"Not a cent of it to me!" protested the skipper of the Rosabel; "but you may do it in the other way if you like."
"I will, and I know mother will.—Mother," continued Stumpy with energy, "we owe all this to Leopold. He was honest, clear up to the hub; if he hadn't been, we shouldn't have got a cent of this money which father earned. We should have been turned out of the house on the first of August, and had to grub our way worse than ever. Now the house is paid for, and we have nearly eighteen hundred dollars in cash. That will give us over a hundred dollars interest money, which will make it a soft thing for us. No interest money to pay, either; so that we shall be a hundred and fifty dollars better off than we were before; and all because Leopold was honest, and did the right thing."
"I am sure I am very grateful to him, for my own and my children's sake," added Mrs. Wormbury.
"That don't pay any bills, mother," protested Stumpy. "Leopold's father is in trouble. My beloved grandad will come down upon him like a thousand of bricks, on the first of July, if he don't pay the interest on his note; and Le says his father can't do it."
"I'm very sorry," sighed Mrs. Wormbury.
"That don't pay any bills, mother; and we must do something more than being sorry. I want to lend this money—this eighteen hundred dollars—to Mr. Bennington right off. He will be able to pay us after this season."
"I think you can safely do this, Mrs. Wormbury," added the merchant. "I will indorse the landlord's note, and thus guarantee its payment."
"I'm sure I shall be very glad to do so," said the widow, with a cheerful smile, which proved that she meant all she said.
"I shall be very much obliged to you, and consider myself more than paid for anything I have done in this business," replied Leopold.
"I am sure you can depend upon Mr. Bennington," said Mr. Hamilton. "Was any administrator appointed for the estate of your husband, Mrs. Wormbury?"