Little Hickory proposed that a portion go to him, and this, under consideration of his difficulties, he accepted with tears in his eyes, and blessings upon his lips.
So the hoardings of Timothy Bayne at last came to do much good. It cleared Deacon Cornhill from his debts. It placed the members of Rob’s young republic all in comfortable circumstances, for it was his own wish and that of his father and mother, that it should be shared among all alike.
What followed can be imagined.
First of all, Mary Little and Tom and Jerry were restored to home. The prisoners were given a fair trial, at which it was shown that one of them was the murderer of Timothy Bayne, and that he had buried the miser’s body in the cellar. He had afterward got a clew of the treasure buried in the cellar near where he had made the grave of his victim. He was induced to accompany his companions to dig for the treasure. The result is known. He and his pals were the ones who had robbed the store and post office, also the masked men who had tried to rob our hero on Flying Jump.
They were sentenced as their crimes demanded, and the public felt safer.
Phil Hardy, as Dr. Menter had said, escaped the jail. It was evident he had not really intended to set the fire, and the mill owner was more willing to receive pay for his property than to see the boy go to prison. It was a good lesson to Phil. Nor was it lost on his father, who afterward treated Rob and his friends as they deserved.
In fact, the families of Break o’ Day were now looked upon as the equals of any others in town. Rob knew this came about largely from the fact that they were among the richest now, but he did not mind that, having resolved to merit the good bestowed upon him.
Three new houses were built that fall on Break o’ Day, so it was a busy season. They had decided to live there, though the village people had hoped they would come into town.
Then followed plans for the future. As ours is a story of to-day, these cannot be followed to any great extent. Mr. Bayne and his happy wife live in a comfortable home, eagerly waiting to welcome their son home from college, while Mrs. Willet, quite recovered from former illness, lives with them, waiting, too, for a daughter to graduate, when the two young people expect to join their fortunes in married life.
There will be another marriage at the same time, when Larry Little will wed sweet Lucy Howlitt, and go to her home to live. Larry is destined to be a prominent citizen of Basinburg, and the coming Fourth he is to deliver the oration of Gainsboro, without having to borrow anything from that consummate snob and worthless fellow, Pluto Snyder.