w what it is to be poor when you're a boy, even if you're not
smart, as I warn't; and to want to get up in the world and not be able
to, as I have. And I know what it is to feel it all your life, what you
didn't have when a boy. And, as I said, I have no one in the world but
myself, and I don't need nothin'; and after I buy this wagon and span of
mules then I'll have more'n six hundred dollars to lend out. It's enough
for me. It makes me well fixed, with my house, which I own. And here I
have a good chance to do good to a couple of boys who found the money,
and may use their sheer to make men of 'em--and you just take this
$1,000 and if you don't want any of it, give it all to 'em."

Then he said, "Where is this boy, Mitch Miller? I'd like to see him. You
say he's a smart boy." So my pa says, "Run up and get him." And I
ran--ran all the way--breathless to tell Mitch that we had struck it at
last. When I got to his house, no one was there but a woman doin' the
washin'. She didn't know where any of the family was. That she saw Mitch
go away with his fishin' pole. So I ran back and told pa, and he says,
"Never mind--let it go--it's just as well." While I was gone, the man
and pa seemed to have come to terms. Pa was goin' to take the thousand
dollars. He did and gave the rest to the man and he said good-by and
went.

Then pa turned to me and says: "I'll put this in the safe. But mind you,
you're not to say a thing to Mitch or any one about it. It will be a
Christmas gift, which ain't far off. And if you tell, I'll keep your
half for my fee. I'll find it out, sure, if you tell. Promise me now
not to tell." And I promised.

Then pa locked the money up in the safe. And he said: "Go home, now; and
tell your ma I'll be home for supper. She's back from her visit and will
be glad to see you."

So I went home.

CHAPTER XXVI

There was days in here that I kind of forget. I remember Mr. Miller gave
Mitch a watch which he had always promised him, and it looked good, but
didn't run very well. So he was goin' to old Abe Zemple, which was a
mechanic, to fix it. But it seemed to run worse, if anything. One thing
that happened there was this: Old Zemple had a clock all apart, the
wheels and springs scattered all over the bench. Mitch saw this and for
fun he put a extra wheel on the bench with the rest. So when Old Zemple
was puttin' the clock together again he couldn't find no place for this
wheel; and finally he just left i