supper, and he found him there
with his two younger brothers, feeling rather lonesome, with Frank's
mother and his sisters all away. But they cheered up together, and his
father said he had done right not to leave the money, and he would just
step over, after supper, and give it himself to Mr. Bushell's partner. He
took the roll of bills from Frank and put it into his own pocket, and went
on eating his supper, but when they were done he gave the bills back to
the boy.

"After all, Frank, I believe I'll let you take that money to Mr.
Bushell's partner. He trusted it to you, and you ought to have the glory;
you've had the care. Do you think you'll be afraid to come home through
the bridge after sunset?"

The bridge was one of those old-fashioned, wooden ones, roofed in and
sided up, and it stretched from shore to shore, like a tunnel, on its
piers. It was rather dim, even in the middle of the brightest day, and
none of the boys liked to be caught in it after sunset.

Frank said he did not believe he should be afraid, for it seemed to him
that if he had got through a runaway, and such a thunder-storm as that was
the night before, without harm, he could surely get through the bridge
safely. There was not likely to be anybody in it, at the worst, but Indian
Jim, or Solomon Whistler, the crazy man, and he believed he could run by
them if they offered to do anything to him. He meant to walk as slowly as
he could, until he reached the bridge, and then just streak through it.

That was what he did, and it was still quite light when he reached Mr.
Bushell's store. His partner was there, sure enough, this time, and Frank
gave him the money, and told him how he had been so long bringing it. The
merchant thanked him, and said he was rather young to be trusted with so
much money, but he reckoned Mr. Bushell knew what he was about.

"Did he count it when he gave it to you?" he asked.

"No, he didn't," said Frank.

"Did you?"

"I didn't have a chance. He put it right into my pocket, and I was afraid
to take it out."

Mr. Bushell's partner laughed, and Frank was going away, so as to get
through the bridge before it was any darker, but Mr. Bushell's partner
said, "Just hold on a minute, won't you, Frank, till I count this," and he
felt as if his heart had jumped into his throat.

What if he had lost some of the money? What if somebody had got it out of
his pocket, while he was so dead asleep, and taken part of it? What if Mr.