"Not at present. I am going back to Montana with Mr. Pettigrew. Perhaps he and I will both go to college next year."
"Excuse me," said Jefferson Pettigrew. "Latin and Greek ain"t in my line. I should make a good deal better miner than minister."
"It is not desirable that all should become ministers or go to college,"
said Mr. Canfield. "I suspect from what I know of you, Jefferson, that you judge yourself correctly. How long shall you stay in Burton?"
"I expect to go away tomorrow."
"Your visit is a brief one."
"Yes, I intended to stay longer, but I begin to be homesick after the West."
"Do you expect to make your permanent home there?"
"I can"t tell as to that. For the present I can do better there than here."
The conversation lasted for some time. Then Jefferson Pettigrew rose to go.
"Won"t you call again, Jefferson?" asked the minister hospitably.
"I shall not have time, but before I go I want to make you a small present," and he put into the hands of the astonished minister four fifty dollar bills.
"Two hundred dollars!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed the minister. "Why, I heard you only brought home a few hundred."
"I prefer to leave that impression. To you I will say that I am worth a great deal more than that."
"But you mustn"t give me so much. I am sure you are too generous for your own interest. Why, it"s munificent, princely."
"Don"t be troubled about me. I can spare it. Send your boy to college, and next year I will send you another sum equally large."
"How can I thank you, Jefferson?" said Mr. Canfield, the tears coming into his eyes. "Never in forty years have I had such a gift."
"Not even from Squire Sheldon?"
"The squire is not in the habit of bestowing gifts, but he pays a large parish tax. May I--am I at liberty to say from whom I received this liberal donation?"
"Please don"t! You can say that you have had a gift from a friend."
"You have made me very happy, Jefferson. Your own conscience will reward you."
Jefferson Pettigrew changed the subject, for it embarra.s.sed him to be thanked.
"That pays me for hard work and privation," he said to Rodney as they walked back to the tavern. "After all there is a great pleasure in making others happy."
"Squire Sheldon hadn"t found that out."
"And he never will."
On the way they met the gentleman of whom they had been speaking. He bowed stiffly, for he could not feel cordial to those whom had s.n.a.t.c.hed from him the house for which he had been scheming so long.
"Squire Sheldon," said Jefferson, "you were kind enough to invite Rodney and myself to supper some evening. I am sorry to say that we must decline, as we leave Burton tomorrow."
"Use your own pleasure, Mr. Pettigrew," said the squire coldly.
"It doesn"t seem to disappoint the squire very much," remarked Jefferson, laughing, when the great man of the village had pa.s.sed on.
"It certainly is no disappointment to me."
"Nor to me. The little time I have left I can use more pleasantly than in going to see the squire. I have promised to supper at my uncle"s tonight--that is, I have promised for both of us."
Returning to New York, Jefferson and Rodney set about getting ready for their Western journey. Rodney gave some of his wardrobe to Mike Flynn, and bought some plain suits suitable for his new home.
While walking on Broadway the day before the one fixed for his departure he fell in with Jasper Redwood.
"Have you got a place yet Ropes?" asked Jasper.
"I am not looking for any."
"How is that?" asked Jasper in some surprise.
"I am going to leave the city."
"That is a good idea. All cannot succeed in the city. You may find a chance to work on a farm in the country."
"I didn"t say I was going to the country."
"Where are you going, then?"
"To Montana."
"Isn"t that a good way off?"
"Yes."
"What are you going to do there?"
"I may go to mining."
"But how can you afford to go so far?"
"Really, Jasper, you show considerable curiosity about my affairs. I have money enough to buy my ticket, and I think I can find work when I get out there."
"It seems to me a crazy idea."
"It might be--for you."
"And why for me?" asked Jasper suspiciously.
"Because you might not be willing to rough it as I am prepared to do."