"At Saratoga, My father and I spent two months at Congress Hall two summers ago, and as Walter"s family were also there, we naturally got to be friends. He is a capital fellow, and you will be sure to like him."
"I am ready to like him after reading that letter he wrote you. Is he fond of study?"
"That is his weak point," said Hector, laughing. "Walter was never cut out for a scholar. I don"t mean, of course, that he hasn"t fair capacity, but his taste doesn"t lie that way. However, he won"t give you any trouble, only you won"t succeed as well as you may wish in pushing him on."
"All boys are not cut out for scholars," said the usher. "Now you, Hector, would do excellently, and might hope to make a very successful professional man."
Hector shook his head.
"I must look to a different career," he said. "I am to be the architect of my own fortune, you know."
"What are your plans, Hector?" asked the usher.
"I will consult with Mr. Boss, Walter"s father. By the way, he knows nothing of the change in my circ.u.mstances. He supposes me to be the heir to the Roscoe estate."
"Trouble has come upon you early, Hector. Should you need help hereafter, you must remember that I am earning a good salary and--"
"Thank you, Mr. Crabb," gratefully, "but you will need all you earn. I don"t look upon my loss of fortune as a trouble. I think it will make me more manly and self-reliant, and stimulate me to exertion. I have a fair education, and I am sure I can earn my living in some honest way."
"If that is your spirit, Hector, I am sure you will succeed. You are young and hopeful. I am too much inclined to despond. I have always been timid about the future. It is a matter of temperament."
It was early in the afternoon when they reached New York. As they emerged from the depot a bright-faced boy came up eagerly and greeted them.
"How are you, Hector?" he said. "You see, I came to meet you. I have been longing to have you come."
"I am just as glad to see you, Walter," said Hector, heartily. "Mr.
Crabb, here is your future pupil, Walter Boss."
"I hope we may soon be friends, Walter," said the usher, attracted by the bright, sunny face of the boy.
Walter gave the usher his hand.
"I hope so, too," he said, smiling. "I"ll try not to worry you any more than I can help."
"I have no misgivings," said Mr. Crabb, as he mentally contrasted his new pupil with Jim Smith, and two or three others at the inst.i.tute, who had been a frequent source of trouble and annoyance.
"Here is the carriage," said Walter, pointing out a plain but handsome carriage waiting outside. "Bundle in, both of you! I beg your pardon, Mr. Crabb, for my familiarity. That was intended for Hector."
"I am ready to be cla.s.sed with Hector," said Mr. Crabb.
"I am glad to hear you say so. I was afraid you would be stiff and dignified."
"I think I shall take my cue from you."
"Oh, my rule is, go as you please. Edward, drive home!"
The house occupied by Mr. Boss was a fine brown-stone dwelling on Forty-second Street. Arrived there, Mr. Crabb was shown into a s.p.a.cious chamber, on the third floor, furnished with a luxury to which the poor usher was quite unaccustomed.
"Now, Hector, you can have a room to yourself, or you may share my den,"
said Walter.
"I would rather share the den," said Hector.
"That"s what I hoped. You see, we shall have ever so much to say to each other. We haven"t seen each other for over a year."
A slight shade of gravity overspread Hector"s face. Since he had met his friend, his father had died, and he had been reduced from the heir of wealth to a penniless orphan. Of this last change Walter knew nothing, but Hector did not mean long to leave him in ignorance.
At dinner the two newcomers saw Mr. Ross, from whom they received a friendly welcome. The usher was put at his ease at once.
"I hope you"ll get along with my boy," said the bluff city merchant. "Of one thing you may be a.s.sured, your scholarship won"t be severely taxed in educating him. Walter is a pretty good boy, but he isn"t a prodigy of learning."
"I may be some day, father," said Walter, "with Mr. Crabb"s help."
"I take it Mr. Crabb isn"t able to perform miracles," said Mr. Ross, good-humoredly. "No, Mr. Crabb, I shan"t expect too much of you. Get your pupil on moderately fast, and I shall be satisfied. I am glad, Hector, that you were able to pay Walter a visit at this time."
"So am I, sir."
"I thought you might not be able to leave your studies."
"I have given up study, sir."
"I am surprised at that, Hector. I thought you contemplated going to college."
"So I did, sir, but circ.u.mstances have changed my plans."
"Indeed!"
"Yes, sir; I will explain after dinner, and will ask your advice."
Mr. Ross dropped the subject, and after dinner led the way to the library, where he sank into an armchair, and, breathing a sigh of satisfaction, said: "This, Mr. Crabb, is the most enjoyable part of the twenty-four hours for me. I dismiss business cares and perplexities, and read my evening paper, or some new book, in comfort."
As the usher looked about him and saw costly books, engravings, furniture and pictures, he could well understand that in such surroundings the merchant could take solid comfort. It was a most agreeable contrast to the plain and poverty-stricken room at Smith Inst.i.tute, where the boys pursued their evening studies under his superintendence.
"Well, Hector, so you don"t propose to go back to school," said the merchant. "Isn"t that rather a sudden resolution?"
"Yes, sir; but, as I said, circ.u.mstances have changed."
"What circ.u.mstances? Because you are rich, you don"t think you ought to be idle, I hope?"
"Oh, no, sir. It is because I have discovered that I am not rich."
"Not rich! I always understood that your father left a large estate,"
said Mr. Ross, in surprise.
"So he did, sir."
"Didn"t it descend to you?"