KATY TALKS WITH THE MAYOR, AND RECOVERS THE WATCH.
Katy followed the servant man, whose name was John, up-stairs; but at
the first turn he stopped, and begged her not to mention that he had
shut the door upon her.
"I don't know," said Katy. "I gave you no reason to treat me in that
ugly manner."
"You didn't, but, you see, I thought you was some beggar, coming to
disturb his honor."
"Do I look like a beggar?" asked Katy.
"Indeed you don't; that was a bad blunder of mine. If you mention it, I
shall lose my place."
"Well, I won't say a word then; but I hope you will learn better
manners next time."
"Thank you, miss; and be sure I'll treat you like a lady next time."
John then conducted her up-stairs into a room the walls of which were
almost covered with books. Katy thought what a wise man the mayor must
be, for she had never seen so many books before in her life, and took
it for granted the mayor had read them all. As she entered the
apartment she saw a fat gentleman sitting at the desk, very busy
examining a great pile of papers. When he turned his head, Katy was not
much surprised to see that it was the nice gentleman who had given her
half a dollar for fourteen cents' worth of candy.
"Ah, my dear, is it you!" exclaimed the mayor, as he recognized the
little candy merchant.
"Yes, sir; if you please, it is me," stammered Katy, making her
obeisance, and feeling very mush confused, for it was the first time
she had ever come into the presence of a great man, and she could not
exactly tell whether she ought to get down on her knees, as she had
read that people did when they approached a king, or to remain standing.
"Well my dear, what is your name?" continued the mayor.
"Katy Redburn, if you please, sir," replied Katy with another courtesy.
"I am glad you have come to me with this business, Katy. Mrs. Gordon
speaks very handsomely of you."
"She is very kind, sir."
"You have lost your watch--have you, Katy?"
"My father's watch, if you please, sir," and having gained a little
confidence from the kind tones of the mayor, she proceeded to tell him
the whole story of her adventure in the pawnbroker's shop.
The mayor listened attentively to the artless recital, and promised to
do all in his power to regain the watch.
"Were you alone, Katy, when you went to the pawnbroker's?"
"No, sir; there was one of your friends with me," replied she with a
simple smile.
"One of my friends?"
"Yes, sir; and he promised to see you about it."
"I am afraid you have been imposed upon, Katy."
"No, sir; he has often spoken to me about his friend the mayor."
"But who was he?"
"Master Simon Sneed."
"Sneed? Sneed?" mused the mayor.
"Yes, sir; Master Simon Sneed."
"Master? What is he? A schoolmaster?"
"O, no, sir. Everybody calls him master. He keeps store."
"Sneed? I never heard the name before. Where is his store?"
"In Washington Street. It says Sands & Co. on the sign."
"O, you mean the boy that makes the fires, sweeps out, and does the
errands. I remember him now," said the mayor, laughing heartily at poor
Katy's account of Simon. "I never heard his name before; but he is the
oldest boy of his age I ever saw."
"He was very kind to me."
"No doubt he is a very good boy; but I supposed from your account of
him that he was a member of the firm."
"Master Simon says the firm would not be able to get along without
him," replied Katy, who began to have some doubts whether Simon was so
great a man as he had represented himself to be.
"Master Simon is very kind to stay with them then, and I hope the
Messrs. Sands will properly appreciate his merit. Now, Katy," continued
the mayor, who had been writing while he questioned his visitor, "you
may take this note to the City Hall and deliver it to the city marshal,
he will do all he can to recover your lost treasure."
"Thank you, sir," replied Katy, as she took the note.
"Now, good-by, Katy, and I hope you will always be as good as your
candy is."
"I will try; good-by, sir;" and she left the library and passed
down-stairs.
John let her out very civilly and seemed very grateful to her that she
had not exposed his rudeness. She hastened to the City Hall, sure
almost of recovering the watch, and gladdening her mother with the
sight of it on her return home.
Simon Sneed, after parting with Katy, had felt a little uneasy in
relation to the watch. He was jealous of his own good credit, for he
foresaw that Katy could not very well avoid telling the mayor that he
had been with her at the time of the unfortunate transaction. Besides,
he did not exactly like the idea of Katy's going to the mayor at all.
Katy Redburn going to see the mayor! By and by everybody would know his
honor, and there would be no glory in being acquainted with him!
His conscience seemed to reprove him because he had done nothing
towards the recovery of the watch. What would his friend the mayor say
if Katy should happen to tell him of his neglect?
"Here I am," said Master Simon to himself, as he entered the store, "a
person of influence, enjoying the friendship of the chief magistrate of
the city and have not exerted my influence, or used my powerful friend,
to redress the injury which this poor girl has received. I will correct
my error at once, for if the mayor should happen to invite me to dinner
some time, very likely he would reproach me for my neglect."
Having thus resolved to preserve his credit with the chief magistrate
of the city, there was fortunately a lull in the waves of the Messrs.
Sand & Co.'s affairs which enabled him to be absented for half an hour
without serious injury to their business. He hastened to the
pawnbroker's at which the robbery had been committed.
"I presume you know me, sir?" said Simon.
"I haven't that honor," replied the broker.
"Perhaps you may be able to recall the circumstance of a little girl
presenting herself here with a silver watch."
"Well, I do."
"I was with her."
"Then I suppose you helped her steal it."
"Such an insinuation, sir, is unworthy a gentleman, I have come, sir,
with a benevolent purpose, as I came before. In half an hour the
history of that transaction will be conveyed to the mayor who, allow me
to inform you, is my friend."
"Your friend!" sneered the broker who was not particularly impressed by
the magnificent manners and the magnificent speech of Master Simon.
"The little girl has just gone with a note from Mrs. Gordon of Temple
Street to seek redress of the mayor. I doubt not you will be prosecuted
at once. You have an opportunity to save yourself."
"What do you mean by that, you young puppy?" said the broker, angrily.
"Do you mean to say I stole the watch?"
"By no means; only that you took what did not belong to you," replied
Master Simon, blandly.
"Get out of my shop!"
"Understand me, sir; I come as your friend."
"You are a fool, I believe."
"You have an undoubted right to your opinion, as I have to mine; but if
you do not restore the watch within half an hour, you will be arrested
for stealing--I beg your pardon, for taking what did not belong to you."
There was something in the earnest manner of Simon which arrested the
attention of the broker, in spite of the former's high-flown speech. He
was satisfied that something had been done, and he was disposed to
avoid any unpleasant consequences.
"I spoke to a policeman about the watch," said the man. "I told him I
had it, and if he found that such a watch had been stolen, it could be
found at my shop."
"And if he did not find that watch had been stolen, you meant to keep
it yourself," answered Master Simon, whose earnestness made him forget
for a moment to use his high-flown words.
"Keep a civil tongue in your head," growled the broker. "I notified the
police that I had it; that's enough."
"Perhaps it is I will ask my friend the mayor about it;" and Simon
moved towards the door.
"Stop a moment."
"Can't stop now."
"Here! I will go up to the city marshal with you. May be I made a
mistake in keeping the watch; but if I did, it was only to prevent it
from falling into the hands of some one less scrupulous than myself."
"Do I look like a thief?" asked Master Simon, indignantly.
"It don't do to judge by appearances," replied the broker, locking his
shop door, and walking towards the City Hall with Simon. "There are
some very respectable thieves about."
Master Simon Sneed was satisfied with this explanation. He did not care
to quarrel with any one who acknowledged his respectability. In a few
moments they reached the City Hall, and ascended the stone steps to the
vestibule. As they did so, Katy entered from the opposite door.
"How glad I am to find you, Master Simon!" exclaimed she. "Can you tell
me where the city marshal's office is?"
"Here it is, Katy," replied Simon, pointing to the door. "But what are
you going to do?"
"I have got a note for the city marshal. The mayor gave it to me."
"You hear that, sir," said Master Simon to the broker, with becoming
dignity. "This, Katy, is the man that has your silver watch; and he has
consented to deliver it to the rightful owner."
"Let me see the note," said the broker.
"No, I won't," replied Katy, pretty sharply. "You are a naughty man,
and I won't trust you with it."
"But I will give you, the watch."
"Give it to me, and then I will show you the note," replied Katy, who
was thinking more of getting the precious relic than of having the
broker punished.
The broker took the watch from his pocket and handed it to her, and in
return she produced the mayor's note.
"I suppose there is no need of your delivering this note now?"
continued the broker, with a cunning smile.
"No; I don't care anything about it, now that I have got the watch,"
replied Katy, rejoiced beyond measure to recover the treasure.
"Well, then, I am somewhat acquainted with the marshal, and I will hand
him the note, and explain the circumstances. He will be perfectly
satisfied."
Katy didn't care whether he was satisfied or not, so long as she had
the watch. But the broker entered the marshal's office, and they could
not see him put the note in his pocket.
"I am so glad I got it!" exclaimed Katy.
"I doubt whether you could have recovered it if I had not used my
influence in your favor," remarked Simon, complacently. "I went to his
office, and assured him my friend the mayor had already taken the
matter in hand. I talked pretty severely to him, and he got frightened.
After all, the best way is to use very pointed language to these
fellows."
"I thank you very much, Master Simon, and I hope I shall be able to do
something for you some time."
But Messrs. Sands & Co.'s affairs were suffering, perhaps, and Simon
hastened back to the store, and Katy ran home to cheer her mother with
the sight of the recovered relic.