Five Hundred Dollars; or, Jacob Marlowe's Secret

discharge from the shoe shop. He put the four doll

" he said. "I don't know when I sha

concealing her solicitude under a cheerful exterior. "To-morrow i

in with her cheerful humor. "I am young and strong,

ert, and you will be mor

downhearted he became. He went to the village store, having heard that the boy employed there was about to leav

a boy?" asked the store-kee

Herman was goi

ut he has cha

ated Bert, d

or yourself?" inq

s,

were at work in

ut I have lo

iciously. "If Squire Marlowe has disc

out the cause of my discharge. H

n evident skepticism. "Boys don

o be angry, but he c

introduced a pegging machine, so

Well, I'm sorry for you

nge his mind again, w

are a good boy, and you

promise, though it was very doubtful

a bright idea came to Bert. Blueberries were just coming into the

arge tin pail, I'll go after some berries

use them ourselves,"

fifteen cents a quart. They won't stay long at that figure, so

tired of having nothing to do. Any sort of employment seemed desirable. Besides

at length the pail-which held four quarts-was full. He was tired enough and his back ached, but still he felt happy as he left the field and trudged toward the Lake House, which was the name of the

ndlord on the piazza, and to

ke to buy som

r. Holbrook, the good-natured landlord. "

?" exclaimed

l, from Philadelphia, has been teasing me f

ered Bert. "You know they hav

olbrook, who received a good income from her boarders, and

four quarts, but yo

, and Bert was made happy by r

shop," he reflected complacently. "And

uched six cents, and it was not so easy to sell the berries at all, fo

ly took very little notice of him. This did not trouble Bert, however, who fel

New York, who was boarding at the hotel, and with him he used to play pool, which he found rather an expensive game; and still worse, he played poker with him in his own room, locking the door carefully, as this game was not looked upon with favor in Lakeville. The young man from the c

ten dollars," he

mitted Percy, r

you going

now," answ

returned Reginald frowning. "I may go

said Percy; "but you know I have only

going to put me off that way?" demanded

g to get it," said Percy doggedly

father and

ive it to me! You

oney lying round?" asked

ean?" asked Pe

I was only suggesting a

not a

I shall have to take the

ou mean?" asked

how him this I O U of yours,

would be awful mad with me, and yo

ng. I can't afford

or two. I'll se

do somethi

with him, but the regret came too late. The mischief was done, and he saw from Ward's determined loo

when his eye caught sight of a twenty-dollar bill lying on the desk. Mr. Jones had gone to the other end of the store, and no one was looking. On the impulse of the moment he seized the bill, an