Why, it was more than half your year's salary, Ferdinand." "I agree with you, aunt; it would have been very foolish and wrong for a young man on a small salary like mine to buy so expensive a ring as this.

I hope, Aunt Deborah, I have inherited too much of your good sense to do that." "Then where did you get it ?" asked the old lady, moderating her tone.
"It was given to me." "Given to you! Who would give you such a costly present ?" "A rich man whose life I once saved, Aunt Deborah." "You don't say so, Ferdinand!" said Aunt Deborah, interested.

"Tell me all about it." "So I will, aunt, though I don't often speak of it," said Ferdinand, modestly.

"It seems like boasting, you know, and I never like to do that.

But this is the way it happened.
"Now for a good tough lie!" said Ferdinand to himself, as the old lady suspended her work, and bent forward with eager attention.
"You know, of course, that New York and Brooklyn are on opposite sides of the river, and that people have to go across in ferry-boats." "Yes, I've heard that, Ferdinand." "I'm glad of that, because now you'll know that my story is correct.
Well, one summer I boarded over in Brooklyn--on the Heights--and used to cross the ferry morning and night.