In the fall of the same year this bootblack was unanimously elected as an officer of Boyville, and is one of the best boys on the street. Two months later he brought to the president a gold watch, worth forty-two dollars and fifty cents. The owner was found, and insisted upon seeing the young man. He was sent, with the watch, to him. The wealthy lawyer handed him ten cents, and gave him some good advice. The boy returned the money saying:
“No, Mister, you keep this, you need it more than I do.”
CHAPTER XXVI.
Among the great number of boys who called at the office, none cast such a ray of sunshine about him as a little seller known as Sunny Willie, on account of the smile he always seemed to have. But with all his good nature and kindness of heart, he, at times, became very serious.
One evening after the boys had sold their papers and were enroute to their homes, Sunny Willie, as was often his habit, called upon the president to say good night. Just as he was leaving the office, two boys walked in and the loud talking between them indicated trouble. Willie concluded to remain. Leaning against the desk he became a very attentive listener. The smile had left him. He looked thoughtful.
“I know you’re wrong,” said one of the boys, “you’re talking to hear yourself talk. You are looking fur trouble. That’s what you are. I ken prove it. I ken show you I wasn’t on the corner fur a week.” “That’s right,” replied the other boy, “why wasn’t you there fur a week, because you stole the papers from the poor old woman and was ashamed to sell ’round the corner. Now, come off, you took de papers.”
At the corner of the post-office is a small stand kept by a woman, who has been engaged in selling papers for a number of years. One morning, some papers were missing from a bundle lying upon the sidewalk. The boy accused usually sold papers on the corner and his absence for several mornings gave rise to the suspicion that he either took the papers or knew something about them.
“As I said before,” continued the accused boy, “I did not steal the papers, an’ you got no proof to show I did.”