I reckon; he kep' a-goin' an'
a-goin' till he died a-standin' up, an' even then they had to push
him over."

She walked to the window, and stood gazing absently across the
commons. "Do you know, Billy," she said suddenly, "I 've got the
craziest notion in my head. I'd jes' give anythin' to see the show
at the Opery House this week."

If she had expressed a wish for a diamond necklace, Billy could not
have been more amazed, and his countenance expressed his state of
mind. Mrs. Wiggs hastened to explain:

"Course, I ain't really thinkin' 'bout goin', but them show-bills
started me to studyin' about it, an' I got to wishin' me an' you
could go."

"I don't 'spect it's much when you git inside," said Billy, trying
the effects of negative consolation.

"Yes, 't is, Billy Wiggs," answered his mother, impressively. "You
ain't never been inside a theayter, an' I have. I was there twict,
an' it was grand! You orter see the lights an' fixin's, an' all the
fine ladies an' their beaus. First time I went they was a man in
skin-tights a-walkin' on a rope h'isted 'way up over ever'body's
head."

"What's skin-tights?" asked Billy, thrilled in spite of himself.

"It's spangles 'round yer waist, an' shoes without no heels to 'em.
You see, the man couldn't wear many clothes, 'cause it would make
him too heavy to stay up there in the air. The band plays all the
time, an' folks sing an' speechify, an' ever'body laughs an' has a
good time. It's jes' grand, I tell you!"

Billy's brows were puckered, and he sat unusually quiet for a while,
looking at his mother. Finally he said: "You might take my
snow-money from las' week."

Mrs. Wiggs was indignant. "Why, Billy Wiggs!" she exclaimed, "do you
think I'd take an' go to a show, when Asia an' Australia ain't got
a good shoe to their backs?"

Billy said no more about the theater, but that afternoon, when he
was out with the kindling, he pondered the matter deeply. It was
quite cold, and sometimes he had to put the reins between his knees
and shove his hands deep into his pockets to get the stiffness out
of them. It really seemed as if everybody had just laid in a supply
of kindling, and the shadowy little plan he had been forming was
growing more shadowy all the time.

"I 'spect the tickets cost a heap," he thought ruefully, as he drew
himself up into a regular pretzel of a boy; "but, then, she never
does have no fun, an' never gits a thing fer herself." And because
Billy knew of h