ng a thousand dollars was as
easy as rolling off a log.

John kissed his mother good-bye in high good humor, as he left for
school in the morning. She watched him for a moment as he danced along
the gusty, wind-swept street, and went in to sit by the parlor grate for
a few moments. Hardly had she opened her magazine when the front
door-bell rang, and the neighbor from across the way stood on the
threshold, panting and very much excited.

"My dear Mrs. Fletcher," she shrilled in her acrid tones. "Do tell me
all about it!"

Her hostess led her into the parlor and drew up a companion chair before
the fire. "About what?" she asked.

"About Mr. Fletcher." The neighbor warmed her hands a moment before the
dancing flames, while Mrs. Fletcher looked a mute inquiry.

"Mrs. Shultz, she's my washerwoman," went on the thin, nasal voice,
"said this morning that John had told her little boy he had to sell
papers because your husband had had trouble with his employer and had
lost his position." She would have added further details as to the
straits the Fletchers were supposed to be in, if something in that
lady's manner had not prevented her.

"So I said to Mrs. Leland, next door," concluded the neighbor from
across the way, "that I hoped things were not as bad as they seemed, and
that I'd run right over to ask you."

"John told _what_?" asked that youngster's mother, now that the verbal
torrent had halted.

The story was repeated. Mrs. Fletcher broke into relieved laughter.
"I'll have to interview that son of mine when he gets home," she said as
she leaned forward to explain matters.

But when John did appear, his mother was far more lenient with him than
he had any right to expect. She was still too amused at the turn of
affairs to be anything else.

Two weeks sped past. In spite of the success of that first paper
venture, the lesson was not lost upon John, who recruited a dozen or so
regular customers from among his mother's friends the next afternoon.
Since then, thanks to persistent effort, the list had steadily grown
until he was able to double his first day's order without danger of
financial loss. The errands for the neighbors had not materialized to
swell his income, nor had other umbrella days followed the first one.
But indeed, the paper route occupied too much of his time to permit such
side issues.

His minimum income was now at the respectable mark of a dollar and
seventeen cents a week and still growing.