“Well,” repeated his father, “now as this property was bailed to you solely for the advantage of the bailor, the question whether you ought to pay for the loss of it, depends on whether you was grossly careless, or not. If you took good ordinary care, and it was lost by accident, then you are not liable.”
“Well, father, I think it was accident; I do, truly.”
“I rather think so myself,” said his father, with a smile, “and I am inclined to think that you are not responsible. If any body asks a boy like you to carry money for them, gratuitously, then they take themselves the ordinary risks of such a conveyance, and I think that, on the whole, this accident comes within the ordinary risks. There was not such gross carelessness as to make you liable. But then I am very sorry to have Sarah lose her money.”
“So am I,” said Rollo. “And the wallet is gone too.”
“How good a wallet was it?” asked his father.
“O, pretty good; only it was considerably worn.”
“Haven’t you got one that is pretty much the same, that you don’t care a great deal about?”
“Yes, sir,” said Rollo; “it is in my desk. I had as lief that she would have it as not.”
“Very well,” said his father; “you give her your wallet, and I will replace the money.”
So Rollo went to his desk, and soon came back, bringing his little wallet. He unfastened its steel clasp, and opened the wallet, and took out some little pictures which he had treasured up there, and some small pieces of white paper, which he said were marks. They were to put into his books to keep the place, when he was reading. He had got quite a quantity of them all prepared for use. When Rollo had got his wallet ready, his father took out half a dollar from his pocket, and also another small silver coin, about as large as Rollo said the one was, which was lost; and then sent Rollo to carry it to Dorothy.