"I ain't a-goin' to charge little girls nothin'," said the
gallant Billy, as he proffered his swollen jowl to each in turn.

A little darkey riding a big black horse was galloping by;
Jimmy hailed and halted him.

"You better go fast," he shrieked. "Me and Billy and Frances and
Lina's got the mumps and you ain't got no business to have 'em
'cause you're a nigger, and you better take your horse to the
lib'ry stable 'cause he might ketch 'em too."

The negro boy dismounted and hitched his horse to the fence. "I
gotter little tarrapim--" he began insinuatingly.

And thus it came to pass that there was an epidemic of mumps
in the little town of Covington, and William Green Hill grew
rich in marbles, in tops, in strings, in toads, in chewing gum,
and in many other things which comprise the pocket treasures of
little boys.




CHAPTER XXIII

THE INFANT MIND SHOOTS


Miss Minerva had bought a book for Billy entitled "Stories of
Great and Good Men," which she frequently read to him for his