There wasn't much to take."
"It's a pity. I am sorry it happened under my roof. But we slept
very sound last night, Jack and me, and that's the way it must have
come."
She looked at them critically, to detect, if she could, whether they
suspected her husband or herself, but both the travelers were on
their guard.
"Did you have much taken, ma'am?" asked Bradley.
"No," she answered hurriedly, rather ashamed of the imposture. "We
ain't rich, Jack nor I."
"What I am most sorry for," said Ben, "is that we have nothing to
pay for our accommodations."
"You're welcome to your lodging and what you've ate," said the woman
sincerely. "And, if you like, I'll put up some luncheon for you to
eat by and by."
"Thank you, ma'am, it will be very acceptable," answered Bradley.
"She's better than her husband," thought Ben.
"After all, we haven't lost much, for we shall get nearly the worth
of our lost money."
The woman remarked, with some surprise, that they did not take their
loss much to heart.
"How do you expect to get along without money?" she could not help
asking.
"We're used to roughing it, ma'am," said Bradley. "I'm an old miner,
and I think I can find some of my old chums before long.
Pages:
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138