"Verily," said William Carpenter; "but I have no time now. I go to my office every day at this hour. Thee can come with me if thee wishes, and we will converse there."
Neal agreed, and hastily brushing his clothes and giving a dab to his boots he set out, much amused at the new company in which he found himself. Mr. Carpenter wore a tall beaver hat, of wide brim and ancient shape, which he never removed from his head, even though he met one or two ladies who bowed to him.
"They don"t all seem to be Quakers, though," thought Neal, as, leaving Arch Street, they took their way across the city, and met and pa.s.sed many people of as worldly an aspect as any to be seen in Boston--in fact, his companion"s broad-brimmed hat seemed sadly out of place.
The houses too were different in this locality. Easter flowers bloomed in the windows between handsome curtains, and there were not so many white shutters and marble steps--in fact, with a street band playing on the corner and the merry peal of chimes that rang from a neighboring steeple it seemed quite a gay little town, thought Neal, with condescension.
His cousin pointed out the sights as they walked.
"There are the public buildings," he said, "and beyond is the great store of John Wanamaker. This is Chestnut Street, and yonder is the Mint. Thee will go there and to Independence Hall while thee is here, and to Girard College, that is, if thee has a proper amount of public spirit, as I hope to be the case."
Neal humbly acquiesced, and then remarked upon the distance of his cousin"s place of business from his house.
"Do you always walk?" he asked.
[Ill.u.s.tration: "I HOPE THEE IS NEITHER EXTRAVAGANT NOR LAZY?"]
"Always. I have found that exercise is good, and the car fare worth saving. "A penny saved is a penny gained," I have made my motto through life, and for that reason I have never known want. I hope thee is neither extravagant nor lazy?"
This with a keen, shrewd, not unkindly glance from beneath the level gray eyebrows.
Neal colored and hoped he was not, knowing all the time that these were two serious faults of his.
They had pa.s.sed through the fashionable part of the city, and were walking down a narrow, low-built street. In the distance was a huge s.p.a.ce filled with great piles of boards that came far up above the high fence which surrounded the whole square.
"This is my office," said Mr. Carpenter, as he opened the door of a small low building in the corner of the great yard. "I am in the lumber business."
It was some time before he could say any more to his cousin. There were letters to be opened, his head clerk to be interviewed, men to be directed.
Neal sat at a window that looked out on the yard, and watched some men that were loading a huge dray. There were boards, boards, boards everywhere. How tired he should get of lumber if he had to stay here! He hoped that his business, whatever it might prove to be, would be more exciting and more in the heart of things than this remote lumber-yard.
He thought from what he had heard that he would like to be a stock-broker, as long as he was barred out of the professions by not going through college.
He was just imagining himself on "Change, in the midst of an eager crowd of other successful brokers, a panic imminent, and he alone cool and self-possessed, when his cousin"s voice rudely interrupted his reverie.
It sounded calmer than ever in contrast to Neal"s day-dream.
"Cousin, if thee will come into my private office I will listen to thee for fifteen or twenty minutes."
Neal obeyed, but found it difficult to begin his story. It is a very hard thing to tell a man that you are suspected of being a thief.
"I don"t know whether you know," he began, rather haltingly, "that I--that--in fact, I"ve left Hester for good and all. You are my guardian, so you must know all about that conf--that abom--that--er-- well, that will of my grandmother"s. Hester didn"t give me a large enough allowance--at least, I didn"t think it was enough--and I got into debt at school. It was not very much of a debt for a fellow with such a rich sister."
He paused, rather taken aback by the quick glance that was shot at him from the mild blue eyes of his Quaker cousin.
"What does thee call "not much"?"
"A hundred dollars. I knew they would think it a lot, so I only told Hessie and John fifty, and she gave it to me. Afterwards the fellow I owed it to came down on me for the rest, and wrote to John, Hessie"s husband. In the mean time I had got hold of some money in a _perfectly fair, honorable_ way, and sent it to the fellow, and he wrote again to John Franklin and said I had paid up. Then, just because a present one of the Franklin children expected at that time didn"t come, they accused me of taking it. They had no earthly reason for supposing it except that I paid fifty dollars in gold for the money-order I sent, and the child"s present was fifty dollars in gold."
"And where did thee get the money?"
The question came so quietly and naturally that Neal was taken unawares, and answered before he thought.
"Cynthia Franklin lent it to me. I hated to borrow of a girl, and I made her promise not to tell; afterwards I was glad I had. If they choose to suspect me, I"m not going to lower myself by explaining. And I will ask you, as a particular favor, Cousin William, not to tell any one. I didn"t mean to mention it."
His cousin merely bowed, and asked him to continue.
"Well, there"s not much more, except that I was suspended from school before that for a sc.r.a.pe I wasn"t in, and it put everybody against me, and now I want to get something to do. I am going to support myself, and I thought I"d come to you, as you"re my guardian and a cousin, and perhaps you would help me."
"Did thee know that thy brother-in-law, John Franklin, was here within a few days?"
Neal sprang to his feet.
"He was! Then he told you all this. I might have known it!"
"Thee may as well remain calm, Neal. Thee will gain nothing in this world by giving vent to undue excitement. John Franklin told me nothing, except that thee had left his home, and he had supposed thee was with me. He did not tell me of the gold, but he did say he feared thee was extravagant, in which I agreed with him. Thee has nothing to find fault with in what he said."
Neal felt rather ashamed of himself. After all, it had been generous in his brother-in-law not to prejudice his guardian against him.
"And now what does thee wish to do?" asked the old man, as he looked at his large gold-faced watch.
"I want to get some work," replied Neal.
"Is thee willing to take anything thee can get?"
"Yes, almost anything," with a hasty glance at the piles of lumber without.
"Does thee know that times are hard, and it is almost impossible for even young men of experience to get a situation, while thee is but a boy?"
"Ye-es. I suppose so."
"Thee need not expect much salary."
"No, only enough to live on. I"m going to be very economical."
William Carpenter smiled, and looked at the boy kindly. He was silent for a few minutes, and then he said:
"Neal, as thee is my ward and also my cousin, I am willing to make a place for thee here. We can give thee but a small stipend, but it is better than nothing for one who is anxious for work, as thee says thee is. Thee will not have board and lodging to pay for, however, as thee can make thy home with Rachel and myself. Our boy, had he lived, would have been about thy age."
This was said calmly, with no suspicion of emotion. It was simply the statement of a fact.
"Oh, thank you, cousin William, you are very kind! But--do you think I could ever learn the lumber business? It--it seems so--well, I don"t exactly see what there is to do."
"Thee is too hasty, by far. Thee could not be expected to know the business before thee has set foot in the yard. But thee must learn first that it is well to make the most of every opportunity that comes to hand. Will thee, or will thee not, come into my home and my employ? It is the best I can do for thee."
And after a moment"s hesitation, and one wild regret for the lost pleasures of the Stock Exchange, Neal agreed to do it.
It was thus he began his business life.
[TO BE CONTINUED.]