CHAPTER IV
SOME WONDERFUL NEWS
Two days after the Hallowe’en episode, Dick Horner, walking along the main street of Cliffwood, stopped to look in at the window of the sporting goods establishment. The display of guns, fishing tackle, football and hockey requirements, as well as many games for home and club entertainment, always possessed a peculiar fascination for Dick.
He sighed now as he surveyed these tempting things, for money being always a scarce commodity at the little Horner cottage, poor Dick could not afford to squander much on luxuries.
A hearty slap on the back awakened him from his little day dream. Turning quickly he found that his chum, Leslie Capes, was standing beside him, with a broad smile on his face.
“Made up your mind which gun you want, old fellow?” the newcomer asked, jauntily. “Or perhaps now it was some of that football stuff you were mapping out to buy?”
Dick laughed to hide the spasm that shot through his heart; for he realized that he needed a new suit of clothes more than he did any of those fine articles so temptingly displayed.
“Well, I haven’t decided just yet, Leslie,” he said, lightly enough, considering what his feelings had been a moment before. “I’m glad you came along, for I was just on the point of going over to your house to see you.”
“I’ll wager a cookey I can guess what your errand was,” remarked the other.
“Give a try then,” Dick went on to say. “I don’t believe you’ll come within a thousand yards of it.”
“Well, this is Friday afternoon, isn’t it, and we got out early from school,” the other boy started to explain. “That makes tomorrow Saturday, and it seems that four of us fellows have a date to get off with our horse and wagon in the morning to visit that hickory grove about seven miles up the Sweetwater, where we’ve heard the nuts were mighty thick this fall, and plenty still on the ground.”