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have no excuse to offer except that David had fit him'bout a cat； or
somethin'an' that ever since then he'd thought a heap of himthough he
guessed David didn't know it。 Listen ter that； will ye！
〃An' once a woman held me up； an' took on turrible； but all I could git
from her was that he'd sat on her doorstep an' played ter her baby once or
twice；as if that was anythin'！ But one of the derndest funny ones was the
woman who said she could wash her dishes a sight easier after she'd a…
seen him go by playin'。 There was Bill Dowd； too。 You know he really
HAS got a screw loose in his head somewheres； an' there ain't any one but
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what says he's the town fool； all right。 Well； what do ye think HE said？〃
Mr。 Jack shook his head。
〃Well； he said he did hope as how nothin' would happen ter that boy
cause he did so like ter see him smile； an' that he always did smile every
time he met him！ There； what do ye think o' that？〃
〃Well； I think； Perry；〃 returned。Mr。 Jack soberly； 〃that Bill Dowd
wasn't playing the fool； when he said that； quite so much as he sometimes
is； perhaps。〃
〃Hm…m； maybe not；〃 murmured Perry Larson perplexedly。 〃Still； I'm
free ter say I do think 't was kind o' queer。〃 He paused； then slapped his
knee suddenly。 〃Say； did I tell ye about StreeterOld Bill Streeter an' the
pear tree？〃
Again Mr。 Jack shook his head。
〃Well； then； I'm goin' to；〃 declared the other； with gleeful emphasis。
〃An'； say； I don't believe even YOU can explain thisI don't！ Well； you
know Streeterev'ry one does； so I ain't sayin' nothin' sland'rous。 He was
cut on a bias； an' that bias runs ter money every time。 You know as well as
I do that he won't lift his finger unless there's a dollar stickin' to it； an' that
he hain't no use fur anythin' nor anybody unless there's money in it for him。
I'm blamed if I don't think that if he ever gits ter heaven； he'll pluck his
own wings an' sell the feathers fur what they'll bring。〃
〃Oh； Perry！〃 remonstrated Mr。 Jack； in a half…stifled voice。
Perry Larson only grinned and went on imperturbably。
〃Well； seein' as we both understand what he is； I'll tell ye what he
DONE。 He called me up ter his fence one day； big as life； an' says he；
'How's the boy？' An' you could 'a' knocked me down with a feather。
Streetera…askin' how a boy was that was sick！ An' he seemed ter care； too。
I hain't seen him look so longfaced sincesince he was paid up on a sartin
note I knows of； jest as he was smackin' his lips over a nice fat farm that
was comin' to him！
〃Well； I was that plum puzzled that I meant ter find out why Streeter
was takin' sech notice； if I hung fur it。 So I set to on a little detective work
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of my own； knowin'； of course； that 't wa'n't no use askin' of him himself。
Well； an' what do you s'pose I found out？ If that little scamp of a boy
hadn't even got round himStreeter； the skinflint！ He hadan' he went
there often； the neighbors said； an' Streeter doted on him。 They declared
that actually he give him a cent oncethough THAT part I ain't swallerin'
yet。
〃They saidthe neighbors didthat it all started from the pear tree
that big one ter the left of his house。 Maybe you remember it。 Well；
anyhow； it seems that it's old； an' through bearin' any fruit； though it still
blossoms fit ter kill； every year； only a little late 'most always； an' the
blossoms stay on longer'n common； as if they knew there wa'n't nothin'
doin' later。 Well； old Streeter said it had got ter come down。 I reckon he
suspected it of swipin' some of the sunshine； or maybe a little rain that
belonged ter the tree t'other side of the road what did bear fruit an' was
worth somethin'！ Anyhow； he got his man an' his axe； an' was plum ready
ter start in when he sees David an' David sees him。
〃'T was when the boy first come。 He'd gone ter walk an' had struck this
pear tree； all in bloom；an' 'course； YOU know how the boy would acta
pear tree； bloomin'； is a likely sight； I'll own。 He danced and laughed and
clapped his hands；he didn't have his fiddle with him；an' carried on like
all possessed。 Then he sees the man with the axe； an' Streeter an' Streeter
sees him。
〃They said it was rich thenBill Warner heard it all from t'other side of
the fence。 He said that David； when he found out what was goin' ter
happen； went clean crazy； an' rampaged on at such a rate that old Streeter
couldn't do nothin' but stand an' stare； until he finally managed ter growl
out： 'But I tell ye； boy； the tree ain't no use no more！'
〃Bill says the boy flew all to pieces then。 'No useno use！' he cries；
'such a perfectly beautiful thing as that no use！ Why； it don't have ter be
any use when it's so pretty。 It's jest ter look at an' love； an' be happy with！'
Fancy sayin' that ter old Streeter！ I'd like ter seen his face。 But Bill says
that wa'n't half what the boy said。 He declared that 't was God's present；
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anyhow； that trees was； an' that the things He give us ter look at was jest as
much use as the things He give us ter eat； an' that the stars an' the sunsets
an' the snowflakes an' the little white cloud…boats； an' I don't know what…
all； was jest as important in the Orchestra of Life as turnips an' squashes。
An' then； Billy says； he ended by jest flingin' himself on ter Streeter an'
beggin' him ter wait till he could go back an' git his fiddle so he could tell
him what a beautiful thing that tree was。
〃Well； if you'll believe it； old Streeter was so plum befuzzled he sent
the man an' the axe awayan' that tree's a…livin' ter…day't is！〃 he finished；
then； with a sudden gloom on his face； Larson added； huskily： 〃An' I only
hope I'll be sayin' the same thing of that boycome next month at this
time！〃
〃We'll hope you will；〃 sighed the other fervently。
And so one by one the days passed； while the whole town waited and
while in the great airy 〃parlor bedroom〃 of the Holly farmhouse one small
boy fought his battle for life。 Then came the blackest day and night of all
when the town could only wait and watchit had lost its hope；