The Young Bridge-Tender | Page 6

dreaming. But there was the money true enough. There was a grease spot on one corner of the bill, left by the butter on the sandwich, but this did no harm.
"Hallo, there, Ralph Nelson, counting your fortune!" cried a rude voice from the shore, and looking up, Ralph saw a loudly-dressed youth approaching. He hastily slipped the twenty-dollar bill into his pocket.
CHAPTER IV.
THE QUARREL ON THE BRIDGE.
The boy on the shore was Percy Paget, the squire's only son. He was a year older than Ralph, and somewhat taller and heavier. His ways were arrogant to the last degree, and in the village he had but few friends, and these only because he generally had pocket money to spend.
On several occasions Ralph had had sharp words with Percy because the latter wished to do as he pleased on the bridge, against the printed rules that were posted up. Because his parent was squire, Percy imagined he could do almost anything and it would be all right.
"I say, are you counting your fortune?" repeated Percy, throwing as much of a sneer into his tones as possible.
"Unfortunately, I haven't any fortune to count, Percy," returned the young bridge tender, good-naturedly.
"Humph! I suppose you mean that for a pun, don't you?" growled the son of the squire. "If you do, let me tell you it's a mighty poor one."
"I hadn't intended to pun, Percy."
"I didn't think so, for you haven't the brains. Didn't I see you counting some money just now?"
"I was looking at a bank bill."
"That you got on the bridge, I suppose?"
"No; it was a bill of my own."
"Oh, I thought you had to use all the money you made here."
"I have to use the most of it. My pay isn't any too large, as you know."
"Yes, but I guess you make enough besides," returned Percy, suggestively.
"What do you mean?"
"You've got plenty of chance on the bridge, with so many odd pennies coming in."
"Do you mean to insinuate I steal the toll money?" demanded Ralph, angered at the insinuation.
"I didn't say so," sneered the other, more suggestively than ever.
"But you meant it."
"Well, what if I did?"
"It's mean of you, Percy Paget! I never stole a cent in my life!"
"It's easy enough for you to say so."
"And it's true. You must think that every one is a thief just because somebody was caught stealing tarts out of the bakery."
Ralph was angry, or he would not have spoken as he did. As Percy had been discovered taking tarts and cakes from the counters of a pastry shop in Eastport only a few weeks before, and as he had been threatened with arrest for so doing, the squire's son reddened at once.
"See here, Ralph Nelson, don't you dare to talk to me like that!" he stormed.
"I have more grounds to talk than you, Percy Paget!"
"No, you haven't, you low upstart!"
"Hold on, Percy, I am no upstart!"
"Yes, you are. What was your father? Only a poor boatman on the lakes."
"He was a hard-working man, and an honest one," returned Ralph, warmly.
"Oh, of course, and you were all next door to beggars until my father took pity on him, and gave him the job on the bridge."
"It was the committee, and not your father, who gave him the situation."
"Well, it was the same thing, for the committee have to do as my father says."
"I doubt it."
"I don't care for your opinion! I know one thing. They ought to have somebody else to mind the bridge, and perhaps they will have before long."
"Why, what do you mean?" asked Ralph, in quick alarm.
"Ha! ha! I thought that would wake you up."
"Is somebody trying to undermine me?"
"You'll hear of it soon enough, never fear."
And with this parting shot, which was not without its effect, Percy started to cross the bridge.
"Hold on!" cried Ralph.
"What do you want now?"
"The toll money."
"I'm only going to the Eastport end of the bridge. I'll be back in a couple of minutes."
"That makes no difference. Every one who crosses the bridge has to pay toll."
"But I'm coming right back."
"I don't care if you return as soon as you strike the last plank. You have got to pay, or you can't cross," returned Ralph, firmly.
"I won't pay a cent!" blustered Percy, angrily.
"Then you can't cross."
"And who will stop me, I'd like to know?"
"I will."
"You can't do it."
"Perhaps I can. Anyway, if you don't pay I'll try. You know the rules just as well as I do."
"There ain't any fellow in Westville can stop me from going where I please!" howled the squire's son, and once more he started to walk on.
With a quick movement, Ralph stepped in front of the aristocratic bully.
"Not another step, until you pay the toll!" he exclaimed, his eyes flashing their determination.
"Out of my way, you upstart!" roared Percy.
And, raising his fist, he