"John D. Fitzgerald - The Great Brain ReformsUC - 5" - читать интересную книгу автора (Fitzgerald John D)

vacations," -Papa said firmly, "until Frankie is old enough
to do them. And that is final."

Tom knew there was no appealing one of Papa's de-
cisions. And I, knew his great brain was already at work
on how to bamboozle me into doing his share of the chores,

as he had several times in the past. But I was determined
not to let it happen again.

The next morning after breakfast Tom and I walked
from the back porch down the path leading to the combi-
nation coal-and-woodshed. 'We had a big backyard with a

8

vegetable garden on one side of the path and a playground
on the other. The chicken coop was next to the coal-and-
woodshed. Behind these buildings were our corral, our big
barn, and our icehouse. There was an alley leading from
the corral to the street.

Tom helped me fill up the woodboxes and coal buck-
ets in the kitchen, parlor, and bathroom. Then we fed
and watered our team of horses, our milk cow, Sweyn's
mustang Dusty, and the chickens. When we finished, we
sat on the top rail of the corral fence with Frankie.

Tom put his arm around my shoulders. "It is going to
be tough on your pocketbook, J. D.." he said, "losing a
dime a week during summer vacation." . "

Papa gave us each an allowance of ten cents a week
for doing the chores. For doing all the chores wnile Tom
was at the academy, he had been paying me twenty^ cents.
Now I would have to split with Tom again. I know a dime
doesn't sound like much but back in those day's it wakild
buy what it costs fifty cents to buy today. Х

,, "You're right," I said.

"Tell you what I'm going to do," he said. "I'm going
nf it so you get fifteen cents each week instead of just a

f, ui'.'ue."

I knew there had to be a catch in it. "Why?^ I asked.
"Out of the goodness of my heart," he said. "I'm go-
ing to let you do all the chores and all it will cost you is