Sauntering around the big barns, they presently found Mr. Jeffords busily engaged in mending some harness, a task he always took upon himself, as he was quite expert along those lines. He glanced up and smiled at their approach. Ralph forced a halfway anxious look upon his face.
“Seen anything of my pocketbook, dad?” he asked.
For answer the other took it out of a rack above his head.
“Peleg brought it to me a short time ago; said he had come upon it on the path, and guessed it was yours, because no one else had a pocketbook just like it. Better be a little more careful, son, of your money; it doesn’t grow on bushes, you know,” and, having thus duly admonished his boy after the manner of parents generally, Mr. Jeffords forgot all about the circumstance and commenced speaking of something else.
Rob was satisfied that the little scheme was turning out just as he hoped, and that Peleg had not even been tempted to keep his find. He still felt a little anxiety in connection with the outcome, and soon gave Ralph a signal that they had better withdraw to a spot where the contents of the pocketbook could be examined.
This was easily managed, and soon afterwards the two boys entered Ralph’s den at the barn, where they could have all the privacy they wished. It was with considerable interest that Rob saw the other take out his pocketbook, and his fingers, trembling with eagerness, commence to handle the wad of bills.
“Well, how about it?” asked the scout leader, as Ralph looked up; but really he need hardly have plied the question, for a burning color had rushed across the other’s face, as though he felt conscious of having wronged the one who was under suspicion.
“It was just eleven dollars, I said, didn’t I, Rob? That amount is here to a fraction, and I guess Peleg never even opened the pocketbook, after all, but hurried as fast as he could to hand it over to dad. Well, I’m glad, and at the same time sorry that I did it.”
Chapter XIII
When the Circus Came to Town
Rob felt something like relief, for although still strong in his belief that Peleg was innocent of the charge hovering over his head, he had felt a little anxious.