Ned's motto; or, Little by little, by the author of 'Win and wear'. By the author of 'Faithful and true'.

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1878 Excerpt: ... threats or entreaties on his part. He wisely, therefore, resolved to keep on about the work which he was doing, and to take as little notice of them as was possible. As we do not like the society of these boys, we shall not repeat any of the things which they said or did during their stay, excepting one little scene which took place around an old red desk which stood in a corner of the shop by the window, and which Mr. Jenkins used for his office This desk contained a drawer in which he usually kept during the day such change as he had taken, and a brown, very much worn wallet, into which he put the larger bills. The drawer was never locked, for Harland was noted for many miles around for the honesty of its people. Theft was almost unknown. No clothes-lines or hen-roosts were ever robbed; and, excepting the very earliest fruits, even the little boys seemed to have grown up without a wish to clear boughs which did not belong to them. Houses and windows were left unlocked, and as for the shops, why, the change drawers might have been safe on the outside instead of the inside of the counter. Never since the Jenkinses had started in business had they lost a thingfrom having it purloined; and Mr. Jenkins never hesitated, when without a boy, to leave his shop open and his money drawer unlocked while he went out on a short errand. To-day, however, there was something in the uncommon good-nature of the boys which, as John afterwards said, 'made him suspect they were up to some kind of a trick;' so he kept a sharp watch over them, and when he found they were constantly going around the desk, on one excuse or another, he went to it, and sat down on the high stool behind it, with very much the look on his face which a great black mastiff might have been expected to w...