Jerry's Charge Account

Neig

onsidered the complication of digging it up every time he came back from the store and had to make

tter keep out of sight from the front window of his house, though. Jerry climbed the picket fence that separated his yard from Mr. Bullfinch'

e house, a man came out. He was tall and thin and slightly stooped, with a thatch of silver-gray hair. Must be Mr. Bullfinch, Jerry thought, and wond

h his whole face, especially his eyes, and Jerry smiled back

eing moved. Live around here, do y

few cranky people on this street but no

own leather chair out of the van an

I want it put. Come on in,"

d after Mr. Bullfinch as he directed the movers to depo

t for you to sit

d from the seat and unwinding it. He looked around and found an outlet and put in the plug. "Want to try i

r. Bullfinch did not look like the sort of man who would install an electric chair, the kind they have in penitentiaries, i

He pressed a button to the right, and the back of the chair went down and t

" said Mr. Bullfinch, p

g over and began to rub Mr. Bullfinch's stomach

e it often." He laughed heartily. "It tickles." Then he pushed the button that stopped the jerking and massaging and the one that made the chair

t's an exerciser and health builder. Trade name for it is the Excello. Believe I'll c

it out. Jerry warmed to his new neighbor. So now he sat in the big chair and pushed the b

r. Bullfinch. He didn't hurry Jerry. He let hi

ining all of Mr. Bartlett's change fell from his pocke

t hand, Mr. Bullfinch gave Jerry a worn tobacco pouch to put the money in. H

e tobacco pouch in his pants pocket. The pocket tore slightly.

alking to you-I'm just sorry I tore m

mark for a torn pocket," said Mr. Bullfinch.

dn't and

any immediate need for but at least you get something for your money. Mrs. Bullfinch scolds me sometimes for what I buy but I can't resist the fun of bidding. Up to a point, that is. I set mysel

y's face showed his disappointment. If not a chim

'll have to wait till they auction off so

never d

king. Do you h

ecause she has a white fr

se around here I hope

it was time for him to be leaving. And Jerry was a

and rushed toward the back of

was Mrs. Bullfinch. She was a small plump wo

in my life ran down the broom handle. It ran right across my arm." She shuddered till the stool she was standing on shook. "I brushed it of

m for the spider, opening cupboard doors to see if it had run in a cupboard. "It's taken off for parts unknown

w it. If I get down it might ru

Miss Muffett, afraid of spiders-only she climbed a stool instead of being frightened away. He glanced down at the b

down hard. Jerry did not enjoy killing even a spider but this time it seem

" said Mr.

her husband, got down from the stool. Sh

omething for you. You don't know how obliged

ite that killed. Being thought a hero was pleasant, however. "Think nothi

d one of the movers, and Mrs. Bullf

ch, though still very polite, had things he wanted to see to. So Jerry murmured something about hav

ullfinch," he said. "Everybody has something he's af

admired the grandfather clock in the front hall. On the glass above its face there was a painted globe in pale gree

a big clock,

lfinch. "When I was a little boy I once hid inside when we were playi

Mr. Bartlett's money. What Mr. Bullfinch had sai

excitement, "would you mind if I kept

. Then his eyes lit up in one of his nice smil

or put some in now and then. If that

time you like. I've never run a ba

e clock. And how grateful Jerry was to Mr. Bullfinch for not asking any embarrassing questions about the money! Even before he had shut the cl