This seemed rather irregular to our hero. Still he knew that he was innocent of any wrongdoing, and as the young man appeared to have acted from friendly motives he thanked him again.
“That’s all very well,” said the young man, “but, considering the scrape I’ve saved you from, I think you ought to give me at least twenty-five dollars.”
“But the money isn’t mine,” said Robert, opening his eyes, for he could hardly have expected an application for money from a young man so fashionably dressed.
“Of course it isn’t,” said the young man, winking again. “It belongs to the man you took it from. I’m fairly entitled to a part. So just give me twenty-five and we’ll call it square.”
“If you mean that I stole the money, you’re quite mistaken,” said Robert indignantly. “It belongs to my employer.”
“Just what I thought,” said the other.
“But I have a right to spend it. I am doing just as he told me to do.”
“Come, young fellow, that won’t go down! It’s too thin!” said the young man, his countenance changing. “You don’t take me in so easily. Just hand over twenty-five dollars or I’ll hand you over to the police! There’s one coming!”
Robert certainly did not care to have the threat executed, but he did not choose to yield.
“If you do,” he said, “I’ll tell him that you did it because I would not give you twenty-five dollars.”