“Twenty-five, sir,” replied Tom.
“Oh.” Mr. Latham handed over a dollar bill.
“I’ll see if I can get change in the station, sir,” said Tom, getting out.
“Have you spent that half-dollar already?” asked their passenger with a smile.
“No, sir, but that’s all I have with me. It won’t take a minute——”
“Tut, tut! Give me the half and let it go at that. I dare say you’ve done that much damage to your springs running over that dump.”
“Thank you, sir,” murmured Tom, diving into his pocket for the coin in question. When he found it he glanced at it regretfully and seemed so loath to part with it that Mr. Latham noticed it.
“Why, you’re a regular miser, boy,” he laughed. “You just hate to give up money, don’t you?”
Tom blushed, but Willard thought they owed their benefactor an explanation. “It isn’t that, sir,” he said. “Tom wanted to keep that half because it’s the first money we’ve made with the car.”