view of the near approach of the holidays, and +of the many plans you may possibly have in mind, school be dismissed +until after the beginning of the New Year. To have followed out my +original intention, we should have continued in session to-day and to- +morrow; but, believing that I should have only your divided attention +during that time, I have concluded to give you two extra holidays, +trusting that, when we assemble here again, you will endeavor to make +up for the time thus lost. You are, therefore, dismissed from +attendance until the day after New Year's." + +Under ordinary circumstances, this unexpected announcement would have +been received with cheers by the boys; but so confused were the sleigh- +riders by the letters they had just received, that they remained +quietly in their seats, while the girls walked demurely out of the +building. + +Even before Deacon Littlefield had taken his departure the confusion +began, Tom Hardy being the first one to express an opinion. "I tell you +what it is, fellers, the girls have got the best of us, and no +mistake." + +"The best of us!" growled Si Kelly. "I call it about as mean a thing as +I know of." + +" Is it any meaner than what we did to them?" + +" Of course it is. They write as if we couldn't afford to pay ten cents +to go to their old party, an' here the most of us have already given +twenty-five cents for our ride. Ag Morrell can have her calico necktie +back, an' I'm goin' to carry it up to her house before I'm an hour +older ." + +"I' wouldn't do that," squeaked Winny, who was secretly delighted at +the turn in affairs. +" If she gets to talkin' about the letter you sent you'll have the +worst of it." + +Then everybody spoke at the same time until no one could understand +what the other was +saying, and Deacon Littlefield rushed out of the building to save +himself from premature +deafness. + +It was some time before anything like order was restored, and then Tom +Hardy said, impatiently: + +"Look .here,. fellers, it's no use for us to stand here cawing like a +lot "of crows, when nobody knows what the one next to him is saying. I +go in for havin' this thing done right, if we're goin' to do it at all. +The girls have got the best of us now, an' if any of you think we can +turn things around, let's go to work shipshape." + +" I nominate Tom Hardy president of this meetin', to see how we can get +ahead of the +girls," squeaked Winny; and, to say the least, he was very officious in +so doing, since he was a member of the "ten-centers," and really had +nothing to do with the discomfiture of the sleigh-riders. + +In the general excitement, however, no one seemed to remember that +Winny was not one +of them, and all called for Tom Hardy to conduct the meeting. Si Kelly +recognized the fact that he should have been the one to occupy this +proud position; but the leadership seemed to be slipping away from him, +and, shout as he might, no one paid any attention to him. He had led +the boys on to defeat, instead of victory, and since he could suggest +no wiser plan than to return the neckties and letters, all looked to +Tom Hardy for advice. + +"Fellers," he said, gravely, as he seated himself in the Deacon's +chair, understanding the +importance of his position, "we've got to do something to get ahead of +the girls, an' I go +in for havin' each one say what he thinks is best. After that we can +pick out a plan. Now, +what do you think we ought to do, Si?" + +Master Kelly was very sulky; but he managed to state, as his +conviction, that they could do no less than return the neckties and +letters to the senders, treating the whole matter with silent scorn, +and carry out the idea of the sleigh-ride, as if such insignificant +persons had never had an existence. + +Joe Barr thought it best to accept the invitations given, and treat the +whole matter as a good joke whereby each boy had saved ten cents. Joe, +however, had not yet paid the assessment twenty-five cents for the +sleigh-ride, and many ought he had proposed this plan as a way of +rading any outlay of money. + +Eben Coulliard was willing to do whatever the others thought best; but +at the same time +he reminded them that a party at Aggie Morrell's house was not a thing +to be "sneezed at," and if the invitation could be accepted graciously, +he thought it would be a pleasant way of spending an evening. + +Dan Crockett announced that he was not afraid to say he had rather go +to the party. He had already paid his quarter towards the sleigh-ride; +but he was willing to look upon +hat as so much money thrown away if the others would agree to go to +Aggie's house. +He thought that the money that the girls had spent could be returned to +them in some way, and that the friendly feelings between the boys and +girls of the school could be restored. + +Jack Haley and his four intimate friends "did not care a cent what was +done;" they would +agree to anything the other fellows thought best. + +Bart Carleton agreed with Si Kelly, but since it was known that he owed +Si four agates and seventeen marbles, to say nothing of three tops, all +believed that his debt had influenced his decision. + +All, save Tom Hardy, gave their opinion, and it was found that the boys +were about evenly divided; one party adopting Si's suggestion, and the +other favoring the acceptance of the invitations, if it could be done +so that they would not appear to be "backing down." + +It "Now, see here, fellers'," said Tom, when every one looked at him as +if expecting to hear what he thought, "I want you all to understand in +the first place that I am willing to do what the majority think best; +but I've got a little scheme that I think a good one. Let's go on the +sleigh ride, an' go to the party, too." + +"Then the girls would think we were smart," growled Si. + +"Wait a minute, till you hear the whole of it. About half want to do +one thing, and half another. Now, I say, let's each one write to the +girl who has sent him a necktie, thanking her for the invitation to the +party, and ask her to go on a sleigh-ride with us. We can hire both of +Grout's big sleighs, an' have about as big a time as was ever seen in +this town. I guess the girls won't be much ahead of us then." + +"But how about their payin' for our neckties? " asked Dan Crockett. + +"We'll let that go as if we was much obliged. to them; but we'll raise +ten cents more apiece, an' buy aunt Betsey wood enough to last her till +summer. If we pay the money now, we can each get a saw, an' have it all +cut up before night. The girls won't have any the best of us then; aunt +Betsey will be just that much better off; we can have our sleigh-ride, +and we can go to the party as well. But if we should do simply one +thing or the other, then the girls would be sure to think we had been +beaten. Now, if all the fellers will agree to that, I'll get my share +of the money right away, an' we'll ask Deacon Littlefield to buy the +wood this morning." + +Tom saw, even before he had ceased speaking, that the majority of the +boys were in favor of. his scheme, since by carrying it out they would +miss neither one pleasure nor the other, and would only be obliged to +pay ten cents extra, and to spend a little time sawing wood. + +"But we can't get both sleighs for the same price we could one," said +Si; but even this +objection showed that he was favorably inclined towards Tom's scheme, +if it could be accomplished without too great a sacrifice. + +"Yes, we can, if we don't take them till the middle of the afternoon. +We will start about +three o'clock, an' come back to Aggie's house in time for the party." + +"But how'll you fix it about the letters?" asked Si. + +"I'll send this one to Maria Gilman, for she sent me the necktie, an' +you can all copy it." +Then Tom read the following letter, which he had written while the +others had been talking: + +DEAR RIE: - I am much obliged for the invitation and the +necktie. I will be there by eight o'clock if you will do a +little favor for me. Us boys have been getting up a sleigh- +ride for Saturday afternoon; we shall start about three +o'clock from the schoolhouse, and get back to Aggie's in +time for the party. Will you go? + +I am sure aunt Betsey will feel grateful to you girls when +she knows you each gave twenty cents towards making her +comfortable, and if it had not been for the "lack of +money," we boys would have paid our share. + +Your friend, TOM. + +"Hurrah! " shouted Dan Crockett. "I reckon that will fix things, an' +when they find that we bought the wood for aunt Betsey, they can't +think that they've got the right to feel very +superior." + +"They'll never know but that we meant all the time to do this very +thing," said Tom, "an' +we shall have as good a time as can be had." + +There was no question but that this scheme would be carried out, for +even Si Kelly came to understand that it was a very graceful way of +extricating themselves from what, at one time, promised to be a +decidedly disagreeable position, and he announced his decision by +saying: + +"Now, every feller must hurry home an' get the ten cents, so's we can +buy the wood quick, an' then there won't be any chance for the girls to +believe that we thought of this after we got their letters." + +"Take the money you had collected for the ride, an' we will all make it +up before night," +suggested Tom. + +In another moment Si was running at full speed towards Deacon +Littlefield's house to ask +him to buy the wood, and Tom suggested that each sleigh-rider sharpen +his saw in order to be ready for work as soon as the fuel should be in +aunt Betsey's yard. + +Before night the wood had been purchased, , sawed, and split; the +letters had been written +and sent to the girls, and both of Mr. Grout's sleighs engaged for +Saturday afternoon. + +The story of the ride, and of the necktie party that followed it, +would, without doubt, be +interesting; but the telling of these pleasant festivities would' +occupy too much space. Suffice it to say that the girls readily +accepted the invitations that were the result of Tom's scheme, and +although they learned from some of the more garrulous sleigh-riders +under just what press of circumstances they had been given, the "ten - +centers" were too generous to hint of what they knew. + +Aggie's party was a dazzling success. Every one appeared to have a good +time, and the pairing off of the aprons and neckties caused +considerable amusement, especially when Debby Thompson, the tallest +girl present, found that she must accept the smallest boy - who was +Winny, of course - as an escort. + +It is hardly necessary to say that Winny was allowed to become one of +the sleigh-riders; and since he had voluntarily agreed to go to the +party, he was obliged to pay for his necktie, as well as his proportion +of the cost of the sleighride and the wood. Thus it was that his love +for cake proved to be quite expensive to him, owing to the varied +schemes of his friends. + +The End +43 + + + + +*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK, A DISTRICT MESSENGER BOY AND A NECKTIE PARTY *** + +This file should be named 5882.txt or 5882.zip + +Project Gutenberg eBooks are often created from several printed +editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the US +unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we usually do not +keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition. + +We are now trying to release all our eBooks one year in advance +of the official release dates, leaving time for better editing. +Please be encouraged to tell us about any error or corrections, +even years after the official publication date. + +Please note neither this listing nor its contents are final til +midnight of the last day of the month of any such announcement. +The official release date of all Project Gutenberg eBooks is at +Midnight, Central Time, of the last day of the stated month. A +preliminary version may often be posted for suggestion, comment +and editing by those who wish to do so. + +Most people start at our Web sites at: +https://gutenberg.org or +http://promo.net/pg + +These Web sites include award-winning information about Project +Gutenberg, including how to donate, how to help produce our new +eBooks, and how to subscribe to our email newsletter (free!). + + +Those of you who want to download any eBook before announcement +can get to them as follows, and just download by date. This is +also a good way to get them instantly upon announcement, as the +indexes our cataloguers produce obviously take a while after an +announcement goes out in the Project Gutenberg Newsletter. + +http://www.ibiblio.org/gutenberg/etext04 or +ftp://ftp.ibiblio.org/pub/docs/books/gutenberg/etext04 + +Or /etext03, 02, 01, 00, 99, 98, 97, 96, 95, 94, 93, 92, 92, 91 or 90 + +Just search by the first five letters of the filename you want, +as it appears in our Newsletters. + + +Information about Project Gutenberg (one page) + +We produce about two million dollars for each hour we work. The +time it takes us, a rather conservative estimate, is fifty hours +to get any eBook selected, entered, proofread, edited, copyright +searched and analyzed, the copyright letters written, etc. Our +projected audience is one hundred million readers. If the value +per text is nominally estimated at one dollar then we produce $2 +million dollars per hour in 2002 as we release over 100 new text +files per month: 1240 more eBooks in 2001 for a total of 4000+ +We are already on our way to trying for 2000 more eBooks in 2002 +If they reach just 1-2% of the world's population then the total +will reach over half a trillion eBooks given away by year's end. + +The Goal of Project Gutenberg is to Give Away 1 Trillion eBooks! +This is ten thousand titles each to one hundred million readers, +which is only about 4% of the present number of computer users. + +Here is the briefest record of our progress (* means estimated): + +eBooks Year Month + + 1 1971 July + 10 1991 January + 100 1994 January + 1000 1997 August + 1500 1998 October + 2000 1999 December + 2500 2000 December + 3000 2001 November + 4000 2001 October/November + 6000 2002 December* + 9000 2003 November* +10000 2004 January* + + +The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation has been created +to secure a future for Project Gutenberg into the next millennium. + +We need your donations more than ever! + +As of February, 2002, contributions are being solicited from people +and organizations in: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Connecticut, +Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, +Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, +Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New +Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, +Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South +Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West +Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. + +We have filed in all 50 states now, but these are the only ones +that have responded. + +As the requirements for other states are met, additions to this list +will be made and fund raising will begin in the additional states. +Please feel free to ask to check the status of your state. + +In answer to various questions we have received on this: + +We are constantly working on finishing the paperwork to legally +request donations in all 50 states. If your state is not listed and +you would like to know if we have added it since the list you have, +just ask. + +While we cannot solicit donations from people in states where we are +not yet registered, we know of no prohibition against accepting +donations from donors in these states who approach us with an offer to +donate. + +International donations are accepted, but we don't know ANYTHING about +how to make them tax-deductible, or even if they CAN be made +deductible, and don't have the staff to handle it even if there are +ways. + +Donations by check or money order may be sent to: + +Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation +PMB 113 +1739 University Ave. +Oxford, MS 38655-4109 + +Contact us if you want to arrange for a wire transfer or payment +method other than by check or money order. + +The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation has been approved by +the US Internal Revenue Service as a 501(c)(3) organization with EIN +[Employee Identification Number] 64-622154. Donations are +tax-deductible to the maximum extent permitted by law. As fund-raising +requirements for other states are met, additions to this list will be +made and fund-raising will begin in the additional states. + +We need your donations more than ever! + +You can get up to date donation information online at: + +https://www.gutenberg.org/donation.html + + +*** + +If you can't reach Project Gutenberg, +you can always email directly to: + +Michael S. Hart <hart@pobox.com> + +Prof. Hart will answer or forward your message. + +We would prefer to send you information by email. + + +**The Legal Small Print** + + +(Three Pages) + +***START**THE SMALL PRINT!**FOR PUBLIC DOMAIN EBOOKS**START*** +Why is this "Small Print!" statement here? You know: lawyers. +They tell us you might sue us if there is something wrong with +your copy of this eBook, even if you got it for free from +someone other than us, and even if what's wrong is not our +fault. So, among other things, this "Small Print!" statement +disclaims most of our liability to you. It also tells you how +you may distribute copies of this eBook if you want to. + +*BEFORE!* YOU USE OR READ THIS EBOOK +By using or reading any part of this PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm +eBook, you indicate that you understand, agree to and accept +this "Small Print!" statement. If you do not, you can receive +a refund of the money (if any) you paid for this eBook by +sending a request within 30 days of receiving it to the person +you got it from. If you received this eBook on a physical +medium (such as a disk), you must return it with your request. + +ABOUT PROJECT GUTENBERG-TM EBOOKS +This PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm eBook, like most PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm eBooks, +is a "public domain" work distributed by Professor Michael S. Hart +through the Project Gutenberg Association (the "Project"). +Among other things, this means that no one owns a United States copyright +on or for this work, so the Project (and you!) can copy and +distribute it in the United States without permission and +without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, set forth +below, apply if you wish to copy and distribute this eBook +under the "PROJECT GUTENBERG" trademark. + +Please do not use the "PROJECT GUTENBERG" trademark to market +any commercial products without permission. + +To create these eBooks, the Project expends considerable +efforts to identify, transcribe and proofread public domain +works. Despite these efforts, the Project's eBooks and any +medium they may be on may contain "Defects". Among other +things, Defects may take the form of incomplete, inaccurate or +corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other +intellectual property infringement, a defective or damaged +disk or other eBook medium, a computer virus, or computer +codes that damage or cannot be read by your equipment. + +LIMITED WARRANTY; DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES +But for the "Right of Replacement or Refund" described below, +[1] Michael Hart and the Foundation (and any other party you may +receive this eBook from as a PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm eBook) disclaims +all liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including +legal fees, and [2] YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE OR +UNDER STRICT LIABILITY, OR FOR BREACH OF WARRANTY OR CONTRACT, +INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE +OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE +POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. + +If you discover a Defect in this eBook within 90 days of +receiving it, you can receive a refund of the money (if any) +you paid for it by sending an explanatory note within that +time to the person you received it from. If you received it +on a physical medium, you must return it with your note, and +such person may choose to alternatively give you a replacement +copy. If you received it electronically, such person may +choose to alternatively give you a second opportunity to +receive it electronically. + +THIS EBOOK IS OTHERWISE PROVIDED TO YOU "AS-IS". NO OTHER +WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, ARE MADE TO YOU AS +TO THE EBOOK OR ANY MEDIUM IT MAY BE ON, INCLUDING BUT NOT +LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A +PARTICULAR PURPOSE. + +Some states do not allow disclaimers of implied warranties or +the exclusion or limitation of consequential damages, so the +above disclaimers and exclusions may not apply to you, and you +may have other legal rights. + +INDEMNITY +You will indemnify and hold Michael Hart, the Foundation, +and its trustees and agents, and any volunteers associated +with the production and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm +texts harmless, from all liability, cost and expense, including +legal fees, that arise directly or indirectly from any of the +following that you do or cause: [1] distribution of this eBook, +[2] alteration, modification, or addition to the eBook, +or [3] any Defect. + +DISTRIBUTION UNDER "PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm" +You may distribute copies of this eBook electronically, or by +disk, book or any other medium if you either delete this +"Small Print!" and all other references to Project Gutenberg, +or: + +[1] Only give exact copies of it. Among other things, this + requires that you do not remove, alter or modify the + eBook or this "small print!" statement. You may however, + if you wish, distribute this eBook in machine readable + binary, compressed, mark-up, or proprietary form, + including any form resulting from conversion by word + processing or hypertext software, but only so long as + *EITHER*: + + [*] The eBook, when displayed, is clearly readable, and + does *not* contain characters other than those + intended by the author of the work, although tilde + (~), asterisk (*) and underline (_) characters may + be used to convey punctuation intended by the + author, and additional characters may be used to + indicate hypertext links; OR + + [*] The eBook may be readily converted by the reader at + no expense into plain ASCII, EBCDIC or equivalent + form by the program that displays the eBook (as is + the case, for instance, with most word processors); + OR + + [*] You provide, or agree to also provide on request at + no additional cost, fee or expense, a copy of the + eBook in its original plain ASCII form (or in EBCDIC + or other equivalent proprietary form). + +[2] Honor the eBook refund and replacement provisions of this + "Small Print!" statement. + +[3] Pay a trademark license fee to the Foundation of 20% of the + gross profits you derive calculated using the method you + already use to calculate your applicable taxes. If you + don't derive profits, no royalty is due. Royalties are + payable to "Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation" + the 60 days following each date you prepare (or were + legally required to prepare) your annual (or equivalent + periodic) tax return. Please contact us beforehand to + let us know your plans and to work out the details. + +WHAT IF YOU *WANT* TO SEND MONEY EVEN IF YOU DON'T HAVE TO? +Project Gutenberg is dedicated to increasing the number of +public domain and licensed works that can be freely distributed +in machine readable form. + +The Project gratefully accepts contributions of money, time, +public domain materials, or royalty free copyright licenses. +Money should be paid to the: +"Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation." + +If you are interested in contributing scanning equipment or +software or other items, please contact Michael Hart at: +hart@pobox.com + +[Portions of this eBook's header and trailer may be reprinted only +when distributed free of all fees. Copyright (C) 2001, 2002 by +Michael S. Hart. Project Gutenberg is a TradeMark and may not be +used in any sales of Project Gutenberg eBooks or other materials be +they hardware or software or any other related product without +express permission.] + +*END THE SMALL PRINT! FOR PUBLIC DOMAIN EBOOKS*Ver.02/11/02*END* + diff --git a/5882.zip b/5882.zip Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..8816b66 --- /dev/null +++ b/5882.zip diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..3a0d5a1 --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #5882 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/5882) |