“He probably would,” laughed Pop. “Still I feel sorry for a fellow who has had all that trouble.”
“What did his father do?” asked John.
“He was a bad character principally, I guess,” said Pop. “He was also a sailor at times.”
“You must have had quite a long talk with Petersen, Pop,” said Grant. “How did he happen to get so confidential?”
“I don’t know. We just got talking, that’s all, and the first thing I knew he began to tell me the story of his life.”
“His father left the family no money, I imagine,” said Fred.
“Certainly not. He left debts. The only thing he left was a bad reputation and this thing which Petersen gave to me,” and as he spoke Pop reached in his hip pocket and brought out what appeared to be a dirty piece of old paper, folded up.
“What’s that?” demanded Grant quickly.
“I don’t know,” said George. “See for yourself.”
He handed the object in question to Grant who straightway unfolded it and glanced at it eagerly.