Part 10 (1/2)

”Found this in my pajama coat,” he said; then as Bill waved his fist, ”What! Have you the sa you know!” said Bill ”Never had so much money in my life

The darned old peach!”

”I haven't counted it,” said Frank ”It sort of scared ave it to us?”

”Didn't you read your letter?” asked Bill, wiggling the rest of the way up and taking a paper like his own from Frank's envelope He handed it over and Frank unfolded and read it Reluctantly, but seeing no way out of it, he handed it over to Bill

”Frank,” said the letter, ”Lawton is a dead one Nuthing in it for boys except rattles and guns and pink silk shi+rts and stick pins

But your dad wouldnt let you have the pins and your mothers wouldn't see you found dead in them shi+rts, and the pins was sort of advansed, so I want you to spend this et to whatever it is

”Just a present from your friend ”LEE”

”P S Say, Frank, lets take a fresh start me and you I wouldnt believe you would lie or steal even if soood indian is a good indian just as a good white ood

”So that all ant to bother about that

”Your true friend ”LEE”

”Well, this beats all!” said Bill, handing back the letter ”Isn't Lee the _peach_ though? I wish I was sure Moreat--all new fives! I suppose he thought it would be handy that way for us to spend”

”What does hethat I lie or steal?” said Frank, scowling

”Why, just what he says, you nut!” exclaimed Bill ”Can't you read? He , and so you must believe in _his you have said about him Anyhow, it is just as he says You ood friends with you and wants you to like him And I should say he deserves it”

Frank said very little about the present but Bill didn't notice He was too busy voicing his own surprise and gratitude Before he finally slid down into his own berth he had spent the crisp new fives twenty tiht he was too excited to sleep, but after he had pinned the present back in his coat pocket, and had carefully laid himself down on that side, and tied all the curtains shut, and balanced his suitcase on end at the front of the berth so a possible robber would tip it over on hiht at that, only by-and-by in the middle of a dream where Bill was batter in a baseball nine that used ice-cream cones instead of balls, the train went around a curve and over came the suitcase Bill ake in a second, and for a ht with the curtains before he realized what had happened With a laugh he felt for his precious pocket, and slept again

But in the upper berth Frank Anderson had tossed Lee's friendly letter and the packet of bills down to the end of the berth as though they orthless He was only a boy and should have slept but all night long he lay and stared at the little electric bulb burning dihts burned like fire

It was very late the following night when they reached their destination Bill had co corouchy And touchy _Whew!_ It was all Bill could do to say the right thing Finally he remembered that so asked, Frank adood So Bill let hioodkissed by a pale little lady who found a chance to take a e of her two-year-old terror of a baby boy while she slept There was an old gentleman too, who asked him a million or more questions, and enjoyed himself very much He asked the boys to take luncheon with hiotten his boyhood by ordering the _dandiest_ dinner--even a lot of things that were not on the bill He was a director of the road, or vice-president, or so, the porter told Bill in a whisper, but Bill didn't pay entleman _didn't_ tell was that he was a trustee of the very school the boys were going to attend Soain, but that is another story

Anyhow, it was very late when they arrived and they were piloted to their roo instructor who ing to the school They were the last boys to arrive, he told the He warned them to be perfectly quiet as the boys were all asleep and it was against rules to speak or have the lights on after nine But they were to be allowed a light to undress by, and he would come in in fifteen minutes and put it out

They undressed in about a tenth of the tiot to brush his teeth and had to get up again to do it, was deep under the covers when Mr Nealuht without a s flashlight he carried and silently disappeared

”Undertaker!” whispered Frank

”Shut up!” said Bill He listened intently, then said under his breath, ”Be careful! I thought I heard hione,” answered Frank ”I heard him walk away”

”Not much you did!” said Bill ”He pussyfooted it Must have had rubber soles on his shoes”

”I heard hi over their new situation It was very exciting They were not lonely Their narrow beds, but little wider than the quarter Presently Bill spoke