"I thought, perhaps, the gentlemen you were traveling with--the onewho has gone info the smoking-car--might--"
"He is only a business acquaintance; I have known him less than aweek."
"To be sure, that alters matters. He is not your employer, then?"
"No."
"Then I believe I shall have to help you myself."
Ben stared at his companion in amazement. What! this man who hadrobbed him of a dollar only four weeks before, to offer assistance inso important a matter!
"I suppose you are joking," said he, after a pause.
"Joking! Far from it. I mean just what I say. If Squire Davenportundertakes to deprive your mother of her home, I will interfere, and,you will see, with effect."
"Would you mind explaining to me how you would help us?" asked Ben.
"Yes, in confidence, it being understood that I follow my own coursein the matter."
"That is fair enough."
"Suppose I tell you, then, that Squire Davenport--I believe that isthe title he goes by in your village--owes your mother more than theamount of the mortgage."
"Is this true?" said Ben, much surprised.
"It is quite true."
"But how can it be?"
"Your father, at his death, held a note of Davenport's for a thousanddollars--money which he had placed in his hands--a note bearing sixper cent. interest."
Ben was more and more surprised; at first he was elated, thendepressed.
"It will do me no good," he said, "nothing was found at father'sdeath, and the note is no doubt destroyed."
"So Squire Davenport thinks," said his companion quietly.
"But isn't it true?"
"No; that note not only is in existence, but I knew where to lay myhands on it."
"Then it will more than offset the mortgage?" said Ben joyfully.
"I should say. No interest has been paid on the note for more thanfive years. The amount due must be quite double the amount of themortgage."
"How can I thank you for this information?" said Ben. "We shall notbe forced to give up our little cottage, after all. But how couldSquire Davenport so wickedly try to cheat us of our little property?"
"My dear boy," said the tramp, shrugging his shoulders, "your questionsavors of verdancy. Learn that there is no meanness too great to beinspired by the love of money."
"But Squire Davenport was already rich."
"And for that reason he desired to become richer."
"When shall we go to see the squire and tell him about the note?"
"I prefer that you should wait till the day the mortgage comes due.When is that?"
"On the twentieth of December."
"Then on the nineteenth of December we will both go to Pentonville andwait till the squire shows his hand."
"You seem to be--excuse me--in better circumstances than when we lastmet."
"I am. An old uncle of mine died last month, and considerately leftme ten thousand dollars. Perhaps if he had known more about my way oflife he would have found another heir. It has led me to turn over anew leaf, and henceforth I am respectable, as befits a man ofproperty. I even keep a card case."
He drew out a card case and handed a card to Ben. It bore the name ofHarvey Dinsmore.
"Mr. Dinsmore," said our young hero, I rejoice at your good fortune."
"Thank you. Shall we be friends?"
"With pleasure."
"Then I have more good news for you. Your father owned twenty-fiveshares in a Western railway. These shares are selling at par, and ayear's dividends are due."
"Why, we shall be rich," said Ben, fairly dazzled by this secondstroke of good fortune.
"I hope so; though this is only a beginning."
"How can we prove that the railway shares belong to us?"
"Leave that to me. On the nineteenth of December you will meet me inPentonville. Till then we probably shall not meet."
At this moment Mr. Taylor made his appearance, returning from thesmoking-car, and Harvey Dinsmore left them.
"Well, Ben, has your friend entertained you?" asked Taylor.
"He has told me some very good news."
"I am glad to hear it."
In due time they reached New York, and Ben started uptown to call uponMrs. Hamilton.
CHAPTER XXXIVCONRAD GOES INTO WALL STREET
When Conrad succeeded Ben as Mrs. Hamilton's private secretary, he waselated by what he considered his promotion. His first disappointmentcame when he learned that his salary was to be but five dollars aweek. He did not dare to remonstrate with his employer, but heexpressed himself freely to his mother.
"Cousin Hamilton might afford to pay me more than five dollars aweek," he said bitterly.
"It is small," said his mother cautiously, "but we must look to thefuture."
"If you mean till Cousin Hamilton dies, it may be twenty or thirtyyears. Why, she looks healthier than you, mother, and will probablylive longer."
Mrs. Hill looked grave. She did not fancy this speech.
"I don't think we shall have to wait so long," she said. "When youare twenty-one Cousin Hamilton will probably do something for you."
"That's almost five years," grumbled Conrad.
"At any rate we have got Ben Barclay out of the house, that's onecomfort."
"Yes, I am glad of that; but I'd rather be in my old place than this,if I am to get only five dollars a week."
"Young people are so impatient," sighed Mrs. Hill. "You don't seem toconsider that it isn't alone taking Ben's place, but you have got ridof a dangerous rival for the inheritance."
"That's true," said Conrad, "and I hated Ben. I'd rather any otherboy would cut me out than he."
"Do you know what has become of him?"
"No; I expect that he has gone back to the country--unless he'sblacking boots or selling papers downtown somewhere. By Jove, I'dlike to come across him with a blacking-brush. He used to put on suchairs. I would like to have heard Cousin Hamilton give him the grandbounce."
Nothing could be more untrue than that Ben putting on airs, but Conradsaw him through the eyes of prejudice, and persuaded himself that suchwas the fact. In reality Ben was exceedingly modest and unassuming,and it was this among other things that pleased Mrs. Hamilton.
Conrad continued to find his salary insufficient. He was still moredissatisfied after an interview with one of his school companions, aboy employed in a Wall Street broker's office.
He was just returning from an errand on which Mrs. Hamilton had senthim, when he overtook Fred Lathrop on his way uptown.
The attention of Conrad was drawn to a heavy gold ring with a handsomestone on Fred's finger.
"Where did you get that ring?" asked Conrad, who had himself a fancyfor rings.
"Bought it in Maiden Lane. How do you like it?"
"It is splendid. Do you mind telling me how much you paid?"
"I paid forty-five dollars. It's worth more."
"Forty-five dollars!" ejaculated Conrad. "Why, you must be amillionaire. Where did you get so much money?"
"I didn't find it in the street," answered Fred jocularly.
"Can't you tell a feller? You didn't save it out of your wages, didyou?"
"My wages? I should say not. Why, I only get six dollars a week, andhave to pay car fare and lunches out of that."
"Then it isn't equal to my five dollars, for that is all clear. But,all the same, I can't save anything."
"Nor I."
"Then how can you afford to buy forty-five dollar rings?"
"I don't mind telling you," said Fred. "I made the money byspeculating."
"Speculating!" repeated Conrad, still in the dark.
"Yes. I'll tell you all about it."
"Do! there's a good fellow."
"You see, I bought fifty Erie shares on a margin."
"How's that?"
"Why I got a broker to buy me fifty shares on a margin of one percent. He did it to oblige me. I hadn't any m
oney to put up, but Ihad done him one or two favors, and he did it out of good nature. Asthe stock was on the rise, he didn't run much of a risk. Well, Ibought at 44 and sold at 45 1-4. So I made fifty dollars over andabove the commission. I tell you I felt good when the broker paid meover five ten-dollar bills."
"I should think you would."
"I was afraid I'd spend the money foolishly, so I went right off andbought this ring. I can sell it for what I gave any time."
Conrad's cupidity was greatly excited by this remarkable luck ofFred's.
"That seems an easy way of making money," he said. "Do you think Icould try it?"
"Anybody can do it if he's got the money to plank down for a margin."
"I don't think I quite understand."
"Then I'll tell you. You buy fifty shares of stock, costing, say,fifty dollars a share."
"That would be twenty-five hundred dollars."
"Yes, if you bought it right out. But you don't. You give the brokerwhatever per cent. he requires, say a dollar a share--most of themdon't do it so cheap--and he buys the stock on your account. If itgoes up one or two points, say to fifty-one or fifty-two, he sellsout, and the profit goes to you, deducting twenty-five cents a sharewhich he charges for buying and selling. Besides that, he pays youback your margin."
"That's splendid. But doesn't it ever go down?"
"I should say so. If it goes down a dollar a share, then, of course,you lose fifty dollars."
Conrad looked serious. This was not quite so satisfactory.
"It is rather risky, then," he said.
"Of course, there's some risk; but you know the old proverb, 'Nothingventure, nothing have.' You must choose the right stock--one that isgoing up."
"I don't know anything about stock," said Conrad.
"I do," said Fred. "If I had money I know what I'd buy."
"What?" asked Conrad eagerly.
"Pacific Mail."
"Do you think that's going up?"
"I feel sure of it. I overheard my boss and another broker talkingabout it yesterday, and they both predicted a bull movement in it."
"Does that mean it's going up?"
"To be sure."
"I should like to buy some."
"Have you got money to plank down as a margin?"
Conrad had in his pocketbook fifty dollars which he had collected forMrs. Hamilton, being a month's rent on a small store on Third Avenue.It flashed upon him that with this money he could make fifty dollarsfor himself, and be able to pay back the original sum to Mrs. Hamiltonas soon as the operation was concluded.
"Could you manage it for me, Fred?" he asked.
"Yes, I wouldn't mind."
"Then I'll give you fifty dollars, and you do the best you can for me.If I succeed I'll make you a present."
"All right. I hope you'll win, I am sure [illegible]"
Not giving himself time to think of the serious breach of trust he wascommitting, Conrad took the money from his pocket and transferred itto his companion.
"It won't take long, will it?" he asked anxiously.
"Very likely the stock will be bought and sold to-morrow."
"That will be splendid. You'll let me know right off?"
"Yes; I'll attend to that."
Conrad went home and reported to Mrs. Hamilton that the tenant had notpaid, but would do so on Saturday.
Mrs. Hamilton was a little surprised, for the Third Avenue tenant hadnever before put her off. Something in Conrad's manner excited hersuspicion, and she resolved the next day to call herself on Mr. Clark,the tenant. He would be likely to speak of the postponement, and givereasons for it.
CHAPTER XXXVTURNING THE TABLES
"Now Conrad," said Mrs. Hamilton, "will you tell me by what authorityyou send away my visitors?"
"I didn't suppose you would want to see Ben," stammered Conrad.
"Why not?"
"After what he has done?"
"What has he done?"
"He stole your opera glass and pawned it."
"You are mistaken. It was stolen by a different person."
Conrad started uneasily, and his mother, who was not in the secret,looked surprised.
"I know who took the opera glass," continued Mrs. Hamilton.
"Who was it?" asked the housekeeper.
"Your son, I regret to say."
"This is a slander!" exclaimed Mrs. Hill angrily. "Cousin Hamilton,that boy has deceived you."
"My information did not come from Ben, if that is what you mean."
"My son would be incapable of stealing," continued Mrs. Hill.
"I should be glad to think so. It can easily be settled. Let Conradgo with me tomorrow to the pawnbroker from whom I recovered the glass,and see if he recognizes him."
"He would be sure to say it was me," stammered Conrad.
"At any rate he told me it was not Ben, who made no opposition toaccompanying me."
"I see there is a plot against my poor boy," said Mrs. Hill bitterly.
"On the contrary, I shall be glad to believe him innocent. But thereis another matter that requires investigation. Conrad, here is aletter which has come for you. Are you willing I should open and readit?"
"I don't like to show my letters," said Conrad sullenly.
"The boy is right," said his mother, always ready to back up her son.
"I have good reason for wishing to know the contents of the letter,"said Mrs. Hamilton sternly. "I will not open it, unless Conradconsents, but I will call on the brokers and question them as to theirmotive in addressing it to a boy."
Conrad was silent. He saw that there was no escape for him.
"Shall I read it?" asked Mrs. Hamilton.
"Yes," answered Conrad feebly.
The letter was opened.
It ran thus:
"Mr. Conrad Hill:
"You will be kind enough to call at our office at once, and pay commission due us for buying add selling fifty shares Pacific Mail. The fall in the price of the stock, as we have already notified you, exhausted the money you placed in our hands as margin.
"Yours respectfully," "BIRD & BRANT."
"I hope, Cousin Hamilton, you won't be too hard on the poor boy," saidthe housekeeper. "He thought he would be able to replace the money."
"You and Conrad have done your best to prejudice me against Ben."
"You are mistaken," said the housekeeper quickly, showing someevidence of agitation.
"I have learned that the letter which lured Ben to a gambling housewas concocted between you. The letter I have in my possession."
"Who told you such a falsehood? If it is Ben--"
"It is not Ben, Mrs. Hill. He is as much surprised as you are tolearn it now. The letter I submitted to an expert, who has positivelyidentified the handwriting as yours, Mrs. Hill. You were verypersistent in your attempts to make me believe than Ben was addictedto frequenting gambling houses."
"I see you are determined to believe me guilty," said Mrs. Hill."Perhaps you think I know about the opera glass and this stockgambling?"
"I have no evidence of it, but I know enough to justify me in taking adecisive step."
Mrs. Hill listened apprehensively.
"It is this: you and Conrad must leave my house. I can no longertolerate your presence here."
"You send us out to starve?" said the housekeeper bitterly.
"No; I will provide for you. I will allow you fifty dollars a monthand Conrad half as much, and you can board where you please."
"While that boy usurps our place?" said Mrs. Hill bitterly.
"That is a matter to be decided between Ben and myself."
"We will go at once," said the housekeeper.
"I don't require it. You can stay here until you have secured asatisfactory boarding place."
But Conrad and his mother left the house the next morning. They sawthat Mrs. Hamilton was no longer to be deceived, and th
ey could gainnothing by staying. There was an angry scene between the mother andson.
"Were you mad, Conrad," said his mother, "to steal, where you were sureto be found out? It is your folly that has turned Cousin Hamiltonagainst us?"
"No; it is that boy. I'd like to wring his neck!"
"I hope he will come to some bad end," said Mrs. Hill malignantly."If he had not come to the house none of this would have happened."
Meanwhile Ben and his patroness had a satisfactory conversation.
"I hope you are satisfied with my management, Mrs. Hamilton?" said ourhero.
"You have done wonderfully, Ben. Through you I am the richer bythirty-five thousand dollars at the very least, for the farm wouldhave been dear at five thousand, whereas it was sold for fortythousand."
"I am very glad you are satisfied."
"You shall have reason to be glad. I intend to pay you a commissionfor selling the place."
"Thank you," said Ben joyfully.
He thought it possible Mrs. Hamilton might give him fifty dollars, andthis would have been very welcome.
"Under the circumstances, I shall allow you an extra commission--say10 per cent. How much will 10 per cent. amount to on fortythousand dollars?"
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