one to live up to, for, if I buckle down to it, and sell a
whole lot of vegetables, I can prove my motto is the best." From that
day Abbot began to feel a sense of ownership in the wheel in Stark
Brothers' show-window.

Todd Walters worried nearly a week over his choice. It was the last
week of school, and he sat with a little pocket Bible hidden between
the covers of his geography many an hour when he should have been
learning the rivers of Asia, or doing long sums in the division of
fractions. Six days of the seven went by before he found a motto to
his liking. He was lying stretched out on the old lounge in the tiny
sitting-room that noon, waiting for dinner. Todd and his mother lived
alone in this little cottage, and she was busy all summer making
preserves and pickles and jellies to sell. It was their only means of
support.

As the delicious odour of strawberry preserves floated in from the
kitchen, Todd thought of his sweet-faced little mother bending over
the steaming kettle, and wished he could tell her the secret of the
prize wheel. "I wisht I could ask her for a verse," he said. "She must
know pretty near the whole Bible off by heart. I never knew anybody
that could say so many verses in a string without stopping."

Just then his eye fell on the old family Bible, lying in state on the
marble-topped centre table, and remembering how boldly the big type
always seemed to stare out at him when he used to look at the
pictures in it, he got up from the lounge to walk across the room and
open it. The leaves opened as of their own accord at a chapter in
Proverbs, where an old-fashioned cardboard book-mark kept the place.
It had been years since his grandfather's trembling hand had placed
that book-mark there, the last time he led in family prayers, and his
mother had never allowed it to be moved. So the book opened now at the
chapter that had been read on that memorable morning, and Todd's eye
caught the text at the top of the page: "_A good name is rather to be
chosen than great riches, and loving favour than silver and gold._"

"I'll take that," said Todd, softly, to himself, as he closed the
great volume, "for I remember just what mother said about it when she
explained it to me."

So that was the motto which found its way to Judge Parker's office in
a sealed envelope, as he had directed they should be sent, with each
boy's name signed to the verse of his choice.

It was not so easy for Chicky Wiggins to mak