"Seven dollars and forty-two cents," she announced. "Any more?"
Uncle John hesitated a moment, and then drew from an inner pocket of
his coat a thin wallet. From this, when she had received it from his
hand, the girl abstracted two ten and one five dollar bills, all crisp
and new.
"Good gracious!" she cried, delightedly. "All this wealth, and you
pleading poverty?"
"I never said I was a pauper," returned Uncle John, complacently.
"You couldn't, and be truthful, sir," declared the girl. "Why, this
will last for ages, and I'll put it away safe and be liberal with
your allowance. Let me see," pushing the coins about with her slender
fingers, "you just keep the forty-two cents, Uncle John. It'll do for
car-fare and a bit of lunch now and then, and when you get broke you
can come to me."
"He smokes," observed the Major, significantly.
"Bah! a pipe," said Patsy. "And Bull Durham is only five cents a bag,
and a bag ought to last a week. And every Saturday night, sir, you
shall have a cigar after dinner, with the Major. It's it our regular
practice."
"Thank you, Patsy," said Uncle John, meekly, and gathered up his
forty-two cents.
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