e
obtained for chasing and recovering it.

"Think of a straw hat costing fifty dollars, aunt!" he said
wonderingly.

"It does seem strange, but I am glad it was worth so much or you
wouldn't have been so well paid."

"This Mr. Tudor is a gentleman, aunt. Why, plenty of people would have
given me only ten cents. I would have thought myself well paid if he had
even given me that, but I couldn't have brought you home so much tea.
Aunt Jane, do me a favor."

"What is it, Robert?"

"Make yourself a good strong cup of tea tonight. You'll feel ever so
much better, and there's plenty of it. A pound will last a long time,
won't it?"

"Oh, yes, a good while. I shall get a good deal of comfort out of that
tea. But I don't know about making any to-night. If you would like
some----"

"If you'll make some, I'll drink a little, Aunt Jane."

Robert said this because he feared otherwise his aunt would not make any
till the next morning.

"Very well, Robert."

"Don't let uncle know I've brought so much money home," said Robert with
a sudden thought.

"Why not?"

"Because I don't want him to know I have any money. If he knew, he would
want me to give it to him."

"I don't think he would claim it. It was given to you."

"I'll tell you why I am sure he would."

And Robert told how his uncle demanded the scanty pittance which he
supposed Mrs. Jones had paid for the sewing.

Mrs. Trafton blushed with shame for her husband's meanness.

"Drink changes a man's nature completely," she said. "The time was when
John would have scorned such a thing."

"That time has gone by, aunt. For fear he will find out that I have the
money, I believe I will go and hide it somewhere."

"Shall I take care of it for you, Robert?" asked Mrs. Trafton.

"No, Aunt Jane; he would find it out, and I don't want to get you into
any trouble. I know of a good place to put it--a place where he will
never find it. I will put it there till we need to use it."

"You must buy something for yourself with it. The money is yours."

Robert shook his head decidedly.

"I don't need anything--that is, I don't need anything but what I can do
without. We will keep it to buy bread and tea and anything else that we
need. Now, aunt, while you are steeping the tea, I will go out and
dispose of the money."

Here it is necessary to explain that though John Trafton started for
home when he heard from Mr. Sands about Robert's unexpected wealth, he
changed his mi