“Oh, Samuel, it’s a fortune!” murmured the wife. “Just think of it! We can have the house repaired, and you can buy that extra horse, and some cows, and a new mower and reaper.”
“And to think we never looked into them books for this money,” answered the husband. “Supposing the books had been burnt up.”
“Or we might have sold them to some dishonest man who would have kept the bank bills, Samuel.” Mrs. Windham turned to Frank. “You are very honest, Mr. Hardy.”
“By George, that’s true!” ejaculated Samuel Windham, and caught our hero by the hand. “It ain’t one fellow out of a hundred would be as square.”
“I knew the money belonged to you folks, and that was all there was to it,” said Frank, modestly.
“It’s a great blessing,” murmured Mrs. Windham. “Fourteen hundred dollars! Why, I never saw so much cash before! Samuel, we must reward Mr. Hardy for this.”
“I’m willing, Millie; but the money is yours, not mine.”
“No, Samuel, it is yours as much as mine.”
“I don’t know as I want a reward,” came from Frank. “I only hope the money does you a whole lot of good.”
“You’ve got to take something,” insisted Samuel Windham. “I’ll talk it over with my wife later.”