A Hive of Busy Bees | Page 6

to school at the same time. For a long while they kept
together in their classes; and they were very good friends.
"But when they were about fourteen, two of the boys--Joe and
Henry--began to go out nights; and it was always late when they got
home. Charles stayed at home in the evening and studied his lessons for
the next day, as he had always done.
"Of course, the difference soon showed up in their school work.
Charles always knew his lessons, while Joe and Henry fell far behind.
"When examination time came, the boys begged Charles to help them.

"'No,' said Charles firmly, 'I will never do anything like that. My
mother says that my father wanted me to be honest; and I mean to be.'
"'Aw,' said Henry, 'your father has been dead a long time; and your
mother'll never know.'
"'I say there's no harm in giving a fellow a lift in his examinations,'
grumbled Joe.
"'It would be cheating,' said Charles quietly; 'or helping you to, and that
would be just as bad.' And with that he turned to his own work, and
began to write diligently.
"Of course Charles passed all his examinations with honors; and of
course Joe and Henry failed.
"After that, the boys tormented Charles in every way they could. They
called him 'Mother's honest little darling'; and when they saw him
coming they yelled, 'Go home and hang on to your mother's apron
string.'
"Mother knew, by Charles' sober face, that something had gone wrong.
'What is it, son?' she asked; and Charles told her what had happened.
She told him how glad she was that he would not do wrong; and how
proud his father would be of such a son.
"'I shall never be ashamed of you,' she said, 'as long as you are
perfectly honest. Sometimes you will find it rather hard; but just wait a
few years, and you will see that it pays.'
"Charles had been almost discouraged; but Mother's words made him
feel quite strong and brave again. The next time he saw the boys, his
honest blue eyes looked straight into their faces, unashamed and
unafraid. They dropped their eyes, and hurried away as quickly as they
could. They did not bother Charles again; for the principal had heard of
their actions, and had punished them severely.
"When school was out, the boys began to think about doing something

to earn a little money. Henry was passing the drug store one day when
he noticed a sign in the window--'Boy Wanted, Apply in Person.' He
went into the store at once, and asked for the job.
"The druggist took him to a little room back of the store. 'Here,' he said,
'is a chest of nails and bolts. You may sort them.'
"The boy worked for a while, and then he said to himself, 'What a
queer job this is!' He went back into the store and said to the druggist,
'If that is all you have for me to do, I don't believe I want the job.'
"'Very well,' said the druggist, 'that is all I have for you to do just now.'
He paid Henry for the work he had already done, and the boy went
home.
"The druggist went back to the little room, and found bolts and nails
scattered all over the floor. He put them back in the chest; and then he
hung his sign in the window again.
"The next day Joe passed by and saw the sign; and he too went in and
asked for the job. The druggist took him to the little room and showed
him the chest of nails, and told him to sort them.
"When the boy had worked only a little while, he went back to the
druggist and said, 'Those rusty old nails are no good. Why don't you let
me throw them all away? I don't like this kind of job, anyway.'
"'All right,' said the druggist; and he paid Joe for what he had done, and
let him go. As he put the nails and bolts back in the chest he said to
himself, 'I am willing to pay more than this to find a really honest boy.'
"Later Joe and Henry, sauntering down the street together, saw the
same sign in the window--'Boy Wanted. Apply in Person.'
"'Guess he doesn't want a boy very bad,' said Joe. 'That's no
job--sorting those old rusty things. Did you find anything in the chest
besides bolts and nails, Henry?'

"'I'm not telling everything I found,' said Henry with a laugh.
"Joe looked up, puzzled and a little alarmed. 'Now I wonder--' he
began--but broke off suddenly and started to talk about something else.
"A few days later Charles passed by the drug store