Driven from Home; Or, Carl Crawford's Experience

unterfeit?" asked Carl

ills for ten years without being able to tell good

money I have,"

clerk, sternly, "you are trying a

said Carl, plucking up spirit.

did you

ame with me last ev

he gave m

id he g

-dollar

dollar bill," sa

said the clerk, suspiciously. "How did

pay his bill here. He handed me the ten-dollar bill which you say is bad, and I

dicated incredulity. "That is nothing to me. All you have to do is to pa

her money," said

ng your arrest on a charge of passing,

see that you are paid out

ave seen persons of your stripe before. I dare say, if you were

l, indignantly. "I am perfec

relations who wil

rl, soberly. "Couldn't you let me work it

rs is full," said

r and a quarter seems a small sum, but if you are absolutely penniless it might as well be a thousand. Suppose he should be arrested and the story get into the papers? How his stepmother would

t in your valise?

security. Wait a minute, though," he said, with a sudden thought. "Here is a gold pencil! I

me se

hich his name was inscribed. It was evidently

a quarter for the pencil," h

ike to sell i

get any m

me by my mother, who is now dead. I would not

scot-free, I suppose?" reto

hands, but I should like the privilege

at in all probability Carl would never come b

e didn't like to part with it, even for a

I will mar

, having eaten a hearty breakfast at the hotel, but by one o'clock he would feel the need of food. He began to ask himself if, after all, he had not been unwise in leaving home, no matter how badly he had been treated by his stepmother. There, at least, he was

here my next meal is to come from. But my luck may turn-it must turn-it has turned!" he exclaimed with energy, as his wandering gla

ed up the coin, which he

tored his courage and raised his spirits. He was sure of a dinner

n age trudging along the road with a rake over his shoul

antly, noticing that the boy

ed the country lad

e is any place near wher

that's what you mean. I'm g

do yo

r yo

farmhouse about

r mother would gi

uld. Mam's real

you as

t come al

, and followed a narrow

e while you as

house, and came out

u're to come

te prepared to eat fifty cents' wort

oman, plainly but neatly attir

d like to get some

excuse my applying to you, but your s

is three miles

n hold out so long,

fe, hospitably. "Mr. Sweetser won't be home for

consisted of boiled mutton, with several kinds of ve

the usual appetite of a healthy farm boy, and Carl, in spite of his recent anxie

e cook!" said Carl,

" answered Nat, his

red that he had eaten more than his

it be, Mrs. Swe

ou've had," said the good woman, c

d a better din

pleased with the comp

g this way," she said. "You wil

t a lonely point of the road, an ill-looking tramp, who had been recl

y you have got, or I'll hurt you! I'm

ramp. It seemed to him that he had never seen