"I owe the storekeeper in Waterville thirty dollars; but I told him you must be paid first, and so you shall."
"Then give me the money now," Uncle Nathan snarled.
"That is exactly what I am willing to do," Teddy replied, calmly; "but if you can't trust me I have reason to be suspicious of you, so give me a receipt for the amount, and the matter can be settled."
The old man literally glared at his nephew for an instant, and then, eager to have the cash in his possession, he wrote a receipt, handing it to the young fakir, as he said, angrily:
"Now, let me see if you can settle the bill."
Since the mishap on the creek, where Teddy had covered himself with glory, business had been so good that he had more than twice that amount, and, emptying the contents of his money bag on a board, he proceeded to select the required sum.
Uncle Nathan watched him jealously, his eyes twinkling enviously, and when the money was placed in his hand he counted it twice over before delivering up the written acknowledgment.
"Are you certain all this has been honestly earned, Teddy?" he asked, gravely.
"How else could I have got it?"
"There are many ways. While I would not be willing to take my oath to it, several of these ten-cent pieces look very much like those I lost night before last."