THE FIRST OF JULY.
"Hurrah! hurrah! hurrah!" shouted Stumpy, as soon as the door had closed
upon his amiable grandfather.
He threw up his hat to the ceiling, and demonstrated in the most
extravagant manner, to the great amusement of Mr. Hamilton and Leopold.
Mrs. Wormbury cried with joy, and was not less happy than her son.
"Come, Stumpfield, don't go crazy," said she.
"The house is paid for, mother, and you don't owe a single dollar in the
whole world to any man, woman or child--except Leopold," shouted Stumpy,
checking himself at the end of his enthusiastic discourse. "We ought to
give him five hundred dollars of this money."
"Not a cent of it to me!" protested the skipper of the Rosabel; "but you
may do it in the other way if you like."
"I will, and I know mother will.--Mother," continued Stumpy with energy,
"we owe all this to Leopold. He was honest, clear up to the hub; if he
hadn't been, we shouldn't have got a cent of this money which father
earned. We should have been turned out of the house on the first of
August, and had to grub our way worse than ever. Now the house is paid
for, and we have nearly eighteen hundred dollars in cash. That will give
us over a hundred dollars interest money, which will make it a soft
thing for us. No interest money to pay, either; so that we shall be a
hundred and fifty dollars better off than we were before; and all
because Leopold was honest, and did the right thing."
"I am sure I am very grateful to him, for my own and my children's
sake," added Mrs. Wormbury.
"That don't pay any bills, mother," protested Stumpy. "Leopold's father
is in trouble. My beloved grandad will come down upon him like a
thousand of bricks, on the first of July, if he don't pay the interest
on his note; and Le says his father can't do it."
"I'm very sorry," sighed Mrs. Wormbury.
"That don't pay any bills, mother; and we must do something more than
being sorry. I want to lend this money--this eighteen hundred
dollars--to Mr. Bennington right off. He will be able to pay us after
this season."
"I think you can safely do this, Mrs. Wormbury," added the merchant. "I
will indorse the landlord's note, and thus guarantee its payment."
"I'm sure I shall be very glad to do so," said the widow, with a
cheerful smile, which proved that she meant all she said.
"I shall be very much obliged to you, and consider myself more than paid
for anything I have done in this business," replied Leopold.
"I am sure you can depend upon Mr. Bennington," said Mr. Hamilton. "Was
any administrator appointed for the estate of your husband, Mrs.
Wormbury?"
"I was appointed administratrix."
"As your husband was not dead at the time, perhaps the appointment does
not hold good at present. You had better procure a reappointment. But in
the mean time I will be responsible for all your acts, and you may take
the landlord's note. I would assist Mr. Bennington myself if it were
not for depriving Stumpy of the pleasure of doing so."
The business was finished, and Mr. Hamilton and Leopold returned to the
hotel. The widow and her son had a long talk over their sudden accession
of fortune; but both of them were painfully perplexed by the revelations
of Harvey Barth's diary. The husband and father had lived more than two
years after they believed he was dead; but the events of this period
seemed to be forever sealed to them. In what manner he had been saved,
and how he came to be in Cuba, made a sad mystery to them; but in due
time the veil was lifted, and they heard the whole story.
The landlord of the Sea Cliff House was in the office when his son
returned. All the guests had gone to walk on the cliffs, and the house
was nearly empty. Mr. Bennington, as usual of late, was sad, perplexed,
and worried. His debts troubled him, and the dreaded first of July was
rapidly approaching. Jones had already told him he must have the three
hundred dollars due him before that time. Others were pressing him
sorely to pay their bills or notes. Two or three had already refused to
give him any further credit for supplies for the hotel, the market-man
among the number. It looked as though he must suspend on the first day
of July.
The finding of the hidden treasure, in spite of what Leopold had said
about keeping it for the possible heirs of the owner, to be discovered
in the future, had given him a strong hope that it might be available to
relieve him from his embarrassments. He thought only of using it to pay
his debts, and restoring it if the heirs were found. But after dinner
the heirs had been found in the family of Joel Wormbury. His hope from
this source was, therefore, plucked away from him almost as soon as it
was awakened. If the New Yorkers staid till the dreaded pay-day, even
the whole of their bills would not pay the amount of his indebtedness;
but it was not probable that they would remain at the house more than a
day or two longer. The most that he could expect from them was enough to
pay Jones, who had threatened to force him into insolvency if he was not
paid.
Everything, therefore looked very gloomy and dark to the landlord, when
his son entered the office.
"You were in a great hurry to get rid of the money you found, Leopold,"
said Mr. Bennington, rather reproachfully.
"I had to be honest, father," replied the son.
"If you had kept still for a few weeks, I might have used the money, and
paid it off in the fall. Of course I didn't mean to have you keep it;
but if I could have had the use of it even a month, it would have saved
me. As it is, I must fail," groaned the landlord. "I can't get over the
first of July any way in the world."
"How much do you owe, father?" asked Leopold.
"About a thousand dollars, which I must pay right off. Mr. Hamilton's
party will probably leave three or four hundred dollars with me; but
that won't save me."
"Well, father, you shall have money enough to pay all you owe, except
the mortgages, to-morrow night," added Leopold, lightly.
"What do you mean?" demanded the landlord, opening his eyes.
"By being honest I have made some good friends. After Stumpy had paid of
the mortgage on his mother's house, which Squire Moses was on the point
of taking from the family, he offered to lend you all the rest of the
money which the gold brings."
"Stumpy?"
"His mother agreed to it, and you will give her a note for the amount,
which Mr. Hamilton promised to indorse."
"But how much money will there be?" asked Mr. Bennington, bewildered by
this unexpected succor.
"Nearly eighteen hundred dollars."
"That will be more than I want."
"You need not take any more than you need; I think the hidden treasure
meets your case better than if I had not found the heirs so soon."
"I declare, I feel as if a ten-ton weight had been lifted from the top
of my head!" exclaimed the landlord.
"I feel better about it now than I should if I had stolen the hidden
treasure," added Leopold.
"So do I. But I will take only twelve hundred dollars of this money; and
I am satisfied that I shall be able to pay it at the end of the season."
The next day the Orion made her excursion to Rockland, and Leopold and
Stumpy were invited to join the party. Rosabel and Isabel were in
excellent spirits, and, as the bay was tolerably smooth, so was Charley
Redmond. Stumpy, dressed in his Sunday clothes, looked more like a
gentleman than usual. Mr. Redmond tried to make fun of him before the
girls, but Stumpy was too much for him, and retorted so smartly that he
turned the laugh upon the fop.
Rosabel's long auburn tresses floated on the breeze, and Leopold could
not help looking at her all the time, thinking that she was the
prettiest girl in the whole world. He was very attentive to her, and
when the yacht anchored in the harbor of Rockland, she permitted him to
hand her into the boat.
Stumpy, by his assiduous devotion to Miss Belle, and especially by his
sharp and witty retorts upon Mr. Redmond, had won her regard, and the
coxcomb had to step one side. Charley was disgusted and had to seek his
companions among the older people of the party, to whom he had much to
say about these "country swells."
Mr. Hamilton did his financial business in the city, disposing of the
gold at two hundred and nine, as the telegraph reported the rate to be
in New York.
In the afternoon the breeze freshened, and, with Leopold for a pilot,
the yacht sailed up the bay, and the party enjoyed the trip till the
last moment, when they landed in Rockhaven. In the evening the merchant
went to Mrs. Wormbury's house, and paid her the balance of the eighteen
hundred and eight dollars, which the gold had produced. With so much
money in the house, the widow and her eldest son could not sleep; but
early the next morning Mr. Bennington received, and gave his note for,
twelve hundred dollars of it, leaving Stumpy, who was the financier on
this occasion, embarrassed with six hundred more. He did not know what
to do with it, and Leopold advised him to put it in Herr Schlager's
safe. They went to the watch-maker's for this purpose. In front of the
shop they saw Deacon Bowman engaged in an earnest conversation with
Squire Moses Wormbury. Stumpy heard his grandfather say something about
"bonus" as he passed him.
"There's a trade," said he to Leopold, as they entered the shop. "My
beloved grandad is going to gouge the deacon out of some money, I know
by the looks of him."
"Deacon Bowman looks troubled," added Leopold.
"He wants to borrow money, I suppose," replied Stumpy. "Hark!"
Stumpy went out of the shop, and while he pretended to be looking at the
goods in Herr Schlager's window, he listened to the conversation till
the two men separated, and the deacon entered the watch-maker's shop.
"You are driving a hard trade, with Squire Moses," said Stumpy,
following the deacon into the shop.
"Did you hear it?" asked Deacon Bowman, with a troubled expression.
"I heard part of it. Squire Moses is to lend you six hundred dollars,
and you are to give him a note and mortgage on your house for seven
hundred--a bonus of one hundred, besides the interest," added Stumpy.
"I did not agree to it, but I want the money very badly. My son, who is
in business in Portland, is in trouble, and I am raising this money for
him," replied the deacon, with a shudder. "If I don't furnish it, my son
will be--Did you hear the rest?"
"No, sir, I did not, and I don't want to hear it."
"I'm glad you don't."
The deacon's son had forged an indorsement, and if the note was not
paid, exposure was certain; and Squire Moses was taking advantage of the
circumstances.
"Make the note and mortgage for six hundred dollars to Sarah Wormbury,
administratrix, and here is the money," added Stumpy, taking the balance
of the proceeds of the hidden treasure from his pocket, rejoiced to be
able to help the worthy deacon, and at the same time to head off a mean
act of his grandfather.
Deacon Bowman had heard all about the good fortune which had come to
Joel Wormbury's family, and he readily comprehended where the money in
the hands of the young man came from.
"I promised to meet Squire Moses here in an hour, and give him my final
answer," added he. "I will have the papers ready as soon as I can."
Herr Schlager put the money in his safe, as requested; but in less than
an hour Deacon Bowman came with his papers, the mortgage and note duly
signed, acknowledged, and witnessed. He received the money, and his
heart seemed to be glad. By the time the business was finished, Squire
Moses arrived, satisfied that the unfortunate deacon would be compelled
to accept his hard conditions.
"I shall not want the money, Squire Moses," said Deacon Bowman.
"Not want it!" exclaimed the old skinflint, taken all aback by this
announcement.
Squire Moses was very anxious to re-invest the sum he had received for
the mortgage of Joel's place, and he was greatly disappointed to lose so
good a speculation as that he had proposed to the deacon.
"I shall not want it; in fact I have been able to make a better
arrangement," replied Deacon Bowman.
"Where did you get the money?" demanded the squire.
"Your grandson, here, loaned it to me on his mother's account."
If Squire Moses was disappointed before, he was mad now. He looked
daggers at Stumpy, who was not afraid of him, now that the debt was
paid.
"Of course you told him about your son," sneered the money-lender.
"I did not," replied the deacon sadly.
"People will be likely to know all about it now."
"They will be likely to know at the same time that somebody required me
to mortgage my place for seven hundred dollars, in order to obtain six
hundred," added the deacon, sharply.
Squire Moses was startled, for he valued his reputation more than his
character as known to God and himself.
"Perhaps neither of us had better say anything," said he, biting his
lip, and leaving the shop.
"We will keep still till Squire Moses lets on," said Stumpy; and
everybody except the usurer was pleased.
Stumpy went home, and told his mother what he had done in her name, with
which she was entirely satisfied. In due time the release and the
mortgage were recorded; Mrs. Wormbury was re-appointed administratrix
and guardian of her children, and all other necessary legal steps were
taken to prevent any future difficulty, if Squire Moses was disposed to
question the widow's proceedings.
The first of July came. The New York party were still at the Sea Cliff
House, though nearly every day they made an excursion in the Orion. They
were still enjoying themselves to the utmost, and the hotel grew in
favor with them the longer they stayed. Mr. Bennington had quietly paid
every bill presented to him, without informing any one that he was "in
funds." Squire Moses had not been near him; in fact, the old man had
been to Bangor to look out for a piece of property on which he held a
mortgage, and about which there was "a hitch." In his absence, the
landlord's creditors, seeing that he was doing a good business, did not
disturb him. Even Jones kept away till the first day of the month; but
when he presented himself, his note was promptly paid.
While he was still in the office of the hotel, Squire Moses, who had
just returned from Bangor, entered, with his mortgage note in his hand.
He was very cross and very ugly, for he was in peril of losing the whole
or part of the money he had loaned on the Bangor property. As he had
stirred up all the landlord's creditors, he was confident that Mr.
Bennington would not be able to pay him.
"I want the interest money to-day," said he, sharply as he stepped up to
the counter, behind which the landlord stood.
"Can't you wait till next week? When these New York folks leave, I shall
have more money than I have now," replied Mr. Bennington, who, knowing
just what his hard creditor wanted, was disposed to thorn him a little.
"I must have the money to-day," added Squire Moses more mildly, for he
began to feel that the business was in just the condition he wished it
to be.
"It has been a pretty tight time with me for money," pleaded Mr.
Bennington.
"It has with everybody; but if you can't pay me my interest money, say
so."
"But suppose I can't pay it; you won't be hard with me--will you?"
"I expect folks to do just what they agree to do. I don't want any long
stories about it," added Squire Moses, who was secretly happy.
"Waiting till next week won't make any difference with you."
"I think I know my own business best. I understand you to say you can't
pay. Here is Jones, and in his presence, as a witness, I demand the
money."
"Just so," replied the landlord; "but if--"
"No buts about it, Mr. Bennington. I don't want to talk all day about
nothing. You can't pay; that's enough;" and the squire moved towards the
door, followed by Jones, who desired to pay his note.
"Squire Wormbury," called the landlord, "one word."
The usurer walked back to the counter, determined, however, not to
prolong the argument. Mr. Bennington took a well-filled pocket-book
from the iron safe, from which he counted out the amount due the squire.
"I thought you said you couldn't pay it," growled Squire Moses, whose
heart sank within him when he saw the bottom drop out of the nice little
plan--a very stupid one, by the way--which he had arranged with Ethan.
"I didn't say so. I only asked if you would wait till next week,"
laughed the landlord.
"Fooling with me--were you?" snapped the squire.
"I understood a while ago that the Sea Cliff House was to have a new
landlord about the first of July, and I wanted to see how you felt about
it to-day."
"Who said so?"
"Well, you and Ethan talked it over together. You were to take
possession, if I didn't pay the interest, turn me out and put your son
Ethan in."
"Who said I did?"
"No matter about that. You and he had the talk in the parlor of your
house; and I can prove it, if necessary."
But the landlord did not wish to do so, for it would expose Stumpy, who
had given the information to Leopold.
"I don't calculate to have anything which the law don't give me,"
growled Squire Moses, as he picked up his money, and indorsed the
payment on the back of the note.
"The law don't give you the Sea Cliff House, and it never will," added
Mr. Bennington, as the money-lender turned to leave.
"Hold on, Squire Moses," interposed Jones; "I want to take up that note
of mine."
"You needn't pay it yet," replied the usurer, who had over a thousand
dollars on hand now, which he had been unable thus far to invest, for he
did not believe in the government and the war, and refused to buy bonds.
"I want to pay it now. I won't owe you anything after what I have heard
to-day. I'm afraid I shall lose my place," answered Jones.
The debtor and creditor left together. Jones paid his note. People began
to believe that it was not prudent to borrow money of Squire Moses, for
he was "tricky" as well as hard.
In the course of that day Mr. Bennington paid every dollar of his
indebtedness in Rockhaven. Those who had refused him credit were profuse
in their apologies, and some of them confessed that they were "put up to
it" by Squire Moses.
The next day the Orion departed, with all her party, for New York.
Mr. Hamilton paid the bill, which amounted to over seven hundred
dollars, without a question, and promised to come again the next season.
Leopold assisted the party in going on board of the yacht, and shook
hands at parting with Rosabel. He watched the vessel, with the beautiful
girl waving her handkerchief to him, till she was out of sight. He was
sorry to have her go, for it was a pleasure for him to look at her. He
had sailed her to High Rock the day before, and she had said a great
many pleasant things to him. It was a quiet time at the Sea Cliff House
after the departure of the New York guests, but Leopold missed Rosabel
more than all others, and even then began to look forward to her
return.