Fame and Fortune; or, The Progress of Richard Hunter

by Jr. Horatio Alger

  CHAPTER XVIII.

  THE CUP AND THE LIP.

  While Dick's night preceding the trial was an anxious one, Gilbert andRoswell Crawford passed a pleasant evening, and slept soundly.

  "Do you think Mr. Rockwell would be willing to give me the same wages hehas paid to the boot-black?" he inquired with interest.

  "Perhaps he won't take you at all."

  "I think he ought to pay some attention to your recommendation," saidMrs. Crawford. "You ought to have some influence with him."

  "Of course," said Gilbert, "I shall do what I can in the matter; butit's a pity Roswell can't give better references."

  "He's never been with a decent employer yet. He's been very unluckyabout his places," said Mrs. Crawford.

  She might have added that his employers had considered themselvesunfortunate in their engagement of her son; but, even if she had knownit, she would have considered that they were prejudiced against him, andthat they were in fault entirely.

  "I will do what I can for him," continued Gilbert; "but I am very surehe won't get as much as ten dollars a week."

  "I can earn as much as the boot-black, I should hope," said Roswell.

  "He didn't earn ten dollars a week."

  "He got it."

  "That's a very different thing."

  "Well, if I get it, I don't care if I don't earn it."

  "That's true enough," said Gilbert, who did not in his heart set a veryhigh estimate upon the services of his young cousin, and who, had thebusiness been his own, would certainly not have engaged him at anyprice.

  Roswell thought it best not to say any more, having on some previousoccasions been greeted with remarks from his cousin which could not byany means be regarded as complimentary.

  "Do you think I had better come in at ten o'clock, Cousin James?"inquired Roswell, as breakfast was over, and Gilbert prepared to go tothe counting-room.

  "Well, perhaps you may come a little earlier, say about half-past nine,"said the book-keeper.

  "All right," said Roswell.

  Being rather sanguine, he made up his mind that he was going to have theplace, and felt it difficult to keep his good fortune secret. Now, inthe next house there lived a boy named Edward McLean, who was in abroker's office in Wall Street, at a salary of six dollars a week. Now,though Edward had never boasted of his good fortune, it used to disturbRoswell to think that his place and salary were so much superior to hisown. He felt that it was much more respectable to be in a broker'soffice, independent of the salary, than to run around the city withheavy bundles. But if he could enter such an establishment as Rockwell &Cooper's, at a salary of ten dollars, he felt that he could look downwith conscious superiority upon Edward McLean, with his six dollars aweek.

  He went over to his neighbor's, and found Edward just starting for WallStreet.

  "How are you, Roswell?" said Edward.

  "Pretty well. Are you going down to the office?"

  "Yes."

  "You've got a pretty good place,--haven't you?"

  "Yes, I like it."

  "How much do you get?"

  "Six dollars a week."

  "That's very fair," said Roswell, patronizingly.

  "How do you like your place?" asked Edward. "I believe you're in adry-goods store on Sixth Avenue."

  "Oh, no," said Roswell.

  "You were?"

  "Yes, I went in temporarily to oblige them," said Roswell, loftily;"but, of course, I wouldn't engage to remain any length of time in sucha place, however large the inducements they might offer."

  Considering Roswell's tone, it would hardly have been supposed that thelarge inducements were four dollars a week, and that, even at thatcompensation, his services were not desired.

  "Then it wasn't a good place?" said Edward.

  "Well enough for such as liked it," said Roswell. "I have no complaintof Hall & Turner. I told them that it was not dissatisfaction with themthat led me to leave the place, but I preferred a different kind ofbusiness."

  "Have you got another place?"

  "I have an offer under consideration," said Roswell, consequentially;"one of the most solid firms in the city. They offer me ten dollars aweek."

  "Ten dollars a week!" repeated Edward, somewhat staggered by thestatement. "That's big pay."

  "Yes," said Roswell; "but I think I ought to get as much as that."

  "Why, I thought myself lucky to get six dollars," said Edward.

  "Yes, that's very fair," said Roswell, condescendingly. "In fact, I'veworked at that figure myself; but, of course, one expects more as hegrows older."

  "I suppose you'll accept your offer," said Edward.

  "I haven't quite made up my mind," said Roswell, carelessly. "I think Ishall."

  "You'd better. Such places don't grow on every bush."

  Though Edward did not more than half believe Roswell's statement, hekept his disbelief to himself, feeling that it was a matter ofindifference to him whether Roswell received a large or small salary.

  "I must be going down to the office," he said. "Good-morning."

  "Good-morning," said Roswell, and he re-entered the house, feeling thathe had impressed Edward with a conviction of his superiority, and thevalue set upon his services by the business men of New York. He wentupstairs, and picked out a flashy necktie from his drawer, tied itcarefully before the glass, and about nine set out for Rockwell &Cooper's warehouse.

  It is necessary for us to precede him.

  Gilbert reached the counting-room at the usual time. His thoughts on theway thither were pleasant.

  "I shan't be subjected to that young rascal's impertinence," heconsidered. "That's one satisfaction."

  His astonishment, nay, dismay, may be imagined, therefore, when, onentering the counting-room, the first object his eyes rested on was thefigure of Dick.

  "Good-morning, Mr. Gilbert," said our hero, pleasantly.

  "How came you here?" he demanded.

  "I walked," said Dick. "I don't often ride. I think walkin's good forthe constitution."

  "You know what I mean, well enough. How did you get out of prison?"

  "I haven't been there."

  "You were arrested for picking a man's pocket yesterday afternoon," saidGilbert.

  "Excuse me, Mr. Gilbert, you're slightly mistaken there. I was arrested_on suspicion_ of picking a man's pocket."

  "The same thing."

  "Not quite, as it has been proved that I was innocent, and the walletwas taken by another boy."

  "Have you been tried?"

  "Yes, and acquitted."

  Gilbert looked and felt disappointed. He could not conceive how Dickcould have escaped when the plot to entrap him had been so artfullycontrived.

  "Well, young man," he said, "I'll give you a piece of advice, and ifyou're wise you'll follow it."

  "That's kind in you," said Dick.

  "I pass over your impertinence this time, and will advise you as afriend to resign your situation before Mr. Rockwell comes."

  "Why should I?"

  "It'll save your being discharged."

  "Do you think he'll discharge me?"

  "I know he will. He won't have any one in his employ who has beenarrested for picking pockets."

  "Not even if he didn't do it?"

  "Not even if he was lucky enough to get off," said Gilbert.

  "You think I'd better give up my place?"

  "That'll be the best course for you to pursue."

  "But how'll I get another place?"

  "I'll do what I can to help you to another place if you leave at once."

  "I think I'll wait and see Mr. Rockwell first."

  "I'll make all the necessary explanations to Mr. Rockwell," said thebook-keeper.

  "I think I'd rather see him myself, if it doesn't make any difference toyou."

  "You're acting like a fool. You'll only be kicked out of the store. Ifyou don't follow my advice, I shan't interest myself in getting youanother place."

  "Do you think I took t
he wallet, Mr. Gilbert?" asked Dick.

  "Of course I do."

  "Then how could you recommend me to another place?"

  "Because I think this may prove a lesson to you. You've been luckyenough to escape this time, but you can't expect it always."

  "I'm much obliged to you for your favorable opinion; but I don't think Ishall resign at once."

  At this moment Mr. Rockwell entered the warehouse. He had been informedof Dick's misfortune by Mr. Murdock, who had had occasion to call at hishouse on his way from the trial.

  "How's this, Richard?" he said, advancing, with a frank smile. "I hearyou got into strange quarters last night."

  "Yes," said Dick; "but I didn't like it well enough to stay long."

  "Why didn't you send for me?"

  "Thank you, sir, I didn't like to trouble you. Mr. Murdock was verykind."

  "Have they got the real thief?"

  "I don't know, sir."

  "Well, 'all's well that ends well.' You can afford to laugh at it now."

  Mr. Gilbert listened to this colloquy with very little satisfaction.

  It seemed to show such a good understanding between Dick and hisemployer that he perceived that it would be a very difficult thing tosupersede him.

  "Mr. Rockwell seems to be infatuated with that boy," he muttered tohimself.

  "I think I won't resign just yet," said Dick, in a low voice, to thebook-keeper.

  "You'll be found out some day," said Gilbert, snappishly. "Go to thepost-office, and mind you don't stop to play on the way."

  Dick started on his errand, and, in passing out into the street,encountered Roswell Crawford, who, attired with extra care, had justcome down the street from Broadway. On seeing Dick, he started as if hehad seen a ghost.

  "Good-morning, Roswell," said Dick, pleasantly.

  "Good-morning," said Roswell, stiffly.

  "Your cousin is in the counting-room. I am in a hurry, and must leaveyou."

  "I thought he was on his way to the Island by this time," thoughtRoswell, perplexed. "What can it mean?"

  It occurred to him all at once that Dick might just have beendischarged, and this thought cheered him up considerably. He entered thecounting-room with a jaunty step.

  "Good-morning, Cousin James," he said.

  Gilbert turned round, and said, in a surly tone, "You may as well takeyourself off. There's no chance for you here."

  "Hasn't the boot-black been discharged?"

  "No; and isn't going to be."

  "How is that?" asked Roswell, looking very much disappointed.

  "I can't stop to tell you now. You'd better go now, and I'll tell youthis evening."

  "Just my luck!" said Roswell to himself, considerably crest-fallen. "Iwish I hadn't said a word to Edward McLean about the place."