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big aira house. And, say, the lionl
My, but he was fierce, and growled,
and roared and tore as the keeper
whipped him about the cage.
It was decided that Rhoda should
leave three days later. The decision
got about town and Ted heard it at
'school. He came home crying and
Rhoda Bad to tell him the whole
story. .
. "If.I could only work to help you,"
sobbed the faithful Teddy. ."Say,
cari't I, mother? Say, I can help
anyway. I can do with one njeal a
day. I've done it In the old days,
many a time.
"Just be good and kind to John,"
Mrs. -Bascom said. "He is greatly
worried.
"You bet I will!" declared Ted.
He was silent and thoughtful after
that. The next evening, however,
when he came home from school he
was on nettles with some intense se
cret excitement Rhoda attributed it
to her pending departure. If she had
only known.
For not a wink of sleep did Ted
have that nieht He would smile, as
if in eager anticipation of some ap'
proaching event of interest and im-
,vportance,. Then, as he got drowsy,
he would give a great start, come
wide awake, and- for a moment wince
with vivid terror until he had recov
ered his normal wits.
The next -morning tTed hurried
away from home, bright and early.
He made two visits. One was to the
town livery stable keeper, the other
to. a wealthy magnate who. had a
mansion with great grounds, and a
tame fawn and a pet fox. Ted pro
pounded a peculiar question to both
of these persons. It was:
Q "What would you give for a real
live lion?"
And they laughed at him, and won
dered '-what quaint idea had got into
the little fellow's head.
That nighty when the others were
in the house ;fast asleep, Ted stole
cautiously down the stairs, bare
footed. He. visited the pantry, and
' then, carefully opening, the bacK
door, scudded out into the dark
rainy night He returned in aboit,
half an hour.
The nexL morning Mrs. Bascom
complained of a-missing loaf of
bread, and Ted nearly choked on
what he was eating. His mother, by
adoption, stared marveling at him as
he left for school.
"Mother," he said, "you won't go
away until tomorrow will you?" ,
"No,Iear," answered Rhoda. "Why
do you ask?"
"Maybe I can raise some money
by then, and you can stay with us
after all, for, you see "
And then he clapped his hand to
his mouth as if fearful of unloosen
ing some secret, and darted away.
"Why, I do believe the boy has got
some wild idea in his head, the way
he acts!" spoke John, and, half an
hour later, walking down the main
street of the town, he was surprised
to find Ted, not at school, but turn
ing into the main printing office of
the village. He followed him , to
come upon Ted in a businesslike way."
confronting the publisher' of the
local paper. ,
John drew to ;one side, in the
shadow of the big printing press, as
he heard Ted say to the publisher:
"Mr. Brown, do you ever give a
fellow credit who wants to put a
little notice to your paper?"
"Why, yes, Ted, at times," pleas
antly answered Mrl Brown. "Going
Into business and th(nking of adver
tising in the Beacon?"
"Oh, no, sir," replied Ted soberly
"only I want to print a notice, and
I've got no money, but I'm going to
have a shpw, and that will bring in
some, "and then I want to sell some
thing I've got, and I want you to
write a little piece telling what it is."
The proprietor was grinning, and
the listening John was staring hard.
"What are you driving- at, Ted?"
inquired the publisher; "what is it
that you've got to sell?".
"Well, I haven't told a soul yet,"
