Jerry's Charge Account

A. M

aturday. He watched the rain slant against the front windows for a while and then picked up the morning pape

paper in his hand. "Help me learn my piece, will you, Jerry? I can read p

y school put on a program by the pupils for the parents. This year Cathy was to sing in a girls' chorus and Jerry, one of a rhythm band, was to shake bells during the playing of "The Stars and Stripes Forever

e of paper. "Let's hear i

were reading his "piece" from the ceiling. His usually merry face lo

e you, de

ou'll like

n by Miss Pr

r the P

play when you don't even kno

ting is thinking and saying. So she read 'Goldilocks and the Three Bears' to us three times.

a lot louder," Jerry suggested. "Nobody will

and loud. He made the phrase "Just for t

to wow 'em. Now sa

eyes sought

ave heard

rl with go

er way in

t remember wh

member that the story said anything about Papa Bea

y of the last verse, so Je

o on with

lay will

ed to littl

she lost

Andy," ur

at big bear. I wanted to say, 'Who's been eating my porridge?' I can talk the loudest. But Ned

n poetry?" asked Jerry

couragement. With a lilt of enjoyment in his voice he said a rh

ne-had a

oe-mad

nk-turned

me out and ga

him over a

very rapidly, coming out good

rmy face turned sunny. "Say i

y ob

egged when Jerry had f

aph record?" asked Jerry. But he good-n

. And he recited the rhyme

shot when you really want

each to Andy," said Cathy, who had com

know why not?

thy dreamily. "Like that poem Miss Ki

liness to sell

liked it when Miss Kitteridge read us

as poetry by

is,

is n

ions to match the weather. Just because it's unpleasant you don't need to be. I want you to run to the store, Jerry, and get two pounds or a little over

store this mornin

home with them to have grown the v

go," he said in a dull voice as

nged. Every time his mother had asked him to go to the store all week Jerry had worried about getting the right change. This morning had been the worst. He had had to ta

easant "Good morning." Of course Jerry had waited until George was not busy before asking him for change for a ten. Jer

changed," George had complained. But he had given Jerry

ame day. He had never had to do that before. But where els

nd Mr. Bartlett did have some nice haddock. Jerry

Mr. Bartlett, as h

in the showcase had not lifted his spirits. The half pound of candy he might get when he paid the bill at the end of the month seemed a small reward for all he

o stop now. He would have no candy to present to his parents to prove the advantage

ding through a puddle on his way to the shopping center. It was a r

nd wait before Geor

gain for change!" George cri

ime," Jerry pleaded. "I

ok Jerry firmly by the shoulder. "Out you go and stay out. I don't want to s

d that getting bills changed

lls and made him drink extra orange juice. She knew something was troubling him but could not get out of him what it was. Je

ot for Mr. and Mrs. Martin. Jerry and Cathy insisted that their parents go to the meetings, for a count was made and the class represented by the most parents got an award.

hind scenes on the stage, since the play he was to be in was to come first on the program. That w

bit pale when he

'll throw up," Cathy said worr

said Jerry stoutly, though he knew very well that

y. "He said it over to me three times b

ortance of creativity, a long word Jerry did not quite understand, but thought meant making up things. Then the curtain rose and there was the bears' house. Only it didn't have any upstai

xious, as anxious as Jerry felt. "Come on, And

," sai

Andy looked at them. Seconds p

enes Miss Prou

ts," she said in a voice ba

His face looked frozen in

ack of the hall clapped. That sound seemed to wake Andy from his trance of fear. He ra

ne-had a

oe-mad

nk-turned

me out and ga

him over a

ade a bow. Apparently he did not reali

Prouty shooed Andy off the stage and apologized for

hat awful rhyme," before Andy came to sit with his family. He did not seem at all upse

hy's voice above the other girls', sweet as a bird. And Mrs. Martin said that Jerry had rung his be

the car when Andy broke into

obbed. "I said the wrong piece

Folks enjoy a good l

make mistakes. He's getting a delayed reaction," sh

hat, Andy, I promise I'll take you to the zoo

want to go see the quiet ones," said An

y," agreed Jerry, understanding that by "loud" Andy

this. 'Who's been eating my porridge?'" Andy bellowed the

would prefer quiet

ing change could disappear as easily as Andy's sorrow. During the P. T. A. meeting Jerry had pushed his worries to the background of his thoughts. Now he f

mustache before his mother wiped his face with a napkin. He got in her lap and snuggled against her while she sipped her chocolate. Whe

ek and each time put away Mr. Bartlett's money in bills and small change. There must be money enough up attic in that white shoe to change a five and probabl

sed with yourself, Je

ought of s

" aske

u sometime,"

o darned mysterious lately?"

eep a few things to him

at candy from Bartlett's," he thought, "I won't forget that I've pro

er reaching in the box fo

I can tell it by the way

erry realized. Up till now he had found it almost

med mean to say something on purpose to make Cathy