“All right, then,” said Benny, evidently much relieved in mind. “Anything you want to know I’ll tell you—anything that I know myself, that is. Because I’m little, you mustn’t think I don’t know everything about this town, because I do. I know where you can fish for bass in a place that no other boy knows anything about: what do you think of that? I know a big black-walnut tree that no other boy ever saw; of course there’s no nuts on it now, but you can see last year’s husks if you like. Have you got a sister?”
Grayson suddenly looked quite sober, and answered, “No.”
“I have,” said Benny, “and she is the nicest girl in town. If you want to know some of the bigger girls, I suppose you’ll have to ask Appleby. What’s the use of big girls, though? They never play marbles with a fellow, or have anything to trade. Say—I hope you’re not too big to play marbles?”
“Oh no,” said Grayson; “I’ll buy some, and we’ll have a royal game.”
“Don’t do it,” said Benny; “I’ve got a pocketful. Come on.” And to the great disgust of all the larger boys Benny led his new friend into the school-yard, scratched a ring on the dirt, divided his stock of marbles into two equal portions, and gave one to Grayson; then both boys settled themselves at a most exciting game, while all the others looked on in wonder, with which considerable envy and jealousy were mixed up.
“That Benny Mallow is putting on more airs than so little a fellow can carry; don’t you think so?” said Sam Wardwell to Ned Johnston.
“I should say so,” was the reply; “and that isn’t all. The new fellow isn’t going to be thought much of in this school if he’s going to allow himself to belong to any youngster that chooses to take hold of him. I’ll tell you one thing: Joe Appleby’s birthday party is to come off in a few days, and I’ll bet you a fish-line to a button that Master Benny won’t get near enough to it to smell the ice-cream. How will that make the little upstart feel?”
“Awful—perfectly awful,” said Sam, who, being very fond of ice-cream himself, could not imagine a more terrible revenge than Ned had suggested. Just then Bert Sharp sauntered up with his hands in his pockets, his head craned forward as usual, and his eyes trying to get along faster than his head.
“See here,” said he, “if that new boy boards with the teacher, he’s going to tell everything he knows. I think somebody ought to let him know what he’ll get if he tries that little game. I’m not going to be told on: I have a rough enough time of it now.” Bert spoke feelingly, for he was that afternoon to remain at school until he had recited from memory four pages of history, as a punishment for his long truancy.
