"Give me the particulars of this matter," was Squire Paget's short response.
In as few words as possible the young bridge tender told of the row on the bridge, and of what had followed. While he was speaking the squire grew excited, and paced up and down nervously. He could hardly wait for Ralph to finish.
"See here, Nelson, this is preposterous, absurd! My son is above such a thing!" he cried.
"So I hoped, sir. But I have only stated the plain facts."
"It is a tissue of falsehoods, young man! Wait till I hear Percy's side of the story. The idea! my son has enough spending money without resorting to—to such unlawful means of obtaining more."
"Well, it is my twenty-dollar bill that he gave to Mr. Dicks," said Ralph, doggedly.
"Where did you obtain the bill?"
A gentleman gave it to me for assisting him out of the water, after his sloop had been wrecked against the stonework of the bridge."
"That is a likely story! As if twenty-dollar bills were flying around so thickly!"
"I am telling the truth, sir."