_This story first appeared in the Central Christian Advocate.
The author wishes to acknowledge the courtesy of the editor in
permitting her to republish it in the present volume_.




HOW HE WON THE BICYCLE


"Looks like everybody in Bardstown has a wheel but us," said Todd
Walters, wistfully pressing his little freckled nose against the
show-window of the bicycle shop, where a fine wheel was on exhibition.

It was the third time that day that Todd had walked five blocks out of
his way to look in at that window, and each time Abbot Morgan and
Chicky Wiggins were with him. In the two weeks that the new store had
been open, the boys never failed to stop by on their way from school,
and the more they looked at the wheel displayed so temptingly in the
window, the more each boy longed to own it.

None of them had any spending money. Todd might have by and by when
school was out, and he began selling fly-paper again, as he had done
the summer before; but it was understood in the tumble-down little
cottage that Todd called home that every penny thus earned was to be
saved toward the purchase of a much needed new suit.

[Illustration]