Jack gazed mournfully at his companion. Surely, he thought, our misfortunes have driven him crazy. Nevertheless he decided to humor the creature.
"What would you have me do, Puss?" he asked.
"Nothing much," replied the cat. "Just pack your suit-case with your few remaining collars and other garments, fill your five trunks with Sunday newspapers and unpaid bills, and move at once into the Waldorf-Astoria, taking a suite of five rooms and a bath."
"On nothing?" demanded the astonished youth.
"You lose less on nothing than you would if you had something to lose,"
retorted puss, with a wise air. "Do as I say. Lend me a pair of your boots, a derby hat, and your fur-lined ulster, and wait for me in your apartment. Go at once to the hotel, register, and ask if there are any letters or messages for you, and all will be well. You might register as Horace Vanderpoel, of Cincinnati, or St. Louis, or any other old place at a comfortable distance from New York. Let your luggage precede you."
The cat spoke in a masterful tone that inspired confidence. As he delivered his instructions he donned his master"s boots and fur-lined overcoat, and then putting the derby hat jauntily upon his head he sauntered forth.
"Good-bye, Jack," he said, as he reached the door. "Follow my instructions to the very last detail, and before long you"ll be wearing diamonds that will make the average incandescent electric light look like an eclipse."
Now Jack was a venturesome youth and ready at all times for any kind of an unusual experience; so, deeply impressed by the mere fact of the cat"s having spoken at all, he decided to follow out his instructions to the letter. His five trunks, filled to the brim with papers and bills and any other objects of _virtu_ that came handy, were dispatched at once to the Waldorf, and in about three hours he himself followed them, registering in a large, bold hand as Horace Vanderpoel, of Kansas City, in the hotel book.
"I want a suite of five rooms and a bath," said Jack.
"Certainly, Mr. Vanderpoel," said the room-clerk, courteously. "We had already made a reservation for you, sir. We will give you suite number forty-two on the first floor."
"Good!" said Jack. "I wasn"t aware that my coming had been heralded--in fact, I have been wanting to have it kept as quiet as possible.
Important negotiations, you know."
"We quite understand, Mr. Vanderpoel," said the clerk.
"Have any letters or telephone messages been received for me?" Jack demanded.
"No letters, sir," replied the clerk, "but--Rockernegie"s secretary "phoned us about an hour ago requesting us to ask you to let him know the minute you arrived--fact is, sir, that is how we came to be on the lookout for you."
"Rockernegie, eh?" said Jack, scratching his head with a puzzled air.
"Well," he added with a laugh, "I guess he can wait a bit. Have J. W.
Midas & Co. rung me up yet?"
"Not yet, sir," said the clerk.
"Well, I"m going down-stairs to be shaved," said Jack. "If Midas does ring me up let me know."
He chuckled as he went down to the barber-shop.
"Bill is a great cat," he muttered to himself. "Rockernegie! Gee!
Here"s hoping he won"t forget Midas and Bondifeller."
He sat down in the barber"s chair and was soon richly lathered. The barber was about to apply the razor, when a small boy clad in a perfect rash of b.u.t.tons entered the shop.
"NUMBER FORTY-TWO, please!" he cried. "Gentleman number FORTY-TWO!"
"Wait a minute, Barber," said Jack. "That"s my number. Here, boy, what is it?"
"Wanted on the telephone, sir," said the boy.
"Find out who it is," said Jack, impatiently.
"Yes, sir," said the boy. "I have, sir. They told me to tell you, sir, that Mr. Bondifeller was on the "phone, sir."
[Ill.u.s.tration: "TELL "EM TO TELL MR. BONDIFELLER THAT I AM TOO BUSY TO SEE HIM"]
"Oh, is that all?" grinned Jack. "Well, you tell "em to tell Mr.
Bondifeller that I am too busy just at present to see him. You might tell him, too, that I haven"t anything to add to what I said in my last letter. If he doesn"t like that, the deal is off."
There was a considerable craning of necks in the neighboring chairs, for Jack had not thought to address his remarks to the lad in tones suggestive of a confidential communication. The boy staggered slightly on his feet, but managed to get away without dropping under the weight of such a message, and Jack, lying back in his chair, requested the barber to proceed.
"Bill is a great cat!" he chuckled.
"Beg pardon?" queried the barber.
"I say don"t shave me too close," said Jack.
The shave over, Jack retired to his apartment and found in suite number forty-two everything that the heart of man could desire, and throughout the great caravansary the name of Horace Vanderpoel was held in high honor. To be sure they had never heard of him before, but the a.s.sociate of these brilliant dignitaries of the financial world must indeed be somebody, even in New York! Here he sat, awaiting developments, his amus.e.m.e.nt as well as his interest in the adventure increasing momentarily. An hour pa.s.sed and then a card was brought to his door bearing the mystic words:
COLONEL A. N. GORA THE CATSKILL CLUB
"Ask Colonel Gora to come right up," said Jack, with difficulty repressing the guffaw that struggled within him for expression, recognizing the name at once. Five minutes later puss walked in, the perfect picture of a military dandy, largely due no doubt to the cut of his whiskers.
"Well," he said, removing his gloves, and out of sheer force of habit proceeding to wash his face with his right paw, "you seem to be pretty comfortably located."
"In the lap of luxury," grinned Jack.
Puss"s face grew solemn.
"For a cat, my dear Jack, or, rather, Horace," he said, "the lap of luxury would be a saucer of milk."
"You shall have a pitcherful, Bill," cried Jack, rushing to the "phone.
"Not on your life, my dear boy!" meowed puss, excitedly stopping him.
"Never! The occupant of an apartment like this ordering a pitcher of milk! Why, my dear fellow, that would queer our game at the very start.
Order some tea and I"ll drink the cream."
After regaling himself on the refreshment provided by the confiding management, puss, with a graceful readjustment of his whiskers, turned with a smile to the wondering and admiring beneficiary of his resourceful mind.
"Well, what do you think of it, Jack?" he asked.
"It is very nice indeed, Puss," Jack answered, "but--er--I can"t help thinking of the possibilities of the day of reckoning. Who"s going to pay for all this when the bill comes in?"
"Don" t worry," said puss; "I"ll attend to all that. This afternoon I want you to climb aboard the sight-seeing coach that leaves Madison Square at three o"clock. Sit next to the young lady with blue eyes and a Persian lamb ulster, whom you will find occupying the front seat with her father, a large, stout gentleman with a kohinoor sparkling like an electric light in his shirt-front and three more on his little finger.
If you happen to see me on the same coach, don"t let on that you know me, and, above all, don"t deny anything you may hear anybody saying about you. Where did you register from?"
"Kansas City," replied Jack.
[Ill.u.s.tration: "GOOD-BYE, JACK"]