by Oliver Optic
CHAPTER III.
A BRILLIANT SCHEME MADE POSSIBLE.
Dory began to think his companion was a lunatic. Certainly he was aChristian man, for he seemed to have nothing but kindness in his hearttowards his late assailant.
"I don't want any pay for what I did for either," said Dory Dornwood, ashe saw his companion thrust his hand into his pocket, and he feared thathis joke had been taken in earnest.
"We will talk about that when we get to Plattsburgh. Will you tell meyour name, young man?"
"My name is Theodore Dornwood, though almost everybody calls me Dory.But I don't care what they call me, if they don't call me too late tosupper, or don't call me at all, as nobody did to-night," replied Dory.And an emphatic wrenching at his stomach, just at the moment he spoke,compelled him to repeat that ancient witticism.
"You have had no supper, Dory?" demanded his new friend, with muchsympathy in his tones.
"Not a bit, and not much dinner," added Dory. "Major Billcord spoiled mydinner. And I dare say he charges me with spoiling his dinner: but Ididn't; it was the cook."
The curiosity of his companion was excited, and Dory told the wholestory of his experience as a waiter at dinner that day. In answering thequestions of the stranger, he told the history of himself and hisfamily. He enlarged upon his efforts to obtain a situation, and declaredthat he wanted to do something to help his mother, and make thingseasier for her.
Just as he was finishing his narrative, they reached the front of afarmhouse. The stranger led the way to the door, and knocked. Presentlythe door was opened by a man with a lamp in his hand. Dory wondered whathis companion wanted there; for he had not spoken of making a call onthe way to the town.
"Ah! is that you, Basil Hawlinshed?" said the occupant of the house, asthe light from his lamp fell upon the face of the stranger,--a strangerto Dory, though he did not appear to be such to the man of the house."I am glad to see you. Come in!"
"Thank you, Neighbor Brookbine. I am sorry to trouble you: but thisyoung man with me has not been to supper yet; and it makes my stomachturn somersets to travel with any one who has not been to supper when itis after nine o'clock in the evening."
"Come in! come in, Neighbor Hawlinshed! though I suppose you are to beno longer my neighbor. The boy shall have the best supper we can get upfor him at this time of night."
Mr. Hawlinshed--for this appeared to be the name to which heanswered--and Dory followed him into the house. When he had gone to makepreparations for the supper, Dory's companion led him to one side of theroom.
"Will you do me a favor, Dory?" said Mr. Hawlinshed.
"I will try with all my might to do it," replied Dory.
"Don't say one word about what happened in the woods while you are inthis house," said Mr. Hawlinshed earnestly, and with much emotion.
"Oh, that's an easy one!" replied Dory gayly. "I could do that, and onlyhalf try."
"Be very sure you don't speak a word about the matter, or even hint atit in the most distant manner," continued Mr. Hawlinshed with painfulemphasis.
"Not a word or a hint, sir. No one shall squeeze it out of me with acider-press," protested Dory.
Mr. Brookbine came into the room, and Mr. Hawlinshed tried to composehimself. The talk of the two men was upon subjects in which the boy feltno interest. He was more concerned about his supper than about theaffairs of the two speakers. But he learned that Mr. Hawlinshed had beena farmer, and had just sold his farm for forty-five hundred dollars incash. He was going to another part of the State to engage in the lumberbusiness.
Nothing was said which afforded Dory a clew to the strange event in thewoods. He fancied it had some connection with the money the farmer hadreceived for his farm. The hungry boy was called into another room byMrs. Brookbine to eat his supper. He found a plentiful meal on thetable, and he did ample justice to it. While he was eating, the farmer'swife, who was a motherly sort of woman, plied him with questions; and heanswered all those that related to himself, but he was extremely carefulnot to betray the confidence of his new friend.
Dory felt like a new creature when he had finished his supper, which hethought was quite good enough to have suited Major Billcord; though hewas sure that it would not have suited him, for the simple reason thathe was never suited with any thing. Mr. Hawlinshed offered to pay forthe meal, and Farmer Brookbine felt insulted by the proposition. Thevisitor explained that he should not have offered to pay for his ownsupper, but he had brought an entire stranger into the house. Mr.Brookbine declared that he always gave a meal of victuals to any one whoneeded it. With many thanks the visitors took their leave, and resumedtheir walk to town. In less than half an hour they were at a hotel inPlattsburgh.
"I can't stay here, Mr. Hawlinshed," said Dory, as they entered thehouse. "I have no money to pay my bill."
"Do you think I am a heathen, that I won't pay your bill after theservice you have done me?" asked Mr. Hawlinshed with a smile.
"I don't want anybody to pay for me," protested Dory.
"Don't talk so, my boy," added his new friend. "Come to my room, for Iwant to talk with you."
Dory assented, though he had set his teeth against taking any thing thatlooked like charity. He followed Mr. Hawlinshed up-stairs, where itappeared that he had a room. It contained a trunk, a valise, and otherbaggage.
"Dory, you have rendered me a service that you cannot understand; and Iam glad you cannot. I should feel mean to the end of my life if I didnot attempt to make some slight return for it," said Mr. Hawlinshed, ashe seated himself at a table. "I don't think you saved my life, for Idon't believe my life was in danger for a moment."
"I don't think I saved your life, but I think your life has been indanger. Why, the fellow might have hit you by accident, even if hedidn't mean to," replied Dory. "But the villain went at you as though hemeant to tear you in pieces after he had fired the gun."
"It is hardly worth while to argue the question. I am very confident ofwhat I say. My life has not been in danger, but my money was in greatperil. I had forty-seven hundred and fifty dollars in my pocket whenthat person attacked me," continued Mr. Hawlinshed.
"Jerusalem!" exclaimed Dory, who did not remember that he had everbefore been near so much money in all his life.
"I should have lost that money if you had not saved it, Dory. This wasthe point I was coming to. Don't ask me any questions, for I don't wantto answer them."
"I won't ask any, if you don't want me to," added Dory, who was verymuch mystified by the occurrences of the evening.
"So far as I know and believe, you are the only person who saw theaffair in the woods. The three who took part in the affray are the onlypersons on earth who know any thing about it," added Mr. Hawlinshed.
"I did not see or hear anybody around while I was in the woods," repliedDory. "I don't believe anybody else knows about it."
"That is very lucky, and I am only sorry that you happened to witnessthe sad affair. Now, Dory, I don't want any other person to know anything about it."
"Nobody shall find out any thing about it from me," protested the boy."You used me very handsomely, and got a good supper for me when I shouldhave had to feed on wind if I hadn't come across you."
Mr. Hawlinshed looked the boy in the face; for he suspected that Dorywas making game of him when he weighed so insignificant a thing as asupper against the help he had given him in the woods. He took out alarge pocket-book, which appeared to be filled with bank-bills. Fromthem he selected several bills, and tendered them to Dory.
"What's that?" asked the boy, as he looked suspiciously at the bills. "Idon't want any money for any thing I have done."
"Here is one hundred and five dollars," continued Mr. Hawlinshed. "Thefive dollars is to pay any expenses you may incur in getting home, sothat you may have the hundred when you get there."
Dory looked at the money, and the temptation to take it was very great.He could not bring himself to accept money for doing a kind act to aperson who needed his assistance. On this gro
und he stoutly refused totouch the bills.
"Not for saving my life or preventing me from being hurt, Dory, but forsaving my money. I shall be very unhappy, and feel mean, if you don'ttake the money. If I were rich, I should insist upon your takingthousands. This is a very small sum for the service you have rendered,for saving me from a loss which would have defeated the businessenterprise I have in view. Take it, Dory, for my sake, if not for yourown. It will be a great help to your mother," persisted Mr. Hawlinshed.
It looked easier to Dory than at first. He had saved his companion'smoney, and prevented him from losing forty-seven hundred and fiftydollars. But it took another half an hour of argument to satisfy Dorythat he was not doing a mean thing in taking the bills. He took them atlast, and his companion seemed to be happy in the fact that he had doneso.
Dory felt rich enough to buy out the New York Central Railroad, or tobecome the proprietor of half the land that bordered on Lake Champlain.He had an idea of buying out the steamer on which Major Billcord hadcaused his discharge. At any rate, he must buy out something that wouldfloat on the lake, for he was about half boy and half boat.
He put the money into the old wallet he carried; and he doubted if allthe money it had ever contained, even before it came into hispossession, would equal the amount he had just deposited in one of itscompartments. He had scarcely returned the treasure to his pocket,before he thought of the use to which he would apply the whole or a partof the money. It was a brilliant scheme. He had nursed it in hisimagination as an unattainable enterprise, but now the money in hispocket rendered it possible.
"I feel better now, Dory," said Mr. Hawlinshed. "I have given you afeather's weight where I owe you a ton, but I hope the time will comewhen I can do better. I am going to write a letter now, and I want youto deliver it for me to-morrow. Will you do so?"
"To be sure I will," replied Dory warmly.
"I shall leave by the boat going south in the morning; and I want thisletter delivered after I am gone," added Mr. Hawlinshed, as he began towrite on a sheet of paper on the table.
Dory considered his brilliant scheme.