And needing no further encouragement, Dick darted off as fast as the broken soles of his worn-out boots would carry him.
How he did his errand in so short a time, he never knew, but he reached the church in less than five minutes, though it was situated at a considerable distance from the woods, and possessing himself of the little paint-box, he fastened its cover securely that none of its contents might fall out, and sped back with all haste to the spot where the artist, true to his promise, was guarding his bundle of sticks.
"What! Returned already!" exclaimed the gratified gentleman, as Dick, hot and panting, made his reappearance. "You have been very quick. I should not have thought it possible for any one to do the distance in so short a time," taking the box from the boy's trembling hands and looking scrutinizingly into his eager countenance.
It was an honest, good-looking face, but withal pinched and thin. There was, too, a certain wistfulness in the child's blue eyes that hinted at poverty—perhaps privation. The artist was by no means rich, but a kindly impulse prompted him to reward the runner of his errand more generously than he had at first intended. "Here, lad," said he, "take this for having obliged me." And he put a piece of money into the boy's hand.
"Please, sir," Dick gazed with misty eyes at the coin—"did you mean to give me a shilling?"
"To be sure I did," was the reply; and the donor afterwards told himself that the expression of mingled wonderment and delight on the little face was worth three times the amount. "Take it and welcome, my lad," said he. "Now I will bid you good-day."
"Good-day, sir; and—and thank you ever so!" burst from Dick's quivering lips; after which he looked at the coin a second time, and murmured with delight, "Won't mother be surprised and glad! Fancy a shilling!—a whole shilling! Why, that's as much as I get at the rectory for cleaning boots in a week!"
And then, raising the piece of money to his lips, he actually kissed it, not for its own sake, as a miser might have done, but for the sake of the much-needed necessaries that he meant it to buy.
[CHAPTER III.]
DICK'S ENCOUNTER WITH THE BULLY.