thank you. Nobody ever gave me two houses in one day.”
At last everything was ready. Bill sat in front with Benny and Joe who was going to drive. Alice and Violet sat behind them. Henry and Jessie sat on the back seat.
“Now we’re really going home!” shouted Benny. “We did find Bill and we did find the money, Joe. Won’t Grandfather be glad!”
Joe turned the station wagon around, and the children waved good-by until they were out of sight of Old Village.
“Little boy,” said Bill suddenly, “how much money was in that tin box?”
“It was all hundred-dollar bills,” said Benny. “And it was four thousand dollars in all.”
“Four thousand dollars,” said Bill in great excitement. “That’s exactly right. Who did you say put it there?”
“We aren’t sure,” said Joe, kindly. “You must tell us that.”
“I’m afraid it was my own brother, Sam,” Bill told them sadly. “I understand the whole thing now.”
“Tell us,” begged Jessie. “Tell us everything you know.”
“Well,” began Bill in a weak voice, “did you hear about the horses? I sold two fine race horses for Mr. Alden.”
“He was not our grandfather,” said Jessie. “That Mr. Alden is dead.”
“Oh, dear. I suppose so,” said Bill. “He is Mr. Alden to me, because I worked for him. Your grandfather is James Alden. Well, my brother Sam told me to give him the money, and he could make three times as much. So I gave it to him.”
“That was when you lived on the island,” said Henry.
“Yes, he told me not to say a word, but to come to Maine and soon I could come home with a lot of money to pay Mr. Alden.”
“And what did you do next?” asked Alice.
“I came up here to meet my brother,” said Bill. “And then I heard he was killed by a car. I hunted all over my house for a tin box. But I never could find it. His friends didn’t know where it was. So I shut up my little yellow house, and went to live in the woods.”
“Yellow? You mean your yellow house on Surprise Island?” asked Henry, wondering.
“No, I mean my yellow house right here in Old Village.”
“But the house we were in is brown, Bill,” Jessie told him kindly.
“Well, yes, my dear,” said Bill, almost whispering. “It is brown now. But it used to be yellow. It has been painted since then.”
CHAPTER 16
A Happy Home
T he family had not gone very far when suddenly Joe stopped the car by the side of the road.
“What’s the matter?” asked Henry.
“Bill’s getting too tired,” answered Joe quietly. “This is all too much of a change for him. I’m going to fix a bed on the back seat so he can lie down.”
Benny looked up at Bill and saw that it was true. The old man was very white, and his hands were shaking.
“Oh, dear,” said Jessie. “We talked to him too much. He isn’t used to it.”
She and Alice helped Joe make a soft bed of blankets on the back seat. Bill did not say a word. Joe and Henry took his arms and helped him out of the front seat and into the back. Bill lay down at once and shut his eyes, as if he were very glad to lie down.
The three girls took the middle seat and Henry got up in front beside Benny.
“He’ll be all right,” said Joe, looking back at Bill. “You can talk all you want to. I think he’ll sleep.”
“Let’s send that telegram to Grandfather at the next village,” said Jessie. “What shall we say?”
“Ten words,” said Benny.
“No, you can send fifteen,” said Henry. “Let’s make up a telegram as we ride. We should certainly begin, ‘Found Bill and the money.’“
“Five words,” said Violet, counting.
“‘All coming home today,’” said Jessie. “That’s four more. Nine so far.”
“Then we can have six more words,” said Benny. “We ought to say, ‘We may be late for supper.’ “
“We certainly will be late for supper,” said Joe.
Then Alice said, “Benny, don’t you think we should say something about Bill, like ‘Weak and tired’?
At last everything was ready. Bill sat in front with Benny and Joe who was going to drive. Alice and Violet sat behind them. Henry and Jessie sat on the back seat.
“Now we’re really going home!” shouted Benny. “We did find Bill and we did find the money, Joe. Won’t Grandfather be glad!”
Joe turned the station wagon around, and the children waved good-by until they were out of sight of Old Village.
“Little boy,” said Bill suddenly, “how much money was in that tin box?”
“It was all hundred-dollar bills,” said Benny. “And it was four thousand dollars in all.”
“Four thousand dollars,” said Bill in great excitement. “That’s exactly right. Who did you say put it there?”
“We aren’t sure,” said Joe, kindly. “You must tell us that.”
“I’m afraid it was my own brother, Sam,” Bill told them sadly. “I understand the whole thing now.”
“Tell us,” begged Jessie. “Tell us everything you know.”
“Well,” began Bill in a weak voice, “did you hear about the horses? I sold two fine race horses for Mr. Alden.”
“He was not our grandfather,” said Jessie. “That Mr. Alden is dead.”
“Oh, dear. I suppose so,” said Bill. “He is Mr. Alden to me, because I worked for him. Your grandfather is James Alden. Well, my brother Sam told me to give him the money, and he could make three times as much. So I gave it to him.”
“That was when you lived on the island,” said Henry.
“Yes, he told me not to say a word, but to come to Maine and soon I could come home with a lot of money to pay Mr. Alden.”
“And what did you do next?” asked Alice.
“I came up here to meet my brother,” said Bill. “And then I heard he was killed by a car. I hunted all over my house for a tin box. But I never could find it. His friends didn’t know where it was. So I shut up my little yellow house, and went to live in the woods.”
“Yellow? You mean your yellow house on Surprise Island?” asked Henry, wondering.
“No, I mean my yellow house right here in Old Village.”
“But the house we were in is brown, Bill,” Jessie told him kindly.
“Well, yes, my dear,” said Bill, almost whispering. “It is brown now. But it used to be yellow. It has been painted since then.”
CHAPTER 16
A Happy Home
T he family had not gone very far when suddenly Joe stopped the car by the side of the road.
“What’s the matter?” asked Henry.
“Bill’s getting too tired,” answered Joe quietly. “This is all too much of a change for him. I’m going to fix a bed on the back seat so he can lie down.”
Benny looked up at Bill and saw that it was true. The old man was very white, and his hands were shaking.
“Oh, dear,” said Jessie. “We talked to him too much. He isn’t used to it.”
She and Alice helped Joe make a soft bed of blankets on the back seat. Bill did not say a word. Joe and Henry took his arms and helped him out of the front seat and into the back. Bill lay down at once and shut his eyes, as if he were very glad to lie down.
The three girls took the middle seat and Henry got up in front beside Benny.
“He’ll be all right,” said Joe, looking back at Bill. “You can talk all you want to. I think he’ll sleep.”
“Let’s send that telegram to Grandfather at the next village,” said Jessie. “What shall we say?”
“Ten words,” said Benny.
“No, you can send fifteen,” said Henry. “Let’s make up a telegram as we ride. We should certainly begin, ‘Found Bill and the money.’“
“Five words,” said Violet, counting.
“‘All coming home today,’” said Jessie. “That’s four more. Nine so far.”
“Then we can have six more words,” said Benny. “We ought to say, ‘We may be late for supper.’ “
“We certainly will be late for supper,” said Joe.
Then Alice said, “Benny, don’t you think we should say something about Bill, like ‘Weak and tired’?
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