Not Guilty; or, Barefoot Billy's Fortune — page 9: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

| | No. 76. “You've done what I haven't accomplished, yet, and I’ve fol- lowed the sea for nearly twenty years, boy !” ‘*What’s that?” queried Barefoot Billy, astonished again. ‘‘Made your fortune, young Hotspur,” said © with the i 6 P aptain Evarts, d pleasant smile. ‘*Made your fortune, Billy, through rons pee and Asante < sen et Here! This is what Mr. allard sends you from his hotel this mornin his life and that of his little girl.” appa Mast And Barefoot Billy was amazed to behold in the captain’s hands a cash order upon the Bank of England “for the benefit of the brave boy, Billy Robson, of the ship Meteor,” for two hun- dred pounds sterling—a thousand dollars. This announcement almost took the lad’s breath away for the moment, Ordinarily Barefoot Billy was not easily startled, but when this matter was kindly explained to him by Captain Evarts, he really thought he had made a fortune, for he had never seen so much money before in the whole course of his life. ‘Thank you, cap’n,” began Barefoot Billy. “Oh, you needn’t thank me. I had nothing to do with it, Billy. You did it all yourself. I should scarcely have allowed you to go to the burning vessel in Hoppin’s boat, hadn’t you got away before I knew you were there.’’ “But it all come round right, cap’n.”’ “So it did, thank Heaven! You acted like a brave, good young sailor, and this is your reward. I will collect this draft and make care of it for you. Now you can go ashore and find the oys.”’ ———— na ~ CHAPTER XI. MR. SNIP CALLS AT MOLLY’S SHOP. Good Dame Grabett was sitting in her little back room one evening three days after Billy left, when the shop-bell rang, and Molly went to answer the summons. The dame’s mind was in a pleasant frame at this moment, but. when she reached the shop and Baw the person she most thor- | oughly despised, the old irate spirit of her former days took swift possession of her as she sharply muttered: ‘‘Well, sir, what do you want, I'd like to know?’’ ‘*You recollect me, ma’am,” said her visitor, mildly. **Yes; your face ain’t easily forgot. I never saw it but once, ait hoped I shouldn’t see it ag’in. You’re Snip, the lying tailor.” ‘Well, mum, I am Mr. Snip. Where’s Barefoot Billy? I want him,” ‘‘An’ you'll have to want, him then. Heain’t here. You had him once to his sorrow, Master Snip. You won’t have him ag’in ina hurry, mind that now.” “Oh, he’s a good boy, is Barefoot Billy,” continued his late master, obsequiously. ‘‘He’s a very good lad——” ‘‘When did you find that out? Didn’t you send the poor lad to the police court, and charge him with stealing, and tell every- body that wanted to employ him afterward that he was a thief? Come, Master Snip, didn’t you?” “T’m very sorry, ma’am, very, for what happened then, I assure you,” said Snip, humbly. “Well, you ought to be. An honester boy never lived; but you abused him, and badgered him, and druy him out of the country. An’ he’s gone, an’ I’m glad of it, out o’ your way where you can’t catch himif you do want him,” continued Molly, stoutly. “Gone away? Why, I’ve been looking for him for a week. And the policeman told me he was here with you this morning.” ‘Well, he ain’t here. He’s gone to sea.” ‘To sea! When?” “Three days ago.” ‘‘Well, I’m sorry, ma’am, for I wanted Barefoot Billy to come back to the shop. I was mistaken about the lost wallet. It has been found all safe,’’ ‘ “Found!” exclaimed, Molly, detighted, and greatly mollified with this glad news. ‘Yes, mum.”’ “Where?” “Why, you see, when Barefoot Billy hurried away so from the store that night his mother died, the gentleman who missed it just paid his bill. The wallet lay on the counter, and Barefoot Billy, in his haste to get home, put up on the shelf the heavy piece vf cloth which my customer was looking at, and rolled the pocket-book up in it withont noticing it. The cloth wasn’t THE NUGGEY LIBRARY. “T come after him, you see, as soon as I could find the place where I learned he was stopping. But it’s all right. Mr. Bal- lard has got his money, and he has gone away, too, to Europe, for his health. He sailed in the ship Champion only a few days ago. What vessel did Barefoot Billy go in, ma’am?” “The Metor,” said Molly, which was as nearly as she eould recollect the name of Barefoot Billy’s ship. : : “The Metor, eh? Well, I hope Mr. Ballard will meet him,” said the tailor, dryly; ‘and tell the boy all about the finding of the pocket-book. tm sorry he’s gone, thongh. I would have taken him back, and increased his wages. I was too hasty. I will tell him so, if I ever see him again. How long will he be gone, mum?”’ “I don’t know. ‘Two years, mayhap. He’s gone to London and to Ingy afterward,’’ responded Molly. ‘*Mr. Ballard’s gone to London too,” said Snip, thoughtfully. ‘‘T Lope, as I said before, they’]l1 chance to meet, mum, for he didn’t think the boy knew anything of the missing wallet, and always said so.” ‘‘Well, it can’t be helped.” “No, mum. It was an unfortunate occurrence. It looked bad, but I was wrong. I wish the boy was here. I'd make it all up to him,” And, with this tardy but welcome explanation and apology, Mr. Snip retired from Molly’s little shop. ‘There ain’t much chance, as I can see,’’ murmured Molly, as she returned to Cally and her Bible, ‘‘for Billy to run across this Mr. Ballard.” Little, indeed, did she imagine that within two months from that night, the barefoot boy she loved had come upon the loser of the wallet, and saved his life and bis child’s, for this was the same gentleman who had lost the pocket-book to whom it had been returned (as Snip stated) a day or two before he left Bos- ton. Bat Barefoot Billy did not remember his face, though Mr. Ballard recollected him, and subsequently explained to Barefoot Billy all about the finding of his money to our hero’s heartfelt gratification. But it was not till some days after this, that he learned, through Captain Evarts, of the {substantial regard which the merchant entertained for him. He went ashore— had a good time with his mates in London— com ported himself acceptably—and returned seasonably to duty on board the Meteor, which soon afterward started for Calcutta. Before the ship sailed from London, the captain having ob- tained Barefoot Billy's thousand dollars from the bank, asked | the boy what he intended to do do with it. Barefoot Billy saw the shining gold—two hundred guineas— and knew it was his—all his! But what could he do with this pile of money? Suddenly he thought of good old Molly Grab- ett, and his darling little sister Cally, and turning to Captain Evarts, he said: ‘Send it bome to Molly, captain, if you please.” -~ ‘Molly? Who is she?” asked the captain. | ‘The best-hearted old woman in Boston, captain. The onl friend I ever had, till I saw you, after my poor mother died. She is takin’ care of my dear little sister, Cally, and she isn’t over-burdened with money, as I know full well. It will ba a God-send to Molly, that’s a fact,” said the boy, with glistening eyes, as he thought what a lift it would be to his hardworking old friend at home. “Then Cally wants an education, you see, cap’n—and elo’es— good clo’es, to go to church and to school in; an’ Molly can’t af- ford to get ‘em for her. Send it to Molly, cap’n.” “So be it, Billy, if you say so. But let me tell you what I think you'd better do with it,” replied Captain rasta, ad- visedly. ‘Ain't that best, captain?” ‘Well, Billy, we're going from London to India on a trading voyage. You don’t know anything about this, but I can invest your money for you so that you can take ont a certain kind of goods to Calcutta, upon which you can there realize—or I ean, for you—a very handsome profit. Then, with the proceeds, you can buy goods there, which, on the home voyage, when we re- «2 turn to America, next year, you can double this money again.” This idea pleased Barefoot Billy vastly. ‘‘Now I advise you to send say a fourth to your friend Molly, which will serve her purposes till you sorbeak, I judge, and put the restin this venture I have de- scribed. And thus the matter was settled so far as Barefoot Billy’s new disturbed, afterward, for several days; when a week ago, We| «fortune” was concerned. took it down to show to another patron, out rolled Mr. Ballard’s missing wallet all safe and sound!” Kind-hearted Molly was overjoyed at this fortunate discovery, but Barefoot Billy was then far away at sea, and she couldn’t tell him the glad news. nN Te ae > , 8 ory) . oN . > . we i , pth i ‘oak PATEL 48 oe J He! .. Ot Sree : ~~ part of your money | - i. Ey - at CpDOO Ks. com < mem < <2! ¢ 7 yy