Mr. Middleton opened it, took out a piece of gold and would have

silently forced it in the hand of the poor boy, but Ishmael respectfully

but firmly put back the offering.

"Take it, my boy; it is usual to do so, you know," said Mr. Middleton,

in a low voice.

"Not for me, sir; please do not offer me money again unless I have

earned it," replied the boy, in an equally low tone.

"But as a reward for finding the pocketbook," persisted Mr. Middleton.

"That was a piece of good fortune, sir, and deserved no reward," replied

Ishmael.

"Then for restoring it to me."

"That was simple honesty, sir, and merited nothing either."

"Still, there would be no harm in your taking this from me," insisted

Mr. Middleton, pressing the gold upon the boy.

"No, sir; perhaps there would not be; but I am sure--I am very

sure--that Thomas Jefferson when he was a boy would never have let

anybody pay him for being honest!"

"Who?" demanded Mr. Middleton, with a look of perplexity.

"Thomas Jefferson, sir, who wrote the Declaration of Independence, that

I read of in that beautiful history you gave me."

"Oh!" said Mr. Middleton, ceasing to press the money upon the boy, but

putting it in his pocketbook and returning the pocketbook to his pocket.

"Oh! and by the way, I am told that you have sold that history to-day."

"Yes! for money to buy spinning-tops and marbles with!" put in Miss

Claudia.

Ishmael looked around in dismay for a moment, and then burst out with: "Oh, sir! indeed, indeed I did not!"

"What! you didn't sell it?" exclaimed Mr. Middleton.

"Oh, yes, sir, I sold it!" said Ishmael, as the irrepressible tears

rushed to his eyes. "I sold it! I was obliged to do so! Patrick Henry

would have done it, sir!"

"But you did not sell it to get money to buy toys with?"

"Oh, no, no, no, sir! It was a matter of life and death, else I never

would have parted with my book!"

"Tell me all about it, my boy."

"My Aunt Hannah has been ill in bed all the winter. I haven't been able

to earn anything for the last month. We got out of money and provisions.

And Mr. Nutt wouldn't trust us for anything--"

"Uncle, mind you, don't deal with that horrid man any more!" interrupted

Claudia.

"Did you owe him much, my boy?" inquired Mr. Middleton.

"Not a penny, sir! We never went in debt and never even asked for credit

before."

"Go on."

"Well, sir, to-day Aunt Hannah wanted a cup of tea so badly that she

cried for it, sir--cried like any little baby, and said she would die if

she didn't get it; and so I brought my book to town this afternoon and

sold it to get the money to buy what she wanted."




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