"What kind of business, Mark?" asked his mother.
"The gentleman who sends me, Mr. Swan, the jeweler, has asked me to keep my business secret."
"How long will you be gone?"
"I can"t tell, but I will write you. Mr. Swan has told me I may stop over at Niagara Falls, but I shall not be very apt to do so till I am on my return."
"This seems very sudden. I don"t know how I shall ever get along without you."
"You have money enough to last you, mother?"
"Yes."
"Then I think there won"t be any trouble. If I stay away longer than I antic.i.p.ate I will send you some more."
"It seems strange that Mr. Swan should send a boy on an important errand."
"The fact of the matter is, mother, that he has confidence in me."
"I am sure he is justified in this, but boys are not usually selected for important missions."
"That is the reason why I feel ambitious to succeed."
"By the way, Mark, Mrs. Mack"s nephew called yesterday and tried to get some more money out of his aunt."
"Did you give him any?"
"No. She was very much frightened, but I threatened to call a policeman, and the fellow went off grumbling."
"She won"t be safe till he gets into prison again."
On his way back to the jeweler"s Mark met his friend Tom Trotter.
"Where are you goin"?"
"Out West."
Tom"s eyes expanded like saucers.
"You ain"t jokin"?"
"No."
"When you"re goin"?"
"This afternoon."
"Goin" to be gone long?"
"I expect to be back in a week."
"I wish you"d take me with you."
"I"d like to, Tom, but I can"t. Traveling costs money."
Tom showed considerable curiosity as to the nature of Mark"s business, but on this point the telegraph boy was not communicative. He liked Tom as a friend, but did not dare to trust him with so important a secret.
Mr. Swan had already been to a ticket agent and procured a through ticket for Mark.
"Your train starts at four-thirty," said the jeweler. "You can engage a sleeping berth at the Grand Central depot. You will travel all night."
"I am sorry for that," said Mark. "I shall miss some of the scenery."
"You can arrange to travel over this part by day on your return."
It was four o"clock when Mark entered the depot. He thought it best to be on time. When the doors were opened he entered the station proper and sought the car containing his berth.
There was an upper and a lower berth, his being the lower. The two were numbered 7 and 8. He had scarcely taken his seat when a gentleman came in and sat down beside him. Neither he nor Mark had noticed each other particularly till the train had left the depot. Then the gentleman exclaimed in surprise, "Mark Mason?"
"Uncle Solon?" exclaimed the messenger in equal surprise.
"What brings you here?"
"A ticket," answered Mark briefly.
"You are in the wrong car. Didn"t you know that this is the Limited Western Express?"
"Yes. I know it."
"Where are you going then?"
"I shall stop at Buffalo," answered Mark, not caring to mention his further destination.
Solon Talbot looked amazed.
"What on earth carries you out there?" he asked.
"This train," answered Mark demurely.
Solon Talbot frowned.
"You know what I mean. Why are you going to Buffalo?"
"A little matter of business."
"What business can a boy like you possibly have, I"d like to know?"
"It isn"t my own business, Uncle Solon, and so I don"t feel at liberty to tell."