"I ought to be. You did us all a great service. You must stay with us till it is time for you to go out West."
Julius made some faint objections, out of bashfulness; but he was so pleasantly received by Mrs. Hoffman, and treated with so much kindness, that he came to feel quite at home, and needed no urging after the first night. Jimmy asked him a multitude of questions about the burglars, how they looked and how they lived, to which Julius answered patiently.
"When you are out West, you must write to us how you are getting along, Julius," said Mrs. Hoffman, kindly.
Julius blushed, and did not answer. He seemed much embarrassed.
"Won't you?" asked Jimmy.
"I don't know how to write!" said Julius at last, feeling suddenly ashamed of his ignorance.
"Such a big boy as you can't write?" said Jimmy, in amazement.
"There is plenty of time to learn," said Paul, cheerfully. "Julius has had no chance to learn yet, but after he gets to the West he will make it up."
The mortification which Julius felt at his ignorance made him determine to study hard whenever he could. He felt that if he wanted to occupy a respectable position in society, he must, at least, know how to read and write.