Bob Chesters Grit | Page 2

Bob, he asked:
"Would your guardian object seriously if you did not deliver your order
for about half an hour?"
"I don't know. Saturday is always a busy day at the store, and Mr.
Dardus always scolds me if I don't get right back. It doesn't make any
difference to him how far I have to go, he always thinks I should be
back within fifteen minutes after I have started. So I'd rather not
delay--because I don't like to be scolded," added the boy, as though by
way of apologizing for his refusal.
"Well, if we gave you a dollar, don't you think you could stand the old
man's scolding, if you were half an hour late?" asked the elder of the
New Yorkers, at the same time putting his hand in his pocket and
drawing forth a large roll of bills, which he opened ostentatiously. The
figures were so large that Bob's eyes seemed as though they would pop
out of his head, so eagerly did they scan them. The man extracted a
dollar bill.
The sight of so much money in the possession of one man fairly
hypnotized the boy, and he replied:
"Do you mean you will give me a whole dollar if I will wait here half
an hour?"
"That's what!" exclaimed the man with the roll of bills. "But there is a
little more to it. Our friend, Mr. Anthony Simpkins, and we, have an

important business transaction in hand, involving fifteen hundred
dollars. My friend and I don't happen to have more than five hundred
dollars with us, while Mr. Simpkins has seven hundred and fifty, and so
we want you to hold this money while my friend and I go to our bank
and get the two hundred and fifty dollars more, which is our share in
the deal."
"What, me hold twelve hundred and fifty dollars!" exclaimed Bob, as
though unable to believe his ears. "Why, you don't know anything
about me. I might run off with it."
"You look honest," replied the man who had hailed him, "and that's
why we stopped you. Besides, you wouldn't be able to run away if you
wanted to, because Mr. Simpkins is going to wait here with you until
we return."
"And you will give me a dollar just for keeping the money until you
come back?" demanded Bob.
"Exactly."
"All right. That's half as much as I get for working a week."
"That's the boy. I am glad to see that you have the sense of thrift so
strongly developed. Now we will just put Mr. Simpkins' seven hundred
and fifty dollars and our five hundred dollars in this envelope, which
you will keep until we return."
As he spoke, the elder of the New Yorkers counted out five hundred
dollars, put it in the envelope, and then asked the countryman for his
share. After verifying the amount, he placed it with the other money,
then handed an envelope to Bob, exclaiming:
"Now you two stay right here, and we will be back within fifteen
minutes."
"All right, sir," said Bob, as he grasped the envelope. And as his fingers
closed about it, he unconsciously threw back his head, and squared his

shoulders, proud of the thought that he had been selected as the
custodian of such a large sum of money.
Again repeating their promise to return within a quarter of an hour, the
two New Yorkers hastened away, and were soon lost among the people
who thronged the thoroughfare.
Oblivious as the people who live in New York are to the presence of
their fellowmen, the sight of the man so obviously from the country
and the bright-eyed, alert boy, closely clasping the envelope in one
hand, while at his feet rested the basket packed with groceries, attracted
many a passing glance.
Between Simpkins and Bob, however, no words were exchanged;
though each, while apparently gazing at the passersby, kept a sharp
lookout upon the other.
Minute after minute went by, without the return of the two men, who
had said they were going to the bank for money, and as the time wore
on without their re-appearance, Simpkins exclaimed:
"I wonder what's keeping them? I don't want to stand here all day."
"And I can't," said Bob. "I will be more than half an hour late in getting
back to the store, and I know Mr. Dardus will be very angry. I most
wish I hadn't said I'd wait. It just shows that Mr. Dardus is right when
he says there is no pleasure in having money that isn't earned honestly,
and getting a dollar for just holding this money isn't really honest
work."
"Well, if you think you ought to be delivering your groceries, why not
give the envelope to