Stumpy did not explain to whom the last remark related; but he experienced the most lively satisfaction when he thought of the pleasure it would afford him to see his mother tender the seven hundred dollars in payment of the mortgage note. It occurred to him then that the business ought not to be postponed a single day, for Squire Moses had announced his intention of foreclosing the mortgage at once.
"How much money is there in the bag?" asked the merchant.
"Twelve hundred dollars in gold," replied Leopold; "and the diary says Joel Wormbury saved it in two years from his earnings in Cuba."
"Joel was an industrious and prudent man," added the landlord.
"It is very fortunate that the hidden treasure fell into honest hands,"
continued Mr. Hamilton, turning to Leopold; whereupon all the company clapped their hands, and the skipper of the Rosabel blushed like a school-girl.
"He"s a n.o.ble fellow!" exclaimed Miss Rosabel.
"A pious swell," added Charley Redmond, with a sneer.
The business of the meeting having been thus happily accomplished, the occupants of the parlor departed.
"Come Stumpy, I want to hand the money over to you," said Leopold.
"I don"t want it now," replied Stumpy. "I shouldn"t dare to take it into the house, for fear my beloved grandad should steal it. I think he would find some way to do it, without calling the deed by any hard name."
"What are you going to do with the gold, Stumpy?" asked Mr. Hamilton.
"Hand it over to my mother. Squire Moses is going to foreclose the mortgage on the house we live in right off. I want to head him off on that before night."
"But gold, you know, is worth a large premium just now. I saw by my paper which came to-day that it was 208 in New York," continued the merchant.
"I"ll go and tell my mother about it," said Stumpy, moving off.
"Stop a moment, my boy," interposed Mr. Hamilton. "If you are going to pay off the mortgage you should do so in currency, not in gold. I will buy your coin, and a.s.sist you in this business."
"Thank you, sir," replied Stumpy, warmly.
"I will pay you the market rate for your gold, whatever the papers report it to be for to-day."
Mr. Hamilton was certainly very kind; and Stumpy felt that, with such a powerful friend, he had the weather-gage of his avaricious grandfather.
Leopold led the way to the shop of his uncle, and the New York merchant joined them.
"I want the gold, uncle," said Leopold.
"What for you want him?" demanded Herr Schlager.
"I have found the owner."
"_Donner and blitz!_ Den he is no more your golt."
"No, uncle; but I feel better in handing it over to Stumpy than I should in spending it myself," laughed Leopold.
"_Himmel!_ Stumpy!"
"Yes Stumpy." And the money-digger briefly stated the facts which had been discovered.
"_Donner and blitz!_ I"m glad for der poy, but sorry for you," added the watch-maker, as he took from the safe the shot-bag containing the treasure.
"Take it, Stumpy. It is yours," said Leopold. "Open it."
"I can"t exactly believe in this thing yet, Le," replied Stumpy, as, with trembling hand, he cut the red tape, and demolished the sacred seal of Herr Schlager.
Turning the bag over, he poured the gold out upon the counter. The money was American coin, which Joel Wormbury had probably purchased in Havana, to avoid the necessity of exchanging it after his return to Rockhaven.
Mr. Hamilton counted the money, and found that Harvey Barth"s statement was again correct.
"Now figure it up, my boy. Then we will finish this transaction at once," said the merchant. "I shall not be able to pay you in full for it to-day; but I have credits in Belfast and Rockland, and you shall have the whole of it by to-morrow night for we intend to cross the bay in the Orion to-morrow."
Leopold and Stumpy both did the sum, multiplying twelve hundred by two hundred and eight, and pointing off two decimals in the product.
"Twenty-four hundred and ninety-six dollars!" exclaimed Leopold.
"That"s what I make it," added Stumpy, "What a pile of money!"
Mr. Hamilton, who had left New York prepared to pay the heavy expenses of his yacht excursion, counted off twelve one hundred dollar bills, which he handed to Stumpy.
"I will give you my note for the balance," said the merchant.
"Creation!" cried Stumpy, looking the bills over, his eyes dilated till they were nearly as big as saucers--small saucers. "Here"s more money than I ever saw!"
Mr. Hamilton wrote the note, and gave it to Stumpy. It was made payable to the order of Sarah Wormbury.
"But I don"t want all this money. I don"t know what to do with it,"
exclaimed Stumpy, embarra.s.sed by his sudden riches.
"You shall have the rest to-morrow night," added Mr. Hamilton.
"I would rather not have it just yet."
"As you please. If I retain it, I shall pay you interest," replied the merchant.
"Interest! Hold on, now, hold on, all!" almost shouted Stumpy, turning from the bills which still lay on the counter, and looking Leopold square in the face. "I"m a hog! I"m a pig, just out of the sty!"
"What"s the matter now?" demanded Mr. Hamilton, laughing heartily at the odd manner of Stumpy.
"Here I"ve been thinking of myself and my folks all the time! Here I"ve been thinking of what I should do with all this money, and never had a thought of Le, who found it, and kept it for me and my folks. I"ll do the fair thing Le."
"What do you mean?" asked the merchant.
"I shall divy with Le; I shall give him at least five hundred.
"Not a cent," protested Leopold.
"You bet!" added Stumpy. "I"ve been thinking all the time about getting my mother out of trouble, and only just now it comes into my head that Le"s father is in hot water. I"ll tell you what we"ll do, Le: I"ll give you five hundred--"