Show THE WAY TO BETTER THINGS by ESTHER LEE UPHAM ac by W 0 chapman LANG whack I 1 1 glasper GJ I 1 it was a cruel man J jasper asper woods who shouted the word and delivered the blow iio he brandished brandishes bran dished a club heavy enough to brain au an ox rightly directed just now however it landed on the flank of old firebrand poor patient workout horse so used recently to neglect and abuse that lie he expected the same regularly and accepted it with true horse sense and philosophy firebrand what a travesty yet once that name had suited in years agone woods had been proud of the splendid steed that had bad done double duty and therefore had worn out the more quickly shamel shame I 1 piped a prompt expressive voice and as the old horse spurted down down the road to get away from further torment jasper woods glared at the source of the denunciation who are you anyhow lie he scowled locating a youngster up la in a tree near by filling his hat with hickory nuts im benny of course 11 replied the urchin are humph I 1 A good deal of insolence I 1 should say seeing as your folks owe me a lot of money savagely blurted out woods 1 I say shamel shame 1 just the file same persisted the audacious youth sliding to the ground its my horse I 1 reckon then you ought to love him responded the big eyed earnest faced lad poor Fire firebrand brandt 1 and he hurried after the animal who halted at a kind word and pillowed billowed pill owed his nose affectionately on the shoulder of his little friend well hes turned out remarked woods so let him go hla his way you mean hes to pick cupl up 1 cried benny joyfully yes I 1 mean just that snapped woods gru gruffly illy oh my then ill take mail him exclaimed benny rapturously say youre in a flue fine fix to saddle yourself with an animal that will eat ills his lead head off arent youl sneered woods but benny was on firebrands Fire brands back in a jiffy petting and coaxing him forward while the man of money and self will went back to hla his home growling at the horse the boy and all the world in general he should have been merciful for life had brought him a full compe tence fence in wealth lie ile should have been happy for he had a contented wife and a pretty prattling little daughter who had come to bless them after four preceding children lad had died but jasper woods had become avaricious ile he had found a way of putting out his money at high rates of interest lie ile had sought opportunities to close out unfortunate creditors the lust of gold had taken possession of him in the case of the father of little benny he had a mortgage on the poor homestead mr had biad become ill there was no one to attend to the produce raised and already the money grabber saw himself in possession of the goodly acres representing a value five times in excess of the loan granted I 1 it was a piece of his grasping changing nature that he had turned firebrand out to die now that he was of no more use but firebrand had bad found a lobal friend and benny rode into the home farmyard proud and excited iles hes minel he crowed delightedly to his astonished mother why where did you get him and benny told the mothers face clouded however at the mention of the man who held their destinies within his grasp you see dobbin died weye weve had to hire all the carrying to town and back now weve got a horse of our own dut but who will drive him benny why I 1 will firebrand and me are great friends mother the poor creature look iery ery promising remarked sirs mrs oh ill soon fix that insisted lenny benny and he did after giving firebrand a good feed lie rode him bareback down to ills his famous old friend tom dobbs a retired farrier shod rested well fed well curried at the end of a week decrepit old firebrand seemed to have t taken alcen a new lease of life hitched up to the farm wagon ano the wagon loaded with garden truck the grateful animal at his kind young master asi as though anxious to show its his willingness to work tor for him 1 I declare cited the hie delighted mrs at the end 0 of a week as denny handed her a well filled purse im proud of you my boy she might well bo be diminutive as benny was he had solved the problem ol of the family necessities ills muther and two slaters loaded up the wagon and he drove to town and sold the stuff there was waa a stream of revenue now coming in and life brightened more than a little for the tas cotts cotta oh mother I 1 exclaimed benny one day coming in from the pasture what do you think 1 41 I am sure bure I 1 cannot guess replied mrs smiling at his excitement A man came by and offered me 80 f for r old firebrand better not tell mr woods that benny I 1 1 I should say hotl and say I 1 take eighty hundred dollars for the dear old fellow I 1 the rascal I 1 look at him hes getting so fat and jolly hes up to regular coltish tricks benny ran out into the pasture again at a sight of firebrand in the open the horse had nosed back the gate that ills his young master had carelessly left unlocked As he saw benny coming he kicked up hir heels and stood viewing him as lie he approached wagging first one ear and then the other in gay frolic here you ret get back where you belong ordered benny firebrand snorted a playful defiance ran down the road leaped a fence find and made a bee line towards the river hes headed in the direction of the tha woods place ruminated rumina ted benny maybe hes proud to show that hes a real horse once more well ive got to put after him treading the bramble bush and coming just in sight of the river benny gave a great shout lie he broke into a furious run oh dearl dear he panted its little nellie wood I 1 directly in the middle current ot of the file stream clinging to a plank and screaming for help was mr woods little child denny benny could figure out how playing about the landing the little tot had tipped oneff the planks into the water and had fallen in after it ile he could hear shouting up the shore probably the voices of her friends who had discovered her plight denny benny threw oft off his coat as lie ran then in terror lie he saw nellie let go the plank and disappear under the tha surface im too late he fairly sobbed out oh you glorious Fire firebrand brandl 1 well might lie he say it either the sensible animal recognized its former little mistress or it had a great soul straight into the stream firebrand ran theo then swam caught in ills his jaws the fringe of nellies dress as she came to the surface and waded ashore oh my child 1 my darling child cried jasper woods approaching breathless and terrified upon the tha scene as he clasped ills rescued daughter sate safe in his arms the strong man wilted as he regarded the brave old animal he had turned from his door to die then his hand rested gently on tb tho had head of the little fellow who had mi made de that rescue possible I 1 benny his tremulous tones sounded ill give you 1000 for firebrand nor ten nor twenty I 1 nothing can buy him declared stanch benny id give him to dear little nellie it if I 1 had to but I 1 hope she wont ask me an humble contrite man jasper woods appeared at the door of the home that evening neighbor he be said to mr extending a folded paper theres the tha release of your mortgage mor money everything in the world ive found out and little benny has shown me the way to better things |