"No, sir. He has consented that I may do so. It was my own plan."
Much as Frank was prejudiced against his stepfather, his natural sense of justice would not allow him to accuse him unjustly.
"Did he suggest that you should come to me?" asked Mr. Tarbox, in a tone which Frank did not like.
"No, sir."
"So that was your idea, too," continued Mr. Tarbox, with a palpable sneer.
"Yes, sir," answered Frank. "You are not a very near relative, but the nearest I know of, and I supposed you would be willing to give me some advice about the best means of earning my living. I remembered," he could not help adding, "that my mother received you all as guests for a considerable time, and I thought I might take the liberty."
"Oh, certainly!" returned Mr. Tarbox, rather abashed. "I am, of course, ready to give you advice, and my first advice is to seek a lawyer and let him inst.i.tute a suit against your stepfather, on speculation. That is, he gets nothing if he fails, but obtains a commission if he succeeds. I could myself recommend a reliable man."
"Thank you, sir; but I have no present thought of contesting the will."
"I think you make a mistake. Do I understand that you expect to earn your own living?"
"I shall try to do so."
"You will find it very difficult. You may expect me to take you into my own store, but there is no vacancy, and--"
Frank hastily a.s.sured Mr. Tarbox that he had no such expectations. He had no wish to deprive the errand boy of the two dollars a week, which he probably richly earned.
"Situations in Newark are not easily obtained," proceeded Mr. Tarbox. "I am willing that you should stay with us a day or two, but I don"t think you will find it worth your while to stay here."
Mr. Tarbox feared that his young relative might expect to find a home free of charge in his house, and such an arrangement did not suit his economical ideas. There was no profit in it, but, on the contrary, a positive loss. Frank read clearly the thoughts of his host, with the help of what Pliny had told him, and, expressing his thanks very briefly, announced his intention to go to New York the next morning.
"It may be the best thing you can do!" said Mr. Tarbox, relieved. "New York opens a much wider field to a boy of enterprise than Newark, and probably you will pick up something to do."
"It won"t be my fault, if I don"t," said Frank.
"You have my best wishes," said Mr. Tarbox. "The demands of my family forbid me offering you any pecuniary a.s.sistance, but--"
"I don"t stand in need of it, sir. I have money enough to keep me till I get started in something."
"Really, I am very glad to hear it!"
And there is no doubt that Mr. Tarbox was sincere.
"I wonder how much money he has got?" thought Pliny. "Perhaps he"d lend me two dollars. I"ll ask him, if I have a chance."
Pliny proposed to borrow, not because he needed the money, but because he liked to levy contributions upon any available party, with a very faint idea of repaying the same. The money would go to swell his deposit at the savings bank. It was very commendable, of course, to save his money, but not at the expense of others, as Pliny too frequently did.
"I have moved you out of the spare room," said Mrs. Tarbox, when our hero asked permission to retire, "and put you in the same room with Pliny. I suppose you won"t mind?"
"Just as you please, Mrs. Tarbox," said Frank, though he would have preferred to have pa.s.sed the night alone.
"Could you make it convenient to lend me two dollars?" asked Pliny, as they went up to bed together.
"Not just now," answered Frank. "When I get something to do I shall not need to be so careful of my money."
"One dollar would answer," persisted Pliny.
Without a word, Frank drew a dollar bill from his pocketbook and handed it to Pliny.
"Now," he thought, "I shall not feel under any obligations to the family."
"You"re a good fellow, even if you are poor," said Pliny, in high good humor.
Frank was tired, and it was not long before all his anxieties for future were lost sight of in a sound and refreshing slumber.
CHAPTER XVIII
FRANK ARRIVES IN NEW YORK
The breakfast the next morning was very meager. It was no longer an object to gratify Frank"s palate, now that he turned out to be a poor relation, and the family returned to their usual plain diet.
"So you are resolved to go to New York this morning," said Mr. Tarbox.
"Of course it would gratify us to have you remain longer, but I appreciate your anxiety to go to work."
Frank was by no means deceived by this statement. He knew very well that Mr. Tarbox would be relieved by his departure, but of this knowledge he made no sign. He merely said that he thought it best to go.
He took leave of his hosts, and, purchasing a ticket at the railway station, found himself within an hour in New York. He had been there before, but it was not for a long time, and he had but a vague general idea of the city.
Frank made inquiries of a kindly man who owned a clean little store on one of the streets. The latter knew of places where Frank could board and lodge for five dollars a week or about that and directed Frank to them. They were all near University Place. He found the place without difficulty.
A slipshod servant answered the bell.
"Have you got any small rooms?" asked Frank.
"Yes," answered the girl. "Missus is out, but I"ll show you a hall bedroom, if you like."
"I should like to see it."
Frank followed the girl upstairs.
He was not favorably impressed by the appearance of the interior. He did not so much mind its being shabby, but he was repelled by the evident lack of neatness.
The girl threw open the door of a small hall bedroom at the head of the stairs, but it looked so comfortless that he felt sure he should not like it. He thought it best, however, to inquire the price.
"Five dollars a week with board," answered the girl.
"I don"t think it will suit me," said our hero.
"There"s a larger room for seven dollars," said the servant.