The Crown of Success
slope of the hill; "I vote we have a race-one, two, three, off and away!" and dashing forward like a young stag, he ru
ot help clapp
de, "that you, of all people in the world, would have hated this si
he lame child; "I would go at a gr
does it not vex you to b
oes vex me a little; but then I am comforted when I think that as lo
ng; for Dick, who was in a merry mood, had stopped there to help the old dame to
l he does it
his fingers like a girl!" exclaimed Lu
d round with a sm
fingers th
ng, fidgeting,
rved
are ready and fit for something harder," and he squared up towards Lubin with clenched fists, and such a merry look of defiance, t
," cried Dick, "or he'll arri
ual. Indeed the walk was so agreeable that Dick remarked that "trouble is a pleasure." It was not l
s of which it stood. It was separated into two divisions, over the first and principal of which Mr. Reading himself presided. A great vari
rise; "I think that one might spend half one's life in the sho
bin; "and how are we to get through this iro
t from behind the counter, and with a large iron key in his hand came toddling up to the grat
you let us in?" said Dick,
; "my name is not 'little chap,' but 'Mr. Alphabet,' though some dare to call me
in your growth," laughed Lubin; "I
ot formed for jumping; "and I should advise you to have a care how you provoke me by any boasting or insolent la
low," cried Dick; "just turn your key in the
ss without paying toll," growled Alphabet; "I a
ied Lubin, kick
tle dwarf; "no one gets to Mr. Reading without paying
e done with it," cried Matty,
oduced some money, Dick giving less than the others. Alphabet took the bright hours with a merry grin, as
could jump over m
ld," said Lubin, who was daunt
w you to pass till you've paid twice as much as the others have
in (who was, however, still on the outside, having been a
said the dwar
abet was strong as well as little, and quite ab
n to Dick; the fat boy was gett
"you must fight it out for yourself. If you can't mast
l never let you in!" sho
ed to pull out his money; and Alphabet, with a
ing at home?
ou'll look over the papers for a minute, I
to co