Part 3 (2/2)
”I will,” returned Ralph, quickly. ”I'll use this twenty dollars you have given me for that very purpose.”
Horace Kelsey remained with Ralph the best part of an hour longer, and then started for a walk through the village, stating that he would call on Bob Sanderson and see how the boat repairing was progressing.
When he was out of sight, Ralph pulled the twenty-dollar bill from his purse to make sure that he had not been dreaming. But there was the money true enough. There was a grease spot on one corner of the bill, left by the b.u.t.ter on the sandwich, but this did no harm.
”Hallo, there, Ralph Nelson, counting your fortune!” cried a rude voice from the sh.o.r.e, and looking up, Ralph saw a loudly-dressed youth approaching. He hastily slipped the twenty-dollar bill into his pocket.
CHAPTER IV.
THE QUARREL ON THE BRIDGE.
The boy on the sh.o.r.e was Percy Paget, the squire's only son. He was a year older than Ralph, and somewhat taller and heavier. His ways were arrogant to the last degree, and in the village he had but few friends, and these only because he generally had pocket money to spend.
On several occasions Ralph had had sharp words with Percy because the latter wished to do as he pleased on the bridge, against the printed rules that were posted up. Because his parent was squire, Percy imagined he could do almost anything and it would be all right.
”I say, are you counting your fortune?” repeated Percy, throwing as much of a sneer into his tones as possible.
”Unfortunately, I haven't any fortune to count, Percy,” returned the young bridge tender, good-naturedly.
”Humph! I suppose you mean that for a pun, don't you?” growled the son of the squire. ”If you do, let me tell you it's a mighty poor one.”
”I hadn't intended to pun, Percy.”
”I didn't think so, for you haven't the brains. Didn't I see you counting some money just now?”
”I was looking at a bank bill.”
”That you got on the bridge, I suppose?”
”No; it was a bill of my own.”
”Oh, I thought you had to use all the money you made here.”
”I have to use the most of it. My pay isn't any too large, as you know.”
”Yes, but I guess you make enough besides,” returned Percy, suggestively.
”What do you mean?”
”You've got plenty of chance on the bridge, with so many odd pennies coming in.”
”Do you mean to insinuate I steal the toll money?” demanded Ralph, angered at the insinuation.
”I didn't say so,” sneered the other, more suggestively than ever.
”But you meant it.”
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