By now Tom had snatched up the package and managed to get it undone. He uttered cries of sincere admiration and delight when he saw what an elegant tennis racquet was revealed. His eyes were swimming with tears as he looked at Hugh.
“Oh! Hugh!” he stammered, “will I ever be able to forgive myself for thinking all those bad things about him? I never felt so ashamed in my life as I do now. But I’m going to make amends for it, see if I don’t, Hugh. Look what a dandy racquet he got me, will you? Spent every cent he had saved for his Fourth.”
Hugh hardly knew whether he ought to relate what he had discovered. The temptation to do so overcame his scruples. Besides, now that Benjy’s innocence had been assured, he thought it too good to be hidden under a bushel by silence.
“I’m going to tell you something, Tom,” he went on to say, with a smile. “Queer, isn’t it, that often the very things we fear for most turn out to be for the very best?”
Tom immediately began to show new interest. How his fine eyes sparkled, and upon his face that worried look could no longer be seen.
“What! is there anything more good coming, Hugh?” he cried, eagerly.
“You’ll have to judge for yourself,” replied the scout master, after which he proceeded to relate how he had seen Benjy coming out of the bird store kept by Mr. Huggins, and counting some silver, also how the discovery had filled him with dismay.
“It was only natural it should, you understand, Tom,” he went on to say in apology, “after what we suspected. But I made up my mind I would learn what he had been doing in there.”
When Tom heard about the selling of Benjy’s pet Belgian hares he lowered his head suddenly as though he did not want his friend to see that his eyes were swimming, for as a rule, boys have a prejudice against appearing weak. Hugh respected his brotherly emotion, for he knew that it must be complete joy that affected the other now, and not anxiety.
By the time Hugh finished speaking Tom managed to get a fresh grip on himself, even though his voice did tremble somewhat.