one hand, the bottle in the other, and set out as
fast as his legs would carry him. He did not dare waste a moment for
fear the temptation to change his mind would prove too great to be
resisted.

Not once did he slacken speed till he reached the corner drug store.
Speechless for lack of breath, he passed the bottle over the counter to
Mr. Barton.

"Well, Jerry, what is it this time?" asked the clerk.

Jerry panted a moment before he could reply.

"Some more of--that cough medicine--for Kathleen."

"That won't take long," said Mr. Barton. "All I've got to do is to pour
it from a big bottle into this little one."

He disappeared behind the prescription case, but was back long before
Jerry's pulse had had time to slow down to its customary beat.

"There you are," he said. "Forty-five cents."

Jerry passed over the precious half-dollar. The pang of regret at the
thought of circus delights, once so nearly his, now beyond his reach, he
resolutely forced out of his mind every time he caught himself thinking
about it. He tried to whistle to help forget the circus, but to his
surprise not a sound issued from his lips. They were too dry to whistle.
Then he suddenly heard the drug clerk exclaim:

"Gee whillikens! This is the identical half-dollar you found this
afternoon! I can tell it by the black mark on it."

"Yes, it is," Jerry admitted in a forlorn tone.

"So you told about finding it--"

"No, I didn't," interrupted Jerry, "but Kathleen was all out of cough
medicine and Mother 'Larkey didn't have no money."

"I see. Then you told what--"

"No, I just got the bottle and brought it here."

Mr. Barton whistled.

"Jerry, you're some boy, and there's my hand on it."

Jerry felt himself flushing as he took the proffered hand which shook
his warmly.

"Grit!" exclaimed Mr. Barton. "Pure grit. That's what I call it, if
anybody should ask you. And you won't get to see the circus at all."

"I guess Kathleen's cough is more important than the circus," replied
Jerry. "Summer coughs are bad for babies."

"You're right there, but I'm mighty sorry you can't go. I know how my
two boys will feel if they have to stay away."

He rang up the forty-five cents and returned a nickel to Jerry.

"There, I guess you've earned the right to spend the nickel on
yourself."

"Give me a nickel's worth of cough drops--the kind with honey in 'em,"
said Jerry.

"You don't want cough drops, Jerry. Here's some good candy. It's got