Do and Dare — a Brave Boy's Fight for Fortune
Page 19
"How much have you lost by your son, Mr. Graham?" asked George Melville.
"Nearly two hundred and fifty dollars," groaned Ebenezer, "counting whatI paid in the city to his creditors, it is terrible, terrible!" and hewrung his hands in his bitterness of spirit.
"I am sorry for you," said Melville, "and still more for him."
"Why should you be sorry for him?" demanded Ebenezer, sharply. "Hehasn't lost anything."
"Is it nothing to lose his consciousness of integrity, to leave his homeknowing that he is a thief?"
"Little he'll care for that!" said Mr. Graham, shrugging his shoulders."He's laughing in his sleeve, most likely, at the way he has duped andcheated me, his father."
"How old is Eben, Mr. Graham?"
"He will be twenty in November," answered Ebenezer, apparently puzzledby the question.
"Then, as he is so young, let us hope that he may see the error of hisways, and repent."
"That won't bring me back my money," objected Ebenezer, querulously.It was clear that he thought more of the money he had lost than of hisson's lack of principle.
"No, it will not give you back your money, but it may give you back ason purified and prepared to take an honorable position in society."
"No, no; he's bad, bad!" said the stricken father. "What did he care forthe labor and toil it took to save up that money?"
"I hope the loss of the money will not distress you, Mr. Graham."
"Well, no, not exactly," said Ebenezer, hesitating. "I shall have totake some money from the savings bank to make up what that graceless boyhas stolen."
It was clear that Ebenezer Graham would not have to go to the poorhousein consequence of his losses.
"I can hardly offer you consolation," said George Melville, "but Isuspect that you will not be called upon to pay any more money for yourson."
"I don't mean to!" said Ebenezer, grimly.
"Going away as he has done, he will find it necessary to supporthimself, and will hardly have courage to send to you for assistance."
"Let him try it!" said Ebenezer, his eyes snapping.
"He may, therefore, being thrown upon his own resources, be compelled towork hard, and that will probably be the best thing that can happen tohim."
"I hope he will! I hope he will!" said the storekeeper. "He may find outafter a while that he had an easy time at home, and was better paidthan he will be among strangers. I won't pay any more of his debts. I'llpublish a notice saying that I have given him his time, and won't payany more debts of his contracting. He might run into debt enough to ruinme, between now and the time he becomes of age."
George Melville considered that the storekeeper was justified in takingthis step, and said so.
While they were on the train, Ebenezer got measurably reconciled to hisloss, and his busy brain began to calculate how much money he wouldsave by ceasing to be responsible for Eben's expenses of living andprospective debts. Without this drawback, he knew he would grow richerevery year. He knew also that notwithstanding the sum it had just costhim, he would be better off at the end of the year than the beginning,and to a man of his character this was perhaps the best form ofconsolation that he could have.
Suddenly it occurred to Mr. Graham that he should need a clerk in placeof his son.
"Now that Eben has gone, Herbert," he said, "I am ready to take youback."
This was a surprise, for Herbert had not thought of the effect upon hisown business prospects.
"I have got a place, thank you, Mr. Graham," he said.
"You don't call trampin' round huntin' and fishin' work, do you?" saidEbenezer.
"It is very agreeable work, sir."
"But it stands to reason that you can't earn much that way. I wouldn'tgive you twenty-five cents a week for such doings."
"Are you willing to pay me more than Mr. Melville does?" asked Herbert,demurely, smiling to himself.
"How much does he pay you now?" asked Ebenezer, cautiously.
"Six dollars a week."
"Six dollars a week!" repeated the storekeeper, in incredulousamazement. "Sho! you're joking!"
"You can ask Mr. Melville, sir."
Ebenezer regarded George Melville with an inquiring look.
"Yes, I pay Herbert six dollars a week," said he, smiling.
"Well, I never!" ejaculated Ebenezer. "That's the strangest thing Iever heard. How in the name of conscience can a boy earn so much moneytrampin' round?"
"Perhaps it would not be worth as much to anyone else," said Melville,"but Herbert suits me, and I need cheerful company."
"You ain't goin' to keep him long at that figger, be you, Mr. Melville?"asked Mr. Graham, bluntly.
"I think we shall be together a considerable time, Mr. Graham. If,however, you should be willing to pay Herbert a larger salary, I mightfeel it only just to release him from his engagement to me."
"Me pay more'n six dollars a week!" gasped Ebenezer. "I ain't quitecrazy. Why, it would take about all I get from the post office."
"You wouldn't expect me to take less than I can earn elsewhere, Mr.Graham," said Herbert.
"No-o!" answered the storekeeper, slowly. He was evidently nonplused bythe absolute necessity of getting another clerk, and his inability tothink of a suitable person.
"If Tom Tripp was with me, I might work him into the business," saidEbenezer, thoughtfully, "but he's bound out to a farmer."
An inspiration came to Herbert. He knew that his mother would be glad toearn something, and there was little else to do in Wayneboro.
"I think," he said, "you might make an arrangement with my mother, tomake up and sort the mail, for a time, at least."
"Why, so I could; I didn't think of that," answered Ebenezer, relieved."Do you think she'd come over to-morrow mornin'?"
"If she can't, I will," said Herbert. "I don't meet Mr. Melville tillnine o'clock."
"So do! I'll expect you. I guess I'll come over and see your mother thisevenin', and see if I can't come to some arrangement with her."
It may be added that Mr. Graham did as proposed, and Mrs. Carr agreedto render him the assistance he needed for three dollars a week. Itrequired only her mornings, and a couple of hours at the close of theafternoon, and she was very glad to convert so much time into money.
"It makes me feel more independent," she said. "I don't want tofeel that you do all the work, Herbert, and maintain the familysingle-handed."
The same evening Herbert broached the plan of traveling with Mr.Melville. As might have been expected, his mother was at first startled,and disposed to object, but Herbert set before her the advantages, bothto himself and the family, and touched upon the young man's need of acompanion so skillfully and eloquently that she was at last brought toregard the proposal favorably. She felt that George Melville was one towhom she could safely trust her only boy. Moreover, her own time wouldbe partly occupied, owing to the arrangement she had just made to assistin the post office, so that Herbert carried his point.
The tenth of October arrived, the date which George Melville had fixedupon for his departure. Mrs. Carr had put Herbert's wardrobe in order,and he had bought himself a capacious carpetbag and an umbrella, andlooked forward with eagerness to the day on which their journey was tocommence. He had long thought and dreamed of the West, its plains andcities, but had never supposed that it would be his privilege to makeacquaintance with them, at any rate, until he should have become twicehis present age. But the unexpected had happened, and on Monday he andGeorge Melville were to start for Chicago.
CHAPTER XX. AN OLD ACQUAINTANCE IN CHICAGO.