COUNTING DICK 183 



The child's face was flushed and hot and in 

 a moment he sobbed out : 



"I'd love my little boy better than twenty 

 glasses of beer or whisky if I were a big papa 

 like you, and I'd save dollar bills and buy 

 him a Rover-sled, and I wouldn't forget it 

 when my little boy wanted it, oh, so much ! 

 Shall you always like whisky and beer better 

 than you do your little Dick, and won't yon 

 ever put some more money in the bank that 

 mother says you used to have?" 



For a moment Mr. Sparrow looked at his 

 wife as if he would like to say, "You must 

 come and help me, mother." There was a strug- 

 gle in his soul, but. the victory came as he 

 chased away the child's tears by saying : 



"Little Dick, I am glad you have learned to 

 count. You and I will start a bank together. 

 I love you better than anything in all this big 

 world. I will save my dollars and every time 

 you can count twenty, we will put them into 

 the bank for mother and my Sparrow-boy. 

 Mother, where's that pledge you were talking 

 about the other night ; and tell me, mother, 

 when did our little boy learn to count ?" 



