Chapter IV: About the Ruby Brooch

BOB hurried home, the brooch he had found safe in the breast-pocket of his coat. He did not show it to his aunt, as she was gossiping in the shop with a neighbour. She broke off in her conversation to tell him she had no further errands for him that night, and ordered him to take his supper and go to bed.

In the kitchen Lizzie had his supper ready. He showed her the brooch, allowing her to examine it in her own hand.

"'Tis lovely!" the girl exclaimed; "I believe those red stones are rubies! How they do sparkle, to be sure!"

"Yes, don't they?" said Bob. "That's how I came to find the brooch. I saw the stones sparkling."

"I've heard that rubies are just as valuable as diamonds," Lizzie told him; "if so, this brooch must be worth a pretty penny."

"What do you call a pretty penny, Lizzie?"

"Pounds, maybe."

"Oh! then that's why Tom Smith wanted to take it away from me!"

Bob told Lizzie all that had passed between Tom and him. She was most indignant.

"A sixpenny-halfpenny brooch, indeed!" she cried. "Oh, I'm glad Stray gave him a good fright! Where is Stray, by the way? Gone upstairs to his missus, I suppose?"

"Yes," Bob replied, adding anxiously, "I hope Tom Smith will never do him any harm—he's such a cruel boy, you know."

Lizzie handed him back the brooch, advising him to take great care of it.

"It may be advertised for," she said; "if so, there's sure to be a reward offered, and you'll get it. Mind you keep it safe!"

"Oh, I will," he assured her; "no fear about that!"

Bob was very tired when by-and-bye he said "good-night" to Lizzie and went upstairs. He made sure that Jackie was asleep, then paid a call on Mrs. Winter. The old woman was seated at her little round table, reading her Bible by the light of a candle. She nodded to a chair, and bade her visitor take it; then, as he obeyed, said, in a tone of concern—

"You look quite done up, my dear!"

"I'm dreadfully tired," Bob admitted, with a weary sigh. "And my legs do ache so—it's growing pains Aunt Martha says. Look here what I've found!" He laid the ruby brooch in front of her as he spoke.

Mrs. Winter looked at it, gave a start, and changed colour. She did not speak, but sat quite still with her eyes fixed on the glittering jewel, whilst Bob explained where and how he had found it, and how Tom Smith had tried to take it from him.

"Do you think it is valuable, Mrs. Winter?" he questioned.

"Oh, yes, undoubtedly!" she answered. Then she took the brooch in her hand and examined it. "How strange if it should be the same!" she murmured to herself.

"What do you mean?" Bob inquired in surprise.

"I've seen a brooch exactly like this one before," she replied; "it belonged to a young lady I knew—I'd been her nurse when she was a little girl. The brooch was given to her by the gentleman she afterwards married; he was in the Army, and a very nice gentleman he was. They went out to India almost directly after they were married, and she died there, leaving him with a little baby girl. Poor Miss Peggy! She used to love her 'Nana,' as she always called me. How well I remember the last time I saw her—not long before my husband died that was, and just before she went to India. 'Nana,' she said, 'don't you forget me! We shall meet again some day!' And so we shall, Bob, when I get to Heaven—I shall find Miss Peggy there safe with Jesus."

There was a minute's silence after that. Mrs. Winter was the one who broke it.

"It's too late to take any steps about finding the owner of this to-night," she remarked, laying the brooch on the table; "but to-morrow you ought to go to the police-station and give notice that you've found it. I think that would be the right thing to do."

"Then I'll do it," agreed Bob promptly; "I'll go to the police-station directly after breakfast, if all's well."

"Do, my dear. And mind you put the brooch in a safe place to-night."

"I wonder if you would keep it for me, Mrs. Winter? Yes? Oh, thank you! Oh, I do wish you'd go to the police-station with me!"

Mrs. Winter considered a minute. "Very well," she agreed, "I will. See, I'll put the brooch away in my desk; it will be safe there."

She placed the brooch under some papers and locked the desk carefully.

"Thank you!" said Bob. "How kind you are to Jackie and me, Mrs. Winter!" he exclaimed. "Jackie says you told him God sent you here—that you know He did, but how can you know it?"

"Because when I was on the look-out for a bed-sitting-room I prayed to Him for guidance and help," Mrs. Winter said simply; "then I heard of this attic, and that was the answer to my prayer, was it not? So I took the attic. It suits me very well. My dear, I always tell God about everything; it makes things so much easier and takes a weight of care from one. This—" laying her hand on her Bible—"tells us to 'Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be known unto God.' Oh, yes, God sent me here sure enough!"

"Jackie and I didn't want to come here at all," Bob admitted; "but we've liked it ever so much better since you came."

Mrs. Winter's face glowed with pleasure on hearing this, and her bright dark eyes had a wonderfully tender light in them.

"My dear," she exclaimed affectionately, "how glad I am! It makes me so happy to think I've been able to brighten your lives ever so little. You and Jackie have become very dear to me. If I had to leave here I should miss you boys dreadfully!"

"And we should miss you dreadfully!" replied Bob gravely. "Aunt Martha says you're a very good, quiet lodger, and she hopes you'll stay," he continued, "so why should you talk of leaving if this attic suits you? You did say it suited you, you know."

"So I did, and I meant it. I don't want to leave, and I am sure Stray does not."

"Good old Stray!" exclaimed Bob. "If it hadn't been for him I should certainly have had the brooch stolen from me, for Tom Smith's ever so much stronger and bigger than I am!"

"Tom Smith must be a very wicked boy, Bob."

Bob nodded. "I expect," he said, "he guessed the brooch was real gold, and if he could have got it he'd have pretended it was he, and not I, who'd found it. It would have been only my word against his."