distance. Jimmy passed rows of great stone mansions, and
went through parks, where crocuses and hyacinths were just peeping out.

At last he came to the General's.

A colored man answered the ring of the bell.

"Who shall I say?" he inquired loftily. "The General is very busy,
y'know."

"Say Jimmy, from the market, please"; and Jimmy sat down on the great
hall seat, feeling very much awed with all the magnificence.

"Well, well," said the General, as he came puffing down the stairs.
"Well, well, and what do you want?"

"Please, sir, did you drop this?" and Jimmy held out the tightly rolled
bill.

"Did I? Well, now, I'm sure I don't know. Perhaps I did, perhaps I did."

"I found it in front of my stall," said Jimmy.

What a strange thing it seemed that the General should not know! Jimmy
would have known if he had lost a penny. He began to feel that the
General could not have a true idea of _business_.

The General took out a roll of bills. "Let me see," he said. "Here's my
market list. Yes, I guess that's mine, sure enough."

"I'm glad I noticed it," said Jimmy, simply. "I came near sweeping it
into the street."

"And what can I pay you for your trouble?" asked the General, looking at
the boy keenly.

"Well," said Jimmy, stoutly, "you see, business is business, and I had
to take my time, and I'd like to get back as soon as I can."

The General frowned. He was afraid he was going to be disappointed in
this boy.

"And so," went on Jimmy, "if you would give me a nickel for car-fare, I
think we might call it square."

[Illustration: "THEN THE GENERAL, WITH KNIFE UPRAISED, STOPPED IN HIS
CARVING OF THE COLD ROAST CHICKEN, AND TURNED TO JIMMY"]

The General fumbled around for his eye-glasses, put them on, and looked
at Jimmy in astonishment.

"A nickel?" he asked.

"Yes, sir"; Jimmy blushed. "You know I ought to get back."

"Well, well," said the General. The boy had certainly the instincts of a
gentleman. Not a single plea of poverty, and yet one could see that he
was poor, very poor.

Just then a gong struck softly somewhere. "I'm not going to let you go
until you have a bit of lunch with us," said the General. "I have told
my wife of Jimmy of the market, and now I want you to meet her."

So Jimmy went down into a wonderful dining-room, where the silver and
the cut glass shone, and where at the farther side of the table was the
sweetest little old lady, who came and shook hands with him.

Jimmy