CHAPTER XXI
THE LETTER
The effect of the boy's words on the girls was electrical. Betty pausedmidway in her first-aid work and stared at him. Grace, who had,unconsciously perhaps, been eating some of her chocolates, dropped onehalf consumed. Amy looked at Betty to see what the Little Captain woulddo. Mollie murmured something in French; just what does not matter.
"Did--did he really lose a five hundred dollar bill?" faltered Betty, asshe resumed her bandaging, but her hands trembled in spite of herself.
"Well, that's what he said," replied the boy. "He sure did make an awfulfuss about it. I thought he was crazy at first, and when he ran andjumped off the train I was sure of it."
"Did he get hurt?" asked Amy, breathlessly.
"No, ma'am, not as I could see. The train was slowing up at a station,you know. I think it was Batesville, but I'm not sure."
"That's the next station beyond Deepdale," murmured Grace.
"What's that, ma'am?" asked the boy, respectfully.
"Oh, nothing. We just know where it is, that's all. A five hundred dollarbill! Fancy!" She glanced meaningly at her companions.
"Well, that's what he hollered," said the boy. "And he was realexcited, too."
"Did you know him?" asked Betty, as she finished with the bandage.
"Never saw him before nor since. It was quite some time ago. I'd justbought a new line of goods. Anyhow, I'm glad it wasn't me. I couldn'tafford to lose many five hundred dollar bills," and he laughed frankly."That's about as much as I make in a year--I mean, altogether," he said,quickly, lest the girls get an exaggerated notion of the peddlingbusiness. "I can't make that clear, though I hope to some time," hesaid, proudly.
"Me want to go home," broke in little Nellie. "Me want my muvvers."
"All right, I'll take you to your real mother," spoke the boy peddler. "Iguess I can walk now, thank you," he said to Betty. "Couldn't I give yousomething--some letter paper--a pencil. I've got a nice line of pencils,"he motioned toward his pack.
"Oh, no, thank you!" exclaimed Mollie.
"We are only too glad to help you," added Betty. "You have done us aservice in looking after the little girl."
"To say nothing of the five hundred dollar bill," added Grace, ina low tone.
"Hush!" cautioned Betty, in a whisper. "Don't let him know anythingabout it."
"And you are sure you wouldn't know that man again?" asked Mollie. "Imean the one you spoke of?"
"Well, I'd know him if I saw him, but I'm not likely to. He was tall andgood looking, with a little black mustache. He got out of the train in ahurry when he woke up. You see, he was sitting with his window open--itwas very hot--he fell asleep. I noticed him tossing around in his seat,and every once in a while he would feel in his pocket. Then he hollered."
"Maybe someone robbed him," suggested Betty, yet in her heart she knewthe bill she had found must belong to this unknown young man--the veryman to whom they had once given something to eat.
"No one was in the car but him and me," said the boy, "and I know Ididn't get it. Maybe he didn't have it--or maybe it fell out of thewindow. Anyhow, he cut up an awful row and rushed out. He might havedreamed it."
"Me want to go home!" whined Nellie.
"All right--I'll take you," spoke the boy. "I can walk fine now. Thankyou very much," and he pulled on his shoe, gingerly enough, for the cutwas no small one. Then, shouldering his pack, and taking hold of Nellie'shand--one having been refilled with chocolates by Grace--the boy peddlermoved off down the road limping, the girls calling out good-bys to him.
"I hope it's all right--to let that child go off with him," said Mollie.
"Of course it is," declared Betty. "That boy had the nicest, cleanestface I've ever seen. And he must suffer from that cut."
"Oh, I think it will be all right," said Amy. "You could trust that boy."
"I agree with you," remarked Grace. "Fancy him seeing the man lose thefive hundred dollar bill we found!" she added.
"Do you think it's the same one?" asked Betty.
"I'm sure of it," said Mollie.
"I guess I am too," admitted the Little Captain. "He was the tramp. Now Iwill know what to do."
"What?" chorused her chums.
"Let the railroad company know about it. They must have had someinquiries. I never thought of that before. Look, he is waving to us."
"And little Nellie, too," added Grace. The boy and the little lost girlhad reached a turn in the road. They looked back to send a voicelessfarewell, the child holding trustingly to the boy's hand.
"Come on!" exclaimed Mollie, as the two passed from sight. "We'll hardlyget to my aunt's in time for supper."
And they hastened on.
Somewhat to their relief they learned, on reaching the home of Mrs.Mulford, in Flatbush--Mrs. Mulford being Mollie's aunt--that the boypeddler was quite a well-known and much-liked local character. He wasthoroughly honest, and could be trusted implicitly. Some time later thegirls learned from Mollie's aunt that the little lost tot had reachedhome safely, and that the boy had to remain at her house for a week torecover from the cut on his foot.
The mother of the lost child took quite an interest in Jimmie Martin, theboy peddler, and looked after him, so the news came to Mrs. Mulford, whohad friends acquainted with the parents of the child who insisted she had"two muvvers."
So that little incident ended happily, and once more the outdoor girlswere left to pursue their way as they had started out. They stayed a daywith Mollie's aunt, a rain preventing comfortable progress, and when itcleared they went on to Hightown, where they stopped with Grace's cousin.
"And now for the camp!" exclaimed Betty, one morning, when they wereheaded for Cameron, where a half-brother of Mr. Ford maintained a sort ofresort, containing bungalows, and tents, that he rented out. It was neara little lake, and was a favorite place in summer, though the season wastoo early for the regulars to be there. Mr. Ford had written to HarrySmith, his half-brother, and arranged for the girls to occupy one of thebungalows for several days. Mrs. Smith agreed to come and stay with themas company.
"Though we don't really need a chaperon," laughed Grace. "I think we canlook after ourselves."
"It will be better to have her at the bungalow," said Betty, and so itwas arranged.
Betty had written to the railroad company, asking if any report of alost sum of money had been received, and the answer she got was tothe contrary.
"That leaves the five hundred dollar mystery as deep as ever," she said,showing the letter to her chums. It had reached them at Hightown.
"Maybe we should have told that boy peddler, and asked him to be on thelookout," suggested Amy.
"No, I do not think it would have been wise to let him have the facts,"said Betty.
The girls found the camp in the woods a most delightful place. Thebungalow was well arranged and furnished, and, though there were no othercampers at that time, the girls did not mind this.
"I'll write home and ask Will to come," said Grace. "He might like tospend a few days here, and Uncle Harry said he could take a tent ifhe liked."
"Ask Frank Haley, too," suggested Amy.
"And Percy Falconer!" added Mollie, with a sly glance at Betty.
"Don't you dare!" came the protest.
"I meant Allen Washburn," corrected Mollie.
"He can't come--he has to take the bar examinations!" cried Betty,quickly.
"How do you know?" she was challenged.
"He wrote--" and then Betty blushed and stopped. Her companions laughedand teased her unmercifully.
There was some mail for the girls awaiting them at Mr. Smith's house,having been forwarded from Deepdale. And Betty's letter contained asurprise. Among other things, her mother wrote:
"There have been some inquiries made here about the five hundred dollarbill. Down at the post-office the other day a man came in and posted anotice, saying he had lost such a sum of money somewhere in this partof the country. His name is Henry Blackford, an
d the address issomewhere in New York State. It was on the notice, but some mischievousboys got to skylarking and tore it off. Your father is going to lookinto the matter."
"Oh, maybe he'll find the owner of the money, after all!" cried Mollie.
"Maybe," returned Betty.
The Outdoor Girls of Deepdale; Or, camping and tramping for fun and health Page 21
