CHAPTER XXIII.
MARK'S GOOD LUCK.
MARK presented himself at Mr. Rockwell's office at eleven o'clock.
The letter which he had received was a simple invitation to call, signedby the banker himself.
"Is Mr. Rockwell in?" he asked.
"Yes," said the clerk smiling pleasantly, for Mark was a favorite in theoffice.
Mark went over to the open door, and stood on the threshold with his hatin his hand.
The banker looked up.
"Oh, it is my young friend the messenger boy!" he said cordially,holding out his hand.
"I hope you are quite recovered, sir," said Mark respectfully.
"Yes, I believe so. The visit of our dynamite friend was quite a shockto me, and at my age it takes longer to recover from the effects of suchan incident than at yours. You must not think that I have forgotten whata service you rendered me."
"I am very glad to have done you a service, sir, but I am afraid I mustconfess that I was thinking partly of myself."
"I don't think any the less of you for your frankness. Still I amsensible that your promptness and presence of mind saved me from aterrible death--I feel that I ought to do something to show mygratitude."
"You have already repaid me, sir, by your kind words."
"Kind words are well enough, but they are not practical. I should liketo take you into my employ but I have no vacancy, and I do not like todischarge any of my old and trusted employees."
"I should not be willing to displace any of them, sir."
"But there may be another way. Are your parents living?"
"My mother is living, and I have a little sister."
"And I suppose they are dependent upon you partly for support."
"Yes, sir."
"Probably you are poor?"
"Yes, sir; our means are very limited."
"So I suppose. What is your name?"
"Mark Mason."
Mr. Rockwell turned to his desk, and opening his check book,deliberately filled up a check. He tore it off and handed it to Mark.
Mark read it in amazement. It was a check for one thousand dollars,payable to the order of Mark Mason.
"A thousand dollars!" he ejaculated.
"Yes, does it seem to you a large amount? I assure you that I value mylife a great deal higher than this sum, so I shall remain your debtor."
"It seems a fortune to me, Mr. Rockwell. How can I thank you for yourgenerous gift?"
"My boy, generosity is a variable quality--I am blessed by fortune, andfor me it is a small sum to bestow in return for the heroic act. Wouldyou like to have Mr. Nichols go with you to identify you at the bank?"
"I don't think I should like to draw it all, sir. I should be afraid tohave so much money in my possession."
"Then you can leave it with me as a deposit subject to your call. Howmuch of it would you like to draw now?"
"About fifty dollars, sir. I would like to buy a dress for my mother andsister and a new suit for myself."
"Well thought of. Will you call Mr. Nichols?"
The clerk made his appearance.
"My young friend wishes to make a deposit with our house. Let himindorse the check. Then credit him with the entire amount, and he willdraw what sum he wishes."
"You are in luck, Mark," said the clerk when Mark accompanied him intothe main office. "You are in luck, and I am heartily glad of it."
"Thank you, Mr. Nichols. I feel rich."
"It is a good beginning at any rate. I am ten years older than youprobably, but I haven't as much money as you. But I don't envy you, andI won't even ask for a loan."
When Mark left the office and reappeared on Broadway his face wasflushed with pleasure, and he walked with the elastic step of one whosespirits are light.
Just as he stepped into the street, he met his cousin Edgar.
"Hello!" said Edgar in a condescending tone. "So it's you, is it?"
"To the best of my knowledge it is, my good cousin."
"Don't call me cousin," said Edgar, hastily.
"I won't," answered Mark promptly. "I am just as much ashamed of therelationship as you are."
"I suppose that is a joke!" responded Edgar haughtily. "If it is, it isa poor one."
"No joke at all!"
"Where have you been?"
"To the office of Mr. Rockwell, my banker."
"_Your_ banker!" sneered Edgar. "How long has he been your banker, Ishould like to know."
"Only since this morning. I have just deposited some money with him."
"Indeed! How much?"
"A thousand dollars."
"You are too funny altogether. If you are ever worth a thousand centsyou will be lucky."
"Do you think so?" returned Mark, smiling. "I shouldn't be satisfiedwith so small a fortune as that."
"My father tells me you and your mother have made him a very poor returnfor a kind offer he made you yesterday."
"That's a matter of business, Edgar. We didn't look upon it in the sameway. But I am afraid I must tear myself away from your company. I shallbe expected at the office."
"Go by all means. It wouldn't do for you to be bounced. You might starveif you lost your place."
"I am not very much afraid of that."
"At any rate I ought not to be talking with you. Father does not care tohave me associate with you."
"I hope he won't disinherit you. That would be serious for you. If hedoes, come round to our house, and we will take care of you."
"You are too awfully funny. I think it would be better for you if youwere not quite so fresh."
Mark laughed and went on his way.
"Wouldn't Edgar be surprised," he thought, "if he knew how large a sum Ihad on deposit with Mr. Rockwell? He thought I was joking when I wasonly telling the truth."
When Mark went home to his supper he said: "Mother, I want you to buy anew dress for yourself and one for Edith."
"There are a good many things we would like, Mark, but you must rememberthat we are not rich."
"Perhaps not, but I think you can afford new dresses. How much wouldthey cost?"
"The material will cost from ten to twenty dollars. I could make them upmyself."
"All right, mother. Here are twenty dollars."
"But, Mark, can you spare that amount? Our rent comes due next week."
"It is the last rent we shall pay here. We will move to betterquarters."
"Really, Mark, I am afraid you are forgetting your prudence."
"That is because you don't know how rich I am, mother. I have athousand dollars on deposit with my banker, or rather nine hundred andfifty, for I drew fifty dollars this morning."
Mrs. Mason surveyed her son with alarm. A terrible suspicion entered hermind. Was he becoming mentally unbalanced? Mark understood her thoughtsand was amused.
"Don't think I am crazy, mother," he said. "The fact is, Mr. Rockwellmade me a present of a thousand dollars this morning."
"Is this really true? You are not joking?"
"I was never more serious in my life. He told me that I had saved hislife, and he didn't think he was overpaying me in giving me a thousanddollars."
"He was right, but I was afraid few men would have been so generous. SoI really have a rich son."
"And I shall have a rich mother when she gets her share of her father'sestate."
"Oh, by the way, there is a letter for you. Edith, get Mark's letter."
"I guess it's from a girl, Mark," said his sister, as she handed themessenger boy a dainty epistle in a square envelope.
Mark opened it and read it aloud.
Miss Maud Gilbert asks the favor of Mr. Mark Mason's company at herresidence on the evening of Thursday, Sept. 23d.
"An invitation to a party," said Mark flashing with pleasure.
"Where, Mark?"
"At the house of Miss Maud Gilbert."
"Shall you go?"
"Yes, I can go now, for I shall have a nice suit."
"You are ge
tting to be fashionable, Mark. Who knows but you will becounted among the Four Hundred some time?"
Mark Mason's Victory: The Trials and Triumphs of a Telegraph Boy Page 23