Children -- Conduct of life -- Juvenile fiction; Country life -- Juvenile fiction; Cousins -- Juvenile fiction
They went to the stone, and, true enough, one was gone. They looked
around, but it was no where to be found. Boys that are out of humor with
one another, are never at a loss for subjects of dispute; and Rollo said
he believed James had taken it, and James charged it upon Rollo. Then
there was a dispute who should have the one that was left. James knew it
was his; he said he remembered _exactly_ how his looked; and Rollo knew
it was his, for the head and the stars were very bright on his, and they
were very bright on this. James, however, had the half dollar, and would
not give it up; and so Rollo went to Jonas, and told him that James had
got his half dollar.
Jonas came, and heard the whole story from both of the boys. James said
he _knew_ the one that was left was his, for he remembered exactly how
it looked, and he also remembered exactly the very spot on the stone
where he put it down.
James did not mean to tell a lie, but he was a little angry and excited,
and when boys are in that state of mind, they are very apt to say they
know not what.
Jonas looked at both sides of the half dollar very attentively.
"Which half dollar was it," said he, "that you tried to get the eagle
off of?"
"Mine," said Rollo; "let me see."
Jonas held down the half dollar, and showed to Rollo and James the marks
and scratches made by the pin; proving that this was Rollo's half
dollar. James looked ashamed and confounded; Jonas just waited to hear
what he would say.
HEARTS RIGHT AGAIN.
James stood still a minute, thinking, presently he said,
"Well, Rollo, I suppose my half dollar is lost, but I am glad yours is
safe, at any rate."
"I am sorry yours is lost," said Rollo, "but then I can give you half of
what I buy with mine."
"Where did you put the half dollars?" said Jonas.
"On that rock," said Rollo.
They walked along towards the rock. It was by the edge of the water;
Jonas thought that as they had been dragging boughs of trees along near
the rock, some little branch might have reached over and brushed off one
of the pieces of money into the water. So he walked up to it and looked
over.
In a minute or two, he pointed down, and the boys looked and saw
something bright and glittering on the bottom.
"Is that it?" said James.
"I believe it is," said Jonas. Jonas then took off his jacket, rolled up
his shirt sleeve, lay down on the rock, and reached his arm down into
the water, but it was a little too deep. He could not reach it.
"I cannot get it so," said he.
"What shall we do?" said James. "How foolish I was to put it so near the
water!"
"I think we shall contrive some way to get it," said Jonas.
He then sat down on the rock and looked into the water. "We can go home
and get a long pair of tongs, and get it with them at any rate," said
he.
"O, yes," said Rollo, "I will go and get them;" and he ran off towards
the bridge.
"No," said Jonas, "stop; I will try one plan more."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account