CHAPTER XXII
ROBBED IN THE NIGHT
Herbert entered the cars, and took a seat by the window. His smallbundle, containing all the extra clothing he had been able to bring awayfrom the inhospitable home of Mr. Holden, he placed in the seat besidehim.
It was yet early, and there were but few persons in the car. But as thehour for starting approached, it gradually filled up. Still, the seatnext to Herbert remained untaken.
At length a young man, apparently about nineteen, walked up the aisle,and, pausing, inquired, "Is this seat engaged?"
"No," said Herbert, at the same time removing his bundle.
"Then, if you have no objection, I'll take possession."
He accordingly seated himself, and commenced a conversation.
"Going to New York?" he asked.
"Yes," said Herbert.
"Do you live there?"
"No; I have never been there before."
"Are you going on a visit?"
"No; I am going to live there; that is, if I can find anything to do."
"Are you alone?"
"Yes."
"So am I. Suppose we hitch teams."
"I don't understand."
"Suppose we go to some hotel together. I have been there before, and cantell you where to go. It's awful dull being alone. I always like to pickup company."
Herbert hardly knew what to say to this proposition. He did not exactlylike the appearance, or fancy the free and easy manners of his newacquaintance, but he felt lonely, and, besides, he hardly knew whatexcuse to make. He, therefore, gave his assent to the arrangementproposed.
"What's your name?" asked his new friend, familiarly.
"Herbert Mason."
"Mine is Greenleaf--Peter Greenleaf. Have you come from a distance?"
"From Waverley, in Ohio, not far from Cincinnati."
"I am from Philadelphia. I've been in a store there, but I didn't likethe style, and I concluded to go to New York. There's more chance for afellow of enterprise there."
"What sort of a store were you in?"
"Dry-goods store--Hatch & Macy. Old Hatch is a mean skinflint, andwouldn't pay me half what I was worth. I don't want to brag, but therewasn't a man in that store that sold as much as I did. And how much doyou think I got?"
"I don't know."
"Only seven dollars a week. If I hadn't made something another way. Icouldn't have paid my expenses."
"I should think you might live on seven dollars a week."
This was before the war had increased the expenses of living.
"Couldn't do it. Board cost me four dollars a week, and that only leftthree for other expenses. My cigars cost me nearly that. Then I wantedto go to the theater now and then, and, of course, I must dress like agentleman. I tell you what, seven dollars a week didn't begin to do me."
"How did you manage, then?"
"Oh, I made so much more by banking."
"By banking?" repeated Herbert, in astonishment.
"Yes; only it was a faro bank. I used to pick up considerable that way,sometimes."
"A faro bank!" repeated Herbert, in dismay. "Why, that's the same asgambling, isn't it?"
"Well, what's the odds? You take your chance, and you may win or lose.It's a pretty fair thing."
After this confession, Herbert became more than ever doubtful whether heshould care to remain long in the company of his present companion.
Meanwhile, the cars were moving rapidly. Peter Greenleaf, as he calledhimself, talked volubly, and appeared to have a considerable familiaritywith certain phases of life, the knowledge of which was not likely tohave been very profitable to him. Still, Herbert was interested in hiscommunications, though the opinion which he formed of him was far fromfavorable.
"Where are you going to stop when you get to New York?" inquired Peter.
"I don't know anything about the city. I suppose I shall have to go to ahotel first."
"Suppose we go to French's Hotel?"
"Where is that?"
"Near the park. It's on the European plan. You pay fifty cents a day foryour rooms, and whatever you please for your meals."
"I think I shall like that. I shall want to get into a boarding-house assoon as possible."
"All right. We'll take a room together at the hotel."
This arrangement was not to Herbert's taste, but he did not care tooffend his companion by objecting to it, so by his silence, he gaveconsent.
"What are you going to do in New York?" he asked.
"I shall look up a situation. I won't take less than fifteen dollarsa week. A man of my experience ought to be worth that. Don't you thinkso?"
"Yes," said Herbert, dubiously, though it occurred to him that if hewere an employer, he would not be likely to engage such a clerk at anyprice. But it is rather fortunate, all things considered, that we areable to keep our thoughts to ourselves, otherwise, the complacencyof our companions, and sometimes our own, would run the risk of beingrudely disturbed.
In course of time the terminus of the road was reached, and, crossingover from Jersey City, Herbert found himself, for the first time in hislife, in the noise and whirl of the great city.
"And I am actually to live here," thought Herbert. "I wonder what Mr.Holden would say if he knew where I was?" Uncertain as his prospectswere, he felt very glad that he was out of the clutches of the pettydespot, whose chief pleasure was to make him uncomfortable. Here, atleast, the future was full of possibilities of good fortune; there, itwas certain discomfort and little to hope for.
"Where is the hotel you spoke of?" he asked, turning to Greenleaf.
"I'll lead you to it."
They walked up to Broadway, then up by the Astor House, and across thepark to the hotel.
"We'll go in and secure a room the first thing," he said.
They entered, Greenleaf taking the lead.
"Show us a room with two beds," said Peter to the clerk.
A servant was summoned, and the room assigned to them was indicated.
"Have you any baggage?" asked the clerk.
"No," said Greenleaf, carelessly. "Mine was checked through fromPhiladelphia. I shan't send for it till morning."
"Then I must ask you to pay in advance."
"All right. Fifty cents, isn't it?"
"Yes."
"Mason," said Greenleaf, "have you got a dollar about you? I've gotnothing less than a ten."
Herbert drew out a dollar and paid for himself and his companion.
They were now shown up to a room on the third floor, which proved to bea very comfortable one, looking out on the street. Herbert was glad toget a chance to wash himself thoroughly after the dusty journey which hehad just completed. This ceremony over, they went down to the restaurantconnected with the hotel, and took a hearty meal. Greenleaf made aneffort to have Herbert pay for both, but this time Herbert also had abill to change. It was rather a suspicious circumstance, he thought,that Greenleaf, who had no bill smaller than a ten, paid for his mealout of a one-dollar bill.
After supper Greenleaf bought a couple of cigars, and offered Herbertone.
"No, thank you," said our hero.
"Don't you smoke?"
"No."
"Where have you been living all your life? I couldn't get along withoutmy cigar."
"Don't you think it hurtful to a boy to smoke?"
"I don't know about that. I'm a man now, but I've smoked ever since Iwas a boy. I think it does a fellow good."
"But it's expensive."
"Yes, that's so. I expect I've smoked a thousand dollars' worth ofcigars in the course of my life."
"Don't you wish you had the money instead?"
"Yes; I should rather like the money, but I shouldn't be half the manI am if I hadn't smoked. It's mostly milksops that don't smoke. Nothingpersonal, you know, Mason."
"Of course not," said Herbert, smiling.
"Better have a cigar."
"No; I guess not."
"You'll come to it in time
. I'll smoke it for you, then."
After smoking, Greenleaf expressed his intention of going to thetheater. Herbert preferred to go to bed early, feeling rather tired. Hewas kept awake at first by the noise of the horse-cars and the bustleof the street outside, as well as by the exciting thoughts that crowdedupon him, suggested by his actual arrival in the city, where he hopedto make a place for himself by energy and industry. But at last he fellasleep.
He slept soundly through the night. But towards morning he had a dreamin which Abner Holden figured. His old employer seemed to be approachinghim with a smile of exultation, and was about to lay violent hands uponhim, when he awoke. It was broad daylight, being already seven o'clockin the morning. Herbert remembered where he was, and looked across theroom for Greenleaf. But he was not visible. The bed was disarranged, andevidently had been slept in, but the occupant had risen.
"I didn't think he was a fellow to rise early," thought Herbert. "Isuppose he is downstairs. I might as well get up, too."
Herbert jumped out of bed, and, going to the wash-stand, washed his faceand hands. He then proceeded to dress.
"I wonder Greenleaf didn't wake me up," he thought.
But the reason was too soon made evident. Happening to put his handin the pocket where he usually kept his pocketbook, he was startledat finding it empty. Somewhat alarmed, he began to hunt round upon thefloor, thinking it possible that it might have dropped out. But hissearch was vain. It was not to be found. He then examined carefully theremaining pockets, still without success.
It was not until this moment that a suspicion entered his mindconcerning his companion.
"Is it possible," he thought, "that Greenleaf has been mean enough tostrip me of my money?"
Herbert did not want to believe this. He disliked to think badly ofanyone, and he still hoped it would prove otherwise. It was barelypossible that Greenleaf had taken his money by way of playing apractical joke upon him, and he might now be downstairs, waiting tobe amused at Herbert's look of dismay when he discovered that he waspenniless. Drowning men will catch at straws, and Herbert, in histrouble, tried to think this was probably the way it had happened.
"Greenleaf is rather a hard case, according to his own account," he saidto himself, "but I can't believe he would be mean enough to rob me. Iwill go downstairs and see if I can find him."
Accordingly, leaving his chamber, he descended the staircase, and madehis way to the office.
Herbert went up and spoke to the clerk who chanced to be inside.
"Have you seen my roommate?" he asked.
"What is the number of your room?"
"No. ----."
"I remember now. He has gone."
"Gone!" echoed Herbert, in dismay.
"Yes; didn't you know of it?"
"He went away while I was asleep. How long since did he go?"
"He came to the office two hours since, and said he should not requirethe room any longer."
"Did he leave any message for me?"
"No."
"Did he say where he was going?"
"No."
Such an expression of dismay and perplexity overspread Herbert's facethat the clerk could not help observing it.
"Is anything wrong?" he asked.
"Yes," said Herbert. "He has robbed me of my pocketbook, containing allmy money."
"Whew!" whistled the clerk. "How much had you?"
"About sixty dollars."
"You're unlucky, that's a fact. Have you nothing left?"
Just then it flashed across Herbert's mind that when he had paid for hissupper he had changed a five-dollar bill, and placed the balance, aboutfour dollars and a half in his vest pocket. He at once felt in thatpocket, and found it still there. Greenleaf had contented himself withthe pocketbook.
"I have a little left," he said.
He paid for his room in advance for another day, and went down tobreakfast.
Try and Trust; Or, Abner Holden's Bound Boy Page 22