A Hive of Busy Bees | Page 7

the chest.' And he handed the druggist a five-dollar gold-piece.
"The druggist took the money and said with a smile, 'Now you may place the bolts and screws back in the chest just as you have them arranged in the boxes.'
"After he had done that, Charles was sent on a few errands; and then he was dismissed for the day.
"A few days later the druggist gave Charles a key and said, 'You may come early in the morning and open the store, and do the sweeping and dusting.'
"At the end of the first week, when Charles received his pay-envelope, he found the five-dollar gold-piece along with the week's wages.
"One morning not long afterward, when Charles was sweeping the floor, he found a few pennies lying near the counter. He picked them up and laid them on the shelf, and told the druggist about them. Another day he found some pennies, a dime, and two nickels. These too he laid on the shelf, telling the druggist where he had found them.
"About a month later, when he was sweeping one morning, he found a bright, shiny new dollar. How he did wish he might keep it for himself!
"'The druggist would never know it,' whispered a tiny voice.
"But just at that instant, Bee Honest began to buzz around his ears. 'Don't forget what Mother told you,' said the bee. 'She said she would never be ashamed of you, as long as you were perfectly honest.'
"Charles turned the shiny dollar over and over in his hand. The bee kept on buzzing--'Never do anything that will make your mother ashamed of you. Be honest! Be honest!'
"'Yes,' said Charles at last, 'I will.' He laid the dollar up on the shelf; and when the druggist came in, he told him about it.
"The druggist smiled and patted him on the shoulder. 'You are an honest boy,' was all he said. And at the end of the week, Charles found the shiny dollar in his pay-envelope, beside his usual wages.
"A few weeks later, the druggist began to give Charles large sums of money to take to the bank for him. 'I have found that I can trust you, my boy,' he would say.
"Charles worked in the store all that summer; and when school opened again, he helped the druggist mornings and evenings. His tired mother did not have to take in so many washings now; for Charles always gave her his money at the end of the week.
"After he had finished school, the druggist gave him a steady job in the store, with good wages.
"'Charles,' said the druggist one day, 'do you remember the day you sorted bolts and nails for me?'
"'Indeed I do,' answered Charles. 'How glad I was to find work that day, so I could help my mother a little! And I shall never forget how surprised I was when I found a five-dollar gold-piece at the bottom of the chest.'
"'I put it there on purpose,' said the druggist. 'I wanted to find out what sort of boy you were.'
"'You did!' exclaimed the astonished boy.
"'Yes; and when you brought it to me I was pretty sure that I had found an honest boy. But I wanted to be able to trust you with large sums of money, so I tested you still further. I left pennies and nickels and a dime on the floor; and last of all, a dollar. When you picked them all up, and laid them on the shelf, and told me about them--I knew then that I could safely trust you.'
"'I should like to ask you,' said Charles suddenly--'was there a gold-piece lying in the bottom of that chest when Joe and Henry sorted the nails, too?'
"'Yes,' said the druggist, 'each of them found a gold-piece there; and each of them kept it for himself.'
"'So you lost ten dollars!' exclaimed Charles.
"'Yes, lost ten dollars hunting for an honest boy. But it was worth it--for I found one at last!'"
"Is that the end of the story?" asked Joyce, as Grandma paused.
"Not quite," said Grandpa, who had been listening. "Tell them what happened to Henry and Joe."
"Oh yes; I must not forget to tell you about them," said Grandma. "Soon after Charles started working for the druggist, Henry was caught stealing some things from a department store. He was arrested; but his father paid the fine, so he was allowed to go free.
"But his dishonest habits soon got him into trouble again. He broke into a house while the family was away, and stole some money. He was sent to a reformatory for boys; and he had to stay there a long time. After that, he never could keep a job long; for he was so dishonest that no one could depend on him.
"Joe did not get into so much trouble in his boyhood;