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8th
DIANE ZAK
EDITION
progr a mming w i t h
progr a mming w i t h
VISUAL BASIC
®
20 17
DIANE ZAK
Copyright 2018 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. WCN 02-200-203
PROGRAMMING WITH
MICROSOFT® VISUAL BASIC® 2017
Copyright 2018 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. WCN 02-200-203
Copyright 2018 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. WCN 02-200-203
EIGHTH EDITION
PROGRAMMING
WITH MICROSOFT®
VISUAL BASIC® 2017
DIANE ZAK
Copyright 2018 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. WCN 02-200-203
Programming with Microsoft® Visual Basic® © 2018 Cengage Learning
2017, Eighth Edition
Diane Zak ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this work covered by the copyright herein
may be reproduced, transmitted, stored or used in any form or by any means
graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including but not limited to photocopying,
SVP, GM Science, Technology & Math: Balraj S. recording, scanning, digitizing, taping, Web distribution, information
Kalsi networks, or information storage and retrieval systems, except as permitted
under Section 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without the
Product Director: Kathleen McMahon
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Purchase any of our products at your local college store or at our preferred
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v
Brief Contents
Pref ace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xi v
Read T h is Bef o re You Begi n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xvi i i
CHAP TER 1 An In t ro du ct i o n to V i sual Studi o 2 0 1 7 and V i sual Ba s i c . . . . . 1
CHAP TER 2 Plan n in g Appl i cati ons and Desi gni ng I nter faces . . . . . . . . 49
CHAP TER 3 Co din g w it h Vari abl es, Named Constants, and Cal cul a ti ons . . . 73
CHAP TER 4 T h e Select i o n Structure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
CHAP TER 5 T h e Repeti t i o n Structure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
CHAP TER 6 Su b an d Funct i on Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
CHAP TER 7 St r in g M ani pul ati on . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 287
CHAP TER 8 Ar r ays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 341
CHAP TER 9 Sequ en t ial A ccess Fi l es and Menus . . . . . . . . . . . . . 392
CHAP TER 10 Clas s es an d Obj ects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 427
CHAP TER 11 SQL Ser ve r Dat abases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 475
CHAP TER 12 Dat abas e Queri es wi th SQL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 529
CHAP TER 13 Web Sit e Appl i cati ons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 565
APPEN DIX A GU I Des ig n Gui del i nes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 599
APPEN DIX B Addit io n al To pi cs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 604
APPEN DIX C F in din g and Fi x i ng Program Errors . . . . . . . . . . . . . 632
APPEN DIX D V is u al B asi c 2 0 1 7 Cheat Sheet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 647
APPEN DIX E Cas e Pro je ct s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 667
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 671
Copyright 2018 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. WCN 02-200-203
vi
Contents
Pref ace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xi v
Read T h is B ef o re Yo u Begi n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xv i i i
Copyright 2018 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. WCN 02-200-203
vii
CHAP TER 2 Plan n in g Appl i cati ons and Desi gni ng I nter faces . . . . . . . . 49
FOCUS ON THE CONCEPTS LESSON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
F-1 Planning a Windows Forms Application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
F-2 Windows Standards for Interfaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Guidelines for Identifying Labels and Buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Guidelines for Including Graphics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Guidelines for Selecting Fonts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Guidelines for Using Color . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
F-3 Access Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
F-4 Tab Order . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
CHAP TER 3 Co din g w i t h Vari abl es, Named Constants, and Cal cu l a ti ons . . . 73
FOCUS ON THE CONCEPTS LESSON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
F-1 Pseudocode and Flowcharts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
F-2 Main Memory of a Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
F-3 Variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Selecting an Appropriate Data Type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Selecting an Appropriate Name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Examples of Variable Declaration Statements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
F-4 TryParse Method . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
F-5 Arithmetic Expressions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
F-6 Assigning a Value to an Existing Variable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
F-7 ToString Method . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
F-8 Option Statements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
F-9 Named Constants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Copyright 2018 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. WCN 02-200-203
viii
C ontents
Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Key Terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .108
Review Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Exercises . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .112
Copyright 2018 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. WCN 02-200-203
ix
Copyright 2018 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. WCN 02-200-203
x
C ontents
Copyright 2018 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. WCN 02-200-203
xi
Copyright 2018 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. WCN 02-200-203
xii
C ontents
Copyright 2018 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. WCN 02-200-203
xiii
Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 556
Key Terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .557
Review Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 558
Exercises . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .560
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 671
Copyright 2018 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. WCN 02-200-203
xiv
Preface
Programming with Microsoft Visual Basic 2017, Eighth Edition uses Visual Basic 2017, an
object-oriented language, to teach programming concepts. This book is designed for a beginning
programming course. However, it assumes that students are familiar with basic Windows skills
and file management.
Approach
Each chapter in Programming with Microsoft Visual Basic 2017, Eighth Edition contains two
lessons titled Focus on the Concepts and Apply the Concepts. Each lesson has its own set of
objectives. The Focus lessons concentrate on programming concepts, using examples along with
sample applications designed to reinforce the concepts being taught. The Apply the Concepts
lessons show students how to apply the concepts from the chapter’s Focus lesson in different
ways. The Apply lessons also expand on the concepts taught in the Focus lesson. Both lessons
provide tutorial-style steps that guide the student on coding, running, and testing applications.
Each sample application allows the student to observe how the current concept can be used
before the next concept is introduced.
Copyright 2018 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. WCN 02-200-203
xv
Organization and Coverage
Features
Programming with Microsoft Visual Basic 2017, Eighth Edition is an exceptional textbook
because it also includes the following features:
READ THIS BEFORE YOU BEGIN This section is consistent with Cengage Learning’s
unequaled commitment to helping instructors introduce technology into the classroom.
Technical considerations and assumptions about hardware, software, and default
settings are listed in one place to help instructors save time and eliminate unnecessary
aggravation.
YOU DO IT! BOXES These boxes provide simple applications that allow students to
demonstrate their understanding of a concept before moving on to the next concept.
OPTION STATEMENTS All applications include the Option Explicit, Option Strict, and
Option Infer statements.
START HERE ARROWS These arrows indicate the beginning of a tutorial steps section in the
book.
FIGURES Figures that introduce new statements, functions, or methods contain both the
syntax and examples of using the syntax. Including the syntax in the figures makes the examples
more meaningful, and vice versa.
TIP These notes provide additional information about the current concept. Examples
include alternative ways of writing statements or performing tasks, as well as warnings
about common mistakes made when using a particular command and reminders of related
concepts learned in previous chapters.
SUMMARY Each chapter contains a Summary section that recaps the concepts covered in the
chapter.
KEY TERMS Following the Summary section in each chapter is a list of the key terms
introduced throughout the chapter, along with their definitions.
REVIEW QUESTIONS Each chapter contains Review Questions designed to test a student’s
understanding of the chapter’s concepts.
Copyright 2018 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. WCN 02-200-203
xvi
P reface Instructor Resources
SQL SERVER DATABASES AND SQL The book includes two chapters (Chapters 11 and 12)
on SQL Server databases and SQL.
NEW EXERCISES The Review Questions in each chapter are followed by Exercises, which
provide students with additional practice of the skills and concepts they learned in the chapter.
The Exercises are designated as INTRODUCTORY, INTERMEDIATE, ADVANCED, ON
YOUR OWN, and FIX IT. The ON YOUR OWN Exercises encourage students to challenge and
independently develop their own programming skills while exploring the capabilities of Visual
Basic 2017. Students are given minimum guidelines to follow when creating the ON YOUR
OWN applications. The FIX IT Exercises provide an opportunity for students to detect and
correct errors in an application’s code.
APPENDICES Appendix A summarizes the GUI design guidelines mentioned in the chapters,
making it easier for the student to follow the guidelines when designing an application’s interface.
Appendix B contains additional topics that can be covered along with (or anytime after) a
specified chapter. Appendix C teaches students how to locate and correct errors (syntax, logic,
and run time) in their code. The appendix shows students how to step through their code and
also how to create breakpoints. Appendix D contains a Cheat Sheet that summarizes important
concepts covered in the chapters, such as the syntax of statements, methods, and so on. The
Cheat Sheet provides a convenient place for students to locate the information they need as
they are creating and coding their applications. Appendix E contains Case Projects that can be
assigned after completing specific chapters in the book.
UPDATED VIDEOS These notes direct students to videos that accompany many
chapters in the book. The videos explain and/or demonstrate one or more of the
chapter’s concepts. The videos have been revised from the previous edition and are
available via the optional MindTap for this text.
Instructor Resources
The following teaching tools are available for download at our Instructor Companion Site.
Simply search for this text at sso.cengage.com. An instructor login is required.
INSTRUCTOR’S MANUAL The Instructor’s Manual that accompanies this textbook includes
additional instructional material to assist in class preparation, including items such as Sample
Syllabi, Chapter Outlines, Technical Notes, Lecture Notes, Quick Quizzes, Teaching Tips,
Discussion Topics, and Additional Case Projects.
TEST BANK Cengage Learning Testing Powered by Cognero is a flexible, online system that
allows you to:
•• Author, edit, and manage test bank content from multiple Cengage Learning solutions
•• Create multiple test versions in an instant
•• Deliver tests from your LMS, your classroom or wherever you want
Copyright 2018 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. WCN 02-200-203
xvii
Acknowledgments
POWERPOINT PRESENTATIONS This book offers Microsoft PowerPoint slides for each
chapter. These are included as a teaching aid for classroom presentation, to make available
to students on the network for chapter review, or to be printed for classroom distribution.
Instructors can add their own slides for additional topics they introduce to the class.
SOLUTION FILES Solutions to the chapter applications and the end-of-chapter Review
Questions and Exercises are provided.
DATA FILES Data Files are necessary for completing the computer activities in this book. Data
Files can also be downloaded by students at CengageBrain.com.
MindTap
MindTap is a personalized teaching experience with relevant assignments that guide students to
analyze, apply, and improve thinking, allowing you to measure skills and outcomes with ease.
•• Personalized teaching: Becomes yours with a Learning Path that is built with key student
objectives. Control what students see and when they see it. Use it as-is or match to your
syllabus exactly—hide, rearrange, add, and create your own content.
•• Guide students: A unique learning path of relevant readings, multimedia and activities that
move students up the learning taxonomy from basic knowledge and comprehension to
analysis and application.
•• Promote better outcomes: Empower instructors and motivate students with analytics and
reports that provide a snapshot of class progress, time in course, engagement and completion
rates.
The MindTap for Programming with Microsoft Visual Basic 2017 includes videos, study tools,
and interactive quizzing, all integrated into a full eReader that contains the full content from the
printed text.
Acknowledgments
Writing a book is a team effort rather than an individual one. I would like to take this
opportunity to thank my team, especially Jennifer Feltri-George (Senior Content Project
Manager), Prathiba Rajagopal (Senior Project Manager), Nicole Spoto (Quality Assurance),
Alyssa Pratt (Senior Content Developer), Brianna Vorce (Associate Content Developer),
and the compositors at SPi Global. Thank you for your support, enthusiasm, patience, and
hard work. And a special thank you to all of the past and present reviewers, as well as to
Sally Douglas (College of Central Florida), who suggested the YOU DO IT! boxes several
editions ago.
Diane Zak
Copyright 2018 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. WCN 02-200-203
xviii
Technical Information
Data Files
You will need data files to complete the computer activities in this book. Your instructor may
provide the data files to you. You may obtain the files electronically at CengageBrain.com and
then navigating to the page for this book.
Each chapter in this book has its own set of data files, which are stored in a separate folder
within the VB2017 folder. The files for Chapter 1 are stored in the VB2017\Chap01 folder.
Similarly, the files for Chapter 2 are stored in the VB2017\Chap02 folder. Throughout this
book, you will be instructed to open files from or save files to these folders.
You can use a computer in your school lab or your own computer to complete the steps and
Exercises in this book.
Copyright 2018 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. WCN 02-200-203
xix
Technical Information
Figures
The figures in this book reflect how your screen will look if you are using Microsoft Visual
Studio Community 2017 and a Microsoft Windows 10 system. Your screen may appear slightly
different in some instances if you are using another version of either Microsoft Visual Studio or
Microsoft Windows.
To the Instructor
To complete the computer activities in this book, your students must use a set of data files.
These files can be obtained on the Instructor Companion Site or at CengageBrain.com.
The material in this book was written and Quality Assurance tested using Microsoft Visual
Studio Community 2017 on a Microsoft Windows 10 system.
Copyright 2018 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. WCN 02-200-203
Another random document with
no related content on Scribd:
the dry plain, were accompanied by inarticulate noises, like the cries
of bloodhounds. Kaweah comprehended the situation. I could feel
his grand legs gather under me, and the iron muscles contract with
excitement; he tugged at the bit, shook his bridle-chains, and flung
himself impatiently into the air.
It flashed upon me that perhaps they had confederates concealed
in some ditch far in advance of me, and that the plan was to crowd
me through at fullest speed, giving up the chase to new men and
fresh horses; and I resolved to save Kaweah to the utmost, and only
allow him a speed which should keep me out of gunshot. So I held
him firmly, and reserved my spur for the last emergency. Still we
fairly flew over the plain, and I said to myself, as the clatter of hoofs
and din of my pursuers rang in my ears now and then, as the
freshening breeze hurried it forward, that, if those brutes got me,
there was nothing in blood and brains; for Kaweah was a prince
beside their mustangs, and I ought to be worth two villains.
For the first twenty minutes the road was hard and smooth and
level; after that gentle, shallow undulations began, and at last, at
brief intervals, were sharp, narrow arroyos (ditches eight or nine feet
wide). I reined Kaweah in, and brought him up sharply on their
bottoms, giving him the bit to spring up on the other side; but he
quickly taught me better, and, gathering, took them easily, without
my feeling it in his stride.
The hot sun had arisen. I saw with anxiety that the tremendous
speed began to tell painfully on Kaweah. Foam tinged with blood fell
from his mouth, and sweat rolled in streams from his whole body,
and now and then he drew a deep-heaving breath. I leaned down
and felt of the cinch to see if it had slipped forward, but, as I had
saddled him with great care, it kept its true place, so I had only to
fear the greasers behind, or a new relay ahead. I was conscious of
plenty of reserved speed in Kaweah, whose powerful run was
already distancing their fatigued mustangs.
As we bounded down a roll of the plain, a cloud of dust sprang
from a ravine directly in front of me, and two black objects lifted
themselves in the sand. I drew my pistol, cocked it, whirled Kaweah
to the left, plunging by them and clearing by about six feet; a thrill of
relief came as I saw the long, white horns of Spanish cattle gleam
above the dust.
Unconsciously I restrained Kaweah too much, and in a moment
the Spaniards were crowding down upon me at a fearful rate. On
they came, the crash of their spurs and the clatter of their horses
distinctly heard; and as I had so often compared the beats of
chronometers, I unconsciously noted that while Kaweah’s, although
painful, yet came with regular power, the mustangs’ respiration was
quick, spasmodic, and irregular. I compared the intervals of the two
mustangs, and found that one breathed better than the other, and
then, upon counting the best mustang with Kaweah, found that he
breathed nine breaths to Kaweah’s seven. In two or three minutes I
tried it again, finding the relation ten to seven; then I felt the victory,
and I yelled to Kaweah. The thin ears shot flat back upon his neck;
lower and lower he lay down to his run. I flung him a loose rein, and
gave him a friendly pat on the withers. It was a glorious burst of
speed; the wind rushed by and the plain swept under us with
dizzying swiftness. I shouted again, and the thing of nervous life
under me bounded on wilder and faster, till I could feel his spine thrill
as with shocks from a battery. I managed to look round—a delicate
matter of speed—and saw, far behind, the distanced villains, both
dismounted, and one horse fallen.
In an instant I drew Kaweah into a gentle trot, looking around
every moment, lest they should come on me unawares. In a half-mile
I reached the station, and I was cautiously greeted by a man who sat
by the barn door, with a rifle across his knees. He had seen me
come over the plain, and had also seen the Spanish horse fall. Not
knowing but he might be in league with the robbers, I gave him a
careful glance before dismounting and was completely reassured by
an expression of terror which had possession of his countenance.
I sprang to the ground and threw off the saddle, and after a word
or two with the man, who proved to be the sole occupant of this
station, we fell to work together upon Kaweah, my cocked pistol and
his rifle lying close at hand. We sponged the creature’s mouth, and,
throwing a sheet over him, walked him regularly up and down for
about three-quarters of an hour, and then taking him upon the open
plain, where we could scan the horizon in all directions, gave him a
thorough grooming. I never saw him look so magnificently as when
we led him down to the creek to drink: his skin was like satin, and the
veins of his head and neck stood out firm and round like whip-cords.
—From “Mountaineering in the Sierra Nevada.” Copyright and used
by kind permission of the publishers, Chas. Scribner’s Sons, New
York.
BOY WANTED
By Madge Elliot
One 24th of December, Mr. Oscar Blunt, who kept a large hat
store in the lower part of Broadway, was writing at his desk, which
was at the very end of the store, when somebody touched his elbow
softly, and, looking up, was much astounded to see a ragged boy,
whose old broad-brimmed hat almost hid his face, standing beside
him. He was so much astonished, in fact, that he dropped his pen
upon his paper, and thereby made a blot instead of a period.
“Why, my lad, how came you here?”
“I slid past some of the fellers. Wot a woppin’ big store dis is, and
wot lots of fellers it takes to stan’ ’roun’, an’ I cheeked some an’ I tole
de odders I had somethin’ most awful partiklar to say to de big boss.”
“And what have you most awful particular to say to me?” said the
“big boss” in a kinder voice than that in which he had spoken at first,
for there was something in the boy’s dark gray eyes that made him
think of a darling little son he had buried only a year ago in the same
grave where he had buried his wife the year before.
“Well, I seen in yer window a sigh wot reads, ‘Boy Wanted.’ An’ I’m
a boy; an’ as nobody never wanted me yet, sez I to myself, sez I,
‘Dusty, ole feller, p’r’haps there’s your chance at last,’ sez I, an’ in I
comes.”
“Sorry, but you won’t suit at all, my boy.”
“How do you know ’fore you try a feller? I know I ain’t worry pooty,
nor I hain’t got no fashnoble clothes, but I’m smart, I am. I’ve been to
night-school two winters, I have, an’ got a sixth ’ward of merit, I did,
wunst, an’ I kin read readin’ fust rate wen it’s only two syllabubbles
an’ I kin spell it out wen it’s three syllabubbles, an’ I kin speak some
four syllabubbles, an’ I can read writin’ wen it’s print-letters, an’ I kin
wissel you or any oder man in des ’ere tre-men-yu-ous (four
syllabubbles) old hat-box outer his boots.” And he began to whistle a
lively tune so loudly, clearly and sweetly that everybody in the large
store turned in amazement toward the desk, and listened.
“Yes, yes, I see you whistle remarkably well, but we don’t want a
boy to whistle.”
“I kin dance too. I danced for Johnny Sniffs ben’fit when he fell
inter wun of dem cole-holes in de sidewalk, and broke his leg off
short, I did, ’midst thunders of applause.” And cutting a double
shuffle he went off into a rollicking break-down, his big shoes
wobbling about, and the broad brim of his hat flopping up and down
at every step.
“Stop, stop! I tell you! I don’t want a boy to dance. You won’t do,
my boy; you won’t do, as I’ve told you before. Here’s a quarter for
you, and now go away.”
“I don’t want de quarter; nor I don’t want to go ’way,” persisted the
boy. “I didn’t come ’way from Fishhead Alley to dis swell street to go
’way so soon. I want a sit-u-wa-tion (four syllabubbles), I do. An’ de
fust thing I seen, wen I comes round de corner, was dat sign, ‘Boy
Wanted.’ ‘An’ dat’s good luck,’ sez I. ‘Go in, Dusty ole feller,’ sez I.
An’ I ain’t tole you haff what I kin do. Jess yez hole on a minnit. I kin
see a cop furder nor any our gang; an’ wen one comes in de front
door arter you, I kin give you de wink, quicker’n lightenin’, an’ out de
back door you pops. An’ I kin speak pieces, I kin—‘A hoss! A hoss!
my kingdom fer a hoss! Dere’s sixty Richmons in de field to-day, an’
I’ve killed every wun of dem. A hoss—’”
“Silence!” commanded Mr. Blunt; and then in spite of himself he
burst into a fit of laughter and laughed until he shook again, and
there was a great deal of him to shake—two hundred pounds at the
very least. “Tell me something about yourself, my boy, but mind, no
more performances of any kind. What is your name, and where do
you live, to begin with?”
“Dusty’s my name. I don’t know no odder. One feller, he’s from the
country, he is—calls me ‘Dusty Miller’; he sez ’cause dey’s a flower
wot dey calls ‘Dusty Miller’ dare. I believe he’s foolin’. But if I’m de
boy wot’s wanted, I must get a nobbier name dan dat. Wot’s your
name, boss?”
“Mr. Oscar Blunt.”
“Well, you might call me dat, too, without de mister. It soun’s werry
nice—‘Hoss car Blunt,’ or you might keep de Hoss car, an I’d be de
El-e-wa-ted (four syllabubbles) Road Blunt. Any way you’ve mind to.
You pay your money, and takes your choice. An’ I lives roun’
anywhere sence Aunt Kate died.”
“Aunt Kate? And was Aunt Kate your only relation? Have you no
father and mother?” asked Mr. Blunt.
“Nope; never had none, ’cept Aunt Kate. An’ I ain’t no frien’s, ’cept
Straw Hat. He keeps a paper stan’, he does; an’ onst he giv a party,
he did, in a charcoal-box. I wos dere, an’ it wuz bully, you bet. An’
I’ve got a little brudder.”
“A little brother?”
“Yep, sir. He wuz my cousin wunst, ’fore dey took Aunt Kate away;
but he’s my brudder now, an’ I got to take care of him. He jess
gobbles bread and milk, an’ dat’s w’y I’m lookin’ for a sit-i-wa-tion
—’nother four syllabubbles. Crackey! I’m as full of big words as a
diction’ry, I am. An’ Straw Hat he sez to me, sez he, ‘If you want me
to say you’re honest an’ sober an’ ’dustyous, I’ll say it,’ says he. He’s
a bully good feller, he is, an’ I ain’t givin’ taffy, neider. He’s took care
of me an’ my little brudder sence Aunt Kate died—dat’s lass week—
but he can’t do it forev’r’n’ever.”
“And where is this little brother now?”
“Sittin’ on your stoop, waitin’ till I come out.”
“Sitting on my stoop? Why he must be half frozen, poor little fellow.
Go and bring him in directly.”
The boy flew, and in a moment returned, leading by the hand a
wee child, who could just walk, and whose very small nose was blue
with cold, and who was wrapped in an old shawl, the ends of which
dragged behind him.
“He’s a boy too, an’ he’s real pooty, an’ if he’s the kind of boy yer
want, you may have him; but you must be awful good to him, an’ let
me come and see him. Say, boss, to-morrer’s Chrismus day!”
“Well, and what then?”
“Wen folks all gits presents, an’ fellers wot’s got stockin’s hangs
’em up, an’ spose, boss—jess fer fun—you let me an’ my little
brudder be your Chrismus present?”
“Done!” said Mr. Blunt, conquered at last by the boy’s patient and
persistent coaxing. “I’ll make believe I found one in each stocking.
But mind, Dusty, you must be the best of boys, and stop using slang,
or I won’t keep you.”
“You kin bet you bottom dollar I’ll do everything you want me to.
Horay! ain’t dis a bully racket? I’m de boy wot’s wanted in dis es-tab-
lish-ment (four syllabubbles) an’ I mean to be in-wal-u-a-ble—five
syllabubbles, by gracious! Mind my little brudder a minnit till I run an’
tell Straw Hat.” And before Mr. Blunt could say a word, the crown of
the hat was on his head, and he was out of the store and away.
And when he returned with Straw Hat the baby was sitting in the
lap of the good natured colored woman who kept the store clean, as
happy as any baby could be who had just eaten four sugar cakes
and a stick of candy.
And Dusty E. Road proved himself to be, as he himself said he
would be, the very boy wanted in that establishment.