Crowded Out o' Crofield; or, The Boy who made his Way

and he was looking and feeling taller than he ever felt before. It was just the right hour to meet people, and he had to answer curious questions from some women, and

'em all in th

mes, and he had also explained, apparen

r. All that kind of fish live under water." And he told half a dozen inquiring boys: "I've found the best fish-hole

or every man in the arm-chairs on the pia

fish!" shouted old Livermore, the

said Jack once more. "I

more, rubbing his sides, while nearly a dozen men cr

squealed old Deacon Hawkins; "and traout o' that size is wuth

thing but the trout. There's a Sunday crowd coming over from Mertonvil

Don't you want the big one? I had to dive

d, becoming more and more eager.

ng more closely at the largest prize. "It's hard times,-and a dollar a paound. I've got

landlord, testily. "I spoke first. Thre

small traout," exclaimed Deacon

the excitement was catching, and Squire Jones was

ig fish are mine. Take your money. Fe

nd there's my traout,

that moment growled the deep, h

yours, Deacon," and Jack walked on into the Washington House with six dollars in h

didn't yer put 'e

had sold, and then the uncommonly successful angler made

questions," he said to himself; "an

ed sucker, and the great, clumsy bullheads, looked mean and common, now that their elegant companio

rcoal and iron dust from his face and hands and hair. "Jack," he shouted, "wh

door, and in half a second it seem

den! What a s

ther," said Jack. "I caught 'em all under w

, and then he and Mrs. Ogden and Aunt Melinda and the child

ather, rubbing his face hard with the kitchen towe

said Mary, looking proudly at the fish. "I wish I coul

is suit consisted, had been frequently soaked before. His straw hat was dry, for it had been lying on the grass when he

le that Jack came out with the whole tremendous sto

ith confidence, "I can catch fish anywhere. I sha'n'

e tea-pot. "What awful extravagance there is in thi

he tall blacksmith, gloomily. "It's hard times in C

sudden burst of energy, and showing a very red face. "Now

s father, and then there

d an air of trying to be larger, and her face quickly began to recover its ordinary smile of self-confident hope, so much like that of Jack. She adde

e couldn't do anything in a city. Besides, it isn't any use;

do something, and be somebody," sa

fectly. "That's you, Molly," he sa

ere's anybody wants ye. All the money you earn you can give to your mother. You

handed over his two greenbacks to

re, they'll want me to take my p

to trade for the strip of land along the creek, above and below the bridge. "It comes right up to the line of my lot," he

od still for a moment, with her hands clasped behind her, looking across the street, as if she were reading the sign on the sh

If they take away every cent I get,

and sweep. You can go right out and make your fortune. I've read of lots of boys t

a store. Been in every store in Crofield. They didn't pay me a cent in cash, but I learned the grocery business, and the dry-goods busin

en, too," said Mary; "but there's no

ther called her in, and then he, too, stood still and see

the sign. "It isn't the end of July yet, and I'm going t

the bridge. It seemed as if the Cocahutchie had a special

l their hooks were baited with "flies" of one kind or another instead of worms. Two had grasshoppers, and one had a big bumblebee, and they were after such trout as Jack Ogden had

bridge. He strolled dow

he Wate

avel," he said; "but

on for Crofield. He was only dimly aware of it then, and he forgot it all to answer a hail

ey said about them, as he came near. They had called him to talk about h

ween "fish" questions, "did you say you'd give a hundred dolla

't you tell anybody I said that. You won't, will you? Com

there only four months. What are those trees

curly maples, and that one there's the straightest-grained, biggest, cleanes

in your shop just long enough to learn the carpenter's tr

mmond, and he owes us some, now, and you mustn't put in and spile

m topple over and come crashing down into the Cocahutchie, to be made up into chairs and tables. Just as long as he could remembe

ilt in Crofield for years and years. It isn't any kind of place

ld red mill, in the other direction, he seemed to see a vision of great buildings and streets and crowds of busy men, while the swishing ripple of the Cocahutchie changed into the rush and roar of the great

es on when I went into the water, though. Soaking isn't good for that kind of shoes. Don't I know? I've worked in every shoe-shop in Crofield, some. Didn't get any

ext thing he knew it was Sunday morning, with a

for breakfast, but they avoided the subject until Jack went to dress. Jack was quite another boy by the ti

he were on their way to church. "But how y

n, for the walk before the Ogden family from

e that morning. The larger part of each aimed itself at the middle of the green, although

ay," said Jack. "They say it takes a fel

he family pew held six. Just as they were going in, some one asked Mary to go into the choir. Little Sally nestled in her mother's l

father. I'll find

aid the blacksmith.

scratched him, but off went Jack, and that was the las

ually it was only half full, but on a great day, what was called the "old choir" was sure to turn out. There were no girls nor boys in the "old choir." There had been three seats yet to fill when Mary

ed to-day, Mary Ogden

back pews, and she took one under the gallery. She might as well have had a sounding-board behind her, arranged so as to send her voice right at the pulpit. Perhaps her temper was a little aroused, and she did not know how very full her voice was when she began the first hymn. All were singing, and they could hear the organ and the choir, but through, over, and above them all sounded the clear, ringing notes of Mary Ogden's sopra

ask you to take my class this afternoon. Elder Holloway's going to inspect the

he could, and the first remark

n there in six weeks. She had only four in

church. Jack understood the matter the moment he came into the dini

u couldn't stretch that table any far

must come afterward. You can

erel, but there was no help for it

to being crowded o

t in church?" a

, "but I didn't go till after

rmon," said his mother.

alfway across the green. It kept me thinking ab

errupted by the others, wh

fill your table. I'm glad I came, though. I'll prin

ack to himself. "That's his paper. O

the blacksmith. "They tried one, and it lasted six m

sitively at Jack through a huge pai

and helped edit the paper. Molly and I did all

ically. "Then you did well. I rem

ut in the kitchen, "there's five besides o

for them, even," said

ergy. "We'll cook while they're e

table as well as

k and Molly boiled eggs and toasted bread and fried bacon and made

e trout item, and about the runaway, and told

for Mr. Murdoch. Jack was conscious of a restless, excite

I do," he remarked, just as they came back

out through the hall to the front door, and stood there thinking,

m the bridge to the hotel corner. He looked down to th

s it was catching a runaway team. She couldn't ha' caught that wagon. Hullo, wha

, and dashed back thro

gton Hotel's on fir

of the Eagle, it was almost as if they had been told that they were themselves on fire. Even Aunt Melinda exclaimed: "He ought to have told us mo

, rope, water-pails, were caught up, as if they were going to work in the shop, but the moment they we

full, resonant voice sen

ng the

y child of the Ogden family, except Mary,

s. Livermore came out at the kitchen door, wiping a plate. All the other inmates of the hotel were gathered around the l

Mr. Ogden?" she said

id the blacksmith. "May be we can put it out, if we

scream and another, followed in quick succession, and the plate she h

lled the hotel cook. "The house is

in a second more her cry was taken up by voices that s

fee-cups were upset, chairs were overturne

around Jack's waist, and then he was able safely to use both hands in pouring water from the pails around the foot of the chimney. Other feet came fast to the foot of the ladder. More went tramping into the rooms under the roof. The pumps in the kitchen

ning on us. Glad they'd all about got through

ngines in the city, though. Oh, but wouldn't I like

w," said his father, and then he tu

an axe! I want to smash the roof in. Bea

ry and a half. It was an easy building to get into or out of. Very quickly, after the cry of "Fire!" was heard, the only people in it, upstairs, were such of the guests as had the pluck to go and pack their

quer it. During fully half an hour there seemed to be doubt about the victory, but the pails of water came up rapidly, a line of men and boys along the roof conveyed them to the hands of Jack, and the fire had a damp t

re's under. Somebody else can take a turn. It's the hottest kind o

f of smoke, but as soon as he

enough. I'

t there would have been less said about it

ers for th

there were no speeches made in reply. Jack hurried back home at once, but his

from head to foot, "you're always doing somethin

said Aunt Melinda, but there was quite a cr

t-collar was wilted, and his shoes would require a

h his clothes; but, really it was because he wishe

ol as he had seemed. In that short time, he had dreamed of more cities than he was ever likely to see, and of doing more great things than he could ever possibly do, and when he came down the ladde

n he never had any chance, here, and Mother