The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1895-05-22
Money that Did Not Belong to Him.

raft of noisy boys, who, finding a
little stretch OF shade thrown by Mr..
Fosters tall, new house, took advan-
tage of it for their game.
don't know just what the game was,
but it kicked up great deal of dust and
great deal of noise, and seemed to be
very exciting. One thing l could not
help seeing from my window that dis
quoted me. 1t was that pennies were
passing from one pocket to another.
When the whrling top reeled and fell
on one side of certain mark made in
the dust, there would be a whoop
among one side of the crowd, and PEN
MES passed from hand to hand. 1 did
not like the looks of that.
Presently a rather grim-looking old
fellow, with a gray moustache and
patch over one eye, came along, walk
ing stiffly on wooden leg. He stopped
| long enough to see what the boys were
doing, and then l heard him call out in
resonant voice:
George Maxwell !"
Sir" answered a young voice,
promptly; and a handsome, straight
little fellow stepped out from the crowd.
"There's little story I've been
wanting to tell you for long while,
and l think this is good chance"
A look passed among the boys which
seemed to say that they didn't agree
with him about this being a good
chance, but he took advantage of their
silence to begin his story.
"When we were all surrounded at
Appomattox," began the old Confeder-
ate, "a friend of niue had several hum
dred dollars in gold belonging to the
Confederate government, which had
been put into his hands to buy ord
nance stores abroad.
"'What am 1 going to do with this
gold p said he.
"Why, colonel said l, come with
me. Well look up what's left of the
Confederate government, and turn it in
"But, almost before we had gotten out
of Virginia, Davis had been captured,
and the Confederate government was a
thing Of the past.
"'Now, what am going to do with
this gold p said the colonel.
"'Well, colonel said l, you are as
much the Confederate government as
anybody else now; and 1 advise you to
keep the money, and use it to get
start somewhere
lc uiuu ccCtu W llhC tuio iuOd5
said he wasn't in the habit of using
money that didn't belong to him. But
every body he consulted gave him the
same advice; and 30 after while he
gave it to two friends of his, young
soldiers, who had come out of the war
without cent, and set up in business
in small way.
"We'll make you partner in the con-
Germ, colonel they said; and 80 they
used his name, though he never touched
a cent of the money after he turned
over to them that Confederate gold.
They failed, poor fellows, and lost all
the money, and got in debt besides.
meantime the colonel was earning
his living by his wits, and going right
on to success. l don't mean he was
getting rich; but he was serving his
country and her broken fortunes and
her discouraged people, and was every
where relied upon as man of them.
"Just before he married the woman
he had been waiting for, l saw him,
and congratulated him on his good for
tune. THAT Confederate gold gave you
the first start, didn't it, colonel p
said 1.
"Then he told me what had hap
pened to it. 'But do you know, ma
jor,' said he, 'I've never felt right
about that money? 1t wasn't mine to
give away or lose, and I've made up
my mind to take it out of my own
pocket and give it to some state insti-
tuition.
81 didn't see this old comrade again
until few months before his death.
Yes, boys,"-the old soldiers voice
grew husky ,-"he's gone forward, his
tent is struck, he's gone into camp with
old StonewaIl and Mars Bob aud the
rest. well, colonel said l, Il hope
you didn't steal that money from the
fine boy l hear you are growing at
Fairoaks'; for l knew he was ready to
brag about his baby.
" Well, said the colonel, when l
came to think about the fair and square
man wanted George to be, that Con-
federate gold bothered me. l knew in
my secret soul, after the heat of war
cooled, that that money belonged to the
United States government; aud 80 a
few months ago spent some hard work
finding out the compound interest on
it. And paid it to the United States
treasury, interest, compound interest,
and all. Money is rather scarce with
me now; but, If had but one shirt to
my back, I'd enj)y looking that boy
squarely in the face and daring him to
touch cent of money that wasn't hon
estly his y
George, did you ever hear that
story before?"
Eyes, sir" said the lad, proudly;
"that was my father"
Certainly, it was your father ,-the
bravest man, the best friend, and the
truest Christian ever knew.
"And is it possible that you are put
ting pennies into your pocket by bet.
ting, by gamblingP George MaxwelPs
boy handling dirty money!
The soldier stumped away, and there
was a dead silence out on the shady
sidewalk. Then l saw several coins
flung down in the dust; and, as the
boy sprang after the hating steps, l
heard him say:
IS Nayar AGAIN sirI Nevarlp-Eliza-