Andy the Acrobat | Page 8

the war-path.
"She's hunting for me," thought Andy. "I suppose I've got to face the
music some time, but I'll not do it just now, I've got some business to
attend to, first."
Andy hurried down the Centreville turnpike. He walked along briskly,
more to get out of possible range of Miss Lavinia than with any other
distinct motive in mind. Still, Andy had "business" in view. That
burned down haystack haunted him. Somehow he must square himself
with Mr. Dale, he said. He fancied he had found a way.
Andy did not pause until he was fully a mile down the highway. He felt
safe from interruption now, and sat down on an old log and mused in a
dreamy, drifting sort of a way.
The sound of approaching wagon wheels disturbed him in the midst of
a depressing reverie.
"It's Mr. Dale," said Andy, getting up from the log and viewing the
approaching team. "I wanted to see you, Mr. Dale," he spoke aloud as
the carry-all came abreast of him.
"Oh, hello, you, Wildwood," spoke the farmer with a grin. "Playing
hookey, eh?"
"No, sir," answered Andy frankly. "I was expelled from school this
morning."
"Do tell me now!" said Dale. "Want a lift?"
"No, sir," answered Andy, "I just wanted to take up a minute of your
time. I'm sorry, Mr. Dale, I don't suppose you think any too much of
me already, and when I tell you--"
"Hey? Ha! ha!" chuckled Dale. "Think I'm sore on you because of that
calf business? Not at all, not at all. Why, I got double price for the
critter, see?"

"There's something else," announced Andy seriously. "The truth is, Mr.
Dale, I burned down one of your haystacks about an hour ago."
"What! You burned one of my haystacks? Which one--which one?"
demanded Dale, growing pale with excitement.
"The little one to the north-east of the field," explained Andy. "I should
think it held between two and three tons."
Farmer Dale dropped the lines and jumped down into the road from the
wagon, whip in hand. All his jubilant slyness deserted him. He began to
get frightfully worked up over Andy's news.
"Wait a minute," pleaded Andy. "Don't get excited till I explain. I
managed to save the other stacks. It was all an accident, but I want to
pay the damage. Yes, I'll pay you, Mr. Dale."
"You'll have to, you bet on that!" snorted the farmer wrathfully. "I'll go
to your aunt right off with the bill."
"Don't do it, Mr. Dale," advised Andy. "She preaches lots about
honesty and responsibility and all that, but she's mighty close when it
comes to the dollars. She wouldn't pay you a cent, no, sir, but I will.
That hay is worth about twenty dollars, I reckon, Mr. Dale?"
"Well, yes, it is," nodded the farmer. "Good timothy is scarce, and that
was a prime lot."
"I've got no money, of course," went on Andy, "but I thought this:
couldn't you give me some work to do and let me pay it out in that way?
I'll do my level best to--"
"Oh! that's your precious proposition, is it?" snarled Mr. Dale,
switching the whip about furiously. "No, I couldn't. The hand I've got
now is idle half the time. See here, Wildwood, arson is a pretty serious
crime. You'd better square this thing some way. In fact you've got to do
it, or there's going to be trouble."

"I know what you mean," said Andy--"you'll have me arrested. You
mustn't do that, Mr. Dale--I feel bad enough, I'm in a hard enough
corner already. I want to do what's right, and I intend to. I owe you
twenty dollars. Will you give me time to pay it in? Will you take my
note--with interest, of course--for the amount?"
"Will I--take your note--interest? ha! ha! oh, dear me! dear me!" fairly
exploded Dale in a burst of uproarious laughter.
"Secured," added Andy in a business-like tone.
"Secured by what?" demanded Dale eagerly.
"I can't tell you now. I will to-night, or to-morrow morning."
"You don't mean old ball bats, or your mud scow in the creek, or that
kind of trash?" inquired Dale suspiciously.
"No, sir, I mean tangible security," declared Andy.
"You don't seem to carry much of it around with you," suggested Dale
bluntly, casting a sarcastic eye over Andy's well-worn clothes.
"Perhaps not," admitted Andy, coloring up. "I can give you security,
though. What I want to know is this: If I can place good security in the
hands of a trusty person, will you give me--say--three months to pay
you off in? If I don't, the person will sell the security and pay you in
full."
"Why don't you put the security in my hands?" asked the