"If you like."
"I think he is traveling with a blacking-box in his hand. It"s just the business for him."
"I don"t think you are right. He wouldn"t make enough in that way to pay traveling expenses. He says he has twice come near being robbed."
Randolph laughed derisively.
"A thief wouldn"t make much robbing him," he said. "If he got twenty-five cents he"d be lucky."
"You forget that he has a nice silver watch?"
Randolph frowned. This with him was a sore reflection. Much as he was disposed to look down upon Luke, he was aware that Luke"s watch was better than his, and, though he had importuned his father more than once to buy him a gold watch, he saw no immediate prospect of his wish being granted.
"Oh, well, I"ve talked enough of Luke Larkin," he said, snappishly.
"He isn"t worth so many words. I am very much surprised that a gentleman"s son like you, Linton, should demean himself by keeping company with such a boy."
"There is no boy in the village whom I would rather a.s.sociate with,"
said Linton, with st.u.r.dy friendship.
"I don"t admire your taste, then," said Randolph. "I don"t believe your father and mother like you to keep such company."
"There you are mistaken," said Linton, with spirit. "They have an excellent opinion of Luke, and if he should ever need a friend, I am sure my father would be willing to help him."
"Well, I must be going," said Randolph, by no means pleased with this advocacy of Luke. "Come round and see me soon. You never come to our house."
Linton answered politely, but did not mean to become intimate with Randolph, who was by no means to his taste. He knew that it was only his social position that won him the invitation, and that if his father should suddenly lose his property, Randolph"s cordiality would be sensibly diminished. Such friendship, he felt, was not to be valued.
"What are you thinking about? You seem in a brown study," said a pleasant voice.
Looking up, Linton recognized his teacher, Mr. Hooper.
"I was thinking of Luke Larkin," answered Linton.
"By the by, where is Luke? I have not seen him for some time."
"He is traveling for Mr. Reed, I believe."
"The man who committed the tin box to his care?"
"Yes, sir."
"Do you know where he is?"
"No, sir. I have just received a letter from him, but he says he is not at liberty to mention where he is."
"Will he be home soon?"
"Yes, I think so."
"I shall be glad to see him. He is one of the most promising of my pupils."
Linton"s expressive face showed the pleasure he felt at this commendation of his friend. He felt more gratified than if Mr.
Hooper had directly praised him.
"Luke can stand Randolph"s depreciation," he reflected, "with such a friend as Mr. Hooper."
Linton was destined to meet plenty of acquaintances. Scarcely had he parted from Mr. Hooper, when Tony Denton met him. The keeper of the billiard-room was always on the alert to ingratiate himself with the young people of the village, looking upon them as possible patrons of his rooms. He would have been glad to draw in Linton, on account of his father"s prominent position in the village.
"Good day, my young friend," he said, with suavity.
"Good day, Mr. Denton," responded Linton, who thought it due to himself to be polite, though he did not fancy Mr. Denton.
"I should be very glad to have you look in at my billiard-room, Mr. Linton," continued Tony.
"Thank you sir, but I don"t think my father would like to have me visit a billiard-saloon--at any rate, till I am older."
"Oh, I"ll see that you come to no harm. If you don"t want to play, you can look on."
"At any rate, I am obliged to you for your polite invitation."
"Oh, I like to have the nice boys of the village around me. Your friend Randolph Duncan often visits me."
"So I have heard," replied Linton.
"Well, I won"t keep you, but remember my invitation."
"I am not very likely to accept," thought Linton. "I have heard that Randolph visits the billiard-room too often for his good."
CHAPTER x.x.xVII
AN INCIDENT ON THE CARS
As soon as possible, Luke started on his return to New York. He had enjoyed his journey, but now he felt a longing to see home and friends once more. His journey to Chicago was uneventful. He stayed there a few hours, and then started on his way home. On his trip from Chicago to Detroit he fell in with an old acquaintance unexpectedly.
When about thirty miles from Detroit, having as a seatmate a very large man, who compressed him within uncomfortable limits, he took his satchel, and pa.s.sing into the car next forward, took a seat a few feet from the door. He had scarcely seated himself when, looking around, he discovered, in the second seat beyond, his old Chicago acquaintance, Mr. J. Madison Coleman. He was as smooth and affable as ever, and was chatting pleasantly with a rough, farmerlike-looking man, who seemed very much taken with his attractive companion.
"I wonder what mischief Coleman is up to now?" thought Luke.
He was so near that he was able to hear the conversation that pa.s.sed between them.
"Yes, my friend," said Mr. Coleman, "I am well acquainted with Detroit. Business has called me there very often, and it will give me great pleasure to be of service to you in any way."
"What business are you in?" inquired the other.
"I am traveling for H. B. Claflin & Co., of New York. Of course you have heard of them. They are the largest wholesale dry-goods firm in the United States."