James Haynes returned from Brooklyn in a very pleasant mood.
"A year or two more of life as a clerk, and I will throw off the yoke,"he said to himself. "I must be worth at least fifteen thousand dollarsnow, apart from any rise in the value of my investments. When I reachtwenty-five thousand I will resign my position, and go to Europe. Ishall than possess an income adequate to my simple wants."
"Is Mr. Hartley in the counting-room?" he asked, as he reentered thestore.
"Yes, sir, and he wishes to see you."
"Of course he wants to see me,--to hear my report."
The merchant looked up as Haynes entered the counting-room.
"So you are back?" he said, gravely.
"Yes, sir; I was detained a little, but I fulfilled my commission."
"That is well."
Here Haynes made his report. Mr. Hartley listened with an abstractedair, for his thoughts were upon the defalcation of the man before him.
Finishing his statement, James Haynes turned to leave the office, buthis employer called him back.
"Wait a minute, Mr. Haynes," he said, gravely. "I wish to ask you one ortwo questions."
"Certainly, sir."
"I believe we have transactions with a party in Hartford, with thefirm-name of H. L. Davis & Co.?"
"Yes, sir," said Haynes, starting and flushing a little.
"Is Mr. Davis a relative of yours?"
"Yes, sir. I wonder where he heard that?" Haynes asked himself. "Isthere any trouble? Is he behind in his payments?" inquired the clerk.
"No; he has always settled his bills with commendable promptness."
"I insisted on that," said Haynes, in a satisfied tone. "I didn't wantyou to lose by any connection of mine."
"And you are quite sure that I have lost nothing by Mr. Davis?" demandedthe merchant, regarding Haynes intently.
The latter changed color.
"How is that possible," he inquired, "since he has met his paymentspromptly?"
"You have personally seen to the packing of Mr. Davis's goods, Ibelieve, Mr. Haynes?"
"Well--generally," stammered the rather disconcerted clerk.
"At all events, you did so this morning?"
"Ye-es."
"After you started for Brooklyn, I had the case opened, and found somepatterns of silk not included in the bill."
"I suppose there was a mistake," said Haynes, turning pale.
"You think this has not happened before?"
"I am sure of it."
"Mr. Haynes," said his employer, sternly, "you may as well drop the maskof innocence. I have been robbed systematically for the last threeyears, and I now understand how it was done. You and Davis, between you,have plundered me in an exceedingly ingenious manner. It will go hardwith you before a jury."
"You won't have me arrested!" exclaimed Haynes, his pallor indicatinghis dismay.
"Why should I not?"
"You could prove nothing."
"I will take my chance of that. Have you nothing more to say?"
"I--though I do not admit that your charge is correct--I am willing tomake over to you the greater part of my property, to avoid the scandalof a trial."
"That will not do, Mr. Haynes. Were I to accept this upon such a ground,you could rightfully bring against me a charge of blackmail."
"What, then, are your terms?" asked Haynes, sullenly.
"You must write out a confession of your guilt, which I shall put amongmy private papers, and not make public unless necessary, and in additionyou must make over to me property to the amount of ten thousand dollars.It will not make up my losses, but I will accept it as restitution infull."
Against this James Haynes most strongly protested, alleging that the sumdemanded was far beyond the amount of his purloinings; but finally heyielded, being privately resolved to make his brother-in-law payone-half of the forfeiture.
"You will leave my service at the end of the week, Mr. Haynes," said hisemployer, "and during next week you must attend to the transfer."
"How did he find out?" said Haynes to himself, as with grave face hewent about the duties of the place he was so soon to leave. "If I couldfind out, I would have my revenge."
CHAPTER XXIV.
AN OPEN ENEMY.
Frank remained with Mr. Hartley till the guilty clerk left theestablishment. This was at the special request of the merchant, who didnot care to let Mr. Haynes suspect who had been instrumental in bringinghis guilt to light.
"I suppose you have no further use for me, now, Mr. Hartley?" said thetelegraph boy.
"Not at present, Frank," said his employer, kindly.
"Then I will report for duty at the telegraph office."
"Wait a moment. You have done me a great service."
"I am glad of that sir," answered Frank, modestly.
"You have shown uncommon shrewdness and intelligence."
Frank looked gratified, and expressed his thanks for the compliment.
"I want to make you a present, in addition to the wages which youreceive from the office," said Mr. Hartley.
"Thank you, sir."
Mr. Hartley drew from his desk a five-twenty government bond, of onehundred dollars, and handed it to our hero.
"Do you mean all this for me?" asked Frank, quite overwhelmed by themagnitude of the gift.
"It is not more than you deserve. I might have given you the money valueof the bond; but I give it to you in this shape, because I hope you willkeep it as an investment. It will yield you six dollars interestannually in gold. I hope the time will come when you will have moreinterest in the same way."
"I hope I shall, sir. I shall feel quite rich now."
"You are richer in the qualities which have won you this acknowledgment.How do you like the telegraph service?"
"Very well, sir, for the present. It is much better than being anewsboy."
"Exactly; but there are positions you would prefer?"
"Yes, sir; I would like to be in some mercantile business, where I mightwork my way up. In a few years I shall be too old for a telegraph boy,and then I shall be out of place."
"I will relieve your fears on that score. In six months I shall makesome changes in the list of employees. When that time comes I will finda place for you."
"There is nothing I should like better, sir," said Frank, his faceflushing with pleasure.
"I am satisfied that you will make a useful and intelligent clerk. UntilI want you, remain where you are. The discipline of your present officewill do you no harm, but will help qualify you for usefulness andsuccess in the mercantile career."
"Thank you, sir. Now I have something to look forward to I shall workmuch more cheerfully."
Frank went back to the office, and resumed his ordinary duties. One dayhe was riding down Broadway in a stage, when he became sensible that hehad attracted the attention of a gentleman sitting opposite. This ledhim to scan the face of the man who was observing him. He at oncerecognized Mr. Haynes.
The stage was not full, and the latter came over, and took a seat nextto the telegraph boy.
"Isn't your name Frank Kavanagh?" he asked, abruptly.
"Yes, sir."
"Were you not for a short time in the employ of Mr. Hartley?"
"Yes," answered Frank, feeling embarrassed, for he knew that he wassuspected.
"I infer from your uniform that you have left Mr. Hartley."
"Yes."
"Why did you leave him?" asked Haynes, sharply.
"Because he had no further occasion for my services. Why did _you_leave him?" asked Frank, in turn.
James Haynes colored, and looked angry. However, he answered thequestion.
"I have other business views," he said, briefly.
"So have I."
The next question was also of an embarrassing character.
"Were you a telegraph boy before you entered Mr. Hartley's employ?"
"I was," answered Frank.
"Were you detailed for duty there?"
Our hero thought that he had answered questions enough by this time, andsignified as much to his questioner.
"If I had been," he said, "I shouldn't be permitted to inform astranger."
"I have particular reasons for asking the question," said Haynes.
"Then you can ask Mr. Hartley, or the superintendent of my office.Good-morning, sir, I get out here."
Frank pulled the strap, and got out. But he was not rid of hisquestioner. Haynes got out too, and walked beside our hero.
"I believe," he said, sternly, "that you were sent for to act as a spyon me."
"What makes you think so?" asked the telegraph boy, looking him in theeye.
"There was a difficulty between Mr. Hartley and myself, occasioned by abase and groundless charge, concocted by some enemy. I believe that youhad something to do with this."
"I have brought no groundless charge against any one," said Frank.
"Did you make any report to Mr. Hartley in regard to me?"
"I must refer you to Mr. Hartley for information," said Frank. "I havean errand in here;" and he entered a store in the lower part ofBroadway.
"There is no doubt about it," thought Haynes.
"That boy was a spy upon me. I have learned all I cared to. I owe you adebt of gratitude for this, Frank Kavanagh, and mean to pay the debt."
When Frank came out he thought it possible that Haynes might be waitingfor him; but the disgraced clerk was gone.
"I suppose he would injure me if he had a chance," thought the telegraphboy. "I won't give him the chance if I can help it."
CHAPTER XXV.
WHAT THE OLD TRUNK CONTAINED.
Mention has been made of an old trunk belonging to Frank's father,which, had been forwarded to him from the country by his Uncle Pelatiah.It may be mentioned here that our hero's father had been agent of awoollen mill in a large manufacturing town. For a considerable number ofyears he had been in receipt of a handsome salary, and had lived in goodstyle, but still within his income. He was naturally supposed to possessa comfortable property.
His death was sudden. He was thrown from a carriage, and, striking hishead upon the curbstone, was picked up senseless, and died unconscious.Upon examining into his affairs his administrator was unable to find anyproperty beyond what was needed to pay the few debts he left behind him.So it came about that Frank was left a penniless orphan. His UnclePelatiah was his nearest relative, and to him he was sent. PelatiahKavanagh was not a bad man, nor was he intentionally unkind; but he wasvery close. All his life he had denied himself, to save money; and inthis he had been ably assisted by his wife, who was even closer andmeaner than her husband. It may readily be supposed that it was verydisagreeable to both husband and wife to have a penniless nephew thrownupon their care and protection.
"How could your brother be so thoughtless and inconsiderate as to use upall his money, and leave his son destitute? Didn't he have a handsomeincome?"
"Yes," said Pelatiah. "He got two thousand dollars a year, and maybemore."
"You don't say so!" ejaculated his wife. "He'd ought to have savedtwo-thirds of it. I declare it's scandalous for a man to waste hissubstance in that way."
"My brother was allus free with his money. He wasn't so keerful as youand I be."
"I should think not, indeed. We don't begin to spend half as much as hedid, and now he comes upon us to support his child."
"It don't seem right," said Pelatiah.
"Right? It's outrageous!" exclaimed Mrs. Kavanagh, energetically. "Ideclare I have no patience with such a man. It would only be right tosend this boy Frank to the poor-house."
"The neighbors would talk," protested Pelatiah, who was half inclined toaccept his wife's view, but was more sensitive to the criticism of thecommunity in which he lived.
"Let 'em talk!" said his more independent helpmate. "It isn't right thatthis boy should use up the property that we have scraped together forhis cousin Jonathan."
"We must keep him for a while, Hannah; but I'll get rid of him as soon Ican consistently."
With this Mrs. Kavanagh had to be satisfied; but, during her nephew'sstay of two months in the farm-house, she contrived to make himuncomfortable by harsh criticisms of his dead father, whom he hadtenderly loved.
"You must have lived very extravagant," she said, "or your father wouldhave left a handsome property."
"I don't think we did, Aunt Hannah."
"You father kept a carriage,--didn't he?"
"Yes; he had considerable riding to do."
"How much help did he keep?"
"Only one servant in the kitchen, and a stable-boy."
"There was no need of a boy. You could have done the work in thestable."
"I was kept at school."
"Oh, of course!" sneered his aunt. "You must be brought up as a younggentleman. Our Jonathan never had any such chances, and now you'relivin' on him, or about the same. I suppose you kept an extravaganttable too. What did you generally have for breakfast?"
So Aunt Hannah continued her catechising, much to Frank's discomfort.She commented severely upon the wastefulness of always having pastry fordinner.
"We can't afford it," she said, emphatically; "but then again we don'tmean to have our Jonathan beholden to anybody in case your uncle and Iare cast off sudden. What did you have for dinner on Sunday?"
"Meat and pudding and ice-cream,--that is, in warm weather."
"Ice-cream!" ejaculated Aunt Hannah, holding up both hands. "No wonderyour father didn't leave nothin'. Why, we don't have ice-cream more'nonce a year, and now we can't afford to have it at all, since we've gotanother mouth to feed."
"I am sorry that you have to stint yourself on my account," repliedFrank, feeling rather uncomfortable.
"I suppose it's our cross," said Mrs. Kavanagh, gloomily; "but it doesseem hard that we can't profit by our prudence because of your father'swasteful extravagance."
Such remarks were very disagreeable to our young hero, and it was hardfor him to hear his father so criticised. He supposed they must havelived extravagantly, since it was so constantly charged by those abouthim, and he felt puzzled to account for his father's leaving nothing.When, after two months, his uncle and aunt, who had deliberated uponwhat was best to be done, proposed to him to go to New York and try toearn his own living, he caught at the idea. He knew that he might sufferhardships in the new life that awaited him, but if he could supporthimself in any way he would escape from the cruel taunts to which he wasnow forced to listen every day. How he reached the city, and how hesucceeded, my readers know. We now come to the trunk, which, some timeafter its reception, Frank set about examining.
He found it was filled with clothing belonging to his father. Though apart were in good condition it seemed doubtful whether they would be ofmuch service to him. It occurred to him to examine the pockets of thecoats. In one he found a common yellow envelope, bearing his father'sname. Opening it, he found, to his great astonishment, that it was acertificate of railroad stock, setting forth his father's ownership ofone hundred shares of the capital stock of the said railway.
Our hero was greatly excited by his discovery. This, then, was the formin which his father had invested his savings. What the shares were worthhe had no idea; but he rejoiced chiefly because now he could defend hisfather from the charge of recklessly spending his entire income, andsaving nothing. He resolved, as soon as he could find time, to visit aWall-street broker, by whom he had occasionally been employed, andinquire the value of the stock. Two days afterwards the opportunitycame, and he availed himself of it at once.
"Can you tell me the value of these shares, Mr. Glynn?" he asked.
"They are quoted to-day at one hundred and ten," answered the broker,referring to a list of the day's stock quotations.
"Do you mean that each share is worth a hundred and ten dollars?" askedFrank, in excitement.
"Certainly."
"Then the whole are worth five thousand five hundred dollars?"
"Rather more; for the last s
emi-annual dividend has not been collected.To whom do they belong?"
"They did belong to my father. Now I suppose they are mine."
"Has your father's estate been administered upon?"
"Yes; but these shares had not then been found."
"Then some legal steps will be necessary before you can take possession,and dispose of them. I will give you the address of a good lawyer, andadvise you to consult him at once."
Frank did so, and the lawyer wrote to Uncle Pelatiah to acquaint himwith the discovery. The news created great excitement at the farm.
"Why, Frank's a rich boy!" ejaculated Aunt Hannah.
"And my brother wasn't so foolishly extravagant as we supposed."
"That may be; but with his salary we could have saved more."
"Perhaps we might; but these shares are worth almost six thousanddollars. That's a good deal of money, Hannah."
"So it is, Pelatiah. I'll tell you what we'd better do."
"What?"
"Invite Frank to come back and board with us. He can afford to payhandsome board, and it seems better that the money should go to us thana stranger."
"Just so, Hannah. He could board with us, and go to school."
"You'd better write and invite him to come. I allus liked the boy, andif we could have afforded it, I'd have been in favor of keepin' him fornothing."
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