Part 8 (2/2)
”Very well.”
Squire Paget moved toward the door, and opened it for Dan Pickley, his visitor.
”Good-night, Pickley,” he said.
”Good-night, squire,” was the reply, and then Pickley moved down the steps.
The squire watched him go out of the gate, and then closed the front door once more.
”How long have you been waiting?” he asked, rather abruptly.
”Only a minute or two, sir.”
”No longer than that?” and the squire bent his searching eyes full upon Ralph's honest features.
”No, sir, Mrs. Hanson just let me in.”
Squire Paget seemed relieved to hear this. His conversation with Dan Pickley had been both important and private, and he was afraid Ralph might have overheard more than he wished to become public.
”So you wish to see Percy?” he went on, after a short pause. ”Is there anything special?”
”Yes, sir.”
”What is it?”
”Excuse me, but I would like to speak to Percy first.”
The squire drew up his lower lip and looked plainly annoyed.
”I do not allow my son to have any secrets from me, so you might as well speak out, Nelson,” he observed, abruptly.
”I came to see Percy about a twenty-dollar bill which belonged to me, and which he obtained,” returned Ralph, boldly.
”A twenty-dollar bill of yours Percy obtained? Why, Nelson, what do you mean? Come into the library.”
”I mean what I say, Squire Paget,” said the young bridge tender, following the great man of the village into the apartment mentioned. ”Percy had a twenty-dollar bill belonging to me and he pa.s.sed it off on Mr. d.i.c.ks, the storekeeper.”
”But he could not have known it was your bill if he spent it.”
”He ought to have known it was mine, sir.”
”Give me the particulars of this matter,” was Squire Paget's short response.
In as few words as possible the young bridge tender told of the row on the bridge, and of what had followed. While he was speaking the squire grew excited, and paced up and down nervously. He could hardly wait for Ralph to finish.
”See here, Nelson, this is preposterous, absurd! My son is above such a thing!” he cried.
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