" If he only _could_ find out what that meant, he felt sure
he could do it. If he had somebody to help him; but he hadn't. There
would be no time after he went to school before the class was called.
Just then he thought of his father; he used to be a carpenter before he
was sick, and he used to make a great many figures sometimes on smooth
boards. Tip remembered it was just possible that he might know something
about the sum. Suppose he should ask him?
He started up suddenly, and went towards the bedroom door.
"Father," he said softly, "can't you tell me what 'stood him in' means?"
The sick man turned himself on his pillow, and looked wonderingly at Tip.
"What do you mean?" he asked at last.
"Why," said Tip, in a despairing tone, "it says 'stood him in' in the
arithmetic,--the sheep stood him in two dollars apiece,--and I don't see
any sense to it."
"Oh!" said Mr. Lewis; "I see what you mean;" then he went back to his
long-ago deserted carpenter's shop.
"Why, Tip, if I had ten pounds of nails, and they were worth eight
cents a pound, they would stand me just so much,--that is, they would be
worth that to me; and if I should sell them I'd get so much for them.
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