"Certainly. Remember that my means are considerable, and that I have no one dependent upon me."
Ben felt that his companion derived pleasure from his gift, and he did not see why he should make any further objections. He added the twenty dollars to his savings-book fund, and said to himself: "There will be no trouble now in tiding over the six months."
But it is said misfortunes never come singly. The very next day his aunt received a lawyer"s letter, which plunged her into the deepest despondency.
Chapter x.x.xII
The Blow Falls
This is the material portion of Mrs. Bradford"s letter to Ben:
"Dear Benjamin: The blow has fallen at last. I felt that our prosperity was not lasting, though I never could make you believe it. I have always expected the worst, and it has come.
Benjamin, we are ruined; I shall end my days in the poorhouse after all. If you want an explanation, read the letter which I enclose."
The letter enclosed was from Solomon Brief, attorney, of Montreal, informing Mrs. Bradford that, as executor of the estate of the late Matthew Baldwin, of Montreal, he begged to remind her that for five years she had failed to pay the rent on a tenement owned by the deceased, and which he now found it to be his duty to demand. At sixty dollars per year, without interest, this would now amount to three hundred dollars, which he hoped Mrs. Bradford would see the propriety of paying at once.
Mrs. Bradford continued:
I don"t know whether they will put me in jail or not; but you know that I cannot pay this money, and couldn"t if I had five years to do it in. What will become of us all I don"t know. "Man is born to trouble as the sparks fly upward."
"Your sorrowful aunt, "Jane Bradford.
"P.S.--I am sure your Uncle Matthew never intended that I should pay the rent. He once wrote me a letter to that effect, but I can"t find it."
Even Ben, hopeful as he was, looked sober after reading this letter.
He went to his friend, the bookkeeper.
"Have you ever seen your uncle, Ben?" he inquired.
"No, sir."
"What was his reputation?"
"He was considered wealthy."
"It is a pity you could not visit Montreal, and make some inquiries,"
said the bookkeeper thoughtfully.
"Of course I can"t do that."
"Then, first of all, write to this lawyer, and inquire the particulars of Mr. Baldwin"s death; and next, how his property is left.
Then make him acquainted with the terms on which your aunt has occupied her house."
This advice seemed reasonable, and Ben adopted it.
As Ben left the store at six o"clock, one evening, he brushed by an old man with a bent figure and apparently feeble. He stumbled and would have fallen had not Ben sprung forward and held him up.
"Thank you, my boy," he said, in a tremulous voice.
"You seem feeble," said Ben compa.s.sionately.
"Yes, I am not strong."
"If you wish it I will accompany you to your house; you might fall again."
"What is your name?"
"Benjamin Bradford."
"Where do you board?" asked the old man abruptly.
"At No.---Warren Avenue."
"I want to find a comfortable boarding-house. Do you think I could get in there?"
"Yes, sir; I know Mrs. Draper has a vacant room."
"Is she reasonable in her charges?"
"If she were not I could not afford to board there."
"I"ve a great mind to go there," said the old man.
"I wonder if he has money enough to pay his board regularly,"
thought Ben.
Just then a grandson of Mrs. Draper"s, Charlie Hunting, a boy rather younger than Ben, came up.
"How are you, Ben?" he said.
"All right, Charlie. Do you know if your grandmother has let the bedroom on the second floor?"
"Yes, I know she hasn"t."
"Would you like to go and see it, sir?" asked Ben.
"Yes," said the old man. "Is it far?"
"About half a mile; but we can take the cars."
"No, I can walk, if you will walk slow enough for me. I am not so young as I was."
"Certainly, sir. Charlie, if you are going home, just tell your grandmother that this gentleman is coming to look at her room.
You needn"t wait for me."