Messrs. Jones and
Treat had been "stuck" just that number.

After she had joined in the general good time over Paul's good-fortune
with her daughter and her boarders, and found that she was marring
rather than adding to it by her nervousness, she ceased to pay any
more attention to what was said by those about her, but became
interested in the advertisements of fruit for sale. Suddenly she came
across something that seemed to surprise her greatly, for she took off
her glasses and wiped them, as though she mistrusted that which she
saw was on the glass and not in the paper.

After satisfying herself that she was not the victim of an optical
delusion, her face was a remarkable sight, exhibiting as it did
surprise and delight alternately. It appeared as if it was difficult
for her to speak, for she tried several times before she succeeded in
saying,

"Listen to me every one of you, an' if I ain't mistaken Paul will be
more glad to hear this than he was to get his ticket. This is what it
says in this paper, word for word: 'Paul Weston'--that's in big
letters. 'Any one who can give information of Paul Weston, who strayed
from an outward-bound steamer on the afternoon of the seventeenth,
will receive a handsome reward by calling on the undersigned. Said boy
is ten years old, has light hair, blue eyes, nose slightly turned up,
and at the time of his disappearance was dressed in dark blue clothes;
he would most likely be trying to make his way to Chicago, and any one
who has seen such a boy will please communicate at once with Rufus
Weston, Fifth Avenue Hotel.' There! what do you think of that?" and
Mrs. Green looked around at her circle of listeners, who appeared to
have been stricken dumb with astonishment.

"Why, that means me!" exclaimed Paul, suddenly, as if he had thought
some one else was spoken of. "And Rufus Weston, that's my father! He
didn't go away, after all. And now, somebody, tell me where that hotel
is."

As he spoke he had grasped his coat and hat, running from the house at
full speed before he even knew which direction he should take. There
were none of that party who had a very clear idea of what they were
saying or doing just then; but as the most important thing in their
minds was to see this father of Paul's, who had come at a time when
his son was about to go home without his assistance, each one of the
boys started out in the same rapid way, overtaking their more excited
companion just as he was