"Oh, I forgot. Your time is valuable. Here, take this."
James, with extraordinary liberality, held out five cents to Herbert.
"What is that for?" asked Herbert, puzzled, and not offering to take the money.
"For your help about the kite."
"Oh, I wouldn"t think of charging anything for that," said Herbert, amused.
"Why not? You are poor, and I am rich."
"I know it, but I don"t want money for a trifle like that."
"Just as you say," said James, returning the money to his pocket, a little relieved, if the truth must be told, that the coin was not accepted, for he was naturally fond of money.
"Good morning," said Herbert, turning to go. "If the kite gets out of order, you can call upon me any time."
"I wonder why he didn"t take the money," thought James. "He may be poor and proud; I"ve heard of such cases; but of course it would be absurd for a boy in his position to be proud."
Herbert kept on his way with a very serious face. It seemed as if they must lose their home, after all.
CHAPTER XIII
MR. BANKS, THE SUPERINTENDENT
After his interview with Squire Leech, Herbert walked home slowly and thoughtfully. He comprehended now all the danger of the situation. The squire wanted their house, and was mean enough to desire to get it at less than its value, though two or three hundred dollars would have been of little account to him, while to the poor widow whom he wished to defraud it was a great sum.
"How can a rich man be so mean?" exclaimed Herbert, indignantly.
That question has puzzled more than our hero. Is there something in riches that dwarfs the man, and makes him mean and ign.o.ble? In too many instances such appears to be the effect.
"Well, mother," said Herbert, when he returned to the cottage, "I"ve been to see Squire Leech."
"What success did you meet with?" asked his mother, anxiously.
"He will probably give me employment."
"You see, Herbert, you misjudged him, after all," said the widow, her face brightening.
"Wait and see if I did. There is a condition attached."
"What is that?"
"That you will sell him the cottage."
"Did he mention that?"
"Yes, he offered three hundred dollars over and above the mortgage."
"Why, he offered more than that last year."
"I reminded him of that."
"What did he say?"
"He said he would have given three hundred and fifty if we hadn"t been so unreasonable as to refuse then. Now, as you have been sick, he expects he can get the place on his own terms."
"I didn"t think Squire Leech would be so ungenerous."
"He hinted, besides, that when the next interest is due, he would foreclose, if the money were not ready." "It won"t be ready, I am afraid, Herbert," said his mother, depressed. "What shall we do? I am afraid we shall be forced to sell the place, though it would be hard to leave it."
"There"s a month before the interest comes due, mother," said Herbert, with energy. "Something may turn up."
But his mother was not so hopeful as he.
"What can turn up?" she said.
"I may get employment."
"Even if you do, a boy can earn little in the country."
"That is true, mother, but somehow I feel hopeful."
"That is because you are young, Herbert. It is natural for youth to be hopeful."
"Well, mother, isn"t it better to be hopeful than despondent?"
"But it won"t alter wants."
"Suppose the worst to happen--suppose we do leave the house--we shall have three hundred or three hundred and fifty dollars in cash, to keep us from starving."
"And when that is gone?"
"Before that is gone, I shall be earning good wages somewhere. You see, mother, matters are not as bad as they might be, after all."
In spite of her doubts, Mrs. Carter was cheered by her son"s hopeful tone.
"Perhaps you are right," she said. "Since G.o.d orders all things, we ought not to be discouraged."
"Now you are sensible, mother. How much money have you got left?"
"Twenty-five dollars."
"Why, that"s enough to pay the interest, and a little over."