Bessie Bradford's Prize

unior recitation-room?" said Seabrooke, as soon after supper as he c

not; and they followed Seabrooke to the place indicated,

your own heads, although even now I will spare you any farther disgrace and punishment if you will make restitution at once, for you do not know the extent of the crime of which you have been guilty. Robbing the mail is an offence which is punished by heavy penalties. You, Lewis, were seen to take a letter from among those which Tony carried to the post-office; you, Per

t at all above telling a lie; but he could not tell how far evidence would be given against him

w, had followed out his instructi

ecial importance. We thought it was to the doctor about last night, and we only meant to keep it back for a day o

y the change in

ne instant he stared at the two startled boys, looking from one to the other as if he could not believe the evidence of his ears. "You burned it!" he repeated, in a lower tone; then,

" he said; "you have not only stolen and destro

All th

reckless, thoughtless boys; Percy to an even

e first to f

inmost soul he was convinced that this was no joking matter, no mere attempt to punish the

Then, despite his wrongs, the unutterable terror in the faces of the latter touched Seabrooke, especially in the case of P

o?" faltered P

asked Lewis, almos

scarcely older than themselves, who had become their victim and was

the kindness of his noble heart, to spare them ruin an

must restore. Give it back to me-I will wait till after the Easter holidays for it-and this matter shall go no farther. No one but myself knows that the letter contained money; only one saw you take it out, and that one will be silent if I ask it. I will write out a confession and acknowledgment for you both to sign. Bring me, after the holidays or before, each your own share of the money and I will destroy that paper; but if you fail, I will carr

ewis answered after a moment's pause, dur

e to raise

ou to determine. If your friends must know of this, and I suppose that it is only through them that you can repay me, it seems to me that it would be better

hole of escape, but, as he afterwards told Percy, hoping

t a moment's notice; so, although it is a bitter disappointment not to have it now, I will wait till then if you agree

ly inexorable, and they knew well that he

oughly cowed Percy. But Lewis sudden

w that the money w

t was in my carafe last night, and found that it had been tampered with. I know the object now, and have discovered

mmered his promise to comply w

rned to leave the room. "How did you come to take a letter

t put it in the stove when Lewis handed it to me and told me to do it. We saw you writing for eve

ooke are not so very different wh

s to the doctor, and were so afraid of being caught at your mean tr

f their indebtedness was signed tha

honorable Lena, the faithful old Hannah ha

AR

ll be so cut up about it-you know his Royal Highness always holds his head so high, especially about anything he thinks is shabby-and I am afraid it will make him worse again. As for the mother! words could not paint her if she hears about it. And if the doctor gets hold of it

ceful transaction. A "bad business," indeed; even worse it appeared t

his father's, a very valuable one, and his older brother wants it awfully, and told him long ago he would give him a hundred dollars for it;

ut and been so brave; and besides, he thinks so much of you since he will do anything for you, and you can just tell him you want it for a private purpose. He'll give it to you; it's only twenty pounds, Lena, and what is twenty pounds to him? what is it to any of our people, only one wouldn't dare to ask papa or mamma for it. We wouldn't get it if we did, and everything would have to come out then; they never trust any one and would know. Only get it for me, dear Lena, and save me and save Russell, too. You have from now till after the Easter holidays; and thin

ectionate

H. NE

got, how a

Russ

edom from all worry and anxiety during his protracted convalescence had been peremptorily insisted upon by his physicians, and it had proved before this that any excitement not only retarded his recovery, but threw him back. That the knowledge of Percy's guilt could be kept

and indulgent uncle the means of satisfying the justly outraged Seabrooke; the uncle who had opened his heart and home to them, whom she credited with every known virtue, and for whose good opinion and approbation she looked more eagerly than she did for those

id, Percy had perhaps exaggerated the risk to himself-the risk of

he should not be able to comply with Seabrooke's just demands; and all manner of direful possibilities presented themselves to her mind. Lit

ster's care for investment, and she could not obtain any large sum of money without application to him. And, like Lena, she was afraid of exciting some inquiry or suspicion if she did so. The poor old soul stood almost alone in the world, having neither chick nor child, kith nor kin left to her,

it. But this was for a purpose dear to old Hannah's heart, namely, her own funeral expenses and the erection of what she considered a suitable head-stone for herself after she should have done with life. She would not trust this precious gold to any bank or company, lest it should fail and leave her wit

r them not sparin herself with infantile elements walkin nites and the like, pashunt and gentle not cross-grained like some which the poor little things they can't help theirselves teethin and the li

ood and fait

to th

ead this p

do li

l they outgrew it and began to consider it as a joke. Not to Hannah, however, did any one of them confide the change in his or her views, although they made merry over it among thems

chief which would occasionally arise within the nursery precincts, in spite of iron rules and severe penalties, she was wont to detach the bag from its hiding-place and, retirin

ast and present; but for no other one than Percy would she ever have thought of resigning this gold. Not to relieve the sickening terror and anxiety of the poor little invalid; not to save the whole family from the disgrace which she apprehended, would she have entertained the slightest thought of doing so; but for the sake of her beloved scrapegrace! Could she resolve to do it, was the question which was now agitating her mind. If Hannah was worried she was apt to be

t the door; and being bidden to enter, the portiere was drawn aside and old Ha

e the worth of twenty-one gold guineas in the dollars they uses in this country. More shame to 'em, say I, that they didn't 'old by what was their hown when the

metimes expressed her opinions with some

history, or to explain that the United States, and even the early colonies, had never

is called the price of gold. A guinea would be worth something over five dollars in American money at any time, sometimes more, sometimes less, but always beyond the five. Why?"-knowing of

either to wait for farther questioning or to ask the gentleman to exchange her gold for her. Indeed, upon the latter point she had

to do it. An' I s'pose I might believe the Lord will take care of them banks and railroads an' things where the master 'as put what he's hinvested for me. I don't know as I put so much faith in this hinvestin', you never know what'll come of it with the ups and downs of them things. Dear, dear! if I 'ad it now there needn't be no trouble about Master Percy. But"-feeling for the precious bag-"I think I couldn't rest heasy in my grave if I 'ad the statoo of the queen 'erself hover me if I'd let the child

turn; that cherished gold was sure to be taken for Percy's rescue from the difficulty he