"Well, sir, it is as good as new, and the work is much called for just
about now in this neighborhood. So I s'pose I shall have to ask you
about three dollars."
"That is the full price. Did you give the boy that?" inquired the
gentleman.
"Well, no, sir; but you know I must have my own little profit," replied
the dealer, reddening.
"Certainly," assented Mr. Middleton, taking out his purse--a delicate,
effeminate-looking article, that seemed to have been borrowed from his
wife, paying Hamlin and carrying off the book.
As he got into the sleigh and took the reins with one hand, hugging up
his parcels and his purse loosely to his breast with the other, Mrs.
Middleton said: "Now, James, don't go and plant my purse on the road, as you did your
pocketbook this morning!"
"My dear, pray don't harp on that loss forever! It was not ruinous!
There was only nine dollars in it."
"And if there had been nine hundred, it would have been the same thing!"
said the lady.
Her husband laughed, put away his purse, stowed away his parcels, and
then, having both hands at liberty, took the reins and set off for home.
As he dashed along the street a poster caught his attention. He drew up,
threw the reins to Mrs. Middleton, jumped out, pulled down the poster,
and returned to his seat in the sleigh.
"Here we are, my dear, all right; the pocketbook is found," he smiled,
as he again took possession of the reins.
"Found?" she echoed.
"Yes, by that boy, Worth, you know, who behaved so well in that affair
with the Burghes."
"Oh, yes! and he found the pocketbook?"
"Yes, and advertised it in this way, poor little fellow!"
And Mr. Middleton drove slowly while he read the circular to his wife.
"Well, we can call by the hut as we go home, and you can get out and get
it, and you will not forget to reward the poor boy for his honesty. He
might have kept it, you know; for there was nothing in it that could be
traced."
"Very well; I will do as you recommend; but I have a quarrel with the
young fellow, for all that," said Mr. Middleton.
"Upon what ground?" inquired his wife.
"Why, upon the ground of his just having sold the book I gave him last
August as a reward of merit."
"What did he do that for?"
"To get money to buy tops and marbles."
"It is false!" burst out Claudia, speaking for the first time.
"Claudia! Claudia! Claudia! How dare you charge your uncle with
falsehood?" exclaimed Mrs. Middleton, horrified.
"I don't accuse him, aunt. He don't know anything about it! Somebody has
told him falsehoods about poor Ishmael, and he believes it just as he
did before," exclaimed the little lady with flashing eyes.