"It's sweet-flag stalk; would you like some?"
"Indeed, I should like to taste it," said the lady, with a most winning smile. "I used to be very fond of it when I was a little girl."
John was delighted that the lady should like sweet-flag, and that she was pleased to accept it from him. He thought himself that it was about the best thing to eat he knew. He handed up a large bunch of it. The lady took two or three stalks, and was about to return the rest, when John said,—
"Please keep it all, ma'am. I can get lots more. I know where it's ever so thick."
"Thank you, thank you," said the lady; and as the carriage started she reached out her hand to John. He did not understand the motion, until he saw a cent drop in the road at his feet. Instantly all his illusion and his pleasure vanished. Something like tears were in his eyes as he shouted,—
"I don't want your cent. I don't sell flag!"
John was intensely mortified. "I suppose," he said, "she thought I was a sort of beggar-boy. To think of selling flag!"
At any rate, he walked away and left the cent in the road, a humiliated boy. The next day he told Jim Gates about it. Jim said he was green not to take the money; he'd go and look for it now, if he would tell him about where it dropped. And Jim did spend an hour poking about in the dirt, but he did not find the cent. Jim, however, had an idea: he said he was going to dig sweet-flag, and see if another carriage wouldn't come along.