"I couldn"t go to Palmer"s on that."
"Did you go with them?" asked Mullins, hopefully.
"No, but Mr. Perkins gave me money to go."
"What made him do it?"
"He thought I was a friend of Chester."
"How much did he give you?"
"I occupied a dollar seat," answered Felix, noncommittally.
He did not care to mention that the sum given him was two dollars, half of which he still had in his pocket.
"Humph! so he gave you a dollar. Why didn"t you take it and stay with them?"
"Because he gave it to me expressly for the theater. It would have looked strange if I had stayed with them after all."
"I would have found a way, but you are not smart."
Felix did not make any reply, being content with having deceived his cousin as to Mr. Perkins" gift.
"I say, Cousin David, aren"t you going to bounce that boy pretty quick and give me his place?"
"Yes, as soon as I get a good excuse."
"Will you do it to-day?"
"No; it would look strange. You may be sure I won"t keep him long."
At this point Chester came into the office and was surprised to see Mr.
Mullins and Felix already there. Usually the bookkeeper did not show up till half an hour later.
"Good-morning," said Mullins, smoothly. "Did you dine with Mr. Perkins last evening?"
"Yes, sir."
"I suppose you went to the theater?"
"No; Mr. Perkins preferred to take a walk, as he has not been in New York since he was a boy. Did you enjoy the play, Felix?"
"Yes, thank you. It was very nice. I am ever so much obliged to Mr.
Perkins for the money to go."
"Mr. Perkins must be a rich man?" said Mullins, interrogatively.
"I think he is pretty well off," answered Chester.
"How long does he stay in the city?"
"He was to leave this morning. He is going to Washington."
David Mullins was glad to hear this. It would make it easier for him to discharge Chester.
He dispatched him on an errand, and was about to make some entries in the books when d.i.c.k Ralston strolled in.
"How are you, d.i.c.k? Can I do anything for you this morning?"
"Yes; you can let me have a hundred dollars."
"I can"t do that," answered the bookkeeper, with a slight frown.
"You"ll have to settle up soon," said Ralston, in a surly tone.
"Give me time, can"t you? I can"t do everything in a minute. What is the matter with you? You look as if you had got out of the wrong side of the bed."
"I had a disagreeable thing happen last evening. Who should appear to me on Madison Avenue but the old man."
"Your father?"
"Yes; he left a good, comfortable home up in the country, and came here to see if he couldn"t get some money out of me."
"Did he?"
"I gave him a quarter and advised him to go back. He seems to think I am made of money."
"So he has a comfortable home?"
"Yes," answered Ralston, hesitating slightly. "He"s better off than I am in one way. He has no board to pay, and sometimes I haven"t money to pay mine."
"I suppose he is staying with friends or relatives," said Mullins, who was not aware that Mr. Ralston, senior, was the inmate of a poorhouse.
"It is an arrangement I made for him. I felt angry to see him here, and I told him so. However, he isn"t likely to come again. Have you heard from Fairchild yet?"
"No; it isn"t time. He won"t reach Chicago till this evening or to-morrow morning."
"Meanwhile--that is, while he is away--you have full swing, eh?"
"Yes; I suppose so."
"Then you"ll be a fool if you don"t take advantage of it."
David Mullins did not answer. He repented, now that it was too late, that he had placed himself in the power of such a man as d.i.c.k Ralston.
As long as he owed him seven hundred and fifty dollars there was no escaping him, and Mullins felt very uncomfortable when he considered what steps the gambler wanted him to take to get free from his debts.
At this moment a dignified-looking gentleman living on West Forty-seventh Street entered the office. He was the owner of a large building, of which Mr. Fairchild acted as agent. He looked askance at d.i.c.k Ralston, whose loud dress and general appearance left little doubt as to his character.