CHAPTER XXII.
MARTIN GROWS SUSPICIOUS.
Our hero's interview with Humpy gave him new courage. When he had feltsurrounded by enemies the chances seemed against him. Now he had afriend in the house, who was interested in securing his escape. Not onlythis, but there was a fair chance of recovering the box for which he wasseeking. On the whole, therefore, Rufus was in very good spirits.
About nine o'clock he heard a step on the stairs, which he recognized asthat of his step-father. He had good reason to remember that step. Manya time while his mother was alive, and afterwards while they were livingin Leonard Street, he had listened to it coming up the ricketystaircase, and dreaded the entrance of the man whose presence was neverwelcome.
After some fumbling at the lock the door opened, and Martin entered. Itwas dark, and he could not at first see Rufus.
"Where are you, you young villain?" he inquired, with a hiccough.
Rufus did not see fit to answer when thus addressed.
"Where are you, I say?" repeated Martin.
"Here I am," answered Rufus.
"Why didn't you speak before? Didn't you hear me?" demanded hisstep-father, angrily.
"Yes, Mr. Martin, I heard you," said Rufus, composedly.
"Then why didn't you answer?"
"Because you called me a young villain."
"Well, you are one."
Rufus did not answer.
Martin locked the door and put the key in his pocket. He next struck amatch, and lit the gas. Then seating himself in a rocking-chair, stillwith his hat on, he looked at Rufus with some curiosity, mingled withtriumph.
"I hope you like your accommodations," he said.
"Pretty well."
"We don't charge you nothing for board, you see, and you haven't anywork to do. That's what I call living like a gentleman."
"I believe you tried the same kind of life at Blackwell's Island," saidRufus.
"Look here," said Martin, roughly, "you'd better not insult me. I didn'tcome here to be insulted."
"What did you come for, then?" asked Rufus.
"I thought you'd like to know how Rose was," answered Martin.
"I don't believe you have seen her."
"Well, you needn't believe it. Perhaps I didn't meet her on the street,and follow her home. She begged me to tell her where you was; but Icouldn't do it."
Rufus felt a temporary uneasiness when he heard this statement; butthere was something in Martin's manner which convinced him that he hadnot been telling the truth. He decided to change the subject.
"Mr. Martin," he said, "have you made up your mind to give up that tinbox?"
"No I haven't. I can't spare it."
"If you will give it up, I will see that you are not punished for takingit."
"I aint a-goin' to be punished for taking it."
"You certainly will be if you are caught."
"What do you know about it?"
"There was a man convicted of the same thing three months ago, and hegot five years for it."
"I don't believe it," said Martin, uneasily.
"You needn't if you don't want to."
"I haven't got the box now, so I couldn't give it back. Smith's got it."
"Is that the man I saw this morning?"
"Yes."
"Then you'd better ask him to give it back to you."
"He wouldn't do it if I asked him."
"Then I'm sorry for you."
Martin was not very brave, and in spite of his assertions he felt uneasyat what Rufus was saying. Besides, he felt rather afraid of our hero. Heknew that Rufus was a resolute, determined boy, and that he could notkeep him confined forever. Some time he would get out, and Martin fearedthat he would set the officers on his track. The remark of Smith thathe would make a good boy for their business occurred to him, and hedetermined to try him on a new tack. If he could get him compromised bya connection with their business, it would be for his interest also tokeep clear of the police.
"Rufus," said Martin, edging his chair towards our hero, "I'm yourfriend."
Rufus was rather astonished at this sudden declaration.
"I'm glad to hear it," he said; "but I don't think you've treated me ina very friendly manner."
"About the tin box?"
"Yes, partly that. If you're my friend, you will return it, and not keepme locked up here."
"Never mind, Rufus, I've got a business proposal to make to you. You'rea smart boy."
"I am glad you think so."
"And I can give you a chance to make a good living."
"I am making a good living now, or I was before you interfered with me."
"How much did you earn a week?"
"Why do you want to know?"
"Was it over ten dollars a week?"
"About that."
"I know a business that will pay you fifteen dollars a week."
"What is it?"
"It is the one I'm in. I earn a hundred dollars a month."
"If you are earning as much as that, I shouldn't think you'd need tosteal tin boxes."
"There wasn't much in it. Only a hundred dollars in money."
"You are not telling me the truth. There were four hundred dollars init."
"What was that you said?" asked Martin, pricking up his ears.
"There were four hundred dollars in it."
"How do you know?"
"Mr. Turner told me so."
"Smith told me there were only a hundred. He opened it, and gave mehalf."
"Then he gave you fifty, and kept three hundred and fifty himself."
"If I thought that, I'd smash his head!" said Martin, angrily. "Make merun all the risk, and then cheat me out of my hard earnin's. Do you callthat fair?"
"I think he's been cheating you," said Rufus, not sorry to see Martin'sanger with his confederate.
"It's a mean trick," said Martin, indignantly. "I'd ought to have gottwo hundred. It was worth it."
"I wouldn't do what you did for a good deal more than two hundreddollars. You haven't told me what that business was that I could earnfifteen dollars a week at."
"No," said Martin, "I've changed my mind about it. If Smith's goin' toserve me such a mean trick, I won't work for him no longer. I'll speakto him about it to-morrow."
Martin relapsed into silence. Rufus had given him something to thinkabout, which disturbed him considerably. Though he had been disappointedin the contents of the box, he had not for a moment doubted the goodfaith of his confederate, and he was proportionately incensed now thatthe latter had appropriated seven dollars to his one. Considering thathe had done all the work, and incurred all the danger, it did seemrather hard.
There was one bed in the room, rather a narrow one.
"I'm goin' to bed," said Martin, at length. "I guess the bed'll be bigenough for us both."
"Thank you," said Rufus, who did not fancy the idea of sleeping with hisstep-father. "If you'll give me one of the pillows, I'll sleep on thefloor."
"Just as you say, but you'll find it rather hard sleepin'."
"I shan't mind."
This was the arrangement they adopted. Martin took off his coat andvest, and threw himself on the bed. He was soon asleep, as his heavybreathing clearly indicated. Rufus, stretched on the floor, lay awakelonger. It occurred to him that he might easily take the key of the doorfrom the pocket of Martin's vest, which lay on the chair at his bedside,and so let himself out of the room. But even then it would be uncertainwhether he could get out of the house, and he would have to leave thetin box behind him. This he hoped to get hold of through Humpy'sassistance. On the whole, therefore, it seemed best to wait a littlelonger.
Rufus and Rose; Or, The Fortunes of Rough and Ready Page 22
