The boys looked at each other and then at Mr. Weston, but appeared unable to understand what he meant. It did not seem possible that all those goods were theirs, and they were quite sure that they had misunderstood what he said, or that he was not speaking to them.
“All of these goods are yours—Paul’s present to you for your kindness to him. I guess you will understand it after a while, and we will come back presently, after you feel perfectly sure about the proprietorship.”
Then Paul and his father went out, leaving the two owners to stand looking at each other as if they were uncertain as to their own identity. It was some moments before they spoke after they were alone, and then Johnny went near the door and stood on his head, in a grave, business-like manner, until his face was as red as a boiled beet. After this feat had been accomplished he appeared to feel considerably relieved, and he said, as he went close up to Ben,
“Do you s’pose he meant jest what he said?”
“He must have meant it,” replied Ben; but the look on his face told that even then he was uncertain about it.
Then the boys began examining their stock, finding beautiful things, such as they had admired from outside shop-windows, but never believed they should really own.
When Paul came in alone, half an hour later—for he was too eager to know what his friends thought of their store to be able to wait any longer—he found the newly-made proprietors in a state of delight bordering almost on frenzy. They shook him by the hands, hugged him, and once Johnny looked as if he would have kissed him had it not been that he was a little ashamed to do so, while they kept asking him over and over again if he was quite sure that his father had really given them that entire stock of goods all for their very own.
When Paul told them that his father had spoken of doing some such thing as this the first night that he had found him, after hearing the story of what the two had done for his son, and that the money had been paid over that very morning in his presence, they became fully assured of their good-fortune.
Johnny, by Ben’s direction, started down town to inform their friends of their magnificent gift, and to invite them all up to look the property over; which invitation, it is almost unnecessary to say, was accepted at once.
During the greater portion of that day the store was filled with such a crowd of newsboys and boot-blacks as was never seen in that vicinity before, and the other merchants looked out in alarm, as if they feared that a riot was in progress.