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

and it hardly reached Crofield before the

very soon. His mind was full of something besides

nd below the mill, down to Deacon Hawkins's line. H

of it," he said. "I'll tell father wh

rove down from Main Street i

We can say to the Crofield people that if they'll give us the right of way through the vi

an, "and the less we say ab

o himself, as they drove away. "I don't know

fast. After breakfast his father went to the shop, an

amount already promised Jack, and of an old debt owed by the miller to the blacksmith, and also in consideration of their consenting to a previous sale of the trees

remembered the men he had seen at the rive

through Mertonville. They'll use up that land, and we won't get a cent.

self-confidence, which flickered over his lips from side to side, and twisted them, and shut his mouth tight. Just a

" he said; "and show

t on the outside. "Father! you didn't turn it ove

she began

s his gravel, not mine. I'll hold it for him, for a whil

Jack; and then the smile on his face flicker

nning," said Mary. "I'd like to own s

team here, horses and open carriage. It came over on Friday. The driver has cleared out, a

his father, "but that's nothing

needn't come back to Crofield, right away. A

the blacksmith; but then he added, smiling: "Go ahead, J

w," said Jack, wit

you will,

o far as he was concerned; and so did Mary, for she had ab

Jack your traveling bag,-he won't mind the key's being lost,-and I'l

Livermore you can go, and then

But a part of his feeling was that he had never before loved Crofield and

landlord at work saving all sorts of things and see

l have company. Miss Glidden sent to know how she could best get over to Mertonville,

e 'em," s

son to the further end of the shop. He heard about Miss Glidden, and listened in silen

ened in

cash, and it costs more to live, and they're all growing up. I don't want you to make me any promises. They are broken too easily. You needn't form good resolutions. They

true," s

ons, but if you're tempted to do wrong, or to be a f

her," said Ja

ld feel if you'd promised a hundred things. It's a great deal

said Jack, "

ady," said his father;

aid his mother, with much feeli

ly'll be back soon, and the ci

out enough head left to change

ght; "I've been wishing and hoping

eady. He had closed it and was walkin

'll send me a postal c

will," said

n; "but I feel as sad as if you were really going away from hom

d they went down-stairs together. It was hard to say good-by to all the family, and he was glad his father was not there. He got away from them

ront seat with me,-no, the trunk,-and Miss Glid

r was there to put the baggage in and to help Ma

my face looked less

. May be you'll really ge

aid Jack, with an ef

"I hope you will, somehow; but don't

f the finest in Crofield, with lawn and shrubbery. Mary Ogden had never been inside of it, but she had heard that it was beautifully furnished. The

get 'em all in? I can strap and rope one

arriage pulled up, but she came out to th

Mrs. Potter and I did not know you were

etly. "We were very glad to have you come,

idden, you and Mrs. Potter get in, and

ery full carriage when he and Jack finished their work. There was room made for the passengers by putt

k said to himself. "They won

nd all the rest of the carriage was trunks; not to spe

osure, nevertheless, and he drove out of Cro

tion occasioned by the recent inundatio

reat swoop, below Crofield, and the road's

ily laden carriage to travel slowly, here and there, but t

a kind of lake. It doesn't come up over the roa

ve been turned into water. On rolled the carriage, the horses now and then allowing

idge across the creek, a little ahead of this.

!" exclaimed

; and it occurred to Jack that he had heard more long word

er. "Link's bridge is there! There's wa

hied their frightened way across it. They went down the slope on the other side with a dash that would have been a bolt if Jack

row place, and made a dam of their own, and set the water back o

sh!-came a sharp

y just in time. Some of the logs have been car

went the bays, as if they meant to race with the fr

y, any how," thought Jack