Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1870-04-13

TOMS Capital Joke.

Tom Devon had just thought of such a cap.
ital Joke.
The treasurer was passing round the con-
tribution box in Sunday school when the good
joke came into Toms mind, and the Joke was
to drop acounterieit bill into the box. Toms
father, the night before, had taken bad fifty
cent bill from his pocket, saying " There, /
must throw that away. If | am not careful
| shall pass 1t on some one who cannot afford
to lose fifty cents as well as can" But Tom
had pickedup the money and keptt. He had
shown it to the boys in his class, not letting
them have a very good look at it, lest some OF
them should detect the cheat As Toms
father sometimes gave his son considerable
money to put into the box the boys did not
take much notice when Tom put it in, except
when he SAID, " That was my money" The
boy next ohim madea face, aud said, Oh ="
as if he did not believe a word Of it. Just
then the bell rang to close school, and moth
ing more was said about it.
Mr.. Barnes the treasurer, as he was going
home late after school, took the contribution
money aud put it into his pocket Happen
ing to want some small change he took some
from the envelope Of Sunday school money and
put bill in its place, used the change he
wanted, and put the rest in his vest pocket
One Of the small bills that he took out was
Toms counterfeit fifty cents. 1t remained
undsturbed for a couple Of days. One after
noon, about dusk, as he was visiting a poor
woman in rickety tenement house, she told
him Of poor family in great want, down
stairs. The Oldest child was a boy about
eleven years old, just about Toms age but he
was not so large Mr.. Barnes gave him Toms
fifty cent piece, and told him to get some wood
for fire, and some supper. Little Will pick
ed up his ragged cap, buttoned his ragged jack
ct closer round him and ran out into the cold
night His bare feet were chilled by the cold
stones, and the night wind whistled through
his jacket, but he held the money tightly in
his hand, and ran to the bakers. There was
new man there, and poor WILL shivering
with cold, held out the money and asked for
ONE bread. The baker showed two loaves
toward him, and took the money. lie hand
ed it right back, saying,
" That's bad give me something else"
That's all have" said VIII.
Give me back that bread then" said
the man, roughly. "I believe that you
knew the bill was counterfeit"
Indeed / did not, began WILL but the
man stopped him, saying, Come, be off, -
and as VIII opened the door to 60, he added
" take care of your counterfeit money"
A policeman standing near heard the last
remark, and followed VIII down the street
as the boy walked off viii did not notice
the policeman; he was saying to himself,
q" That gentleman couldn't have given me bad
money I'll try at apother place" Here he
vas refused, and went, almost in despair, into
a grocery store The policeman who had fol.
lowed him, entered and in spite of the childs
crying took him off to the station-house for
trying to pass bad money.
A gentleman gave it to me" said viii. |
I've no doubt of it" answered the po-
liceman. guess you know more about it
than you pretend to-
Meanwhile Willie's sick mother and little
brothers and sisters waited for him. He did
not come. An hour passed, then two, and no
VIII. By and by they heard a mans step on
the stairs, and when they opened the door
there stood Mr.. Barnes, with some food and
clothes for them. Instead of the happy faces
that he hoped to see around little fire, they
sat in the dark, and the little ones had cried
themselves to sleep on the floor.
Bad news travels fast 1t did not take
Mr. Barnes long to find what had become of
poor Will. While the children warmed
themselves by bright FIRE and eat the sup
per that Mr.. Barnes had brought them, he
went to the station house to find Will He
tried to think, as he went, how Will could
have got counterfeit money, and finally con-
cluded tnat it must have been some Of the
Sunday school money
Poor viii had to stay all night in the sta
ton house. In the cell that was next to the
one he was locked up in was drunken man,
who swore, aud shouted and sang drunken
songs till towards morning. There were
others, thieves and drunken men, that Will
was taken into court with, but Mr.. Barnes
was there and got him liberated Immediately. |
1t was not very pleasant for win to hear a
great ugly boy that lived in the same house
with him call out in the street "Why, viii, |
how long have you been out Of jail 2"
Next Sunday Mr.. Barnes told the superin-
tendent of the Sunday school that he wanted
to speak to the boys. "Boys," said he,
" there was large piece of money put into
the box last Sunday; can you tell me who |
put it in ?" Tom did not feel inclined to
tell but one of the boys near him, who thought
it very nice that one of their class should
have given so much, answered, Tom
Devon"
"Stand up, Tom," said Mr.. Barnes.
"Did you put fifty cents in the box last
Sunday 2"
"Yes, SIR
"Was it good bill 2"
Il only put it in for fun" said Tom "the
other boys put in buttons sometimes"
Then Mr.. Barnes told the whole story.
How would any of you have liked to be in
Toms place ?