The Young Bridge-Tender | Page 5

draw. The
bridge, which had been closed by Ralph immediately after the rescue of
Horace Kelsey, was opened for their accommodation.
While the young bridge tender was waiting for the last vessel to clear
the draw the young man from New York came back from the cottage,
bringing with him the lunch Mrs. Nelson usually brought herself. There
was no time for dinner during the middle of the day, and so the family
had their principal meal at night, when the draw was closed for the day,
and Bob Sanderson went on to collect the toll.
"Your mother gave me the lunch," said Horace Kelsey, as he handed
the basket to Ralph. "I told her I was coming down to see you."

"Is your clothing dry?"
"Oh, yes. She was kind enough to lend me some which had belonged to
your father, and built up an extra hot fire to dry my own. She also
pressed out my suit, as you can see. Your mother is a very
accommodating lady."
Horace Kelsey did not add that he had paid Mrs. Nelson liberally for
her kindness, for he was not one to brag in that direction. Nevertheless,
Ralph heard of it later on.
In the basket were several sandwiches of cold corned beef and
half-a-dozen peaches. Ralph offered one of the peaches to the young
man, which he took, and both sat down to eat.
"You will find a tavern up the main road, a two minutes' walk from
here," began the youth, thinking that Horace Kelsey might wish for
something more substantial in the way of food.
"Thank you, but your mother supplied me with a very good lunch while
I was waiting, Ralph," returned the young man. "Don't mind me, but go
ahead and enjoy your lunch."
Ralph at once set to, for he was hungry. His companion looked up the
lake for a moment in silence, and then went on:
"I came down here to reward you, Ralph," he said, hesitatingly.
"Reward me? What for, Mr. Kelsey?"
"For saving my life."
"I don't think I did as much as that. Anybody could have pulled you
from the water."
"They might not have been as quick as you were. I feel I owe you
something for your prompt aid."
"I don't want anything, sir. I would have done as much for any one."

"I do not doubt it, and it is to your credit to say so. But I feel I ought to
do something for you. Will you accept this--not as payment for what
was done, for I could not pay for that in this way--but as a gift from a
friend?"
And Horace Kelsey drew from his vest pocket a new and crisp
twenty-dollar bill.
"I don't see as I ought to take it," hesitated Ralph.
"But you will. Here, don't let it blow overboard," and the young man
from New York thrust it into Ralph's hand, directly between a sandwich
he was holding.
"Indeed I won't let it blow away. I thank you ver--hallo! you have made
a big mistake."
"How?"
"This is a twenty-dollar bill."
"I see no mistake about that," and Horace Kelsey smiled quietly.
"You don't mean to say you meant to give me twenty dollars?"
"I did. It is little enough for such a service."
"It's too much. I thought it was a one-dollar bill, sir."
"I would not be mean enough to offer you only a dollar, Ralph. A man
isn't pulled from a watery grave, as the poets call it, every day."
"I don't think I ought to take all this money," returned the young bridge
tender slowly.
"I do, so put it into your pocket and say no more about it."
Ralph continued to argue the point, but was finally persuaded to place
the bill in his private purse.

"Your mother has been telling me a little about your family affairs,"
went on Horace Kelsey. "It's a pity you haven't a clear title to this land
about here."
"We have a clear enough title if only we can find the papers in this
case," returned Ralph, promptly.
"I understand a syndicate from Chambersburgh are thinking of locating
a big shoe factory here. If they do that, Westville will have a boom."
"It would have boomed long ago if it hadn't been for Squire Paget and
some others. They hold their land so high and keep the taxes on the hat
factory up so, the manufacturers are scared away."
"That is true, especially when other places donate them land free and
exempt them from all taxation for from five to ten years."
"Do they do that?"
"Certainly, and in many cases it pays very well, for the factories
employ hundreds of hands, who receive fair wages, and that is spent in
the place