CHAPTER V
"GIVE ME THAT MONEY"
From the village store Robert went to the baker's and bought a loaf ofbread for six cents, making his entire expenditures sixty-four cents.
He was now ready to go home. He walked rapidly and soon reached thehumble cabin, where he found his aunt waiting for him.
She looked with surprise at the three bundles he brought in and asked:
"What have you got there, Robert?"
"First of all, here is a pound of tea," said the boy, laying it down onthe kitchen table. "Here is a pound of sugar and here is a loaf ofbread."
"But I didn't order all those, Robert," said his aunt.
"I know you didn't," answered her nephew, "but I thought you'd be ableto make use of them."
"No doubt I shall, but surely you did not buy them all for twenty-fivecents?"
"I should say not. Why, the tea alone cost fifty cents! Then the sugarcame to eight cents and the loaf cost six cents."
"Mrs. Jones didn't pay you enough to buy all those, did she?"
"Mrs. Jones is about as mean a woman as you can find anywhere," Robertsaid warmly. "She didn't pay me a cent."
"Why? Didn't she like the work?"
"She said uncle owed her husband money for drink and the work would partpay up the debt."
But for the presence of the groceries, this would have had adiscouraging effect upon Mrs. Trafton, but her mind was diverted by hercuriosity, and she said apprehensively:
"I hope you didn't buy on credit, Robert? I never can pay so muchmoney!"
"Mr. Sands isn't the man to sell on credit. Aunt Jane. No, I paid cash.And the best of it is," continued our hero, "I have some money left."
Here he produced and spread on the table before his aunt's astonishedeyes the balance of the money.
Mrs. Trafton was startled. The possession of so much money seemed to herincomprehensible.
"I hope you came by the money honestly, Robert?"
"What have I ever done, Aunt Jane, that you should think me a thief?"asked Robert, half amused, half annoyed.
"Nothing, my dear boy; but I can't understand how you came to have somuch money."
"I see I must explain, aunt. A strong wind blew it to me."
"Then somebody must have lost it. You shouldn't have spent it till youhad tried to find the owner."
"I'll explain to you."
And he told her the story of the lost hat and the liberal reward heobtained for chasing and recovering it.
"Think of a straw hat costing fifty dollars, aunt!" he saidwonderingly.
"It does seem strange, but I am glad it was worth so much or youwouldn't have been so well paid."
"This Mr. Tudor is a gentleman, aunt. Why, plenty of people would havegiven me only ten cents. I would have thought myself well paid if he hadeven given me that, but I couldn't have brought you home so much tea.Aunt Jane, do me a favor."
"What is it, Robert?"
"Make yourself a good strong cup of tea tonight. You'll feel ever somuch better, and there's plenty of it. A pound will last a long time,won't it?"
"Oh, yes, a good while. I shall get a good deal of comfort out of thattea. But I don't know about making any to-night. If you would likesome----"
"If you'll make some, I'll drink a little, Aunt Jane."
Robert said this because he feared otherwise his aunt would not make anytill the next morning.
"Very well, Robert."
"Don't let uncle know I've brought so much money home," said Robert witha sudden thought.
"Why not?"
"Because I don't want him to know I have any money. If he knew, he wouldwant me to give it to him."
"I don't think he would claim it. It was given to you."
"I'll tell you why I am sure he would."
And Robert told how his uncle demanded the scanty pittance which hesupposed Mrs. Jones had paid for the sewing.
Mrs. Trafton blushed with shame for her husband's meanness.
"Drink changes a man's nature completely," she said. "The time was whenJohn would have scorned such a thing."
"That time has gone by, aunt. For fear he will find out that I have themoney, I believe I will go and hide it somewhere."
"Shall I take care of it for you, Robert?" asked Mrs. Trafton.
"No, Aunt Jane; he would find it out, and I don't want to get you intoany trouble. I know of a good place to put it--a place where he willnever find it. I will put it there till we need to use it."
"You must buy something for yourself with it. The money is yours."
Robert shook his head decidedly.
"I don't need anything--that is, I don't need anything but what I can dowithout. We will keep it to buy bread and tea and anything else that weneed. Now, aunt, while you are steeping the tea, I will go out anddispose of the money."
Here it is necessary to explain that though John Trafton started forhome when he heard from Mr. Sands about Robert's unexpected wealth, hechanged his mind as he passed the tavern. He thought he must have onemore drink.
He entered and preferred his request.
"Trafton," said the landlord, "don't you think you've had enough?"
"Not quite. I want one more glass and then I'll go home."
"But you are owing me several dollars. Clear off that score and then youmay have as much as you will."
"I'll pay you a dollar on account to-morrow."
"Do you mean it?"
"Yes. Bob's got some money of mine--over a dollar. I'll get it to-nightand bring it round tomorrow."
"Of course, Trafton, If you'll keep your credit good, I won't mindtrusting you. Well, what shall it be?"
John Trafton gave his order and sat down again in the barroom. He feltso comfortable that he easily persuaded himself that there was no hurryabout collecting the money in his nephew's hands. Robert was at home bythis time and would have no way of spending the balance of his cash.
"It's all right," said the fisherman; "I'll wait till ten o'clock andthen I'll go home."
Meanwhile Robert went out on the cliff and looked about him. He lookeddown upon the waves as they rolled in on the beach and he enjoyed thesight, familiar as it was, for he had a love of the grand and beautifulin nature.
"I think if I were a rich man," thought the poor fisherman's boy, "Iwould like to build a fine house on the cliff, with an observatory righthere, where I could always see the ocean. It's something to live here,if I do have to live in a poor cabin. But I must consider where I willhide my money."
At his feet was a small tin box, which had been thrown away by somebody,and it struck Robert that this would make a good depository for hismoney. Fortunately the cover of the box was attached to it.
He took the money from his vest pocket and dropped it into the box. Thenhe covered it, and, finding a good place, he scooped out the dirt andcarefully deposited the box in the hole.
He carefully covered it up, replacing the dirt, and took particularnotice of the spot, so that there would be no difficulty in finding itagain whenever he had occasion.
Having attended to this duty, he retraced his steps to the cabin andfound that the tea had been steeped and the table was covered with aneat cloth and two cups and saucers were set upon it.
"Tea's all ready, Robert," said his aunt cheerfully. "The smell of itdoes me good. It's better than all the liquor in the world!"
Robert did not like tea as well as his aunt, but still he relished thewarm drink, for the night was cool, and more than ever he rejoiced tosee how much his aunt enjoyed what had latterly been rather a rareluxury.
About nine o'clock Robert went to bed and very soon fell asleep.
He had not been asleep long before he was conscious of being rudelyshaken.
Opening his eyes, he saw his uncle with inflamed face and thickenedutterance.
"What's wanted, uncle?" he asked.
"Where's that money, you young rascal? Give me the dollar and forty-twocents you're hiding from me!"
Robert Coverdale's Struggle; Or, on the Wave of Success Page 5