Taking her jewel case from her bureau drawer, Mrs. Vernon opened it and brought forth a neat but costly diamond scarf-pin.
"I am going to make you a present of this, Robert," she went on. "It will look very well on the new scarf I am going to purchase you."
"Oh, Mrs. Vernon, it is a diamond pin!"
"So it is, Robert."
"It must be worth a good deal of money."
"It cost me two hundred dollars at one of the leading Chicago jewelers. I don't mind telling you that I got the pin to give to Frederic on his birthday. But I have changed my mind about giving him a present."
"It's too valuable a gift for me to wear, Mrs. Vernon."
"Let me be the judge of that, Robert. Of course, you will be careful and not lose it."
"I'll take the best possible care of it," he answered, and then she gave it to him, and he thanked her heartily.
That evening after supper Mrs. Cabe came to Robert and told him that a boy was downstairs and wanted to see him very much. Robert went down and found Sammy Gump, who stood there hat in hand, and with a face full of shame.