The Tin Box, and What it Contained

"What are you doing there, Tom?" he demanded, in an imperious tone.

If Philip had asked in a civil tone, Tom would have answered him withcivility, but the boy's tone was offensive, and Tom was too spirited tobear it.

"What's that to you, Phil?" he retorted.

"You'll find out what it is!" answered Philip, angrily.

"That's just what I'm wanting to do."

"And don't you presume to call me Phil, either."

"Why – isn't it your name?"

"Yes; but it isn't for you to call me by it."

"What am I to call you, now?"

"You can call me Master Philip, or Mr. Philip."

"Ho! ho! It's a joke you're playing on me!"

"No, it isn't. It is your duty to treat me with respect. But you haven'tanswered my question."

"What is it?"

"What are you doing there?"

"Reading a paper. Can't you see for yourself?"

"That isn't what my father pays you for. Go right to work."

"Shure, you want me to work day and night! That's what Tom Calder won'tdo for no man last of all for a boy like you!"

"If you ain't careful, my father will send you away."

"If he does, I'll get another place soon," said Tom, indifferently.

"You're an impudent loafer!"

"The same to yourself," said Tom, indifferently.

After a little further altercation, Philip walked off in dudgeon. It wasclear that he couldn't bully Tom.

CHAPTER XXXIII

STEALING THE BONDS

Contrary to his usual custom, Philip spent the evening at home; and, ashe must have something to occupy him, he spent it in reading. Usually, he cared very little for reading, and was prone to spend the eveningout.

Mrs. Ross regarded her son with approval, as she saw him steadilyreading all the evening.

"I do believe you're getting studious, Phil," she said.

"I'm interested in a story," remarked Phil.

"How much better it is to spend the evening at home reading than to begadding about?" said his mother.

"Well, you know a boy can't be always reading," observed Philip.

If Mrs. Ross had been a close observer, she might have noticed thatPhilip got over wonderfully few pages. Indeed, he sometimes held thebook open at the same place for half an hour together. The fact was thatPhilip cared very little for reading, unless he could get hold of somehighly sensational story about highwaymen or pirates. He simply used thebook as a cover.

The Colonel, his father, was sitting in a room which he called hisoffice, opening out of the family sitting-room, and Philip had seatedhimself so that he could look into that room, and watch what his fatherwas doing.

Near his desk, Colonel Ross kept a small, iron-bound trunk, which heused as a sort of safe, or a repository for valuable papers, andsometimes for bonds and securities. It was imprudent, for anyone mightreadily have carried it off; but the Colonel didn't think of this, or, at any rate, didn't feel inclined to go to the expense of a safe. Indeed, most of his bonds and securities were deposited in the strongroom of the county bank, and, therefore, his imprudence was less.

Philip's eager attention was roused when he saw his father rise from hisdesk, take up the trunk and open it, as it lay on the desk where heplaced it.

"Now, I may find out what he has inside," thought Philip.

Colonel Ross opened it, as I have said, and took out several envelopes. Opening one of these, he drew therefrom what Philip recognized to begovernment bonds, and spread them out before him.

What was the object of this examination, Philip could not divine, nordid he particularly care, though he might had he known that his fatherwas considering the expediency of selling them, and buying anothersecurity – the stock of a certain railroad – which would pay largerdividends. His main interest was to ascertain whether his father had anygovernment bonds, and this question he was now able to answer in theaffirmative.

After a brief inspection, Colonel Ross replaced in the trunk thesecurities he had taken from it, and locked the trunk. The bunch ofkeys, one of which opened the trunk, he laid on the desk, unconsciously, probably.

"I hope he'll forget 'em," said Philip to himself. "It'll save me a goodbit of trouble."

It seemed likely that the keys would be forgotten, for Colonel Ross, asthough his business were ended, took the lamp from his desk, and enteredthe sitting-room, where his wife and son were seated.

"I don't know how it is, wife," he said, "but I feel sleepy."

"It isn't your bed hour yet. It is only half-past nine."

"That is true, but I shall go to bed earlier than usual to-night."

"All the better for me," thought Philip. "Now, if mother would only go, too!"

It seemed as if everything was turning out favorably for his plan, forhis mother answered:

"Well, I think I will accompany you – that is, if Philip won't feellonely."

Philip's heart beat with eager satisfaction. He had expected that hewould be obliged to go to bed, and wait there till his father and motherwere asleep, then steal downstairs, running the risk of detection, lighta lamp, and commit the theft. Now it looked as if he could do it muchmore easily.

He answered, in as indifferent a voice as he could assume:

"I am not at all sleepy. I'll stay up a little longer and read."

Mrs. Ross nodded, in a satisfied way, to her husband.