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diff --git a/old/54195-h.zip b/old/54195-h.zip Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index aa39f2b..0000000 --- a/old/54195-h.zip +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/54195-h/54195-h.htm b/old/54195-h/54195-h.htm deleted file mode 100644 index 7792478..0000000 --- a/old/54195-h/54195-h.htm +++ /dev/null @@ -1,8840 +0,0 @@ -<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" - "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> - -<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> - <head> - <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;charset=iso-8859-1" /> - <title> - The Project Gutenberg eBook of Grit, by Horatio Alger, Jr. - </title> - <style type="text/css"> - - p { margin-top: .75em; - text-align: justify; - margin-bottom: .75em; - } - - p.bold {text-align: center; font-weight: bold;} - p.bold2 {text-align: center; font-weight: bold; font-size: 150%;} - - h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6 { - text-align: center; /* all headings centered */ - clear: both; - } - h1 span, h2 span { display: block; text-align: center; } - #id1 { font-size: smaller } - - - hr { - width: 33%; - margin-top: 2em; - margin-bottom: 2em; - margin-left: 33.5%; - margin-right: 33.5%; - clear: both; - } - - hr.smler { - width: 15%; - margin-top: 2em; - margin-bottom: 2em; - margin-left: 42.5%; - margin-right: 42.5%; - clear: both; - } - - body{margin-left: 10%; - margin-right: 10%; - } - - table {margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 5px; border-collapse: collapse; border: none; text-align: right;} - - .pagenum { /* uncomment the next line for invisible page numbers */ - /* visibility: hidden; */ - position: absolute; - left: 92%; - font-size: smaller; - text-align: right; - text-indent: 0px; - } /* page numbers */ - - .center {text-align: center;} - .smaller {font-size: smaller;} - .smcap {font-variant: small-caps;} - .mynote { background-color: #DDE; color: black; padding: .5em; margin-left: 20%; - margin-right: 20%; } /* colored box for notes at beginning of file */ - .space-above {margin-top: 3em;} - .right {text-align: right;} - .left {text-align: left;} - .s5 {display: inline; margin-left: 5em;} - - .poem {display: inline-block; text-align: left;} - .poem br {display: none;} - .poem .stanza {margin: 1em 0em 1em 0em;} - .poem div {margin: 0; padding-left: 3em; text-indent: -3em;} - - </style> - </head> -<body> - - -<pre> - -The Project Gutenberg EBook of Grit, by Horatio Alger Jr. - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org/license - - -Title: Grit - or The Young Boatman of Pine Point - -Author: Horatio Alger Jr. - -Release Date: February 19, 2017 [EBook #54195] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK GRIT *** - - - - -Produced by David Edwards, Martin Pettit and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This -book was produced from scanned images of public domain -material from the Google Books project.) - - - - - - -</pre> - - -<div class="mynote"><p class="center">Transcriber's Note:<br /><br /> -A Table of Contents has been added.<br /><br /> -Obvious typographic errors have been corrected.<br /></p></div> - -<hr /> - -<div class="center"><a name="cover.jpg" id="cover.jpg"></a><img src="images/cover.jpg" alt="cover" /></div> - -<hr /> - -<div class="center"><img src="images/titlepage.jpg" alt="titlepage" /></div> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_1" id="Page_1">[Pg 1]</a></span></p> - -<h1>GRIT</h1> - -<p class="bold">OR</p> - -<p class="bold">The Young Boatman of Pine Point</p> - -<p class="bold space-above">BY</p> - -<p class="bold2">HORATIO ALGER, <span class="smcap">Jr.</span></p> - -<p class="bold"><span class="smcap">author of "the young acrobat," "the store boy," "the<br /> -tin box," "tom tracy," "sam's chance," "only an<br /> -irish boy," "joe's luck," and forty-nine other<br /> -rattling good stories of adventure published<br />in the Medal Library</span></p> - -<hr class="smler" /> - -<p class="bold space-above">NEW YORK<br />HURST & COMPANY<br />PUBLISHERS</p> - -<hr /> - -<h2><span>CONTENTS</span></h2> - -<table summary="CONTENTS"> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="left"><span class="smaller">CHAPTER</span></td> - <td><span class="smaller">PAGE</span></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>I.</td> - <td class="left"> GRIT.</td> - <td><a href="#Page_3">3</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>II.</td> - <td class="left"> THE YOUNG BOATMAN.</td> - <td><a href="#Page_11">11</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>III.</td> - <td class="left"> THE LOST HAT.</td> - <td><a href="#Page_19">19</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>IV.</td> - <td class="left"> A BOY IN THE WATER.</td> - <td><a href="#Page_28">28</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>V.</td> - <td class="left"> THE STEPFATHER.</td> - <td><a href="#Page_36">36</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>VI.</td> - <td class="left"> GRIT'S RECOMPENSE.</td> - <td><a href="#Page_41">41</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>VII.</td> - <td class="left"> GRIT ASTONISHES PHIL.</td> - <td><a href="#Page_45">45</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>VIII.</td> - <td class="left"> GRIT PUTS HIS MONEY AWAY.</td> - <td><a href="#Page_53">53</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>IX.</td> - <td class="left"> A LITTLE DISCUSSION.</td> - <td><a href="#Page_62">62</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>X.</td> - <td class="left"> BRANDON LEARNS GRIT'S SECRET.</td> - <td><a href="#Page_70">70</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>XI.</td> - <td class="left"> THE MIDNIGHT VISIT.</td> - <td><a href="#Page_78">78</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>XII.</td> - <td class="left"> GRIT'S MISFORTUNE.</td> - <td><a href="#Page_83">83</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>XIII.</td> - <td class="left"> GRIT'S BOAT IS SOLD.</td> - <td><a href="#Page_87">87</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>XIV.</td> - <td class="left"> THE BILL OF SALE.</td> - <td><a href="#Page_95">95</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>XV.</td> - <td class="left"> GRIT ENGAGES ANOTHER BOAT.</td> - <td><a href="#Page_102">102</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>XVI.</td> - <td class="left"> MR. BRANDON'S FRIEND.</td> - <td><a href="#Page_110">110</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>XVII.</td> - <td class="left"> AN UNWELCOME VISITOR.</td> - <td><a href="#Page_119">119</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>XVIII.</td> - <td class="left"> A STORMY TIME.</td> - <td><a href="#Page_127">127</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>XIX.</td> - <td class="left"> TRAVERS PICKS UP A FRIEND.</td> - <td><a href="#Page_135">135</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>XX.</td> - <td class="left"> A PROMISING PLAN.</td> - <td><a href="#Page_143">143</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>XXI.</td> - <td class="left"> MR. BRANDON LOSES HIS SUPPER.</td> - <td><a href="#Page_151">151</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>XXII.</td> - <td class="left"> BANK OFFICIALS IN COUNCIL.</td> - <td><a href="#Page_159">159</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>XXIII.</td> - <td class="left"> GRIT GIVES IMPORTANT ADVICE.</td> - <td><a href="#Page_167">167</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>XXIV.</td> - <td class="left"> WHAT GRIT OVERHEARD BEHIND THE ELM-TREE.</td> - <td><a href="#Page_174">174</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>XXV.</td> - <td class="left"> MRS. BRANDON IS MYSTIFIED.</td> - <td><a href="#Page_182">182</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>XXVI.</td> - <td class="left"> THE FALL RIVER MANUFACTURER.</td> - <td><a href="#Page_189">189</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>XXVII.</td> - <td class="left"> A FRIEND IN NEED.</td> - <td><a href="#Page_197">197</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>XXVIII.</td> - <td class="left"> THE TRAIN ROBBERY.</td> - <td><a href="#Page_205">205</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>XXIX.</td> - <td class="left"> THE CONSPIRATORS ARE PERPLEXED.</td> - <td><a href="#Page_212">212</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>XXX.</td> - <td class="left"> GRIT IS BETRAYED.</td> - <td><a href="#Page_220">220</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>XXXI.</td> - <td class="left"> NEW PLANS.</td> - <td><a href="#Page_228">228</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>XXXII.</td> - <td class="left"> GRIT RECEIVES A BUSINESS LETTER.</td> - <td><a href="#Page_232">232</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>XXXIII.</td> - <td class="left"> GRIT LEAVES PINE POINT.</td> - <td><a href="#Page_235">235</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>XXXIV.</td> - <td class="left"> GRIT REACHES BOSTON.</td> - <td><a href="#Page_243">243</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>XXXV.</td> - <td class="left"> CROSS-EXAMINED.</td> - <td><a href="#Page_251">251</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>XXXVI.</td> - <td class="left"> THE BOY DANIEL.</td> - <td><a href="#Page_257">257</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>XXXVII.</td> - <td class="left"> DANIEL CALLS AT THE PARKER HOUSE.</td> - <td><a href="#Page_266">266</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>XXXVIII.</td> - <td class="left"> GRIT MAKES A DISCOVERY.</td> - <td><a href="#Page_271">271</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>XXXIX.</td> - <td class="left"> AN UNPLEASANT INTERVIEW.</td> - <td><a href="#Page_274">274</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>XL.</td> - <td class="left"> COLONEL JOHNSON COMES TO GRIEF.</td> - <td><a href="#Page_278">278</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>XLI.</td> - <td class="left"> CONCLUSION.</td> - <td><a href="#Page_282">282</a></td> - </tr> -</table> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_3" id="Page_3">[Pg 3]</a></span></p> - -<p class="bold2">GRIT.</p> - -<hr class="smler" /> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER I.</span> <span class="smaller">GRIT.</span></h2> - -<p>"Grit!"</p> - -<p>"Well, mother, what is it?"</p> - -<p>The speaker was a sturdy, thick-set boy of fifteen, rather short for his -age, but strongly made. His eyes were clear and bright, his expression -was pleasant, and his face attractive, but even a superficial observer -could read in it unusual firmness and strength of will. He was evidently -a boy whom it would not be easy to subdue or frighten. He was sure to -make his way in the world, and maintain his rights against all -aggression. It was the general recognition of this trait which had led -to the nickname, "Grit," by which he was generally known. His real name -was Harry Morris, but even his mother had fallen into the habit of -calling him Grit, and his own name actually sounded strange to him.</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_4" id="Page_4">[Pg 4]</a></span></p><p>"Well, mother, what is it?" he asked again, as his mother continued to -look at him in silence, with an expression of trouble on her face.</p> - -<p>"I had a letter this morning, Grit."</p> - -<p>"From—<i>him</i>?"</p> - -<p>"Yes, from your father."</p> - -<p>"Don't call him my father!" said the boy hastily. "He isn't my father."</p> - -<p>"He is your stepfather—and my husband," said Mrs. Morris soberly.</p> - -<p>"Yes, worse luck for you! Well, what does he say?"</p> - -<p>"He's coming home."</p> - -<p>An expression of dismay quickly gathered on the boy's face.</p> - -<p>"How can that be? His term isn't out."</p> - -<p>"It is shortened by good behavior, and so he comes out four months -before his sentence would have expired."</p> - -<p>"I wouldn't have him here, mother," said Grit earnestly. "He will only -worry and trouble you. We are getting on comfortably now without him."</p> - -<p>"Yes, thanks to my good, industrious boy."</p> - -<p>"Oh, don't talk about that," said Grit, who always felt embarrassed when -openly praised.</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_5" id="Page_5">[Pg 5]</a></span></p><p>"But it is true, Grit. But for the money you make in your boat, I might -have to go to the poorhouse."</p> - -<p>"You will never go while I live, mother," said Grit quickly.</p> - -<p>"No, Grit, I feel sure of that. It seems wicked to rejoice in your -father's misfortune and disgrace——"</p> - -<p>"Not my father," interrupted Grit.</p> - -<p>"Mr. Brandon, then. As I was saying, it seems wicked to feel relieved by -his imprisonment, but I can't help it."</p> - -<p>"Why should you try to help it? He has made you a bad husband, and only -brought you unhappiness. How did you ever come to marry him, mother?"</p> - -<p>"I did it for the best, as I thought, Grit. I was left a widow when you -were four years old. I had this cottage, to be sure, and about two -thousand dollars, but the interest of that sum at six per cent. only -amounted to a hundred and twenty dollars, and I was not brave and -self-reliant like some, so when Mr. Brandon asked me to marry him, I did -so, thinking that he would give us a good home, be a father to you, and -save us from all pecuniary care or anxiety."</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_6" id="Page_6">[Pg 6]</a></span></p><p>"You were pretty soon undeceived, mother."</p> - -<p>"No, not soon. Your stepfather had a good mercantile position in Boston, -and we occupied a comfortable cottage in Newton. For some years all went -well, but then I began to see a change for the worse in him. He became -fond of drink, was no longer attentive to business, picked up bad -associates, and eventually lost his position. This was when you were ten -years of age. Then he took possession of my little capital and went into -business for himself. But his old habits clung to him, and of course -there was small chance of success. He kept up for about a year, however, -and then he failed, and the creditors took everything——"</p> - -<p>"Except this house, mother."</p> - -<p>"Yes, this house was fortunately settled upon me, so that my husband -could not get hold of it. When we were turned out of our home in Newton, -it proved a welcome refuge for us. It was small, plain, humble, but -still it gave us a home."</p> - -<p>"It has been a happy home, mother—that is, ever since Mr. Brandon left -us."</p> - -<p>"Yes; we have lived plainly, but I have had<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_7" id="Page_7">[Pg 7]</a></span> you, and you have always -been a comfort to me. You were always a good boy, Grit."</p> - -<p>"I'm not quite an angel, mother. Ask Phil Courtney what he thinks about -it," said Grit, smiling.</p> - -<p>"He is a bad, disagreeable boy," said Mrs. Brandon warmly.</p> - -<p>"So I think, mother; but Phil, on the other hand, thinks I am a low, -vulgar boy, unworthy of associating with him."</p> - -<p>"I don't want you to associate with him, Grit."</p> - -<p>"I don't care to, mother; but we are getting away from the subject. How -did Mr. Brandon behave after you moved here?"</p> - -<p>"He did nothing to earn money, but managed to obtain liquor at the -tavern, and sometimes went off for three or four days or a week, leaving -me in ignorance of his whereabouts. At last he did not come back at all, -and I heard that he had been arrested for forgery, and was on trial. The -trial was quickly over, and he was sentenced to imprisonment for a term -of years. I saw him before he was carried to prison, but he treated me -so rudely that I have not felt it my duty to<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_8" id="Page_8">[Pg 8]</a></span> visit him since. Gradually -I resumed your father's name, and I have been known as Mrs. Morris, -though my legal name of course is Brandon."</p> - -<p>"It is a pity you ever took the name, mother," said Grit hastily.</p> - -<p>"I agree with you, Grit; but I cannot undo the past."</p> - -<p>"The court ought to grant you a divorce from such a man."</p> - -<p>"Perhaps I might obtain one, but it would cost money, and we have no -money to spend on such things."</p> - -<p>"If you had one," said Grit thoughtfully, "Mr. Brandon would no longer -have any claim upon you."</p> - -<p>"That is true."</p> - -<p>"You said you had a letter from him. When did you receive it?"</p> - -<p>"While you were out, this morning. Mr. Wheeler saw it in the -post-office, and brought it along, thinking we might not have occasion -to call."</p> - -<p>"May I see the letter, mother?"</p> - -<p>"Certainly, Grit; I have no secrets from you."</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_9" id="Page_9">[Pg 9]</a></span></p><p>Mrs. Morris—to call her by the name she preferred—took from the -pocket of her dress a letter in a yellow envelope, which, however, was -directed in a neat, clerky hand, for Mr. Brandon had been carefully -prepared for mercantile life, and had once been a bookkeeper, and wrote -a handsome, flowing hand.</p> - -<p>"Here it is, Grit."</p> - -<p>Grit opened the letter, and read as follows:</p> - -<blockquote><p class="right">"'—— <span class="smcap">Prison</span>, May 10.</p> - -<p>"<span class="smcap">My Affectionate Wife</span>: I have no doubt you will be overjoyed to -hear that my long imprisonment is nearly over, and that on the -fifteenth, probably, I shall be set free, and can leave these -cursed walls behind me. Of course, I shall lose no time in seeking -out my loving wife, who has not deigned for years to remember that -she has a husband. You might at least have called now and then, to -show some interest in me.'</p></blockquote> - -<p>"Why should you?" ejaculated Grit indignantly. "He has only illtreated -you, spent your money, and made you unhappy."</p> - -<p>"You think, then, I was right in staying away, Grit?" asked his mother.</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_10" id="Page_10">[Pg 10]</a></span></p><p>"Certainly I do. You don't pretend to love him?"</p> - -<p>"No, I only married him at his urgent request, thinking I was doing what -was best for you. It was a bad day's work for me. I could have got along -much better alone."</p> - -<p>"Of course you could, mother. Well, I will read the rest:</p> - -<blockquote><p>"'However, you are my wife still, and owe me some reparation for -your long neglect. I shall come to Pine Point as soon as I can, and -it is hardly necessary to remind you that I shall be out of money, -and shall want you to stir round and get me some, as I shall want -to buy some clothes and other things."</p></blockquote> - -<p>"How does he think you are to supply him with money, when he has left -you to take care of yourself all these years?" again burst from Grit's -indignant lips.</p> - -<p>He read on:</p> - -<blockquote><p>"'How is the cub? Is he as independent and saucy as ever? I am -afraid you have allowed him to do as he pleases. He needs a man's -hand to hold him in check and train him up properly.'"</p></blockquote> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_11" id="Page_11">[Pg 11]</a></span></p><p>"Heaven help you if Mr. Brandon is to have the training of you, Grit!" -exclaimed his mother.</p> - -<p>"He'll have a tough job if he tries it!" said Grit. "He'll find me -rather larger and stronger than when he went to prison."</p> - -<p>"Don't get into any conflict with him, Grit," said his mother, a new -alarm seizing her.</p> - -<p>"I won't if I can help it, mother; but I don't mean to have him impose upon me."</p> - -<hr /> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER II.</span> <span class="smaller">THE YOUNG BOATMAN.</span></h2> - -<p>Pine Point was situated on the Kennebec River, and from its height -overlooked it, so that a person standing on its crest could scan the -river for a considerable distance up and down. There was a small grove -of pine-trees at a little distance, and this had given the point its -name. A hundred feet from the brink stood the old-fashioned cottage -occupied by Mrs. Morris. It had belonged, in a former generation, to an -uncle of hers, who, dying unmarried, had bequeathed it to her. Perhaps<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_12" id="Page_12">[Pg 12]</a></span> -half an acre was attached to it. There had been more, but it had been -sold off.</p> - -<p>When Grit and his mother came to Chester to live—it was in this -township that Pine Point was situated—she had but little of her two -thousand dollars' remaining, and when her husband was called to expiate -his offense against the law in prison, there were but ten dollars in the -house. Mrs. Morris was fortunate enough to secure a boarder, whose -board-money paid nearly all their small household expenses for three -years, the remainder being earned by her own skill as a dressmaker; but -when the boarder went to California, never to return, Grit was already -thirteen years old, and hit upon a way of earning money.</p> - -<p>On the opposite bank of the Kennebec was the village of Portville, but -there was no bridge at that point. So Grit bought a boat for a few -dollars, agreeing to pay for it in instalments, and established a -private ferry between the two places. His ordinary charge for rowing a -passenger across—the distance being half a mile—was ten cents; but if -it were a child, or a poor person, he was willing to receive five, and -he took parties of four at a reduction.</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_13" id="Page_13">[Pg 13]</a></span></p><p>It was an idea of his own, but it paid. Grit himself was rather -surprised at the number of persons who availed themselves of his ferry. -Sometimes he found at the end of the day that he had received in fares -over a dollar, and one Fourth of July, when there was a special -celebration in Portville, he actually made three dollars. Of course, he -had to work pretty hard for it, but the young boatman's arms were -strong, as was shown by his sturdy stroke.</p> - -<p>Grit was now fifteen, and he could reflect with pride that for two years -he had been able to support his mother in a comfortable manner, so that -she had wanted for nothing—that is, for nothing that could be classed -as a comfort. Luxuries he had not been able to supply, but for them -neither he nor his mother cared. They were content with their plain way -of living.</p> - -<p>But if his stepfather were coming home, Grit felt that his income would -no longer be adequate to maintain the household. Mr. Brandon ought to -increase the family income, but, knowing what he and his mother did of -his ways, he built no hope upon that. It looked as<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_14" id="Page_14">[Pg 14]</a></span> if their quiet home -happiness was likely to be rudely broken in upon by the threatened -invasion.</p> - -<p>"Well, mother," said Grit, "I must get to work."</p> - -<p>"You haven't finished your dinner, my son."</p> - -<p>"Your news has spoiled my appetite, mother. However, I dare say I'll -make up for it at supper."</p> - -<p>"I'll save a piece of meat for you to eat then. You work so hard that -you need meat to keep up your strength."</p> - -<p>"I haven't had to work much this morning, mother, worse luck! I only -earned twenty cents. People don't seem inclined to travel to-day."</p> - -<p>"Never mind, Grit. I've got five dollars in the house."</p> - -<p>"Save it for a rainy day, mother. The day is only half over, and I may -have good luck this afternoon."</p> - -<p>As Grit left the house with his quick, firm step, Mrs. Morris looked -after him with blended affection and pride.</p> - -<p>"What a good boy he is!" she said to <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_15" id="Page_15">[Pg 15]</a></span>herself. "He is a boy that any -mother might be proud of."</p> - -<p>And so he was. Our young hero was not only a strong, manly boy, but -there was something very attractive in his clear eyes and frank smile, -browned though his skin was by constant exposure to the sun and wind. He -was a general favorite in the town, or, rather, in the two towns, for he -was as well known in Portville as he was in Chester.</p> - -<p>I have said he was a general favorite, but there was one at least who -disliked him. This was Phil Courtney, a boy about his own age, the son -of an ex-president of the Chester bank, a boy who considered himself of -great consequence, and socially far above the young boatman. He lived in -a handsome house, and had a good supply of pocket-money, though he was -always grumbling about his small allowance. It by no means follows that -money makes a boy a snob, but if he has any tendency that way, it is -likely to show itself under such circumstances.</p> - -<p>Now, it happened that Phil had a cousin staying at his house as a -visitor, quite a pretty girl, in whose eyes he liked to appear to -<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_16" id="Page_16">[Pg 16]</a></span>advantage. As Grit reached the shore, where he had tied his boat, they -were seen approaching the same point.</p> - -<p>"I wonder if Phil is going to favor me with his patronage," thought -Grit, as his eyes fell upon them.</p> - -<p>"Here, you boatman!" called out Phil, in a tone of authority. "We want -to go over to Portville."</p> - -<p>Grit's eyes danced with merriment, as he answered gravely:</p> - -<p>"I have no objection to your going."</p> - -<p>The girl laughed merrily, but Phil frowned, for his dignity was wounded -by Grit's flippancy.</p> - -<p>"I am not in the habit of considering whether you have any objection or -not," he said haughtily.</p> - -<p>"Don't be a goose, Phil!" said his cousin. "The boy is in fun."</p> - -<p>"I would rather he would not make fun of me," said Phil.</p> - -<p>"I won't, then," said Grit, smiling.</p> - -<p>"Ahem! you may convey us across," said Phil.</p> - -<p>"If you please," added the young lady, with a smile.</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_17" id="Page_17">[Pg 17]</a></span></p><p>"She is very good-looking, and five times as polite as Phil," thought -Grit, fixing his eyes admiringly upon the pretty face of Marion Clarke, -as he afterward learned her name to be.</p> - -<p>"I shall be glad to have you as a passenger," said our hero, but he -looked at Marion, not at Phil.</p> - -<p>"Thank you."</p> - -<p>"If you've got through with your compliments," said Phil impatiently, -"we'd better start."</p> - -<p>"I am ready," said Grit. "May I help you in?" he asked of Marion.</p> - -<p>"Yes, thank you."</p> - -<p>"It is quite unnecessary. I can assist you," said Phil, advancing.</p> - -<p>But he was too late, for Marion had already availed herself of the young -boatman's proffered aid.</p> - -<p>"Thank you," said Marion again, pleasantly, as she took her seat in the -stern.</p> - -<p>"Why didn't you wait for me?" demanded Phil crossly, as he took his seat -beside her.</p> - -<p>"I didn't want to be always troubling you, cousin Phil," said Marion, -with a coquettish<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_18" id="Page_18">[Pg 18]</a></span> glance at Grit, which her cousin did not at all -relish.</p> - -<p>"Don't notice him so much," he said, in a low voice. "He's only a poor -boatman."</p> - -<p>"He is very good-looking, I think," said Marion.</p> - -<p>Grit's back was turned, but he heard both question and answer, and his -cheeks glowed with pleasure at the young lady's speech, though it was -answered by a contemptuous sniff from Phil.</p> - -<p>"I don't admire your taste, Marion," he said.</p> - -<p>"Hush, he'll hear you," she whispered. "What's his name?"</p> - -<p>By way of answering, Phil addressed Grit in a condescending tone.</p> - -<p>"Well, Grit, how is business to-day?"</p> - -<p>"Rather quiet, thank you."</p> - -<p>"You see, he earns his living by boating, explained Phil, with the -manner of one who was speaking of a very inferior person.</p> - -<p>"How much have you earned now?" he asked further.</p> - -<p>"Only twenty cents," answered Grit; "but I suppose," he added, smiling, -"I suppose you intend to pay me liberally."</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_19" id="Page_19">[Pg 19]</a></span></p><p>"I mean to pay you your regular fare," said Phil, who was not of a -liberal disposition.</p> - -<p>"Thank you; I ask no more."</p> - -<p>"Do you row across often?" asked Marion.</p> - -<p>"Sometimes I make eight or ten trips in a day. On the Fourth of July I -went fifteen times."</p> - -<p>"How strong you must be!"</p> - -<p>"Pooh! I could do more than that," said Phil loftily, unwilling that -Grit should be admired for anything.</p> - -<p>"Oh, I know you're remarkable," said his cousin dryly.</p> - -<p>Just then the wind, which was unusually strong, took Phil's hat, and it -blew off to a considerable distance.</p> - -<p>"My hat's off!" exclaimed Phil, in excitement. "Row after it, quick. -It's a new Panama, and cost ten dollars."</p> - -<hr /> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER III.</span> <span class="smaller">THE LOST HAT.</span></h2> - -<p>Grit complied with the request of his passenger, and rowed after Phil's -hat. But there<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_20" id="Page_20">[Pg 20]</a></span> was a strong current, and it was not without -considerable trouble that he at last secured it. But, alas! the new hat, -with its bright ribbon, was well soaked when it was fished out of the -water.</p> - -<p>"It's mean," ejaculated Phil, lifting it with an air of disgust. "Just -my luck."</p> - -<p>"Are you so unlucky, then?" asked his cousin Marion, with a half smile.</p> - -<p>"I should say so. What do you call this?"</p> - -<p>"A wet hat."</p> - -<p>"How am I ever to wear it? It will drip all over my clothes."</p> - -<p>"I think you had better buy a common one in Portville, and leave this -one here to dry."</p> - -<p>"How am I going round Portville bareheaded?" inquired Phil crossly.</p> - -<p>"Shall I lend you my hat?" asked Marion.</p> - -<p>"Wouldn't I look like a fool, going round the streets with a girl's hat -on?"</p> - -<p>"Well, you are the best judge of that," answered Marion demurely.</p> - -<p>Grit laughed, as the young lady glanced at him with a smile.</p> - -<p>"What are you laughing at, you boatman?" snarled Phil.</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_21" id="Page_21">[Pg 21]</a></span></p><p>"I beg your pardon," said Grit good-naturedly; "I know it must be -provoking to have your hat wet. Can I help you in any way? If you will -give me the money, and remain in the boat, I will run up to Davis, the -hatter's, and get you a new hat."</p> - -<p>"How can you tell my size?" asked Phil, making no acknowledgment for the -offer.</p> - -<p>"Then I will lend you my hat to go up yourself."</p> - -<p>Phil's lip curled, as if he considered that there would be contamination -in such a plebeian hat. However, as Marion declared it would be the best -thing to do, he suppressed his disdain, and, without a word of thanks, -put Grit's hat on his head.</p> - -<p>"Come with me, Marion," he said.</p> - -<p>"No, Phil; I will remain here with Mr. ——," and she turned inquiringly -toward the young boatman.</p> - -<p>"Grit," he suggested.</p> - -<p>"Mr. Grit," she said, finishing the sentence.</p> - -<p>"Just as you like. I admire your taste," said Phil, with a sneer.</p> - -<p>As he walked away, Marion turned to the young boatman.</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_22" id="Page_22">[Pg 22]</a></span></p><p>"Is your name really Grit?" she asked.</p> - -<p>"No; people call me so."</p> - -<p>"I can understand why," she answered with a smile. "You look—gritty."</p> - -<p>"If I do, I hope it isn't anything disagreeable," responded our hero.</p> - -<p>"Oh, no," said Marion; "quite the contrary. I like to see boys that -won't allow themselves to be imposed upon."</p> - -<p>"I don't generally allow myself to be imposed upon."</p> - -<p>"What is your real name?"</p> - -<p>"Harry Morris."</p> - -<p>"I suppose you and Phil know each other very well?"</p> - -<p>"We have known each other a long time, but we are not very intimate -friends."</p> - -<p>"I don't think Phil has any intimate friends," said Marion thoughtfully. -"He—I don't think he gets on very well with the other boys."</p> - -<p>"He wants to boss them," said Grit bluntly.</p> - -<p>"Yes; I expect that is it. He's my cousin, you know."</p> - -<p>"Is he? I don't think you are much alike."</p> - -<p>"Is that remark a compliment to me—or him?" asked Marion, laughing.</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_23" id="Page_23">[Pg 23]</a></span></p><p>"To you, decidedly."</p> - -<p>"Well, Phil can be very disagreeable when he sets out to be. I should -not want to be that, you know."</p> - -<p>"You couldn't," said Grit, with an admiring glance.</p> - -<p>"That's a compliment," said Marion. "But you're mistaken. I can be -disagreeable when I set out to be. I expect Phil finds me so sometimes."</p> - -<p>"I wouldn't."</p> - -<p>"You know how to flatter as well as to row, Mr. Grit. It's true. I tease -Phil awfully sometimes."</p> - -<p>By this time Phil came back with a new hat on his head, holding Grit's -in the tips of his fingers, as if it would contaminate him. He pitched -it into Grit's lap, saying shortly:</p> - -<p>"There's your hat."</p> - -<p>"Upon my word, Phil, you're polite," said his cousin. "Can't you thank -Mr. Grit?"</p> - -<p>"Mr. Grit!" repeated Phil contemptuously. "Of course I thank him."</p> - -<p>"You're welcome," answered Grit dryly.</p> - -<p>"Here's your fare!" said Phil, taking out two dimes, and offering them -to the young boatman.</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_24" id="Page_24">[Pg 24]</a></span></p><p>"Thank you."</p> - -<p>"Phil, you ought to pay something extra for the loan of the hat," said -Marion, "and the delay."</p> - -<p>With evident reluctance Phil took a nickel from his vest pocket, and -offered it to Grit.</p> - -<p>"No, thank you!" said Grit, drawing back, "I wouldn't be willing to take -anything for that. I've found it very agreeable to wait," and he glanced -significantly at Marion.</p> - -<p>"I suppose I am to consider that another compliment," said the young -lady, with a coquettish glance.</p> - -<p>"What, has he been complimenting you?" asked Phil jealously.</p> - -<p>"Yes, and it was very agreeable, as I got no compliments from you. Good -afternoon, Mr. Grit. I hope you will row us back by and by."</p> - -<p>"I hope so, too," said the young boatman, bowing.</p> - -<p>"Look here, Marion," said Phil, as they walked away, "you take -altogether too much notice of that fellow."</p> - -<p>"Why do I? I am sure he is a very nice boy."</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_25" id="Page_25">[Pg 25]</a></span></p><p>"He is a common working boy!" snapped Phil. "He lives with his mother -in a poor hut upon the bluff, and makes his living by boating."</p> - -<p>"I am sure that is to his credit."</p> - -<p>"Oh, yes, I suppose it is. So's a ditch-digger engaged in a creditable -employment, but you don't treat him as an equal."</p> - -<p>"I should be willing to treat Grit as an equal. He is very good-looking, -don't you think so, Phil?"</p> - -<p>"Good-looking! So is a cow good-looking."</p> - -<p>"I've seen some cows that were very good-looking," answered Marion, with -a mischievous smile. "I suppose Grit and you are well acquainted."</p> - -<p>"Oh, I know him to speak to him," returned Phil loftily. "Of course, I -couldn't be intimate with such a boy."</p> - -<p>"I was thinking," said Marion, "it would be nice to invite him round to -the house to play croquet with us."</p> - -<p>"Invite Grit Morris?" gasped Phil.</p> - -<p>"Yes, why not?"</p> - -<p>"A boy like him!"</p> - -<p>"Why, wouldn't he behave well?"</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_26" id="Page_26">[Pg 26]</a></span></p><p>"Oh, I suppose he would, but he isn't in our circle."</p> - -<p>"Then it's a pity he isn't. He's the most agreeable boy I have met in -Chester."</p> - -<p>"You say that only to provoke me."</p> - -<p>"No, I don't. I mean it."</p> - -<p>"I won't invite him," said Phil doggedly. "I am surprised that you -should think of such a thing."</p> - -<p>"Propriety, Miss Marion, propriety!" said the young lady, in a tone of -mock dignity, turning up the whites of her eyes. "That's just the way my -governess used to talk. It's well I've got so experienced a young -gentleman to look after me, and see that I don't stumble into any -impropriety."</p> - -<p>Meanwhile, Grit sat in his boat, waiting for a return passenger, and as -he waited he thought of the young lady he had just ferried over.</p> - -<p>"I can't see how such a fellow as Phil Courtney can have such a nice -cousin," he said to himself. "She's very pretty, too! She isn't -stuck-up, like him. I hope I shall get the chance of rowing them back."</p> - -<p>He waited about ten minutes, when he saw a<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_27" id="Page_27">[Pg 27]</a></span> gentleman and a little boy -approaching the river.</p> - -<p>"Are you the ferry-boy?" asked the gentleman.</p> - -<p>"Yes, sir."</p> - -<p>"I heard there was a boy who would row me across. I want to go to -Chester with my little boy. Can you take us over?"</p> - -<p>"Yes, sir; I shall be happy to do so."</p> - -<p>"Are you ready to start?"</p> - -<p>"Yes, sir, just as soon as you get into the boat."</p> - -<p>"Come, Willie," said the gentleman, addressing his little boy, "won't -you like to ride over in the boat?"</p> - -<p>"Oh, yes, papa," answered Willie eagerly.</p> - -<p>"I hope you are well acquainted with rowing, and careful," said Mr. -Jackson, for this was his name. "I am rather timid about the water, for -I can't swim."</p> - -<p>"Yes, sir, I am as much at home on the water as on the land. I've been -rowing every day for the last three years."</p> - -<p>The gentleman and his little boy sat down, and Grit bent to his oars.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_28" id="Page_28">[Pg 28]</a></span></p> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER IV.</span> <span class="smaller">A BOY IN THE WATER.</span></h2> - -<p>Mr. Jackson was a slender, dark-complexioned man of forty, or -thereabouts. He was fashionably dressed, and had the air of one who -lives in a city. He had an affable manner, and seemed inclined to be -social.</p> - -<p>"Is this your business, ferrying passengers across the river?" he asked -of Grit.</p> - -<p>"Yes, sir," answered the young boatman.</p> - -<p>"Does it pay?" was the next inquiry—an important one in the eyes of a -city man.</p> - -<p>"Yes, sir; I make more in this way than I could in any other."</p> - -<p>"How much, for instance?"</p> - -<p>"From five to seven dollars. Once—it was Fourth of July week—I made -nearly ten dollars."</p> - -<p>"That is a great deal more than I made at your age," said Mr. Jackson.</p> - -<p>"You look as if you made more now," said Grit, smiling.</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_29" id="Page_29">[Pg 29]</a></span></p><p>"Yes," said the passenger, with an answering smile. "I am afraid I -couldn't get along on that sum now."</p> - -<p>"Do you live in the city?" asked Grit, with a sudden impulse.</p> - -<p>"Yes, I live in what I regard as the city. I mean New York."</p> - -<p>"It must be a fine place," said the young boatman thoughtfully.</p> - -<p>"Yes, it is a fine place, if you have money enough to live handsomely. -Did you ever hear of Wall Street?"</p> - -<p>"Yes, sir."</p> - -<p>"I am a Wall Street broker. I commenced as a boy in a broker's office. I -don't think I was any better off than you at your age—certainly I did -not earn so much money."</p> - -<p>"But you didn't have a mother to take care of, did you, sir?"</p> - -<p>"No; do you?"</p> - -<p>"Yes, sir."</p> - -<p>"You are a good boy to work for your mother. My poor boy has no mother;" -and the gentleman looked sad. "What is your name?"</p> - -<p>"Grit."</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_30" id="Page_30">[Pg 30]</a></span></p><p>"Is that your real name?"</p> - -<p>"No, sir, but everybody calls me so."</p> - -<p>"For a good reason, probably. Willie, do you like to ride in the boat?"</p> - -<p>"Yes, papa," answered the little boy, his bright eyes and eager manner -showing that he spoke the truth.</p> - -<p>"Grit," said Mr. Jackson, "I see we are nearly across the river. Unless -you are due there at a specified time, you may stay out, and we will row -here and there, prolonging our trip. Of course, I will increase your -pay."</p> - -<p>"I shall be very willing, sir," said Grit. "My boat is my own, and my -time also, and I have no fixed hours for starting from either side."</p> - -<p>"Good! Then we can continue our conversation. Is there a good hotel in -Chester?"</p> - -<p>"Quite a good one, sir. They keep summer boarders."</p> - -<p>"That was the point I wished to inquire about. Willie and I have been -staying with friends in Portville, but they are expecting other -visitors, and I have a fancy for staying a while on your side of the -river—that is, if you live in Chester."</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_31" id="Page_31">[Pg 31]</a></span></p><p>"Yes, sir; our cottage is on yonder bluff—Pine Point, it is called."</p> - -<p>"Then I think I will call at the hotel, and see whether I can obtain -satisfactory accommodations."</p> - -<p>"Are you taking a vacation?" asked Grit, with curiosity.</p> - -<p>"Yes; the summer is a dull time in Wall Street, and my partner attends -to everything. By and by I shall return, and give him a chance to go -away."</p> - -<p>"Do people make a great deal of money in Wall Street?" asked Grit.</p> - -<p>"Sometimes, and sometimes they lose a great deal. I have known a man who -kept his span of horses one summer reduced to accept a small clerkship -the next. If a broker does not speculate, he is not so liable to such -changes of fortune. What is your real name, since Grit is only a -nickname?"</p> - -<p>"My real name is Harry Morris."</p> - -<p>"Have you any brothers or sisters?"</p> - -<p>"No, sir; I am an only child."</p> - -<p>"Were you born here?"</p> - -<p>"No, sir; I was born in Boston."</p> - -<p>"Have you formed any plans for the future?<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_32" id="Page_32">[Pg 32]</a></span> You won't be a boatman all -your life, I presume?"</p> - -<p>"I hope not, sir. It will do well enough for the present, and I am glad -to have such a chance of earning a living for my mother and myself; but -when I grow up I should like to go to the city, and get into business -there."</p> - -<p>"All the country boys are anxious to seek their fortune in the city. In -many cases they would do better to stay at home."</p> - -<p>"Were you born in the city, sir?" asked Grit shrewdly.</p> - -<p>"No; I was born in the country."</p> - -<p>"But you didn't stay there."</p> - -<p>"No; you have got me there. I suppose it was better for me to go to the -city, and perhaps it may be for you; but there is no hurry. You wouldn't -have a chance to earn six dollars a week in the city, as you say you do -here. Besides, it would cost much more for you and your mother to live."</p> - -<p>"I suppose so, sir. I am contented to remain where I am at present."</p> - -<p>"Is your father dead?"</p> - -<p>"Yes, sir."</p> - -<p>"It is a great loss. Then your mother is a widow?"</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_33" id="Page_33">[Pg 33]</a></span></p><p>"I wish she were," said Grit hastily.</p> - -<p>"But she must be, if your father is dead," said Mr. Jackson.</p> - -<p>"No, sir; she married again."</p> - -<p>"Oh, there is a stepfather, then? Don't you and he get along well -together?"</p> - -<p>"There has been no chance to quarrel for nearly five years."</p> - -<p>"Why?"</p> - -<p>"Because he has been in prison."</p> - -<p>"Excuse me if I have forced upon you a disagreeable topic," said the -passenger, in a tone of sympathy. "His term of confinement will expire, -and then he can return to you."</p> - -<p>"That is just what troubles me, sir," said Grit bluntly. "We are -expecting him in a day or two, and then our quiet life will be at an -end."</p> - -<p>"Will he make things disagreeable for you?"</p> - -<p>"Yes, sir."</p> - -<p>"At least, you will not have to work so hard."</p> - -<p>"Yes, sir. I shall have to work harder, for I shall have to support him, -too."</p> - -<p>"Won't he be willing to work?"</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_34" id="Page_34">[Pg 34]</a></span></p><p>"No, sir, he is very lazy, and if he can live without work, he will."</p> - -<p>"That is certainly unfortunate."</p> - -<p>"It is worse than having no father at all," said Grit bluntly. "I don't -care to have him remain in prison, if he will only keep away from us, -but I should be glad if I could never set eyes upon him again."</p> - -<p>"Well, my boy, you must bear the trial as well as you can. We all have -our trials, and yours comes in the shape of a disagreeable -stepfather——"</p> - -<p>He did not finish the sentence, for there was a startling interruption.</p> - -<p>Mr. Jackson and Grit had been so much engaged in their conversation that -they had not watched the little boy. Willie had amused himself in -bending over the side of the boat, and dipping his little fingers in the -rippling water. With childish imprudence he leaned too far, and fell -head first into the swift stream.</p> - -<p>A splash told the startled father what had happened.</p> - -<p>"Good Heaven!" he exclaimed, "my boy is overboard, and I cannot swim."</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_35" id="Page_35">[Pg 35]</a></span></p><p>He had scarcely got the words out of his mouth than Grit was in the -water, swimming for the spot where the boy went down, now a rod or two -distant, for the boat had been borne onward by the impulse of the oars.</p> - -<p>The young boatman was an expert swimmer. It would naturally have been -expected, since so much of his time had been spent on the river. He had -often engaged in swimming-matches with his boy companions, and there was -no one who could surpass him in speed or endurance.</p> - -<p>He struck out boldly, and, as Willie rose to the surface for the second -time, he seized him by the arm, and, turning, struck out for the boat. -The little boy struggled, and this made his task more difficulty but -Grit was strong and wary, and, holding Willie in a strong grasp, he soon -gained the boat.</p> - -<p>Mr. Jackson leaned over, and drew the boy, dripping, into its safe -refuge.</p> - -<p>"Climb in, too, Grit!" he said.</p> - -<p>"No, I shall upset it. If you will row to the shore, I will swim there."</p> - -<p>"Very well."</p> - -<p>Mr. Jackson was not wholly a stranger to<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_36" id="Page_36">[Pg 36]</a></span> the use of oars, and the shore -was very near. In three minutes the boat touched the bank, and almost at -the same time Grit clambered on shore.</p> - -<p>"You have saved my boy's life," said Mr. Jackson, his voice betraying -the strong emotion he felt. "I shall not forget it."</p> - -<p>"Willie is cold!" said the little boy.</p> - -<p>"Our house is close by," said Grit. "Let us take him there at once, and -mother will take care of him, and dry his clothes."</p> - -<p>The suggestion was adopted, and Mr. Jackson and his two young companions -were soon standing at the door of the plain cottage on the bluff.</p> - -<p>When his mother admitted them, Grit noticed that she looked disturbed, -and he seized the first chance to ask her if anything were the matter.</p> - -<p>"Your stepfather has come!" she answered.</p> - -<hr /> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER V.</span> <span class="smaller">THE STEPFATHER.</span></h2> - -<p>Grit was disagreeably surprised at the news of Mr. Brandon's arrival, -and he looked about<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_37" id="Page_37">[Pg 37]</a></span> him in the expectation of seeing his unwelcome -figure, in vain.</p> - -<p>"Where is he, mother?" the boy inquired.</p> - -<p>"Gone to the tavern," she answered significantly.</p> - -<p>"Did you give him any money?"</p> - -<p>"I gave him a dollar," she replied sadly. "It is easy to tell how it -will be spent."</p> - -<p>Grit had no time to inquire further at that time, for he was assisting -his mother in necessary attentions to their guests, having hurriedly -exchanged his own wet clothes for dry ones.</p> - -<p>Mr. Jackson seemed very grateful to Mrs. Morris for her attention to -Willie. She found an old suit of Grit's, worn by him at the age of -eight, and dressed Willie in it, while his own wet suit was being dried. -The little boy presented a comical spectacle, the suit being three or -four sizes too large for him.</p> - -<p>"I don't like it," he said. "It is too big."</p> - -<p>"So it is, Willie," said his father; "but you won't have to wear it -long. You would catch your death of cold if you wore your wet clothes. -How long will it take to dry his clothes, Mrs. Morris?"</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_38" id="Page_38">[Pg 38]</a></span></p><p>"Two or three hours at least," answered the widow.</p> - -<p>"I have a great mind to go back to Portville, and get a change of -garments," said the father.</p> - -<p>"That would be the best thing, probably."</p> - -<p>"But I should have to burden you with Willie; for I should need to take -Grit with me to ferry me across."</p> - -<p>"It will be no trouble, sir. I will take good care of him."</p> - -<p>"Willie, will you stay here while I go after your other clothes?" asked -Mr. Jackson.</p> - -<p>Willie readily consented, especially after Grit had brought him a -picture-book to look over. Then he accompanied the father to the river, -and they started to go across. While they were gone, Mr. Brandon -returned to the cottage. His flushed face and unsteady gait showed that -he had been drinking. He lifted the latch, and went in.</p> - -<p>When he saw Willie sitting in a small chair beside his wife, he gazed at -the child in astonishment.</p> - -<p>"Is that the cub?" he asked doubtfully. "Seems to me he's grown smaller -since I saw him."</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_39" id="Page_39">[Pg 39]</a></span></p><p>"I ain't a cub," said Willie indignantly.</p> - -<p>"Oh! yer ain't a cub, hey?" repeated Brandon mockingly.</p> - -<p>"No, I ain't. My name is Willie Jackson, and my papa lives in New York."</p> - -<p>"What is the meaning of this, Mrs. Brandon?" asked the inebriate. "Where -did you pick up this youngster?"</p> - -<p>His wife explained in a few words.</p> - -<p>"I thought it wasn't the cub," said Mr. Brandon indistinctly. "Where is -he?"</p> - -<p>"He has gone to row Mr. Jackson over to Portville."</p> - -<p>"I say, Mrs. B., does he earn much money that way?"</p> - -<p>"He earns all the money that supports us," answered his wife coldly.</p> - -<p>"I must see to that," said Brandon unsteadily. "He must bring me his -money every night—do you hear, Mrs. B.?—must bring me his money every -night."</p> - -<p>"To spend for liquor, I suppose?" she responded bitterly.</p> - -<p>"I'm a gentleman. My money—that is, his money is my money. D'ye -understand?"</p> - -<p>"I understand only too well, Mr. Brandon."</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_40" id="Page_40">[Pg 40]</a></span></p><p>"That's all right. I feel tired. Guess I'll go and lie down."</p> - -<p>To his wife's relief he went up-stairs, and was soon stretched out on -the bed in a drunken sleep.</p> - -<p>"I am glad he is out of the way. I should be ashamed to have Mr. Jackson -see him," thought Grit's mother, or Mrs. Brandon, as we must now call -her.</p> - -<p>"Who is that man?" asked Willie anxiously.</p> - -<p>"His name is Brandon," answered Grit's mother.</p> - -<p>"He isn't a nice man. I don't like him."</p> - -<p>Mrs. Brandon said nothing. What could she say? If she had spoken as she -felt, she would have been compelled to agree with the boy. Yet this man -was her husband, and was likely to be to her a daily source of anxiety -and annoyance.</p> - -<p>"I am afraid Grit and he won't agree," she thought anxiously. "Oh I why -did he ever come back? For the last five years we have been happy. We -have lived plainly and humbly, but our home has been peaceful. Now, -Heaven knows what trouble is in store for us."</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_41" id="Page_41">[Pg 41]</a></span></p><p>Half an hour later Mr. Jackson and Grit returned.</p> - -<hr /> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER VI.</span> <span class="smaller">GRIT'S RECOMPENSE.</span></h2> - -<p>No time was lost in arraying Willie in clothes more suitable for him. -The little boy was glad to lay aside Grit's old suit, which certainly -was not very becoming to him.</p> - -<p>"Are we going now, papa?" asked the little boy.</p> - -<p>"Yes, Willie; but first I must express to this good lady my great thanks -for her kindness."</p> - -<p>"I have done but little, sir," said Mrs. Brandon; "but that little I was -very glad to do."</p> - -<p>"I am sure of that," said the visitor cordially.</p> - -<p>"If you remain in the neighborhood, I shall hope to see your little boy -again, and yourself, also."</p> - -<p>"I will come," said Willie promptly.</p> - -<p>"He answers for himself," said his father, smiling, "and he will keep -his promise. Now,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_42" id="Page_42">[Pg 42]</a></span> Grit," he said, turning to the young boatman, "I will -ask you to accompany me to the hotel."</p> - -<p>"Certainly, sir."</p> - -<p>When they had passed from the cottage, Mr. Jackson turned to the boy and -grasped his hand.</p> - -<p>"I have not yet expressed to you my obligations," he said, with emotion, -"for the great service you have done me—the greatest in the power of -any man, or boy."</p> - -<p>"Don't speak of it, sir," said Grit modestly.</p> - -<p>"But I must. You have saved the life of my darling boy."</p> - -<p>"I don't know, sir."</p> - -<p>"But I do. I cannot swim a stroke, and but for your prompt bravery, he -would have drowned before my eyes."</p> - -<p>Grit could not well contradict this statement, for it was incontestably -true.</p> - -<p>"It was lucky I could swim," he answered.</p> - -<p>"Yes, it was. It seems providential that I should have had with me so -brave a boy, when Willie's life was in peril. It will be something that -you will remember with satisfaction to the end of your own life."</p> - -<p>"Yes, sir, there is no doubt of that," answered Grit sincerely.</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_43" id="Page_43">[Pg 43]</a></span></p><p>"I shudder to think what a sad blank my own life would have been if I -had lost my dear boy. He is my only child, and for this reason I should -have missed him the more. Your brave act is one that I cannot fitly -reward——"</p> - -<p>"I don't need any reward, Mr. Jackson," said Grit hastily.</p> - -<p>"I am sure you do not. You do not look like a mercenary boy. But, for -all that, I owe it to myself to see that so great a favor does not go -unacknowledged. My brave boy, accept this wallet and what it contains, -not as the payment of a debt, but as the first in the series of my -acknowledgments to you."</p> - -<p>As he spoke, he put into the hand of the young boatman a wallet.</p> - -<p>"I am very much obliged to you, Mr. Jackson," said Grit, "but I am not -sure that I ought to take this."</p> - -<p>"Then let me decide for you," said the broker, smiling. "I am older, and -may be presumed to have more judgment."</p> - -<p>"It will seem as if I took pay for saving Willie from drowning."</p> - -<p>"If you did, it would be perfectly proper.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_44" id="Page_44">[Pg 44]</a></span> But you forget that I have -had the use of your boat and your own services for the greater part of -the afternoon."</p> - -<p>"I presume you have paid me more than I ask for such services."</p> - -<p>"Very likely," answered Mr. Jackson. "In fact, outside of my obligations -to you, I have formed a good opinion of a boy who works hard and -faithfully to support his mother. I was a poor boy once, and I have not -forgotten how to sympathize with those who are beginning the conflict -with narrow means. Mind, Grit, I don't condole with you. You have good -health and strong hands, and in our favored country there is no reason -why, when you reach my age, you may not be equally well off."</p> - -<p>"I wish I might—for mother's sake," said Grit, his face lighting up -with hope.</p> - -<p>"I shall see more of you while I am here, but I may as well say now that -I mean to bear you in mind, and wish you to come to me, either here or -in the city, when you stand in need of advice or assistance."</p> - -<p>Grit expressed his gratitude. Mr. Jackson selected a room at the hotel, -and promised to<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_45" id="Page_45">[Pg 45]</a></span> take up his quarters there the next day. Then Grit once -more took up his oars and ferried Willie and his father across the -river.</p> - -<p>It was not for some time, therefore, that he had a chance to examine the -wallet which had been given him.</p> - -<hr /> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER VII.</span> <span class="smaller">GRIT ASTONISHES PHIL.</span></h2> - -<p>Grit was not wholly without curiosity, and, as was natural, he -speculated as to the amount which the wallet contained. When Mr. Jackson -and Willie had left him, he took it out of his pocket and opened it.</p> - -<p>He extracted a roll of bills and counted them over. There were ten -five-dollar bills, and ten dollars in notes of a smaller denomination.</p> - -<p>"Sixty dollars!" ejaculated Grit, with a thrill of pleasure. "I never -was so rich in all my life."</p> - -<p>He felt that the sum was too large for him to accept, and he was half -tempted to run after Mr. Jackson and say so. But quick reflection -satisfied him that the generous New Yorker wished him to retain it, and, -modest though<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_46" id="Page_46">[Pg 46]</a></span> he was, he was conscious that in saving the little boy's -life he had placed his passenger under an obligation which a much larger -sum would not have overpaid. Besides, he saw two new passengers walking -toward his boat, who doubtless wished to be ferried across the river. -They were Phil Courtney and Marion Clarke.</p> - -<p>"We are just in time, Mr. Grit," said the young lady, smiling.</p> - -<p>"Yes, my good fellow," said Phil condescendingly, "we will employ you -again."</p> - -<p>"You are very kind," answered Grit, with a smile of amusement.</p> - -<p>"I like to encourage you," continued Phil, who was not very quick to -interpret the looks of others.</p> - -<p>Grit looked at Marion, and noticed that she, too, looked amused.</p> - -<p>"Have you had any passengers since we came over?" asked Phil, in a -patronizing tone.</p> - -<p>He was quite ready to employ his old schoolmate, provided he would show -proper gratitude, and be suitably impressed by his condescension.</p> - -<p>"I have been across several times," answered Grit briefly.</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_47" id="Page_47">[Pg 47]</a></span></p><p>"And how much have you made now?" asked Phil, with what he intended to -pass for benevolent interest.</p> - -<p>If Phil had been his friend, Grit would not have minded telling him; but -he had the pride of self-respect, and he objected to being patronized or -condescended to.</p> - -<p>"I haven't counted up," he answered.</p> - -<p>"I might have brought my own boat," said Phil, "but I like to encourage -you."</p> - -<p>"Really, Phil, you are appearing in a new character," said Marion. "I -never should have taken you for a philanthropist before. I thought you -told your mother it would be too much bother to row over in your own -boat."</p> - -<p>"That was one reason," said Phil, looking slightly embarrassed. -"Besides, I didn't want to interfere with Grit's business. He is poor, -and has to support his mother out of his earnings."</p> - -<p>This was in bad taste, and Grit chafed against it.</p> - -<p>"That is true," he said, "but I don't ask any sympathy. I am prosperous -enough."</p> - -<p>"Oh, yes; you are doing well enough for one in your position, I don't -doubt. How much<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_48" id="Page_48">[Pg 48]</a></span> would you give, now, to have as much money as I carry -in this pocketbook?" asked Phil boastfully.</p> - -<p>He had just passed his birthday, and had received a present of ten -dollars from his father, and five dollars each from his mother and an -aunt. He had spent a part of it for a hat and in other ways, but still -he had seventeen dollars left.</p> - -<p>"Perhaps I have as much money," answered Grit quietly.</p> - -<p>"Oho! That's a good joke," said Phil.</p> - -<p>"No joke at all," said Grit. "I don't know how much money you have in -your pocketbook, but I presume I can show more."</p> - -<p>Phil's face grew red with anger. He was one of those disagreeable boys -who are purse-proud, and he was provoked at hearing such a ridiculous -assertion from a poor boy who had to earn his own living.</p> - -<p>Even Marion regarded Grit with some wonder, for she happened to know how -much money her cousin carried, and it seemed to her very improbable that -the young boatman should have as much in his possession.</p> - -<p>"Don't make a fool of yourself, Grit!" said Phil sharply.</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_49" id="Page_49">[Pg 49]</a></span></p><p>"Thank you; I don't propose to."</p> - -<p>"But you are doing it."</p> - -<p>"How?"</p> - -<p>"Didn't you say you had more money than I?"</p> - -<p>"I think I have."</p> - -<p>"Hear him talk!" said Phil, with a glance of derision.</p> - -<p>By this time the young boatman's grit was up, if I may use the -expression, and he resolved to surprise and mortify his young adversary.</p> - -<p>"If you are not afraid to test it," he said, "I will leave it to the -young lady to decide. Let her count the money in your pocketbook, and I -will then give her my wallet for the same purpose."</p> - -<p>"Done!" said Phil promptly.</p> - -<p>Marion, wondering a little at Grit's confidence, took her cousin's -pocketbook, and counted the contents.</p> - -<p>"Well, Marion, how much is there?" said Phil exultingly.</p> - -<p>"Seventeen dollars and thirty-seven cents," was the announcement of the -fair umpire.</p> - -<p>Phil smiled triumphantly.</p> - -<p>"You didn't think I had so much—eh, Grit?" he said.</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_50" id="Page_50">[Pg 50]</a></span></p><p>"No, I didn't," Grit admitted.</p> - -<p>"Now hand over your wallet."</p> - -<p>"With pleasure, if Miss Marion will take the trouble," answered the -young boatman, with a polite bow.</p> - -<p>When Marion opened the wallet, and saw the roll of bills, both she and -Phil looked astonished. She proceeded to count the bills, however, and -in a tone of serious surprise announced:</p> - -<p>"I find sixty dollars here."</p> - -<p>"That is right," said Grit quietly, as he received back his wallet, and -thrust it into his pocket.</p> - -<p>Phil hardly knew whether he was more surprised or mortified at this -unexpected result. But a thought struck him.</p> - -<p>"Whose money is that?" he demanded abruptly.</p> - -<p>"It is mine."</p> - -<p>"I don't believe it. You are carrying it over to some one in Chester."</p> - -<p>"Perhaps I am; but, if so, that some one is my mother."</p> - -<p>"You don't mean to say that you have sixty dollars of your own?"</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_51" id="Page_51">[Pg 51]</a></span></p><p>"Yes, I do. You didn't think I had so much money—eh, Phil?" he -retorted, with a smile.</p> - -<p>"I don't believe a word of it," returned Phil crossly. "It is ridiculous -that a boy like you should have so much money. It can't be yours."</p> - -<p>"Do you doubt it, Miss Marion?" asked Grit, turning to the young lady.</p> - -<p>"No; I believe that it is yours since you say so."</p> - -<p>"Thank you."</p> - -<p>"If it is yours, where did you get it?" asked Phil, whose curiosity -overcame his mortification sufficiently to induce him to ask the -question.</p> - -<p>"I don't feel called upon to tell you," answered Grit.</p> - -<p>"Then I can guess."</p> - -<p>"Very well. If you guess right, I will admit it."</p> - -<p>"You found it, and won't be long before finding the owner."</p> - -<p>"You are wrong. The money is mine, and was paid me in the course of -business."</p> - -<p>Phil did not know what to say, but Marion said pleasantly:</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_52" id="Page_52">[Pg 52]</a></span></p><p>"Allow me to congratulate you, Mr. Grit, on being so well off. You are -richer than either of your passengers. I never had sixty dollars of my -own in my life."</p> - -<p>By this time they had reached the other side of the river, and the two -passengers disembarked.</p> - -<p>"Well, Phil, you came off second best," said his cousin.</p> - -<p>"I can't understand how the boy came into possession of such a sum of -money," said Phil, frowning.</p> - -<p>"Nor I; but I am sure of one thing."</p> - -<p>"What is that?"</p> - -<p>"That he came by it honestly."</p> - -<p>"Don't be too sure of that," said Phil, shaking his head.</p> - -<p>"Phil, you are too bad," said Marion warmly. "You seem to have taken an -unaccountable prejudice against Grit. I am sure he seems to me a very -nice boy."</p> - -<p>"You're welcome to the young boatman's society," said Phil, with a -sneer. "You seem to be fond of low company."</p> - -<p>"If you call him low company, then perhaps I am. I never met Grit before -this<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_53" id="Page_53">[Pg 53]</a></span> morning, but he seems a very polite, spirited boy, and it is -certainly to his credit that he supports his mother."</p> - -<p>"I can tell you something about him that may chill your ardor? His -father is in jail."</p> - -<p>"I heard that it was his stepfather."</p> - -<p>"Oh, well, it doesn't matter which."</p> - -<p>"In one sense, no. The boy isn't to blame for it."</p> - -<p>"No, but it shows of what stock he comes."</p> - -<p>Meanwhile, Grit, having fastened his boat, made his way to the cottage -on the bluff. He wanted to tell his mother of his good fortune.</p> - -<hr /> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER VIII.</span> <span class="smaller">GRIT PUTS HIS MONEY AWAY.</span></h2> - -<p>"You seem to be in good spirits, Grit," said his mother, as our hero -opened the outside door and entered the room where she sat sewing.</p> - -<p>"Yes, mother, I have reason to be. Is—is Mr. Brandon home?"</p> - -<p>"Yes; he is up-stairs lying down," answered Mrs. Brandon, with a sigh.</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_54" id="Page_54">[Pg 54]</a></span></p><p>Grit rose and closed the door.</p> - -<p>"I don't want him to hear what I'm going to tell you," he said. "Mother, -I have been very lucky to-day."</p> - -<p>"I suppose Mr. Jackson was liberal."</p> - -<p>"I should say he was. Guess how much money I have in this wallet, -mother."</p> - -<p>"Five dollars."</p> - -<p>"Multiply that by twelve."</p> - -<p>"You don't mean to say that he gave you sixty dollars?" inquired his -mother quickly.</p> - -<p>"Yes, I do. See here," and Grit displayed the roll of bills.</p> - -<p>"You are, indeed, in luck, Grit. How much good this money will do us. -But I forgot," she added, her expression changing to one of anxious -solicitude.</p> - -<p>"What did you forget, mother?"</p> - -<p>"That your father—that Mr. Brandon had returned."</p> - -<p>"What difference will that make, mother? I suppose, of course, it will -increase our expenses."</p> - -<p>"If that were all, Grit."</p> - -<p>"What is it, then, you fear, mother?"</p> - -<p>"That he will take this money away from you."</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_55" id="Page_55">[Pg 55]</a></span></p><p>"I should like to see him try it," exclaimed Grit, compressing his -lips.</p> - -<p>"He will try it, Grit. He said only an hour ago that you would have to -account to him for your daily earnings."</p> - -<p>"Doesn't he mean to do any work himself?"</p> - -<p>"I fear not. You know what sort of a man he is, Grit. He probably means -to live on what we can earn, and spend his time and what money he can -get hold of at the tavern."</p> - -<p>"And he calls himself a man!" said Grit disdainfully.</p> - -<p>"I am afraid our quiet, happy life is at an end, Grit," sighed his -mother.</p> - -<p>Grit did not answer for a moment, but he looked stern and determined. -Finally, he answered:</p> - -<p>"I don't want to make any disturbance, mother, or to act improperly, but -I feel sure that we ought not to submit to such treatment."</p> - -<p>"What can we do, Grit?"</p> - -<p>"If Mr. Brandon cares to stay here we will provide him a home, give him -his board, but, as to supplying him with money, we ought not to do it."</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_56" id="Page_56">[Pg 56]</a></span></p><p>"I agree with you, Grit, but I don't see how we can help it. Mr. -Brandon is a man, and you are only a boy. I don't want you to quarrel -with him."</p> - -<p>"I won't if I can help it. By the way, mother, I don't think it will be -prudent to leave all this money in the house."</p> - -<p>"What can we do with it?"</p> - -<p>"I will put it out of my hands. Perhaps I had better not tell you what I -am going to do with it, for Mr. Brandon might ask you, and it is better -that you should be able to tell him that you don't know."</p> - -<p>"You are right, Grit."</p> - -<p>"I will attend to that matter at once, mother. I will be back in half or -three-quarters of an hour," and the young boatman hurried from the -house.</p> - -<p>He bent his steps to the house of his particular friend, Fred Lawrence, -the son of a lawyer in the village. Mr. Lawrence was rated as wealthy by -the people in the village, and lived in a house quite as good as Mr. -Courtney's, but his son Fred was a very different style of boy. He had -no purse-pride, and it never occurred to him that Grit was unfit to<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_57" id="Page_57">[Pg 57]</a></span> -associate with, simply because he was poor, and had to earn a living for -himself and his mother by ferrying passengers across the Kennebec. In -fact, he regarded Grit as his most intimate friend, and spent as much -time in his company as their differing engagements would allow.</p> - -<p>Phil Courtney, though he condescended to Grit, regarded Fred as his -social equal, and wished to be intimate with him; but Fred did not fancy -Phil, and the latter saw, with no little annoyance, that the young -boatman's company was preferred to his. It displayed shocking bad taste -on the part of Fred, but he did not venture to express himself to the -lawyer's son as he would not scruple to do to the young ferryman.</p> - -<p>Naturally, when Grit felt the need of advice, he thought of his most -intimate friend, and sought the lawyer's house.</p> - -<p>He met Fred on the way.</p> - -<p>"Hello, Grit!" said Fred cordially. "Where are you going?"</p> - -<p>"I was going to your house."</p> - -<p>"Then turn round, and we will go there."</p> - -<p>"I can talk with you in the street. I want your advice and help."</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_58" id="Page_58">[Pg 58]</a></span></p><p>"My advice is probably very valuable," said Fred, smiling, "considering -my age and experience. However, my help you can rely upon, if I can give -it."</p> - -<p>"Did you hear that Mr. Brandon had got home?" asked Grit abruptly.</p> - -<p>"Your stepfather?"</p> - -<p>"Yes; I am sorry to say that there is that tie between us. I presume you -know where he has spent the last five years?"</p> - -<p>"Yes," answered Fred.</p> - -<p>"Of course, I am glad for his sake that he is free; but I am afraid he -is going to give us trouble."</p> - -<p>"How does he appear?"</p> - -<p>"I have not seen him yet."</p> - -<p>"How's that?"</p> - -<p>"He only arrived to-day, and I was absent when he reached home."</p> - -<p>"Does he mean to live here?"</p> - -<p>"I am afraid so; and, what is more, I am afraid he means that mother and -I shall pay his expenses. He has already told mother that he shall -require me to account to him for my daily earnings."</p> - -<p>"That will be hard on you."</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_59" id="Page_59">[Pg 59]</a></span></p><p>"Yes; I need all I can make to pay our daily expenses, and I don't feel -like letting mother suffer for the necessaries of life in order to -supply Mr. Brandon with money for drink."</p> - -<p>"You are right there, Grit. I sympathize with you; but how can I help -it?"</p> - -<p>"That is what I am coming to. I want to deposit my money with you—that -is, what I don't need to use."</p> - -<p>"I suppose you haven't much. It might not be well to trust me too far," -said Fred, smiling.</p> - -<p>"I have sixty dollars here, which I would like to put in your -hands—that is, all but two dollars."</p> - -<p>"Sixty dollars! Where on earth did you get so much money, Grit?" asked -his friend, opening his eyes wide in astonishment.</p> - -<p>Grit told the story briefly, and received the warm congratulations of -his friend.</p> - -<p>"You deserve it all, Grit," he said, "for your brave deed."</p> - -<p>"Don't flatter me, Fred, or I may put on airs like Phil Courtney. But, -to come back to business—will you do me this favor?"</p> - -<p>"Of course, I will. Father has a safe in his<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_60" id="Page_60">[Pg 60]</a></span> office, and I will put the -money in there. Whenever you want any of it, you have only to ask me."</p> - -<p>"Thank you. That will suit me. I shan't break in upon it unless I am -obliged to, as I would like to have it in reserve to fall back upon."</p> - -<p>"Come and take supper with us, Grit, won't you?" asked Fred cordially.</p> - -<p>"Thank you, Fred; not to-night. I haven't seen Mr. Brandon yet, and I -may as well get over the first interview as soon as possible. We shall -have to come to an understanding, and it is better not to delay it."</p> - -<p>"Good night, then; I shall see you to-morrow, for I am going to -Portville, and I shall go over in your boat."</p> - -<p>"Then we can have a chat together. Good night."</p> - -<p>Meanwhile, Mr. Brandon, having slept off his debauch, had come -down-stairs.</p> - -<p>"Where's the cub?" he asked.</p> - -<p>"I wish you wouldn't call him by that name," said his wife. "He wouldn't -like it."</p> - -<p>"I shall call him what I please. Hasn't he been in?"</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_61" id="Page_61">[Pg 61]</a></span></p><p>"Yes, Grit has been in."</p> - -<p>"Grit?"</p> - -<p>"That's a nickname the boys have given him, and as everybody calls him -so, I have got into that way."</p> - -<p>"Oh, well, call him what you like. Has he been in?"</p> - -<p>"Yes."</p> - -<p>"Where is he now?"</p> - -<p>"He went out for a short time. I expect him in every minute."</p> - -<p>"Did he leave his day's earnings with you?"</p> - -<p>"No," answered Mrs. Brandon, with a troubled look. "He has the best -right to that himself."</p> - -<p>"Has he, hey? We'll see about that. I, as his stepfather and legal -guardian, shall have something to say to that."</p> - -<p>Mrs. Brandon was not called upon to reply, for the door opened just -then, and the young boatman stood in the presence of his worthy -stepfather.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_62" id="Page_62">[Pg 62]</a></span></p> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER IX.</span> <span class="smaller">A LITTLE DISCUSSION.</span></h2> - -<p>Grit was only ten years old when his stepfather began to serve out his -sentence at the penitentiary, and the two had not seen each other since. -Instead of the small boy he remembered, Brandon saw before him a boy -large and strong for his age, of well-knit frame and sturdy look. Five -years had made him quite a different boy. His daily exercise in rowing -had strengthened his muscles and developed his chest, so that he seemed -almost a young man.</p> - -<p>Brandon stared in surprise at the boy.</p> - -<p>"Is that—the cub?" he asked.</p> - -<p>"I object to that name, Mr. Brandon," said Grit quietly.</p> - -<p>"You've grown!" said Brandon, still regarding him with curiosity.</p> - -<p>"Yes, I ought to have grown some in five years."</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_63" id="Page_63">[Pg 63]</a></span></p><p>It occurred to Mr. Brandon that it might not be so easy as he had -expected to bully his stepson. He resolved at first to be conciliatory.</p> - -<p>"I'm glad to see you," he said. "It's long since we met."</p> - -<p>"Yes," answered Grit.</p> - -<p>He was not prepared to return the compliment, and express pleasure at -his stepfather's return.</p> - -<p>"I'm glad you and your mother have got along so well while I was away."</p> - -<p>Grit felt tempted to say that they had got along better during Mr. -Brandon's absence than when he was with them, but he forbore. He did not -want to precipitate a conflict, though, from what his mother had said, -he foresaw that one would come soon enough.</p> - -<p>"Your mother tells me that you make money by your boat," continued Mr. -Brandon.</p> - -<p>"Yes, sir."</p> - -<p>"That's a good plan. I approve it. How much money have you made to-day, -now?"</p> - -<p>"I have a dollar or two in my pocket," answered Grit evasively.</p> - -<p>"Very good!" said Brandon, in a tone of<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_64" id="Page_64">[Pg 64]</a></span> satisfaction. "You may as well -hand it to me."</p> - -<p>So the crisis had come! Mrs. Brandon looked at her son and her husband -with anxiety, fearing there would be a quarrel, and perhaps something -worse. She was tempted to say something in deprecation, but Grit said -promptly:</p> - -<p>"Thank you, Mr. Brandon, but I would prefer to keep the money myself."</p> - -<p>Brandon was rather taken aback by the boy's perfect coolness and -self-possession.</p> - -<p>"How old are you?" he asked, with a frown.</p> - -<p>"Fifteen."</p> - -<p>"Indeed!" sneered Brandon. "I thought, from the way you talked, you were -twenty-one. You don't seem to be aware that I am your legal guardian."</p> - -<p>"No, sir, I was not aware of it."</p> - -<p>"Then it's time you knew it. Ain't I your stepfather?"</p> - -<p>"I suppose so," said Grit, with reluctance.</p> - -<p>"Ha, you admit that, do you? I'm the master of this house, and it's my -place to give orders. Your wages belong to me, but if you<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_65" id="Page_65">[Pg 65]</a></span> are obedient -and respectful, I will allow you a small sum daily, say five cents."</p> - -<p>"That arrangement is not satisfactory, Mr. Brandon," said Grit firmly.</p> - -<p>"Why isn't it?" demanded his stepfather, frowning.</p> - -<p>"I use my money to support the family."</p> - -<p>"Did I say anything against it? As the master of the house, the bills -come to me to be paid, and therefore I require you to give me every -night whatever you may have taken during the day."</p> - -<p>"Do you intend to earn anything yourself?" asked Grit pointedly; "or do -you expect to live on us?"</p> - -<p>"Boy, you are impertinent," said Brandon, coloring.</p> - -<p>"Don't provoke Mr. Brandon," said Grit's mother timidly.</p> - -<p>"We may as well come to an understanding," said Grit boldly. "I am -willing to do all I can for you, mother, but Mr. Brandon is able to take -care of himself, and I cannot support him, too."</p> - -<p>"Is this the way you talk to your father, you impertinent boy?" -exclaimed Brandon wrathfully.</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_66" id="Page_66">[Pg 66]</a></span></p><p>"You are not my father, Mr. Brandon," said Grit coldly.</p> - -<p>"It is all the same; I am your mother's husband."</p> - -<p>"That's a different thing."</p> - -<p>"Once more, are you going to give me the money you have in your pocket?"</p> - -<p>"No, sir."</p> - -<p>Brandon looked at Grit, and he felt that it would have given him -pleasure to shake the rebellion out of his obstinate stepson, but supper -was almost ready, and he felt hungry. He decided that it would be as -well to postpone an open outbreak. Grit was in the house, and not likely -to run away.</p> - -<p>"We'll speak of this another time," he said, waving his hand. "You will -find, young man, that it is of no use opposing me. Mrs. Brandon, is -supper almost ready?"</p> - -<p>"Nearly," answered his wife, glad to have the subject postponed.</p> - -<p>"Then serve it as soon as possible," he said, in a lordly tone. "I am to -meet a gentleman on business directly afterward."</p> - -<p>Supper was on the table in fifteen minutes.</p> - -<p>Mr. Brandon ate with evident enjoyment.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_67" id="Page_67">[Pg 67]</a></span> Indeed, it was so short a time -since he had been restricted to prison fare that he relished the plain -but well-cooked dishes which his wife prepared.</p> - -<p>"Another cup of tea, Mrs. Brandon," he said. "It seems pleasant to be at -home again after my long absence."</p> - -<p>"I shouldn't think he would like to refer to his imprisonment," thought -Grit.</p> - -<p>"I hope soon to be in business," continued Brandon, "and we shall then -be able to live in better style. When that time comes I shall be willing -to have Grit retain his small earnings, stipulating only that he shall -buy his own clothes, and pay his mother, say a dollar and a quarter a -week, for board."</p> - -<p>He said this with the air of a man who considered himself liberal, but -neither Grit nor his mother expressed their sense of his generosity.</p> - -<p>"Of course, just at present," Mr. Brandon proceeded, "I have no money. -The minions of the law took from me all I had when they unjustly thrust -me into a foul dungeon. For a time, therefore, I shall be compelled to -accept Grit's earnings, but it will not be for long."</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_68" id="Page_68">[Pg 68]</a></span></p><p>Grit said nothing to this hint, but all the same he determined, whether -for a short or a long time, to resist the exactions of his stepfather.</p> - -<p>As for Brandon, his change of front was induced by the thought that he -could accomplish by stratagem what he might have had some difficulty in -securing by force. He still had twenty-five cents of the dollar which -his wife had given him in the morning.</p> - -<p>When supper was over he rose, and, putting on his hat, said:</p> - -<p>"I am going to the village on business. I shall be home in good season. -Are you going my way, Grit?"</p> - -<p>"Not just at present," answered Grit.</p> - -<p>Mother and son looked at each other when they were alone.</p> - -<p>"I suppose he's gone to the tavern," said Grit.</p> - -<p>"Yes, I presume so," said his mother, sighing.</p> - -<p>"Well, mother, I didn't give up the money."</p> - -<p>"No, Grit, but he means to have it yet."</p> - -<p>"He's welcome to it if he can get it," said the boy manfully.</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_69" id="Page_69">[Pg 69]</a></span></p><p>"You haven't got the sixty dollars with you?" said his mother -anxiously.</p> - -<p>"No, they are safe. I have kept only two dollars, thinking you might -need some groceries."</p> - -<p>"Yes, I do, Grit. They go off faster, now that we have another mouth to -feed."</p> - -<p>"Suppose you make out a list of what you want, mother, and I will go up -to the store this evening. I may as well save Mr. Brandon from -temptation."</p> - -<p>His mother made a list, and Grit, putting it in his pocket, walked up to -the village.</p> - -<p>The groceries, with a pound of steak, cost a dollar and ninety cents.</p> - -<p>As Grit took the bundles and walked homeward, he thought to himself.</p> - -<p>"Mr. Brandon wouldn't feel very well repaid for his trouble if he should -take all I have left. He ought to be satisfied with free board, without -expecting us to supply him with pocket-money besides. I wonder what he -would say if he knew how much money I have deposited with Fred -Lawrence?"</p> - -<p>Grit congratulated himself that his stepfather was not likely to make -this discovery, but in this he reckoned without his host.</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_70" id="Page_70">[Pg 70]</a></span></p><p>Mr. Brandon made the discovery that same evening. How it came about -will appear in the next chapter.</p> - -<hr /> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER X.</span> <span class="smaller">BRANDON LEARNS GRIT'S SECRET.</span></h2> - -<p>"I had no idea the boy had grown so much," said Brandon to himself, as -he directed his course toward the tavern. "I thought he was a little -kid, but he's almost as big as I am. He's kind of obstinate, too, but -he'll find out who's master before long. It's ridiculous, his expectin' -to have the handlin' of all the money that comes into the house. Just as -if he had any judgment—a boy of his age."</p> - -<p>The chances are that Grit's judgment in the matter would have proved -better than Brandon's, since the latter proposed to spend a large -portion of the money for drink.</p> - -<p>"I expect the boy makes a good thing out of his boating," resumed Mr. -Brandon. "He owned up that he had almost two dollars, and it's likely he -earned it all to-day."</p> - -<p>Presently Brandon reached the tavern, and entered the barroom.</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_71" id="Page_71">[Pg 71]</a></span></p><p>He called for whisky, and swallowed it with gusto.</p> - -<p>"You may charge it to me," said he carelessly; "I'll pay once a week."</p> - -<p>"We don't care to do business that way," said the barkeeper.</p> - -<p>"You ain't afraid I won't pay you?" said Brandon, in a tone of affected -indignation.</p> - -<p>"I don't know whether you would or not, but our terms are cash."</p> - -<p>"Oh, well, if you're so strict as that, take it out of this quarter," -said Brandon, throwing his sole remaining coin on the counter.</p> - -<p>Fifteen cents were returned to him, and in half an hour that sum was -also expended at the bar.</p> - -<p>It might have been supposed that Brandon would be satisfied, but he was -not. He made an attempt to obtain another drink on credit, but the -barkeeper proved obdurate.</p> - -<p>Then he engaged in a game of cards, and about half-past nine set out to -go home, in a better condition than if he had had more money to spend.</p> - -<p>"This will never do!" he muttered, in a discontented tone; "I can't be -kept so short as<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_72" id="Page_72">[Pg 72]</a></span> this. It is humiliating to think of me, a grown man, -going round without a cent in my pocket, while my stepson is reveling in -money. I won't have it, and I'll let him understand it."</p> - -<p>A few feet in front of Brandon two boys were walking. One of them was -Phil Courtney, and the other Dick Graham, a poor boy, who, by proper -subserviency, had earned a position as chief favorite with his -companion.</p> - -<p>Brandon could not help hearing their conversation. He heard Grit's name -mentioned, and this made him listen attentively.</p> - -<p>"I can't understand where Grit got his money," Phil was saying.</p> - -<p>"How much did you say he had?" inquired Dick.</p> - -<p>"Sixty dollars!"</p> - -<p>"Whew!"</p> - -<p>Brandon felt like saying "Whew!" too, for his amazement was great, but -he wanted to hear more, and remained silent.</p> - -<p>"Are you sure there were sixty dollars?"</p> - -<p>"Yes; my cousin Marion counted it."</p> - -<p>"How did Grit happen to show his money?"</p> - -<p>"He was boasting that he had more money than I, and I challenged him to -show his money."</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_73" id="Page_73">[Pg 73]</a></span></p><p>"I suppose he did show more?"</p> - -<p>"Yes, I had only seventeen dollars. But what I can't understand is, -where did a common boatman pick up so much money?"</p> - -<p>"Perhaps he has been saving for a long time."</p> - -<p>"Perhaps so, but I don't believe he could save so much," answered Phil.</p> - -<p>"Perhaps he stole it."</p> - -<p>Phil didn't believe this, but he would like to have believed it true.</p> - -<p>"I shouldn't wonder if he did, though I don't know where he could get -the chance."</p> - -<p>"I wonder if he'd lend me five dollars," thought Dick Graham, though he -did not care to let Phil know his thought. He resolved to be more -attentive to Grit, in the hope of pecuniary favors. Meanwhile, he did -not forget that Phil also was well provided.</p> - -<p>"You were pretty well fixed, too," he said. "I wonder how I'd feel if I -had seventeen dollars."</p> - -<p>"What do I care about seventeen dollars?" said Phil discontentedly, -"when a boy like Grit Morris can show more than three times as much."</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_74" id="Page_74">[Pg 74]</a></span></p><p>"Oh, well, he'll have to spend it. He won't keep it long. By the way, -Phil, will you do me a favor?"</p> - -<p>"What is it?" asked Phil cautiously.</p> - -<p>"Won't you lend me two dollars? I want it the worst way. I haven't got a -cent to my name."</p> - -<p>"I can't spare it," said Phil curtly.</p> - -<p>"It will leave you fifteen——"</p> - -<p>"I'm going to use it all. Besides, it would be the same as giving -it——"</p> - -<p>"No, I'd pay you back in a week or two."</p> - -<p>"You've been owing me fifty cents for three months. If you'd paid that -up punctually, perhaps I would have lent you. You'd better go to Grit."</p> - -<p>"He isn't my friend, and I thought you might not like my going to him."</p> - -<p>"Oh, you can borrow as much as you like of him—the more, the better!" -returned Phil, with a laugh.</p> - -<p>"I'll try it, then. I shall have to pretend to be his friend."</p> - -<p>"All right. The faster he gets rid of his money, the better it will suit -me."</p> - -<p>Brandon heard no more of the conversation,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_75" id="Page_75">[Pg 75]</a></span> for the boys turned down a -side street. But he had heard enough to surprise him.</p> - -<p>"Grit got sixty dollars!" he repeated to himself. "Why, the artful young -villain! Who'd have thought it? And he coolly refuses to let his father -have a cent. He's actually rolling in riches, while I haven't got a -penny in my purse. And his mother aids and abets him in it, I'll be -bound. It's the blackest ingratitude I ever heard of."</p> - -<p>What Grit had to be grateful to him for Mr. Brandon might have found it -difficult to instance, but he actually managed to work himself into a -fit of indignation because Grit declined to commit his money to his -custody.</p> - -<p>Brandon felt very much like a man who has suddenly been informed that a -pot of gold was concealed in his back yard. Actually, a member of his -family possessed the handsome sum of sixty dollars. How was he to get it -into his own hands?</p> - -<p>That was easier to ask than to answer. As he had said, Grit was a stout, -strong boy, nearly his equal in size and strength, and he had already -had sufficient acquaintance with his firmness, or obstinacy, as he -preferred to<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_76" id="Page_76">[Pg 76]</a></span> call it, to make sure that the boy would not give up the -money without a struggle. If now he could get hold of the money by -stratagem, it would be easier, and make less disturbance.</p> - -<p>Where did Grit keep the money?</p> - -<p>"He may have given it to his mother," thought Brandon. "If so, I can -find it in one of her bureau drawers. She always used to keep money -there. But it is more likely that the boy keeps it in his own pocket. I -know what I'll do. I'll get up in the night, when he and his mother are -asleep, and search his pockets. Gad, how astonished he'll look in the -morning when he searches for it, and finds it missing!"</p> - -<p>Brandon was very much amused by this thought, and he laughed aloud.</p> - -<p>"Sixty dollars'll set me on my feet again," he reflected. "Let me see. -I'll go to Boston, and look round, and see if I can't pick up a job of -some kind. There isn't anything to do here in this beastly hole. By the -way, I wonder where the boy did get so much money. He must find boatin' -more profitable than I had any idea of."</p> - -<p>At this point Brandon entered the little path that led to his wife's -cottage.</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_77" id="Page_77">[Pg 77]</a></span></p><p>"Mrs. B. is sittin' up," he said, as he saw through the window the -figure of his wife in a rocking-chair, apparently occupied with some -kind of work. "I'll get her off to bed soon, so that I can have a clear -field."</p> - -<p>Mrs. Brandon looked up when her husband entered, and noticed, with a -feeling of relief, that he was sober. That, however, was not owing to -any intentional moderation on his part, but to his lack of funds.</p> - -<p>"Sittin' up for me, Mrs. B.?" asked Brandon.</p> - -<p>"I generally sit up till past this hour," she answered.</p> - -<p>"I feel rather tired myself," said Brandon, succeeding in yawning.</p> - -<p>"It isn't on account of having done any work," thought his wife.</p> - -<p>"I've been walkin' round considerably, and got tired."</p> - -<p>"Do you come from the tavern?" asked Mrs. Brandon coldly.</p> - -<p>"Yes, Mrs. B., I expected to meet a gentleman there on business, but he -disappointed me. Where's Grit?"</p> - -<p>"He has gone to bed. He has got to get up<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_78" id="Page_78">[Pg 78]</a></span> early in the morning, to help -me, and then he spends the day in ferrying passengers across the river."</p> - -<p>"That's a bright idea of Grit's. I approve it. He makes considerable -money, doesn't he?"</p> - -<p>"Considerable for a boy. I don't know what I should do if it were not -for Grit."</p> - -<p>"Just so. But now I'm home, and shall soon get into business. Then you -won't need to depend on him. Of course, I shall need a little money to -start with."</p> - -<p>Mrs. Brandon did not reply to this obvious hint. She prepared for bed. -An hour later, Brandon, having ascertained that his wife was asleep, -left the room cautiously, and stole into Grit's chamber.</p> - -<hr /> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER XI.</span> <span class="smaller">THE MIDNIGHT VISIT.</span></h2> - -<p>Grit was not aware that Brandon had discovered his secret, but still was -not unprepared for a night visit. As we already know, he had but ten -cents left of the two dollars he had reserved, and this coin he put into -a small leather purse, which he usually carried.</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_79" id="Page_79">[Pg 79]</a></span></p><p>"If Mr. Brandon searches for money, he will be disappointed," he said -to himself, with a quiet smile. "He won't find enough to pay him for his -trouble."</p> - -<p>Grit was not anxious enough about his money to keep awake. When, -therefore, his stepfather entered his chamber, he was fast asleep. -Brandon listened for a moment to the deep breathing of the boy, and felt -that there was no need of caution. He therefore boldly advanced, candle -in hand, to the bedside. The candle he set on the bureau, and then took -up Grit's clothes, which hung over a chair, and proceeded to examine the -pockets.</p> - -<p>His countenance changed as he continued the search.</p> - -<p>At last he came to the purse, but it felt empty, and he did not open it -with much confidence. Thrusting in his finger, he drew out the solitary -dime which it contained.</p> - -<p>"Only ten cents!" he exclaimed, with intense disappointment. "It isn't -worth taking. On second thoughts, I'll take it, though, for it will pay -for a drink."</p> - -<p>He pocketed the coin, and resumed his search.</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_80" id="Page_80">[Pg 80]</a></span></p><p>"The boy must have a pocketbook somewhere," he muttered. "He wouldn't -carry bank-bills in a purse. Where can he keep it?" Once more he -explored the pockets of his stepson, but he met with no greater success -than before.</p> - -<p>It is a curious circumstance that sometimes in profound sleep a person -seems vaguely aware of the presence of an intruder, and the feeling is -frequently strong enough to disturb slumber. Grit was a sound sleeper, -but, however we may account for it, whether it was the instinctive -feeling I have mentioned, or the glare of the candle, he woke up, and -his glance rested on the kneeling figure of his stepfather rummaging his -pockets. Instantly Grit realized the situation, and he felt more amused -than indignant, knowing how poorly the searcher would be rewarded.</p> - -<p>Brandon's back was turned to him, and our hero felt inclined to try the -effect of a practical joke.</p> - -<p>In a deep, sepulchral voice, he called out:</p> - -<p>"What are you doing there?"</p> - -<p>Brandon, taken by surprise, started as if he had been shot, and sprang -to his feet in confusion. Turning to the bed, he saw Grit <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_81" id="Page_81">[Pg 81]</a></span>surveying him -calmly. Then his natural hardihood restored his self-possession.</p> - -<p>"Where do you keep your money, you young cub?" he demanded.</p> - -<p>"Where do I keep it? I suspect you know well enough. Haven't you looked -into my purse?"</p> - -<p>"Yes, and I only found ten cents."</p> - -<p>"Did you take it?" asked Grit.</p> - -<p>"Yes."</p> - -<p>"Then it's lucky I had no more in it."</p> - -<p>"Where is the rest of your money?" demanded Brandon.</p> - -<p>"What do you mean by the rest of my money?"</p> - -<p>"I mean the sixty dollars you had with you to-day."</p> - -<p>Grit whistled.</p> - -<p>"So you heard I had sixty dollars?" he said.</p> - -<p>"Yes."</p> - -<p>"It is in a safe place."</p> - -<p>"Ha! You own that you had so much money. You wanted to keep it from me, -did you?" demanded Brandon, with a frown.</p> - -<p>"Yes, I did," admitted Grit. "Did Phil Courtney tell you I had it?"</p> - -<p>"No matter how I heard. I know that you<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_82" id="Page_82">[Pg 82]</a></span> are trying to conceal a large -sum of money, which ought to be in my hands."</p> - -<p>"Indeed! How do you make that out?"</p> - -<p>"I am your stepfather and natural guardian. I am the best person to take -care of your money."</p> - -<p>"I don't think so, and I propose to keep it myself," said Grit firmly.</p> - -<p>"Do you defy me?" demanded Brandon angrily.</p> - -<p>"If you call my refusing to give you my own money by that name, then I -do."</p> - -<p>"Boy, you don't know me!" said Brandon, in a tone intended to strike -terror into the heart of his stepson. "Hitherto you have had only your -mother to look after you, and she has been foolishly indulgent. Now you -have a man to deal with. Once more, will you hand me that money?"</p> - -<p>"I decline," said Grit firmly.</p> - -<p>"Then on your head be the consequences," said Brandon. "You will hear -from me again, and soon."</p> - -<p>So saying, he stalked majestically from the chamber.</p> - -<p>"I wonder what he means to do?" thought Grit.</p> - -<p>But the thought did not keep him awake.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_83" id="Page_83">[Pg 83]</a></span></p> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER XII.</span> <span class="smaller">GRIT'S MISFORTUNE.</span></h2> - -<p>The next morning Grit came down to breakfast nearly an hour later than -usual. It might have been because he was unusually fatigued, or it may -have been on account of his slumbers having been interrupted. When he -came down-stairs, he looked at the clock, and realized that he had -overslept himself.</p> - -<p>"I am nearly an hour late, mother," he said. "Why didn't you call me?"</p> - -<p>"I thought you were tired, Grit, and needed sleep."</p> - -<p>"Where is Mr. Brandon? I suppose he has not got up!"</p> - -<p>"Yes, he has had his breakfast and gone out."</p> - -<p>"He is in a great hurry to spend my ten cents," said Grit, laughing.</p> - -<p>"What do you mean, Grit?"</p> - -<p>"I had a visit from him last night," Grit explained. "He rummaged my -pockets, and was successful in finding a dime."</p> - -<p>"Is it possible?"</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_84" id="Page_84">[Pg 84]</a></span></p><p>"Why should you be surprised, mother? I was not."</p> - -<p>"Did he say anything to you?"</p> - -<p>"Yes; he has found out somehow about the sixty dollars, and he asked me -to give it to him."</p> - -<p>"Oh, Grit, I am afraid there will be trouble," said Mrs. Brandon -anxiously. "He won't rest till he gets the money."</p> - -<p>"Then he won't rest at all," said Grit firmly.</p> - -<p>"I am afraid you will have to give it to him, Grit."</p> - -<p>"Not if I know what I am about. No, mother, the money is safe, where he -won't find it. I won't tell you, for he might annoy you till you told -him."</p> - -<p>"No, Grit; don't tell me. I would rather not know. How happy we were -before he came, and how rich we should feel if this money had come to -you before Mr. Brandon came home!"</p> - -<p>"That is true, mother. It's a shame that he should come home to give us -so much trouble."</p> - -<p>"I can't see how it's all going to end," murmured Mrs. Brandon sadly.</p> - -<p>"Nor I; but I mean to resist Mr. Brandon till he finds it's of no use -trying to appropriate my money. When he finds he can't get <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_85" id="Page_85">[Pg 85]</a></span>anything out -of us except a bare living, he may become disgusted and leave us."</p> - -<p>"He won't do it while he has any hope left. What do you think he has -been trying to persuade me to do, Grit?"</p> - -<p>"I don't know."</p> - -<p>"He wants me to mortgage this cottage, and give him the money."</p> - -<p>"Just like him, mother. I hope you were firm?"</p> - -<p>"Yes, Grit. I told him I would not consent. It is all we have. I cannot -part with our home and the roof that shelters us."</p> - -<p>"Of course not, mother. You would be very foolish if you did. Did he -mention any one that wanted to buy it?"</p> - -<p>"Yes, he said that Mr. Green would be willing to advance money upon it."</p> - -<p>"Mr. Green—the landlord of the hotel? I don't doubt it. He knows that -Brandon would pay back the whole for drink in a short time."</p> - -<p>"I am afraid that would be the case."</p> - -<p>"Mother," said Grit, with energy, "promise me that you will never -consent to this wicked plan."</p> - -<p>"No, Grit, I won't. I consider that the house is as much yours as mine, -and I am not willing to leave you without a home."</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_86" id="Page_86">[Pg 86]</a></span></p><p>"I don't so much mind that, for I could shift for myself somehow, but I -want you to keep it in your own hands, and I am not willing that Mr. -Brandon should sacrifice it for drink."</p> - -<p>"I agree with you, Grit. Whatever it may cost me, I won't consent."</p> - -<p>"The sooner he becomes convinced that he has nothing to hope from either -of us, the sooner he will leave us," said Grit. "If I thought he would -go away and never come back, I would be willing to let him have the -sixty dollars, but it would only make him stay, in the hope of getting -more."</p> - -<p>By this time Grit had finished his breakfast.</p> - -<p>"I must get to work, mother," he said. "I'll be home to dinner at the -usual time, if I can."</p> - -<p>"If not, I will save something for you, Grit."</p> - -<p>The young boatman made his way to the river. Here an unpleasant surprise -awaited him. His boat was not where he had left it. He looked in all -directions, but it had disappeared.</p> - -<p>"What can have become of it?" thought Grit, in perplexity.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_87" id="Page_87">[Pg 87]</a></span></p> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER XIII.</span> <span class="smaller">GRIT'S BOAT IS SOLD.</span></h2> - -<p>Brandon was not usually an early riser, and would not on this occasion -have got up so soon if a bright idea had not occurred to him likely to -bring money to his purse.</p> - -<p>It was certainly vexatious that Grit so obstinately refused to pay into -his hands the money he had managed in some way unknown to his stepfather -to accumulate. Perhaps some way of forcing the boy to do so might -suggest itself, but meanwhile he was penniless; that is, with the -exception of the dime he had abstracted during the night. Possibly his -wife might have some money. He proceeded to sound her on the subject.</p> - -<p>"Mrs. B.," said he, "I shall have to trouble you for a little money."</p> - -<p>"I gave you a dollar yesterday," said Mrs. Brandon.</p> - -<p>"What's a dollar? I have none of it left now."</p> - -<p>"Did you spend it at the tavern?" asked his wife gravely.</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_88" id="Page_88">[Pg 88]</a></span></p><p>"I am not willing to be catechized upon that point," returned Brandon, -in a tone of lofty dignity.</p> - -<p>"It is quite impossible to supply you with money for such a purpose," -continued Mrs. Brandon. "What money Grit earns is wanted for necessary -expenses."</p> - -<p>"I am not so easily deceived," said her husband, nodding sagaciously.</p> - -<p>"It is quite true."</p> - -<p>"I won't argue the point, Mrs. B. Have you any change now? That is the -question."</p> - -<p>"No, I have not."</p> - -<p>"Be it so. I have only to remark that you and your son will have -occasion to regret the unfriendly and suspicious manner in which you see -fit to treat me."</p> - -<p>So saying, Mr. Brandon sat down to his breakfast, which he ate with an -appetite such as is usually earned by honest toil.</p> - -<p>When he rose from the table, he left the cottage without a word.</p> - -<p>"How it all this to end?" thought Mrs. Brandon, following his retreating -form with an anxious glance. "He has not been here twenty-four hours -yet, and he has spent a dollar of Grit's hard earnings, and is -dissatisfied because we will not give him more. Besides,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_89" id="Page_89">[Pg 89]</a></span> he has already -broached the subject of mortgaging the house, and all to gratify his -insatiable thirst for strong drink."</p> - -<p>Certainly the prospects were not very bright, and Mrs. Brandon might -well be excused for feeling anxious.</p> - -<p>Though Brandon had ten cents in his pocket, the price of a glass of -whisky, he did not go at once to the tavern, as might have been -expected. Instead of this, he bent his steps toward the river.</p> - -<p>He knew about where Grit kept his boat, and went directly to it.</p> - -<p>"Ha! a very good boat!" he said, after surveying it critically. "It -ought to be worth ten dollars, at least, though I suppose I can't get -over five for it. Well, five dollars will be a lift to me, and if Grit -wants another boat he's got the money to buy one. I can get even with -him this way, at least. He'd better have treated me well and saved his -boat."</p> - -<p>The boat was tied fast, but this presented no insurmountable difficulty.</p> - -<p>Brandon pulled a jack-knife out of his pocket, and after awhile—for it -was very dull—succeeded in severing the rope.</p> - -<p>Then he jumped into the boat and began to row out into the stream.</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_90" id="Page_90">[Pg 90]</a></span></p><p>He was a little at a loss at first as to where he would be most likely -to find a purchaser. In his five years' absence from the neighborhood he -had lost his former acquaintances, and there had been, besides, changes -in the population.</p> - -<p>As he was rowing at random, he chanced to look back to the shore he had -left, and noticed that a boy was signaling to him.</p> - -<p>He recognized him as the boy whom he had heard speaking of Grit's -treasure, and, being desirous of hearing more on the subject, he at once -began to pull back to the river bank.</p> - -<p>The boy, as the reader will surmise, was Phil Courtney.</p> - -<p>"Hello, there!" said Phil; "isn't that Grit Morris' boat?"</p> - -<p>"No, it's mine."</p> - -<p>"It is the same Grit usually rows in," said Phil, beginning to suspect -Brandon of theft.</p> - -<p>"That may be, but the boat is mine."</p> - -<p>"Did he sell it to you?"</p> - -<p>"No."</p> - -<p>"Who are you, then?"</p> - -<p>"I am Mr. Brandon, Grit's stepfather."</p> - -<p>Phil whistled.</p> - -<p>"Oh, it's you, is it?" he said, surveying Brandon, not over -respectfully, for he knew<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_91" id="Page_91">[Pg 91]</a></span> where he had spent the last five years. "So -you've come home?"</p> - -<p>"Yes, but I might as well have stayed away."</p> - -<p>"How is that?" asked Phil, regarding the man before him with curiosity.</p> - -<p>Brandon was not too proud to speak of his domestic grievances, as he -regarded them, to a stranger.</p> - -<p>"My wife and son treat me like a stranger," he said. "Instead of giving -me a warm welcome after my long absence, they seem to be sorry to see -me."</p> - -<p>"I don't wonder much," thought Phil, but he did not say so, not being -averse to drawing Brandon out on this subject.</p> - -<p>"And that reminds me, young gentleman; I was walking behind you last -evening, and I heard you say something about Grit's having a large sum -of money."</p> - -<p>"Yes; he showed me sixty dollars yesterday."</p> - -<p>"Are you sure there was as much as that?" inquired Brandon eagerly.</p> - -<p>"Yes, I am sure, for my cousin counted it in my presence."</p> - -<p>"It might have belonged to some one else," suggested Brandon.</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_92" id="Page_92">[Pg 92]</a></span></p><p>"No; I thought so myself, but Grit said it belonged to him."</p> - -<p>"Did he say where he got it?"</p> - -<p>"No; he's mighty close about his affairs. I couldn't help wondering -myself, and asked him, but he wouldn't tell me."</p> - -<p>"If he's got as much money as that, he ought to give it to me to take -care of."</p> - -<p>"Why don't you make him give it to you?" suggested Phil maliciously.</p> - -<p>"I did ask him, but he refused. A boy of his age ought not to carry -about so much money. Did he carry it in a roll of bills, or in a -pocketbook?"</p> - -<p>"He had it in a wallet."</p> - -<p>"I didn't see the wallet," thought Brandon. "I only found the purse. The -boy must have hidden it somewhere. I must look for it."</p> - -<p>"What are you going to do about it?" asked Phil. "Are you going to let -him keep it?"</p> - -<p>"Not if I can find it. I will take it away from him if I get the -chance."</p> - -<p>"I wish he would," thought Phil. "It would soon go for drink, and then -Master Grit wouldn't put on so many airs."</p> - -<p>"May I ask your name?" asked Brandon.</p> - -<p>"I am Phil Courtney, the son of Squire Courtney, the president of the -bank," answered Phil pompously.</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_93" id="Page_93">[Pg 93]</a></span></p><p>"You don't say so!" exclaimed Brandon, in a tone of flattering -deference. "I am proud to know you. You come of a fine family."</p> - -<p>"Yes, my father stands pretty high," remarked Phil complacently.</p> - -<p>"Really," thought he, "this man has very good manners, even if he has -just come from the penitentiary. He treats me with a good deal more -respect than Grit does. If I could help him to get the money I would."</p> - -<p>"Not a man in town stands higher," said Brandon emphatically. "Are you a -friend of my stepson?"</p> - -<p>"Well, hardly," answered Phil, shrugging his shoulders. "You must excuse -my saying so, but Grit hasn't very good manners, and, though I patronize -him by riding in his boat, I cannot regard him as a fitting associate."</p> - -<p>"You are entirely right, young gentleman," said Brandon. "Though Grit is -my stepson, I am not blind to his faults. He has behaved very badly to -me already, and I shall be obliged to require him to treat me with more -respect. If he would only copy you, I should be very glad."</p> - -<p>"You are very polite, Mr. Brandon," said Phil, flattered. "I hope, for -your sake, that Grit will improve."</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_94" id="Page_94">[Pg 94]</a></span></p><p>"By the way, Mr. Courtney"—Phil swelled with conscious pride at this -designation—"do you know any one who would like to buy a boat?"</p> - -<p>"What boat do you refer to?" asked Phil.</p> - -<p>"This boat."</p> - -<p>"But I thought it was Grit's."</p> - -<p>"I am his stepfather, and have decided to sell it."</p> - -<p>"What'll you take?" asked Phil, not unwilling to buy a good boat, -especially as he knew it would annoy Grit.</p> - -<p>"It is worth ten dollars, but I will sell it for six dollars cash."</p> - -<p>"Say five, and I'll take it."</p> - -<p>"Very well, Mr. Courtney, seeing it's you, I will say five."</p> - -<p>"It's a bargain."</p> - -<p>Phil had his money in his pocket, and he lost no time in binding the -bargain by paying the money.</p> - -<p>"I think I'll take a row myself," he said.</p> - -<p>He jumped into the boat, and Brandon, with five dollars in his pocket, -took the nearest road to the tavern.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_95" id="Page_95">[Pg 95]</a></span></p> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER XIV.</span> <span class="smaller">THE BILL OF SALE.</span></h2> - -<p>A sudden thought struck Phil, and he called back Brandon.</p> - -<p>"What's wanted now?" asked the latter impatiently.</p> - -<p>"I want you to give me a bill of sale of the boat," said Phil.</p> - -<p>"What's the use of that?"</p> - -<p>"I don't want Grit to charge me with taking his boat without leave."</p> - -<p>"Oh, bother! it's all right. I haven't got any paper," said Brandon, who -was anxious to reach the tavern, and take his morning dram.</p> - -<p>"I have," said Phil promptly, as he drew out a small note-book and tore -out a leaf, which he handed, with a pencil, to Brandon.</p> - -<p>"What do you want me to write?" asked the latter.</p> - -<p>Phil dictated a form, which Brandon wrote down and signed.</p> - -<p>"Will that do?" he asked.</p> - -<p>"Yes, that will do. Now I am all right, and the boat is mine in spite of -all Grit may say."</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_96" id="Page_96">[Pg 96]</a></span></p><p>"I have made a good bargain," said Phil, to himself, complacently. -"This boat is worth at least twice what I have paid for it. I will get -it painted, and a new name for it, and it will pass for a new boat. -Won't Grit be mad when he hears what his stepfather has done?"</p> - -<p>This was, on the whole, the pleasantest reflection connected with the -purchase. It was not creditable to Phil to cherish such malice against a -boy, simply because he would not treat him with as much deference as he -expected; but human nature is often betrayed into petty meannesses, and -Phil was a very human boy, so far, at least, as such traits were -concerned.</p> - -<p>We now come back to Grit, who stood on the river's bank in perplexity, -when he discovered that his boat had been abstracted.</p> - -<p>"Who can have taken it?" he thought.</p> - -<p>Here he felt quite at a loss. It did not occur to him that his -stepfather had had anything to do with his boat, for he could not -understand of what advantage it would be to him. He did not comprehend -fully, however, how serious the loss was likely to prove, since it took -away his means of living.</p> - -<p>He stooped over and examined the rope. Clearly, it had been cut, and -this showed that<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_97" id="Page_97">[Pg 97]</a></span> the boat had been taken by some unauthorized person.</p> - -<p>"I can't understand who would serve me such a trick," thought Grit. "I -don't know that I have any enemies."</p> - -<p>But at this point he could not help thinking of Phil Courtney, who, if -not an enemy, was certainly not a friend.</p> - -<p>"Is it possible that Phil would play me such a trick?" he asked himself. -"No; he would think too much of himself. He would not condescend to do -such a thing."</p> - -<p>Grit walked up and down along the river bank, looking here and there to -see if anywhere he could descry his boat. At length he saw a boat, but -the boat was not his. It belonged to Jesse Burns, the son of the -postmaster, and was of about the same size and build as his own.</p> - -<p>"Jesse!" he called out, putting his hands to his mouth to increase the -volume of sound.</p> - -<p>Jesse heard the call, and rowed toward where Grit was standing.</p> - -<p>"What is it, Grit?"</p> - -<p>"My boat has been taken, and I don't know what has become of it."</p> - -<p>"Is that so?" asked Jesse, in surprise. "Why, I saw Phil Courtney out on -the river<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_98" id="Page_98">[Pg 98]</a></span> with it. I passed him only fifteen minutes since. I thought -you had let it to him."</p> - -<p>"Phil Courtney!" exclaimed Grit, angry and surprised. "I didn't think he -would take it without leave."</p> - -<p>"Did he?"</p> - -<p>"Yes, I found the rope cut."</p> - -<p>"That doesn't seem like Phil. He's mean enough to do anything, but I -didn't think he would do that."</p> - -<p>"Nor I. I'll give him a good piece of my mind when we meet. Where did -you meet him?"</p> - -<p>"Just above Glen Cove."</p> - -<p>"Do me a favor, Jesse. Take me into your boat, and row me up there, so -that I may meet him, and recover my boat."</p> - -<p>"All right, Grit. I'm very glad to do you a favor."</p> - -<p>"Are you sure it is my boat Phil had?" asked Grit, still unwilling to -believe that Phil had deliberately taken his boat.</p> - -<p>"Yes, I know your boat as well as my own. Besides, there was the name, -<i>Water Lily</i>, on it, as plain as day. There is no doubt about it."</p> - -<p>"Well," said Grit, closing his lips firmly, "all I can say is, I'll make -him pay for the use of the boat, or there'll be trouble."</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_99" id="Page_99">[Pg 99]</a></span></p><p>"You won't challenge him, will you, Grit?" asked Jesse, smiling.</p> - -<p>"That's just what I will do. I should be justified in thrashing him, -without notice, but I will give him a chance to defend himself."</p> - -<p>"If you want a second, call on me," said Jesse. "I don't like Phil any -better than you do, and I shan't object to seeing his pride humbled. -It's bad for your business, having the boat taken."</p> - -<p>"Yes, I shall lose the chance of two passengers who wanted to go across -to Portville an hour from now."</p> - -<p>"You may use my boat for that, Grit."</p> - -<p>"Thank you, Jesse; I should like to, if I don't get back my own. Did you -speak to Phil?"</p> - -<p>"No. I said 'good morning,' but, with his usual politeness, he only gave -a slight nod, and did not answer. I wanted to ask him how it happened -that he was using your boat so early in the morning, but, you see, I got -no chance."</p> - -<p>"It is queer. I can't guess what he will have to say for himself."</p> - -<p>"There he is now!" said Jesse suddenly, looking up the river.</p> - -<p>"Where?"</p> - -<p>"Don't you see? He is rowing this way.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_100" id="Page_100">[Pg 100]</a></span> His back is turned, and he -hasn't seen us yet."</p> - -<p>Yes, it was Phil. He had enjoyed a good row, and now was on his return -course. He was rowing slowly and lazily, as if fatigued.</p> - -<p>"You will soon hear what he has to say, Grit," said Jesse.</p> - -<p>At that moment Phil chanced to turn round, and he saw and recognized the -boys that were approaching him. He did not, however, seem confused or -embarrassed; neither did he change his course. He merely smiled, and -continued to row toward his pursuers.</p> - -<p>"He sees us, and still he comes on. There's cheek for you!" ejaculated -Jesse.</p> - -<p>Grit said nothing, but his mouth closed firmly, and his eyes sparkled -with anger. He waited till Phil was within earshot, and then he demanded -sternly:</p> - -<p>"What are you doing there with my boat, Phil Courtney?"</p> - -<p>Phil would have resented Grit's tone, but he gloated over the triumphant -answer he was able to make, and thought he would tantalize Grit a -little.</p> - -<p>"To what boat do you allude?" he asked, in a nonchalant tone.</p> - -<p>"To what boat do I allude?" repeated Grit,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_101" id="Page_101">[Pg 101]</a></span> provoked. "I allude to my -boat, in which you are rowing."</p> - -<p>"You are mistaken," said Phil composedly. "I am rowing in my own boat."</p> - -<p>"Isn't that the <i>Water Lily</i>?" asked Jesse, coming to the help of his -friend.</p> - -<p>"It is at present. I shall change the name for one I like better."</p> - -<p>"Look here, Phil Courtney!" said Grit indignantly, "this is carrying the -joke a little too far. You have taken my boat without leave or license -from me, and now you actually claim it as your own. Do you mean to say -that isn't the boat I have been rowing on this river for the last year?"</p> - -<p>"I never said it wasn't."</p> - -<p>"Isn't it the boat in which I carried you across the river yesterday?"</p> - -<p>"Of course."</p> - -<p>"Then what business had you to cut the rope and carry it off?"</p> - -<p>"I didn't."</p> - -<p>"Then how did you come by it?"</p> - -<p>"I bought it!"</p> - -<p>"Bought it!" exclaimed Grit and Jesse simultaneously.</p> - -<p>"Yes, I bought it, and it is mine," continued Phil, with a smile of -triumph. "It's just as<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_102" id="Page_102">[Pg 102]</a></span> much mine to-day as it was yours yesterday."</p> - -<p>"I never sold it to you," said Grit, perplexed.</p> - -<p>"No, but your stepfather, Mr. Brandon, did. If the rope was cut, he cut -it."</p> - -<p>"Can you prove this, Phil Courtney?" asked Grit.</p> - -<p>"If you will row up alongside, I will satisfy your curiosity."</p> - -<p>Jesse pulled his boat alongside, and Phil drew from his vest pocket a -paper and handed it to Grit.</p> - -<p>"Read that," he said.</p> - -<p>Grit read as follows:</p> - -<blockquote><p>"In consideration of five dollars, to me paid, I make over and sell -the boat called the <i>Water Lily</i> to Philip Courtney.</p> - -<p class="right"><span class="smcap">Nathan Brandon.</span>"</p></blockquote> - -<p>"There!" said Philip triumphantly, "what have you to say now?"</p> - -<hr /> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER XV.</span> <span class="smaller">GRIT ENGAGES ANOTHER BOAT.</span></h2> - -<p>When Phil displayed the bill of sale, made out in due form by Brandon, -Grit was for the moment taken aback.</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_103" id="Page_103">[Pg 103]</a></span></p><p>"Whose boat is it now?" continued Phil triumphantly.</p> - -<p>"It is mine," answered Grit quietly; "for Mr. Brandon had no right to -sell it."</p> - -<p>"I have nothing to do with that," said Phil. "He is your stepfather—you -ought to feel proud of having a jail-bird in the family—and he told me -the boat was his."</p> - -<p>"I shall not contest your claim at present," said Grit. "As long as it -passes out of my hands, you may as well have it as any one."</p> - -<p>"I'll sell it back for ten dollars," said Phil, who had a keen scent for -a bargain.</p> - -<p>"Thank you, I don't care to buy back my own property. Besides, Mr. -Brandon would be ready to sell it again to-morrow. As to what you say of -him, I shan't undertake to defend him. I am not particularly proud of -the relationship."</p> - -<p>"What are you going to do for a boat to ferry your passengers?" asked -Phil.</p> - -<p>"I don't know."</p> - -<p>"I'll let you this for fifty cents a day."</p> - -<p>"That would be about half of my receipts, and you would get your money -back in ten days. I don't care about making such a bargain as that."</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_104" id="Page_104">[Pg 104]</a></span></p><p>"You'll have to give up your business, then," said Phil.</p> - -<p>"No, he won't," said Jesse Burns. "I will give him the use of mine, and -won't charge him a cent."</p> - -<p>"Thank you, Jesse. You are a true friend," said Grit warmly. "You are -doing me a great favor."</p> - -<p>"And I am glad to do it. Suppose we pull to land? There are three -persons at the landing who look as if they wanted to be ferried across."</p> - -<p>Grit seized the oars and impelled the boat to land. As Jesse had said, -there were three persons waiting, a gentleman and two ladies, who at -once engaged the services of the young boatman.</p> - -<p>For this service he received thirty cents, and, finding two persons at -the other end who wished to come to Chester, the first hour in his new -boat brought him fifty cents.</p> - -<p>Grit's spirits rose. His misfortune was not irremediable, after all. He -had feared that his means of living were taken away, and though he had -money enough to buy a new boat, he did not dare to do so, lest Brandon -should also sell that.</p> - -<p>"I'll give him a piece of my mind," he<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_105" id="Page_105">[Pg 105]</a></span> thought. "It's contemptible to -come home and live on us, and then to take away my means of living."</p> - -<p>Meanwhile, Brandon had gone to the tavern, which he entered with a -swagger, and immediately called for a glass of whisky.</p> - -<p>The barkeeper hesitated.</p> - -<p>"My orders are not to sell on credit," he said.</p> - -<p>"Who wants you to sell on credit?" asked Brandon haughtily.</p> - -<p>"You had no money last night."</p> - -<p>"I've got some now. What do you say to that?" and he displayed the -five-dollar bill he had received from Phil Courtney.</p> - -<p>"That alters the case," said the barkeeper complaisantly. "Your money is -as good as anybody's."</p> - -<p>"I should say so. Give me another."</p> - -<p>When Brandon left the barroom, he had spent a dollar, having drunk -himself and treated others.</p> - -<p>"Wonder if Grit has found out about his boat?" he said to himself, with -a waggish smile, as he walked homeward with unsteady steps. "Serves the -boy right for treating me so disrespectfully."</p> - -<p>It was not much out of his way to go down<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_106" id="Page_106">[Pg 106]</a></span> to the margin of the river, -and he did so. It happened that, as he reached it, Grit had just arrived -from Portville with a second load of passengers. Fortune, as if to -compensate him for his loss of a boat, had brought him an unusual number -of passengers, so that he had already earned a dollar.</p> - -<p>When Brandon saw Grit engaged in his usual avocation, he opened wide his -eyes in surprise.</p> - -<p>"Has the boy got his boat back again?" he asked himself.</p> - -<p>He was not familiar with the appearance of the boat, and the name had -slipped from his recollection. Then, also, Jesse's boat looked very much -like Grit's.</p> - -<p>When the passengers had walked away Brandon took measures to gratify his -curiosity.</p> - -<p>"Where did you get that boat, Grit?" he asked.</p> - -<p>"Ah, it's you, is it?" said Grit, seeing his stepfather for the first -time. "What business had you to sell my boat, Mr. Brandon?"</p> - -<p>"Ain't I your stepfather, I'd like to know?" retorted Brandon.</p> - -<p>"I am sorry to say you are," answered Grit;<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_107" id="Page_107">[Pg 107]</a></span> "but that doesn't give you -any authority to steal and sell my boat."</p> - -<p>"Don't you dare to charge me with stealin', you—you young puppy!" -exclaimed Brandon, indignantly. "If you had behaved as you ought to me, -I wouldn't have meddled with your boat."</p> - -<p>"I understand you, Mr. Brandon. Because I wouldn't give you the money -that I need to support my mother, you meanly and maliciously plot to -take away my means of living."</p> - -<p>"You wouldn't give me your money to take care of for you."</p> - -<p>"You take care of my money for me!" returned Grit disdainfully. "I know -very well how you would take care of it. You've already spent a part of -the five dollars you received for stolen property at the tavern, and the -result is that you can't walk straight."</p> - -<p>"You lie! I can walk as straight as you!" said Brandon, and proceeded to -prove it by falling against a tree, and recovering his equilibrium with -difficulty.</p> - -<p>"I see you can," said Grit sarcastically.</p> - -<p>"Of course I can. Where did you get that boat? Is it the same——"</p> - -<p>"The same you stole from me? No, it isn't."</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_108" id="Page_108">[Pg 108]</a></span></p><p>"Have you bought it?" inquired Brandon, with a cunning look.</p> - -<p>"No, I haven't, and I don't intend to buy another boat for you to sell. -I have borrowed it of my friend, Jesse Burns."</p> - -<p>Mr. Brandon looked disappointed. He had thought the new boat would prove -a second bonanza, and he was already considering whether he could find -another purchaser for it.</p> - -<p>"Have you made much money this mornin', Grit?" next inquired Brandon, -changing the conversation.</p> - -<p>"I decline to tell you," answered Grit shortly.</p> - -<p>"Grit, you don't seem to reflect that I am your stepfather, and set in -authority over you."</p> - -<p>"I am not very likely to forget that I have a stepfather I am ashamed -of," said Grit.</p> - -<p>"This is unkind, Grit," said Brandon, in a voice tremulous with maudlin -sentiment. "Because I've been unfortunate, and have been shut out from -all enjoyment for five years, you mock and insult me when I get home and -pine for domestic happiness."</p> - -<p>"If you would behave decently, you wouldn't be reminded of the past," -said Grit.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_109" id="Page_109">[Pg 109]</a></span> "But how is it? You haven't been home but twenty-four hours, -and have already borrowed all the money mother had, and have sold my -boat, to gratify your taste for rum. There may be more contemptible men -in the world, but I never met with one."</p> - -<p>"Grit, if you talk to me in that way," said Brandon, with attempted -dignity, "I shall be under the necessity of flogging you."</p> - -<p>"You'd better not try it, Mr. Brandon. I wouldn't stand still while you -were doing it. I promise you that."</p> - -<p>Just then two gentlemen came down to Phil's pier, and one asked:</p> - -<p>"Can you take us across to Portville?"</p> - -<p>"Yes, sir," answered Grit promptly.</p> - -<p>The two gentlemen got in, and Grit was about to push off, when Brandon -said:</p> - -<p>"Stop, Grit; I'll go, too."</p> - -<p>"You'll have to wait, Mr. Brandon," said Grit coolly, and a determined -push sent the boat out into the stream, and frustrated the design of his -stepfather.</p> - -<p>"You don't want any more passengers, I see," said one of the gentlemen, -smiling.</p> - -<p>"Not of that kind," answered Grit.</p> - -<p>"You are right. The man had evidently<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_110" id="Page_110">[Pg 110]</a></span> been drinking, and his presence -would have been disagreeable to us."</p> - -<p>When the boat reached the opposite shore, the gentleman who had engaged -him handed Grit half a dollar.</p> - -<p>Grit was about to offer change, but the passenger said:</p> - -<p>"No, keep the change, my lad. You'll find a use for it, I make no -doubt."</p> - -<p>"After all," thought Grit, who did not forget to thank his liberal -patron, "this isn't going to be so bad a day for me."</p> - -<p>Five minutes later a man with a heavy black beard and rather shabbily -attired presented himself as a passenger.</p> - -<p>"I say, boy," said he, "do you know a man named Brandon that has -recently gone to Chester?"</p> - -<p>"Yes," answered Grit.</p> - -<p>"All right. When we get over on the other side, you can just point out -to me where he lives."</p> - -<hr /> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER XVI.</span> <span class="smaller">MR. BRANDON'S FRIEND.</span></h2> - -<p>It was clear that Grit's new passenger was a stranger in the -neighborhood. Had he been<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_111" id="Page_111">[Pg 111]</a></span> a resident of Chester or Portville, the young -boatman would have known him. It must be confessed, however, that the -appearance of the newcomer was not such as to render any one anxious to -make his acquaintance. He was a black-haired, low-browed man, with a -cunning, crafty look, and, to sum up, with the general appearance of a -tramp.</p> - -<p>He seated himself comfortably, and scanned the young boatman critically.</p> - -<p>"Where do you live?" he asked abruptly.</p> - -<p>"In Chester," answered Grit briefly.</p> - -<p>"That's where my friend Brandon lives, isn't it?"</p> - -<p>"Yes."</p> - -<p>"Do you know him?"</p> - -<p>"Yes."</p> - -<p>Grit felt reluctant to admit that any tie existed between himself and -the returned convict.</p> - -<p>"Brandon's wife is living, isn't she?"</p> - -<p>"Yes."</p> - -<p>"There's a kid, isn't there?"</p> - -<p>"Mrs. Brandon has a son, if that's what you mean," said Grit.</p> - -<p>"Of course, that's what I mean. Mrs. Brandon got any property?"</p> - -<p>Grit was getting provoked. He did not<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_112" id="Page_112">[Pg 112]</a></span> fancy discussing his mother's -affairs with a man of this stamp.</p> - -<p>"You seem to feel considerable interest in the family," he could not -help saying.</p> - -<p>"S'pose I do! That's my business, isn't it?"</p> - -<p>"I suppose so," answered Grit.</p> - -<p>"Well, why don't you answer my question?" demanded the passenger -impatiently.</p> - -<p>"I haven't agreed to answer your questions; I have engaged to row you -across the river, and I am doing it."</p> - -<p>"Look here, boy!" said the passenger, bending his brows, "I don't want -you to talk back to me—do you hear?"</p> - -<p>"Yes, I hear; but if you ask me questions I shall answer as I please."</p> - -<p>"You will, hey? I've a great mind to throw you into the river."</p> - -<p>"That wouldn't do you any good. You wouldn't get over any quicker, and, -besides, you would find yourself under arrest before night."</p> - -<p>"And you would drown."</p> - -<p>"Not if I could help it. I can swim across the river easily."</p> - -<p>"You're a cool hand. Then you are not willing to answer my questions?"</p> - -<p>"I will, if you will answer mine."</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_113" id="Page_113">[Pg 113]</a></span></p><p>"Go ahead. I'll see about it."</p> - -<p>"Where did you meet Mr. Brandon?"</p> - -<p>"Where? Well, let that pass."</p> - -<p>It so happened that the two had first met as fellow prisoners—a -confession the passenger did not care to make. Grit inferred this from -the reluctance displayed in giving the answer.</p> - -<p>"What is your name?"</p> - -<p>"Thomas Travers," answered the passenger, rather slowly. "What is -yours?"</p> - -<p>"Harry Morris."</p> - -<p>This answer revealed nothing, since Travers did not know the name of -Brandon's wife before marriage.</p> - -<p>"Do you make much, ferrying passengers across the river?"</p> - -<p>"I do pretty well."</p> - -<p>"What is your fare?"</p> - -<p>"Ten cents."</p> - -<p>"Pretty good. I'd do it for that myself."</p> - -<p>"There's a chance to run opposition to me," said Grit, smiling.</p> - -<p>"I've got more important business on hand. So you know Brandon, do you?"</p> - -<p>"Yes, I know him."</p> - -<p>"Do you know his wife?"</p> - -<p>"Yes."</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_114" id="Page_114">[Pg 114]</a></span></p><p>"Has she property?"</p> - -<p>"She owns the small cottage she lives in."</p> - -<p>"Good!" said Travers, nodding. "That's luck for Brandon."</p> - -<p>"How is it?" asked Grit, desirous of drawing out Travers, as he probably -knew Mr. Brandon's intentions, and it was important that these should be -understood.</p> - -<p>"It's a good thing to have property in the family. My friend Brandon is -short of funds, and he can sell the house, or raise money on it."</p> - -<p>"Without his wife's consent?"</p> - -<p>"Oh, she'll have to give in," said Travers nonchalantly.</p> - -<p>"We'll see about that," said Grit to himself, but he did not utter his -thoughts aloud.</p> - -<p>By this time they had reached the opposite shore of the river, and -Travers stepped out of the boat.</p> - -<p>He felt in his vest pocket, as a matter of form, but did not succeed in -finding anything there.</p> - -<p>"I've got no change, boy," he said. "I'll get some from Brandon, and pay -you to-morrow."</p> - -<p>"Mr. Brandon's credit isn't good with me," said Grit.</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_115" id="Page_115">[Pg 115]</a></span></p><p>"Ha, does he owe you money?"</p> - -<p>"I refused to take him across the river this morning," answered Grit.</p> - -<p>"Look here, young fellow, that isn't the way to carry on business. When -you insult my friend Brandon, you insult me. I've a great mind never to -ride across on your boat again."</p> - -<p>"I don't mind losing your patronage," repeated Grit. "It doesn't pay."</p> - -<p>"We'll discuss that another time. Where does my friend Brandon live?"</p> - -<p>"You can inquire," returned Grit, by no means anxious to point out the -way to his mother's house to this objectionable stranger.</p> - -<p>"You're the most impudent boy I've met lately," said Travers angrily. -"I'll settle you yet."</p> - -<p>"Better settle with me first, Mr. Travers," said Grit coolly, and he -pushed his boat back into the stream.</p> - -<p>"I wonder who he is," thought Travers, as he walked away from the boat -landing. "I must ask Brandon. I wish I could meet him. I'm precious -short of funds, and I depend on him to take care of me for a few days."</p> - -<p>Thomas Travers passed by the little cottage on the bluff, quite unaware -that it was the house he was in search of. He kept on his<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_116" id="Page_116">[Pg 116]</a></span> way toward -the village, not meeting any one of whom he could ask the proper -direction.</p> - -<p>At length, greatly to his relief, he espied in the distance the familiar -figure of Brandon, walking, or, more properly, reeling, toward him.</p> - -<p>"That's he—that's my friend Brandon!" he exclaimed joyfully. "Now I'm -all right. Say, old fellow, how are you?"</p> - -<p>"Is it you, Travers?" said Brandon, trying to steady himself.</p> - -<p>"Yes, it's I—Tom Travers."</p> - -<p>"When did you get out?"</p> - -<p>"Sh! Don't speak too loud!" said Travers, looking about him cautiously. -"I got out two days after you."</p> - -<p>"What are you doing here?"</p> - -<p>"Just come. Come to see you, old boy. I can stay with you, can't I?"</p> - -<p>Brandon looked dubious.</p> - -<p>"I don't know what Mrs. B. will say," he answered slowly.</p> - -<p>"You're boss in your own house, ain't you?"</p> - -<p>"Well, that's where it is! It isn't my own house. It belongs to Mrs. B."</p> - -<p>"Same thing, I take it."</p> - -<p>"No, it isn't. The old lady's bound to keep it in her own hands."</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_117" id="Page_117">[Pg 117]</a></span></p><p>"Can't you sell or mortgage it?"</p> - -<p>"She won't let me."</p> - -<p>"Bah! Can't you control a woman?" returned Travers disdainfully.</p> - -<p>"I might, but for the cub."</p> - -<p>"The boy?"</p> - -<p>"Yes. He's the most obstinate, perverse, independent young kid you ever -saw."</p> - -<p>"You don't say so!"</p> - -<p>"Fact! It's pretty hard on me."</p> - -<p>"Then he'll make a pretty good match for the boy I met this morning."</p> - -<p>"Where?"</p> - -<p>"The boy that ferried me across the river. He's as sassy a young kid as -I ever saw."</p> - -<p>"Why, that's him—that's Grit."</p> - -<p>"Grit! He told me his name was Harry Morris."</p> - -<p>"So it is, and his mother was Mrs. Morris before I married her."</p> - -<p>"You don't mean to say that boy is your stepson?"</p> - -<p>"Yes, he is."</p> - -<p>"Whew!" whistled Travers. "Well, he doesn't seem to admire you very -much," continued the visitor.</p> - -<p>"No, doesn't treat me with any respect. If it wasn't for him, I could -manage his mother.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_118" id="Page_118">[Pg 118]</a></span> He sets her against me, and gets her to stand out -against anything I propose. It's hard, Travers," continued Brandon, -showing an inclination to indulge in maudlin tears.</p> - -<p>"Then why do you submit to it, Brandon? Ain't you a match for a boy like -that? Why, you ain't half the man I thought you was."</p> - -<p>"Ain't I? I was too much for Grit this morning, anyway," said Brandon, -with a cunning smile.</p> - -<p>"What did you do?"</p> - -<p>"I sold his boat before he was up, and he had to borrow another."</p> - -<p>"Good!" exclaimed Travers, delighted. "You're a trump. Have you got any -of the money left?"</p> - -<p>"A little."</p> - -<p>"Then steer for the tavern, old fellow. I'm awfully thirsty."</p> - -<p>The next hour was spent in the barroom, and then the worthy and -well-matched pair bent their steps toward the little cottage, Travers -supporting his friend Brandon as well as he could.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_119" id="Page_119">[Pg 119]</a></span></p> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER XVII.</span> <span class="smaller">AN UNWELCOME VISITOR.</span></h2> - -<p>Mrs. Brandon was laying the cloth for dinner when she heard a scuffling -sound, as of footsteps, in the entry.</p> - -<p>"Who is with Mr. Brandon?" she thought. "It can't be Grit. They wouldn't -be likely to come home together."</p> - -<p>Her uncertainty was soon at an end, for the door was opened, and her -husband reeled in, sinking into the nearest chair, of necessity, for his -limbs refused to support him. Just behind him was Mr. Thomas Travers, -who was also under the influence of his recent potations, but not to the -same extent as his companion.</p> - -<p>"How do, Mrs. B.?" said her liege lord. "Mrs. B., I have the pleasure of -introducin' my frien' Travers. Come in, Travers."</p> - -<p>Mrs. Brandon surveyed the two with a look of disgust, and did not speak.</p> - -<p>"I hope I see you well, ma'am," said Travers, rather awkwardly, -endeavoring, with some difficulty, to maintain an erect attitude. "Sorry -to intrude, but my old friend Brandon insisted."</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_120" id="Page_120">[Pg 120]</a></span></p><p>"You can come in if you like," said Mrs. Brandon coldly.</p> - -<p>"I say, Mrs. B., is dinner almost ready? My frien', Mr. Travers, is -hungry, an' so'm I."</p> - -<p>"Dinner is nearly ready. I suppose, Mr. Brandon, you have just come from -the tavern."</p> - -<p>"Yes, Mrs. B., I've come from the tavern," hiccoughed Brandon. "Have you -anything to say against it?"</p> - -<p>"I would say something if it would do any good," said his wife -despondently.</p> - -<p>"If you think—hic—that I've been drinking Mrs. B., you're mistaken; -ain't she, Travers?"</p> - -<p>"You didn't drink enough to hurt you, Brandon," said his companion, -coming to his assistance.</p> - -<p>Mrs. Brandon looked at Travers, but did not deign to answer him. It was -clear that his assurance possessed no value in her eyes.</p> - -<p>She continued her preparations, and laid the dinner on the table.</p> - -<p>Then she went to the door, and, shading her eyes, looked out, hoping to -see Grit on his way home. But she looked in vain. Just as he was about -fastening his boat, or, rather, the boat he had borrowed, two passengers -came up and wished to be conveyed across the river.</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_121" id="Page_121">[Pg 121]</a></span></p><p>"My dinner can wait," thought Grit. "I must not disappoint passengers."</p> - -<p>So his coming home was delayed, and Brandon and his friend had the field -to themselves.</p> - -<p>When dinner was ready, Brandon staggered to the table and seated -himself.</p> - -<p>"Sit down, Travers," he said. "You're in my house, and you must make -yourself at home."</p> - -<p>He said this a little defiantly, for he saw by Mrs. Brandon's expression -that she was not pleased with his friend's presence.</p> - -<p>"I'm glad to hear it," said Travers, with a knowing smile. "I was told -that the house belonged to your wife."</p> - -<p>"It's the same thing, isn't it, Mrs. B.?" returned Brandon.</p> - -<p>"Not quite," answered his wife bitterly. "If it were, we should not have -a roof over our heads."</p> - -<p>"There you go again!" said Brandon fiercely, pounding the table with the -handle of his knife. "Don't let me hear no more such talk. I'm master -here, d'ye hear that?"</p> - -<p>"That's the talk, Brandon!" said Travers approvingly. "I like to hear a -man show proper independence. Of course you're master here."</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_122" id="Page_122">[Pg 122]</a></span></p><p>Mrs. Brandon was of a gentle nature, but she was roused to resentment -by this rudeness. Turning to Travers, she said:</p> - -<p>"I don't know who you are, sir, but your remarks are offensive and -displeasing."</p> - -<p>"I'm the friend of my friend Brandon," said Travers insolently, "and as -long as he don't complain of my remarks, I shall remark what I please. -What d'ye say, Brandon?"</p> - -<p>"Quite right, Travers, old boy! You're in my house, and I expect you to -be treated accordingly. Mrs. B., you will be kind enough to remember -that this gen'leman is a frien' of mine," and Brandon closed the -sentence with a drunken hiccough.</p> - -<p>"I think it necessary to say that this house belongs to me," said Mrs. -Brandon, "and that no one is welcome here who does not treat me with -respect."</p> - -<p>"Spunky, eh?" said Travers, laughing rudely.</p> - -<p>"Yes, she's spunky," said Brandon, "but we'll cure her of that, eh, -Travers?—the same way as I cured that boy of hers."</p> - -<p>"That was good!" laughed Travers. "He's an impudent young rascal."</p> - -<p>Mrs. Brandon was alarmed. What did they mean by these references? What -had been<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_123" id="Page_123">[Pg 123]</a></span> done to Grit, and how had he been served? Was it possible that -Brandon had dared to use violence to the boy? The very thought hardened -her, and gave her courage.</p> - -<p>"Mr. Brandon," she said, with flashing eyes, "what do you mean? What -have you done to Grit? Have you dared to illtreat him? If you have, it -will be a bad day's work for you."</p> - -<p>"Ha! She threatens you, Brandon. Now, brace up, man, and show your -spunk," said Travers, enjoying the scene.</p> - -<p>"I'm not accountable to you, Mrs. B.," stammered Brandon, in what he -essayed to make a dignified tone. "Grit is my stepson, and I'm his -natural guardian."</p> - -<p>"Mr. Brandon, what have you done to Grit?" persisted his wife, with -flashing eyes. "Have you dared to lay a finger upon him?"</p> - -<p>"I'll lay two fingers, three fingers, on him, if I like," said Brandon -doggedly. "He's a sassy puppy, Mrs. B."</p> - -<p>Mrs. Brandon became more and more anxious. Generally, Grit was home by -this time, and his failure to appear led the anxious mother to conclude -that he had been injured by her husband.</p> - -<p>"Where is Grit?" she asked, with startling emphasis.</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_124" id="Page_124">[Pg 124]</a></span></p><p>"He's all right," stammered Brandon.</p> - -<p>"He's all right, but he isn't happy," said Travers, laughing. "That was -a good move of yours, selling his boat."</p> - -<p>"Did you sell Grit's boat, Mr. Brandon?" demanded his wife quickly.</p> - -<p>"Yes, I did, Mrs. B. Have you got anything to say against it?"</p> - -<p>"I say that it was a mean, contemptible, dishonest act!" said Mrs. -Brandon warmly. "You have taken away the poor boy's means of living, in -order to gratify your love of drink. The food which you are eating was -bought with his earnings. How do you expect to live, now that you have -taken away his boat?"</p> - -<p>"He'll get along; he's got sixty dollars," said Brandon thickly.</p> - -<p>"Sixty dollars won't last forever. To whom did you sell the boat?"</p> - -<p>"Phil Courtney."</p> - -<p>"He was just the boy to buy it. Little he cared for the harm he was -doing my poor Grit. How much did he pay you?"</p> - -<p>"Five dollars."</p> - -<p>"And how much of the money have you got left?"</p> - -<p>Brandon drew out two silver half-dollars from his pocket.</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_125" id="Page_125">[Pg 125]</a></span></p><p>"That's all I've got left," he said.</p> - -<p>"And you have actually squandered four dollars on liquor, you and your -friend!" said Mrs. Brandon—"nearly the whole sum you received for my -poor boy's boat!"</p> - -<p>"Hush up, Mrs. B.! It's none of your business," said Brandon.</p> - -<p>"That's the way to talk, Brandon!" said Travers, surveying the scene -with boorish delight. "I like to see a man show the proper spirit of a -man. I like to see a man master in his own house."</p> - -<p>"You would not insult me so if Grit were here!" said Mrs. Brandon, with -a red spot on either cheek. "Mr. Brandon, I tolerate your presence here, -because I was foolish enough to accept you as my husband. As for this -man whom you have brought here, he is unwelcome. He has dared to insult -me while sitting at my table, and I ask him in your presence to leave -the house."</p> - -<p>"Travers is my frien'; he will stay here, Mrs. B., and don't you forget -it!"</p> - -<p>Brandon pounded the table as he spoke, and nodded his head vigorously.</p> - -<p>"Sorry to disappoint you, Mrs. Brandon," said Travers impudently, "but -when my friend Brandon tells me to stay, stay I must. If you<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_126" id="Page_126">[Pg 126]</a></span> don't -enjoy my being here, let me suggest to you, in the politest manner, to -go and take a walk. Eh, Brandon?"</p> - -<p>"Yes, go take a walk!" said Brandon, echoing his friend's remark. "I'll -have you to know, Mrs. B., that this is my house, an' I am master here. -My frien' Travers will stay here as long as he pleases."</p> - -<p>"That's the talk, Brandon. I knew you weren't under petticoat -government. You're too much of a man for that."</p> - -<p>"Yesh, I'm too much of a man for that," said Brandon sleepily.</p> - -<p>Travers took from his pocket a clay pipe, and, deliberately filling the -bowl with tobacco, began to smoke.</p> - -<p>As he leaned back in his chair, winking insolently at Mrs. Brandon, the -poor woman cried:</p> - -<p>"Will no one relieve me from this insolent intruder?"</p> - -<p>The words caught the ears of Grit, who entered at this moment.</p> - -<p>He looked from one to the other of the two men who sat at his mother's -table, and his eyes flashed, and his boyish form dilated with passion.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_127" id="Page_127">[Pg 127]</a></span></p> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER XVIII.</span> <span class="smaller">A STORMY TIME.</span></h2> - -<p>"What does this mean?" demanded Grit, in a stern voice. "What have these -men been doing?"</p> - -<p>"Oh, Grit, I am glad you are here!" said his mother. "Mr. Brandon has -brought this man here against my will, and he has treated me rudely."</p> - -<p>Travers looked round and saw the boy.</p> - -<p>"Hello, my young friend!" he said. "You didn't tell me that my friend -Brandon was your stepfather."</p> - -<p>"Because I was ashamed of it," answered Grit promptly.</p> - -<p>"D'ye hear that, Brandon?" said Travers. "The boy says he is ashamed of -you."</p> - -<p>"I'll settle with him when I feel better," said Brandon, who realized -that he was not in a condition even to deal with a boy. "He's a -bad-mannered cub, an' deserves a floggin'."</p> - -<p>"You won't give it to me!" said Grit contemptuously. "What is the name -of this man you have brought into the house?"</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_128" id="Page_128">[Pg 128]</a></span></p><p>"He's my frien' Travers," answered Brandon. "My frien' Travers is a -gen'l'man."</p> - -<p>"A gentleman isn't insolent to ladies," retorted Grit. "Mr. Travers, if -that is your name, my mother wishes you to leave the house."</p> - -<p>"Couldn't do it," said Travers, leering. "My frien' Brandon wants me to -stay—don't you, Brandon?"</p> - -<p>"Certainly, Travers. This is my house, an' I'm master of the house. -Don't you mind what Mrs. B. or this cub says. Just stay where you are, -and stand by me."</p> - -<p>"I'll do it with pleasure," said Travers. "My friend Brandon is the -master of this house, and what he says I will do."</p> - -<p>"Mr. Travers," said Grit firmly, "you shall not stay here. This house -belongs to my mother, and she wishes you to go. I suppose you can -understand that?"</p> - -<p>"My dear boy, you may as well shut up. I shan't go."</p> - -<p>"You won't!" said Grit menacingly.</p> - -<p>"Oh, Grit, don't get into any difficulty," said his mother, becoming -alarmed.</p> - -<p>Travers puffed away at his pipe, surveying Grit with an insulting smile.</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_129" id="Page_129">[Pg 129]</a></span></p><p>"Listen to your mother, boy!" he said. "She talks sense."</p> - -<p>"Mother," said Grit quietly, "will you be kind enough to go up-stairs -for five minutes? I will deal with these men."</p> - -<p>"I will go if you think it best, Grit; but do be cautious. I am sure Mr. -Travers will see the impropriety of his remaining here against my -wishes."</p> - -<p>"I may see it in a few days," said Travers insolently. "Don't trouble -yourself, ma'am. The law is on my side, and I am the guest of my friend -Brandon. Isn't that so, Brandon?"</p> - -<p>"To be sure, Travers," said Brandon, in a drowsy tone.</p> - -<p>"Mr. Brandon's friends are not welcome here," said Grit, "nor is he -himself welcome."</p> - -<p>"That's an unkind thing for your own boy to say," said Brandon, in a -tone which he tried to make pathetic. "Because I've been unfortunate, my -own family turn against me."</p> - -<p>"If you had behaved decently, Mr. Brandon, we would have tolerated your -presence," said Grit; "but during the short time you have been here, you -have annoyed and robbed my mother and myself, and spent the money you -stole at the tavern. We have had enough of you!"</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_130" id="Page_130">[Pg 130]</a></span></p><p>"Do you hear that, Travers?" asked Brandon, by a ludicrous transition -shedding maudlin tears. "Do you hear that ungrateful boy?"</p> - -<p>Meanwhile, Mrs. Brandon, in accordance with Grit's request, had left the -room.</p> - -<p>Grit felt that the time had come for decisive measures. He was not a -quarrelsome boy, nor was he given to fighting, but he had plenty of -spirit, and he was deeply moved and provoked by the insolence of -Travers.</p> - -<p>Some consideration he perhaps owed to his mother's husband; but to his -disreputable companion, none whatever.</p> - -<p>"Mr. Travers," he said, with cool determination, turning toward the -intruder, "did you hear me say that my mother desired you to leave the -house?"</p> - -<p>"I don't care that for your mother!" said Travers, snapping his fingers. -"My friend Brandon——"</p> - -<p>He did not complete the sentence. Grit could not restrain himself when -he heard this insolent defiance of his mother, and, without a moment's -hesitation, he approached Travers, with one sweep of his arm dashed the -pipe he was smoking into a hundred pieces, and, seizing the astonished -visitor by the shoulders,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_131" id="Page_131">[Pg 131]</a></span> pushed him forcibly to the door and thrust -him out.</p> - -<p>Travers was so astonished that he was quite unable to resist, nor indeed -was he a match for the strong and muscular boy in his present condition.</p> - -<p>"Well, that beats all I ever heard of!" he muttered, as he stumbled into -a sitting position on the door-step.</p> - -<p>Brandon stared at Grit and his summary proceeding in a dazed manner.</p> - -<p>"Wha—what's all this, Grit?" he asked, trying to rise from his chair. -"How dare you treat my friend Travers so rudely?"</p> - -<p>Grit's blood was up. His cheeks were flushed, and his eyes sparkled with -resentment.</p> - -<p>"Mr. Brandon," he said, "we have borne with you, my mother and I, but -this has got to stop. When you bring one of your disreputable friends -here to insult my mother, you've got me to deal with. Don't you dare -bring that man here again!"</p> - -<p>This was, I admit, rather a singular tone for a boy of Grit's age to -assume, but it must be considered what provocation he had. Circumstances -had made him feel older than he really was. For nearly five years he had -been his mother's adviser, protector, and dependence,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_132" id="Page_132">[Pg 132]</a></span> and he felt -indignant through and through at the mean and dastardly course of his -stepfather.</p> - -<p>"Don't be sassy, Grit," said Brandon, slipping back into his chair. "I'm -the master of this house."</p> - -<p>"That is where you are mistaken, Mr. Brandon," said Grit.</p> - -<p>"Perhaps you are," retorted Brandon, with mild sarcasm.</p> - -<p>"This house has no master. My mother is the mistress and owner," said -Grit.</p> - -<p>"I'm goin' to flog you, Grit, when I feel better."</p> - -<p>"I'm willing to wait," said Grit calmly.</p> - -<p>Here there was an interruption. The ejected guest rose from his sitting -posture on the steps, and essayed to lift the latch and gain fresh -admittance.</p> - -<p>He failed, for Grit, foreseeing the attempt, had bolted the door.</p> - -<p>Finding he could not open the door, Travers rattled the latch and called -out:</p> - -<p>"Open the door, Brandon, and let me in!"</p> - -<p>"Open the door, Grit," said his stepfather, not finding it convenient to -rise.</p> - -<p>"I refuse to do so, Mr. Brandon," said Grit, in a firm tone.</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_133" id="Page_133">[Pg 133]</a></span></p><p>"Why don't you let me in?" was heard from the outside, as Travers -rattled the latch once more.</p> - -<p>"I'll have to open it myself," said Brandon, half rising and trying to -steady himself.</p> - -<p>The attempt was vain, for he had already drunk more than was good for -him when he met Travers, and had drunk several glasses on top of that.</p> - -<p>Instead of going to the door, he sank helpless and miserable on the -floor.</p> - -<p>"That disposes of him," said Grit, eying the prostrate form with a -glance of disgust and contempt. "I shall be able to manage the other one -now with less trouble."</p> - -<p>"Let me in, Brandon!" repeated Travers, beginning to pound on the door.</p> - -<p>Grit went to a window on a line with the door, and, raising it, looked -out at the besieging force.</p> - -<p>"Mr. Travers," he said, "you may as well go away; you won't get back -into the house."</p> - -<p>"My friend Brandon will let me in. You're only a boy. My friend Brandon -is the master of the house. He will let me in."</p> - -<p>"Your friend Brandon is lying on the floor, drunk, and doesn't hear -you," said Grit.</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_134" id="Page_134">[Pg 134]</a></span></p><p>"Then I'll let myself in!" said Travers, with an oath.</p> - -<p>He picked up a rock, and began to pound the door, to the imminent danger -of breaking the panels. "There's more than one way to get in. When I get -in, I'll mash you!"</p> - -<p>The time had come for decisive action. Drunk as he was, Travers would -sooner or later break down the door, and then there would be trouble.</p> - -<p>Grit seized an old pistol which lay on the mantel-piece. It had long -been disused, and was so rusty that it was very doubtful whether any use -could have been made of it. Still it presented a formidable appearance, -as the young boatman pointed it at Travers.</p> - -<p>"Stop pounding that door, or I fire!" Grit exclaimed, in a commanding -tone.</p> - -<p>Travers turned quickly at the word, and as he saw the rusty weapon -pointed at him, his small stock of courage left him, and he turned pale, -for he was a coward at heart.</p> - -<p>"For the Lord's sake, don't fire!" he cried hastily.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_135" id="Page_135">[Pg 135]</a></span></p> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER XIX.</span> <span class="smaller">TRAVERS PICKS UP A FRIEND.</span></h2> - -<p>Travers looked the picture of fright as he beheld the rusty pistol which -Grit pointed at him.</p> - -<p>"Don't fire, for the Lord's sake!" he repeated, in alarm.</p> - -<p>"Will you go away, then, and give up troubling us?" demanded the young -boatman sternly.</p> - -<p>"Yes, yes, I'll go," said Travers hurriedly. "Lower that pistol. It -might go off."</p> - -<p>Grit lowered the weapon, as desired, seeing that Travers was likely to -keep his word.</p> - -<p>"Tell Brandon I want to see him. I will be at the tavern this afternoon -at four o'clock."</p> - -<p>"I'll tell him," said Grit, who preferred that his stepfather should be -anywhere rather than at home.</p> - -<p>Having got rid of Travers, Grit turned to survey his stepfather, who was -lying on the floor, breathing heavily. His eyes were closed, and he -seemed in a drunken stupor.</p> - -<p>"How long have we got to submit to this?"<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_136" id="Page_136">[Pg 136]</a></span> thought Grit. "I must go up -and consult with mother about what is to be done."</p> - -<p>He went up-stairs, and found his mother seated in her chamber, nervously -awaiting the issue of the interview between Grit and the worthy pair -below.</p> - -<p>"Are they gone, Grit?" she asked quickly.</p> - -<p>"Travers is gone, mother. I turned him out of the house."</p> - -<p>"Did you have any trouble with him?"</p> - -<p>"I should have had, but he was too weak to resist me, on account of -having drunk too much."</p> - -<p>"I thought I heard him pounding on the door."</p> - -<p>"So he did, but I frightened him away with the old pistol," and Grit -laughed at the remembrance. "He thought it was loaded."</p> - -<p>"He may come back again," said Mrs. Brandon apprehensively.</p> - -<p>"Yes, he may. Brandon is likely to draw such company. I wish we could -get rid of him, too."</p> - -<p>"What a fatal mistake I made in marrying that man!" said Mrs. Brandon -mournfully.</p> - -<p>"That is true, mother but it can't be helped now. The question is, what -shall we do?"</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_137" id="Page_137">[Pg 137]</a></span></p><p>"Where is he?"</p> - -<p>"Lying on the floor, drunk," said Grit, in a tone of disgust. "We may as -well leave him there for the present."</p> - -<p>"He has hardly been home twenty-four hours, yet how he has changed our -quiet life. If he would only reform!"</p> - -<p>"Not much chance of that, mother."</p> - -<p>"What shall we do, Grit?" asked Mrs. Brandon, who was wont to come to -Grit, young as he was, for advice.</p> - -<p>"I have thought of two ways. I might buy him a ticket for Boston, if I -thought he would use it. It would be of no use to give him the money, or -he would spend it at the tavern instead."</p> - -<p>"If he would only leave us to ourselves, it would a blessing."</p> - -<p>"If he won't hear of that, there is another way."</p> - -<p>"What is it?"</p> - -<p>"I could engage board for you and myself at the house of one of our -neighbors for a week."</p> - -<p>"What good would that do, Grit?"</p> - -<p>"You would prepare no meals at home, and Mr. Brandon would be starved -out. While he can live upon us, and raise money to buy<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_138" id="Page_138">[Pg 138]</a></span> liquor at the -tavern, there is little chance of getting rid of him."</p> - -<p>"I don't know, Grit. It seems a harsh thing to do."</p> - -<p>"But consider the circumstances, mother. We can't allow him to continue -annoying us as he has done."</p> - -<p>"Do as you think best, Grit."</p> - -<p>"Then I will go over to Mrs. Sprague's and ask if she will take us for a -few days. That will probably be sufficient."</p> - -<p>Going down-stairs, Grit saw his stepfather still lying on the floor. -Grit's step aroused him, and he lifted his head.</p> - -<p>"'S'that you Grit?" he asked, in thick accents.</p> - -<p>"Yes, sir."</p> - -<p>"Where's my frien' Travers?"</p> - -<p>"He's gone."</p> - -<p>"Where's he gone?"</p> - -<p>"To the tavern. He said he would meet you there at four o'clock."</p> - -<p>"What time is it?" asked Brandon, trying to get up.</p> - -<p>"Two o'clock."</p> - -<p>"I'll be there. You tell him so, Grit."</p> - -<p>"I will if I see him."</p> - -<p>Grit went on his way to Mrs. Sprague's,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_139" id="Page_139">[Pg 139]</a></span> and had no difficulty in making -the arrangement he desired for his mother and himself, when she learned -that Mr. Brandon was not to come, too.</p> - -<p>"I feel for your mother, Grit," she said. "If I can help her in this -trial, I certainly will."</p> - -<p>"Thank you, Mrs. Sprague. I will return and tell her. Perhaps she may -come over by the middle of the afternoon. I don't like to leave her -alone in the house with Mr. Brandon."</p> - -<p>"She will be welcome whenever she comes, Grit."</p> - -<p>"You had better go over at once, mother," said Grit, on his return. "A -drunken man is not fit company for you."</p> - -<p>Mrs. Brandon was easily persuaded to take the step recommended, and her -husband was left in the house alone.</p> - -<p>Meanwhile, Travers went on his way to the tavern. It was rather a -serious thing for him to be turned out of his friend's house, for he had -but a scanty supply of money, and his appearance was not likely to give -him credit.</p> - -<p>"Confound that boy!" he muttered. "He's just reckless enough to shoot -me, if I don't give up to him. I pity Brandon, having such a son as -that."</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_140" id="Page_140">[Pg 140]</a></span></p><p>It would have been more in order to pity Grit for having such a -stepfather, but Travers looked upon the matter from his own point of -view, which, it is needless to say, was influenced by his own interests.</p> - -<p>"Will they take me at the tavern?" he thought to himself. "If they -won't, I shall have to sleep out, and that would be hard for a gentleman -like me."</p> - -<p>When we are in a tight place, help often comes from unexpected quarters, -and this to those who hardly deserve such a favor. So it happened in the -case of Travers.</p> - -<p>As he was walking slowly along, his face wrinkled with perplexity, he -attracted the attention of a tall man, dressed in black, who might -readily have passed for a clergyman, so far as his externals went. He -crossed the street, and accosted Travers.</p> - -<p>"My friend," he said, "you appear to be in trouble."</p> - -<p>"So I am," answered Travers readily.</p> - -<p>"Of what nature?"</p> - -<p>"I've just been turned out of the house of the only friend I have in the -village, and I don't know where to go."</p> - -<p>"Go to the tavern."</p> - -<p>"So I would if I had money enough to pay<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_141" id="Page_141">[Pg 141]</a></span> my score. You haven't got five -dollars to spare, have you?"</p> - -<p>Travers had no expectation of being answered in the affirmative, and he -was surprised, as well as gratified, when the stranger drew out his -wallet, and, taking therefrom a five-dollar bill, put it into his hand.</p> - -<p>"There," said he.</p> - -<p>"Well!" exclaimed the astonished Travers, "you're a gentleman if ever -there was one. May I know the name of such an—an ornament to his -species?"</p> - -<p>The stranger smiled.</p> - -<p>"I am glad you appreciate my little favor," he said. "As to my name, you -may call me Colonel Johnson."</p> - -<p>"Proud to know you, colonel," said Travers, clasping the hand of his new -acquaintance warmly.</p> - -<p>"What is your name?" asked Johnson.</p> - -<p>"Thomas Travers."</p> - -<p>"I am glad to know you, Mr. Travers," said the colonel. "Let me drop you -a hint. There's more money where that came from."</p> - -<p>"You couldn't lend me any more, could you?" asked Travers eagerly.</p> - -<p>"Well, not exactly lend, Mr. Travers, but<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_142" id="Page_142">[Pg 142]</a></span> perhaps we can enter into a -little business arrangement."</p> - -<p>"All right, colonel," said Travers briskly. "I'm out of business. Fact -is, I've been in seclusion lately—confined to the house in fact, and -haven't been able to earn anything."</p> - -<p>"Just so. Suppose we take a walk in yonder field, and I will tell you -what I have in view."</p> - -<p>They got over a fence, and walked slowly along a path that led a quarter -of a mile farther on into the woods.</p> - -<p>Here they sat down under a tree, and Colonel Johnson, producing a couple -of cigars and a match, said:</p> - -<p>"I can always talk better when I am smoking. Have one, Travers."</p> - -<p>"You're a man after my own heart, colonel," said Travers -enthusiastically. "Now, if I only had a nip I should be in clover."</p> - -<p>"Take one, then," said the colonel, producing a pocket-flask of brandy.</p> - -<p>Travers was by no means bashful in accepting this invitation.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_143" id="Page_143">[Pg 143]</a></span></p> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER XX.</span> <span class="smaller">A PROMISING PLAN.</span></h2> - -<p>The conference between Colonel Johnson and Travers was apparently of -great interest to the latter. It is important that the reader should be -made acquainted with its nature.</p> - -<p>"I take it for granted, Mr. Travers," said the colonel, after their -potation, "that you are ready to undertake a job if there is money in -it."</p> - -<p>"That's as true as you live," said Travers emphatically.</p> - -<p>"Am I also right in concluding that you are not squeamish as to how the -money is earned? You are not overburdened with conscientious scruples, -eh?"</p> - -<p>"Not much! They're all nonsense," returned Travers.</p> - -<p>"Good! I see you are the sort of a man I took you for. Now you must, to -begin with, promise that you will regard as confidential what I am about -to say to you."</p> - -<p>"Tom Travers can be relied upon, colonel. He's safe every time."</p> - -<p>"Good again! Then I shall not hesitate to<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_144" id="Page_144">[Pg 144]</a></span> unfold to you my little plan. -I believe you have a bank in the village?"</p> - -<p>"Yes; but, colonel, I am a stranger here. I only know one person -here—my friend Brandon."</p> - -<p>"Is he—the same kind of a man as yourself?" inquired Johnson.</p> - -<p>"The same identical kind, colonel. What is it Shakespeare, or some other -poet, says:</p> - -<div class="center"><div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<div>"'Two flowers upon a single stalk,</div> -<div>Two hearts that beat as one.'"</div> -</div></div></div> - -<p>"I compliment you on your knowledge of poetry, Mr. Travers. I didn't -think it was in you."</p> - -<p>Travers looked complimented.</p> - -<p>"I've had an education, colonel," he said complacently, "though -circumstances have been against me for the last four years. As for my -friend Brandon, he's one you can rely upon."</p> - -<p>"I shall probably require his services as well as yours," said Johnson. -"Now let me proceed. You agree with me that bank capitalists are -grasping monopolists, that they grind down the poor man, and live in -luxury at the expense of the poor laborer."</p> - -<p>"Just my notion, colonel!"</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_145" id="Page_145">[Pg 145]</a></span></p><p>"And whatever we can get out of them is what they richly deserve to -lose?"</p> - -<p>"Just so!"</p> - -<p>"Well and good! I see you agree with me. And now, friend Travers, I will -tell you what I have in view, and why it is that I need the services of -two gentlemen like you and your friend. The fact is"—here Johnson -dropped the mask, being assured of the character of his -listener—"there's a good haul to be made within three days—a haul -which, if successful, will make all three of us easy in our -circumstances for years to come."</p> - -<p>"Go ahead, colonel. I'm with you, and my friend Brandon, too. I'll -answer for him. We both need a lift mightily."</p> - -<p>"I learn—no matter how"—said Johnson, lowering his voice, "that a -messenger from the bank goes to Boston day after to-morrow with a -package of thirty thousand dollars in government bonds. He's to carry -them to the Merchant's National Bank in Boston. These bonds are not -registered, but coupon bonds, and can easily be sold. They are at a -premium of fifteen or sixteen per cent., which would bring up the value -to nearly or quite thirty-five thousand dollars."</p> - -<p>Travers listened with eager interest. He <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_146" id="Page_146">[Pg 146]</a></span>began to understand the -service that was expected of him, but it did not apparently shock him.</p> - -<p>"Well?" he said.</p> - -<p>"My plan," continued Colonel Johnson, "is for you and your friend to -follow this bank messenger, and between here and Boston to relieve him -of this package. You will meet me at a spot agreed upon in or near the -city, and I will take the package."</p> - -<p>"You will take the package?" repeated Travers blankly.</p> - -<p>"Yes, but I will reward you liberally for your service. You and Brandon -will each receive from me, in case the affair succeeds, the sum of five -thousand dollars."</p> - -<p>"I thought we would share and share alike," said Travers, in a tone of -disappointment.</p> - -<p>"Nonsense, man! Isn't it my plan? Am I to reap no benefit from my own -conception? Besides, shall I not have the care and responsibility of -disposing of the bonds? This will involve danger."</p> - -<p>"So will our part involve danger," objected Travers.</p> - -<p>"That is true, but your hazard is small. There will be two of you to one -bank messenger. Besides, I take it for granted that you<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_147" id="Page_147">[Pg 147]</a></span> will be adroit -enough to relieve the messenger without his knowing anything about it. -When he discovers his loss you will be out of sight. It strikes me you -will be rewarded very handsomely for the small labor imposed upon you."</p> - -<p>Travers made a further effort to secure better terms, but his new -acquaintance was firm in refusing them. The result was, that Travers -unconditionally accepted for himself and Brandon.</p> - -<p>"When shall you see your friend Brandon, as you call him?" inquired the -colonel.</p> - -<p>"This very afternoon," answered Travers promptly.</p> - -<p>"Good! I like your promptness."</p> - -<p>"That is, if I can," continued Travers, a shade doubtfully, for he -remembered the summary manner in which he had been ejected from the -house of his congenial companion and friend.</p> - -<p>"Very well. Then we will postpone further debate till you have done so. -I shall stay at the tavern here, and you can readily find me."</p> - -<p>"I will stay there, too. I was staying with my friend Brandon, but his -wife and her son did not treat me well, and I left them. They want to -separate us—old friends as we are."</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_148" id="Page_148">[Pg 148]</a></span></p><p>"They are jealous of you," suggested Johnson, smiling.</p> - -<p>"Just so, but I'll euchre them yet."</p> - -<p>The two walked together to the road, and there they separated, Johnson -suggesting that it might be prudent for them not to be seen together too -much.</p> - -<p>Travers assented, and turned back in the direction of the house he had -recently left under rather mortifying circumstances.</p> - -<p>"The boy'll be gone to his boat," he thought, "and I don't care for the -old lady. She doesn't like me, but I can stand that. I must see my -friend Brandon, if I can."</p> - -<p>Although Travers decided that Grit had returned to his boat, he -approached the house cautiously. He thought it possible that Grit might -still be on guard with the formidable pistol which he had pointed at him -an hour or more earlier, and he did not like the looks of the weapon.</p> - -<p>"It might go off!" he thought. "That plaguy boy is awfully reckless, and -he wouldn't mind shooting a gentleman, if he felt like it. I'd like to -pitch him into the water, pistol and all," he ejaculated fervently, in -conclusion.</p> - -<p>As I have said, Travers approached the little cottage with cautious -steps. Drawing near,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_149" id="Page_149">[Pg 149]</a></span> he listened to see if he could hear any sound of -voices that would betray the presence of the boy he wished to avoid.</p> - -<p>All was still. Nothing was to be heard but the deep breathing of -Brandon, who still lay on the floor in a stupor. Grit was back at his -boat, and Mrs. Brandon had already left the house and gone to spend the -remainder of the afternoon with her neighbor. Brandon was, therefore, -the only occupant of the cottage.</p> - -<p>"I hear my friend Brandon," said Travers to himself. "I can hear nothing -of the boy. He must be away."</p> - -<p>By way of ascertaining definitely, Travers moved round to the window and -peered in. He caught sight of the prostrate figure of Brandon, but could -see no one else.</p> - -<p>"It's all right," he said to himself, in a satisfied tone.</p> - -<p>He tried the door, and found it unlocked.</p> - -<p>He entered, and stooping over, seized Brandon by the shoulder, and -called him loudly by name.</p> - -<p>"I say, Brandon, wake up!"</p> - -<p>"Go away, Grit," said Brandon drowsily.</p> - -<p>"It isn't Grit. It's I—your friend Travers," said that gentleman.</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_150" id="Page_150">[Pg 150]</a></span></p><p>"Thought my friend Travers was gone," muttered Brandon, opening his -eyes.</p> - -<p>"So I did go, but I've come back. I want to see you on important -business."</p> - -<p>"'Portant business?" repeated Brandon.</p> - -<p>"Yes, very important business. Do you want to earn five thousand -dollars?"</p> - -<p>"Five thousand dollars!" said Brandon, roused by this startling inquiry. -"'Course I do."</p> - -<p>"Then rouse yourself, and I'll tell you all about it. Here, let me bring -you some water, and you can dip your face in it. It will bring you to -yourself sooner than anything else."</p> - -<p>Brandon acceded to the proposal, and was soon in a clearer state of -mind.</p> - -<p>Travers proceeded to unfold his plan, after learning that Mrs. Brandon -was out; but he had a listener he did not know of. Grit had come home -for something he had forgotten, and, with his ear to the keyhole, heard -the whole plot. He listened attentively. When all was told, he said to -himself:</p> - -<p>"I'll foil them, or my name isn't Grit!"</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_151" id="Page_151">[Pg 151]</a></span></p> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER XXI.</span> <span class="smaller">MR. BRANDON LOSES HIS SUPPER.</span></h2> - -<p>When Brandon and Travers had discussed the plan, and decided to accept -the terms offered by Colonel Johnson, the latter, looking cautiously -about, inquired:</p> - -<p>"Where's the boy?"</p> - -<p>"Out with the boat, I expect," said Brandon.</p> - -<p>"He's a little ruffian. I never saw such a desperate boy of his age."</p> - -<p>"He managed you neatly," said Brandon, with a smile.</p> - -<p>"Pooh!" returned Travers, who did not like the allusion. "I didn't want -to hurt the boy."</p> - -<p>"He didn't want to harm you," said Brandon, with an exasperating smile.</p> - -<p>"I could wind him round my finger," said Travers disdainfully. "You -don't think I'm afraid of that half-grown cub, I hope."</p> - -<p>Grit heard this, and smiled to himself at the evident annoyance of -Travers.</p> - -<p>"As to winding me round his finger," thought the young boatman, "I may -have something to say about that."</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_152" id="Page_152">[Pg 152]</a></span></p><p>Brandon did not continue his raillery, not wishing to provoke the -friend who had secured him participation in so profitable a job.</p> - -<p>"Where's the old lady?" asked Travers, with a glance toward the -staircase.</p> - -<p>"I believe she's gone out, but I'll see."</p> - -<p>Brandon went to the foot of the stairs, and called:</p> - -<p>"Mrs. B.!"</p> - -<p>There was no response.</p> - -<p>"Yes, she's gone, and the coast is clear. Where are you staying, -Travers?"</p> - -<p>"I s'pose I'll have to stay at the hotel, unless you can provide for me -here."</p> - -<p>"You'd better go to the tavern, for there might be trouble about keepin' -you here. Mrs. B. and the boy don't like you."</p> - -<p>"I thought you were master of the house," said Travers, with mild -sarcasm.</p> - -<p>"So I am," answered Brandon, a little embarrassed, "but I don't want to -be in hot water all the time."</p> - -<p>"You don't want me to stay to supper, I reckon."</p> - -<p>"Well, I guess not to-night. Fact is, I don't know when we shall have -supper. Mrs. B. ought to be here gettin' it ready."</p> - -<p>"Come out and have a walk, Brandon. I<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_153" id="Page_153">[Pg 153]</a></span> will introduce you to Colonel -Johnson, and we can talk this thing over."</p> - -<p>"All right. That'll take up the time till supper."</p> - -<p>The two men walked over to the tavern, and Colonel Johnson walked out -with them. They had a conference together, but it is not necessary to -give the details here.</p> - -<p>A little after six o'clock Brandon directed his steps homeward.</p> - -<p>"I'll be a little late to supper," he said to himself, "but Mrs. B. will -save some for me. I feel confoundedly hungry. Must be in the air. -There's nothing like country air to give a man a good appetite."</p> - -<p>Brandon opened the door of the cottage, and went in. All was quiet and -solitary, as he had left it.</p> - -<p>"Well. I'll be blowed!" he ejaculated. "What does all this mean? Where's -Mrs. B., and where's supper?"</p> - -<p>He sat down, and looked about him in surprise and bewilderment.</p> - -<p>"What has become of Mrs. B.?" he thought. "She hasn't gone and left me, -just when I've come home after an absence of five years? That boy can't -have carried her off, can he?"</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_154" id="Page_154">[Pg 154]</a></span></p><p>Brandon did not have long to debate this question in his own mind, for -the door opened, and Grit and his mother entered. Brandon was relieved, -but he could not forbear expressing his vexation.</p> - -<p>"Well, Mrs. B.," he said, "this I call pretty goings on. Are you aware -that it is nearly seven o'clock, ma'am?"</p> - -<p>"I supposed it was," answered his wife quietly.</p> - -<p>"And you've left me to starve here, ma'am! This is a strange time for -supper."</p> - -<p>"We've had supper," answered Grit coolly.</p> - -<p>"Had supper!" ejaculated Brandon, looking about him. "I don't see any -signs of supper."</p> - -<p>"You won't see any signs of it here," continued Grit.</p> - -<p>"What do you mean?"</p> - -<p>"I mean that mother and I have engaged board at Mrs. Sprague's. We have -just had supper there."</p> - -<p>"You have! Well, that's a new start. It doesn't matter much, though. -I'll go over and get mine."</p> - -<p>"We haven't made any arrangements for you," said Grit. "I shall pay for -mother's board and mine. You can make any bargain you like for your -board."</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_155" id="Page_155">[Pg 155]</a></span></p><p>"Well, if that isn't the meanest treatment I ever received!" exclaimed -Brandon, in wrath and disgust. "You actually begrudge me the little I -eat, and turn me adrift in the cold world!"</p> - -<p>"That's one way of looking at it, Mr. Brandon," said Grit. "Here's the -other: You are a strong man, in good health, and able to work. Most men -in your position expect to support a family, but you come to live upon -my earnings, and expect me not only to provide you with board, but with -money for the purpose of drink. That isn't all! You bring home one of -your disreputable companions, and expect us to provide for him, too. -Now, I am willing to work for mother, and consider it a privilege to do -so, but I can't do any more. If you don't choose to contribute to the -support of the family, you must at least take care of yourself. I am not -going to do it."</p> - -<p>"How hard and unfeeling you are, Grit!" said Brandon, in the tone of a -martyr. "After all I have suffered in the last five years you treat me -like this."</p> - -<p>"As to the last five years, Mr. Brandon," said Grit, "I should think you -would hardly care to refer to them. It was certainly your own fault that -you were not as free as I am."</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_156" id="Page_156">[Pg 156]</a></span></p><p>"I was a victim of circumstances," whined Brandon.</p> - -<p>"We won't discuss that," said Grit. "You had a fair trial, and were -sentenced to five years' imprisonment. About the unkindness. I should -like to know what you think of a man who deliberately takes away the -means of earning a living from his stepson, who is filling his place, -and supporting his family, in order to gratify his miserable love of -drink."</p> - -<p>"You drove me to it, Grit."</p> - -<p>"How did I drive you to it?"</p> - -<p>"You would not give me from your overflowing hoards, when I felt sick -and in need of a mild stimulus. You had sixty dollars, and would not -spare me one."</p> - -<p>"So you sold my boat for half price, and squandered nearly the whole -proceeds in one forenoon!" exclaimed Grit scornfully. "Mr. Brandon, your -reasoning is altogether too thin. We have decided to leave you to -support yourself as you can."</p> - -<p>Here the glowing prospects offered by the plan suggested by Colonel -Johnson occurred to Brandon, and his tone changed.</p> - -<p>"You may find you have made a mistake, Grit, you and Mrs. B.," said -Brandon <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_157" id="Page_157">[Pg 157]</a></span>pompously. "You have snubbed and illtreated me because you -looked upon me as a poor, destitute, friendless man. It's the way of the -world! But you may regret it, and that very soon. What will you say when -I tell you that I have a chance to earn five thousand dollars in the -next five days, eh?"</p> - -<p>Mrs. Brandon looked surprised, for Grit had not thought it wise to -confide to his mother what he had heard of the conversation between -Travers and his stepfather. Grit, on the other hand, was immediately -interested, for the compensation offered was one of the things he had -not overheard.</p> - -<p>"Five thousand dollars!" he repeated, appearing to be surprised.</p> - -<p>"Yes, five thousand dollars!" repeated Brandon complacently. "That's a -thousand dollars a day! Perhaps you won't be so anxious to get rid of me -when I am worth my thousands."</p> - -<p>"That's pretty good pay," said Grit quietly. "What have you got to do?"</p> - -<p>"That would be telling," said Brandon cunningly. "It's a joint -speculation of my friend Travers and myself—my friend Travers, whom you -treated so badly. It's he that's brought me this fine offer, and you -insult and order<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_158" id="Page_158">[Pg 158]</a></span> him out of the house. You were just as bad as Grit, -Mrs. B."</p> - -<p>"You are welcome to all you make, Mr. Brandon," said Grit. "Neither my -mother nor myself will ask a penny of the handsome sum you expect to -make. You can spend it all on yourself if you like. All we ask is, that -you will take care of yourself, and leave us alone."</p> - -<p>"I mean to do so," said Brandon independently, "but, as I shan't get the -money for three or four days, I should like to borrow five dollars, and -I'll repay you double within a week."</p> - -<p>"That's a very generous offer," said Grit, "but I don't lend without -better security."</p> - -<p>"Isn't there anything to eat in the house, Mrs. B.?" asked Brandon, -changing the subject. "I'm famished."</p> - -<p>"You will find some cold meat, and bread, and butter in the pantry."</p> - -<p>Brandon went to the pantry, and satisfied his appetite as well as he -could. He then went out, and Grit soon followed.</p> - -<p>"Mother," he said, "I have an important call to make, but will be back -soon."</p> - -<p>It will be remembered that Mr. Courtney had formerly been president of -the bank, but proving unpopular in consequence of his <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_159" id="Page_159">[Pg 159]</a></span>disposition to -manage it in his own interest, Mr. Philo Graves, a manufacturer, was put -in his place. To the house of Mr. Graves Grit directed his steps.</p> - -<hr /> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER XXII.</span> <span class="smaller">BANK OFFICIALS IN COUNCIL.</span></h2> - -<p>Mr. Graves was at home, but he was not alone. Mr. Courtney had dropped -in, and as he was still a director of the bank, it was natural that the -conversation should turn upon affairs of the bank in which he and Mr. -Graves had a common interest. Though no longer president, Mr. Courtney -was still anxious to control the affairs of the bank, and to make it of -as much service to himself as possible. He had recently become -interested in certain speculative securities, through a firm of Wall -Street brokers, and finding himself rather cramped for money, desired to -obtain a loan on them from the bank. To this end he had sought a -preliminary interview with Mr. Graves, previous to making a formal -application to the full board of directors.</p> - -<p>"You are aware, Mr. Courtney," said the president, "that to grant your -request would be contrary to the general usage of the bank."</p> - -<p>"I ought to know the usage of the bank,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_160" id="Page_160">[Pg 160]</a></span> having served as president for -three years," said Mr. Courtney. "In my time such loans were made."</p> - -<p>Mr. Graves was aware of this, but he was also aware that such loans had -been made on the former president's sole authority, and either to -himself or some one of his friends, and that it was on account of this -very circumstance that he had been removed from office.</p> - -<p>"I know that such loans were made, but I am equally certain that such a -course would not meet the approval of the directors."</p> - -<p>"But," insinuated Mr. Courtney, "if you openly favored it, and my vote -as director was given, we could probably influence enough other votes to -accomplish our object."</p> - -<p>"I cannot say whether this would or would not follow," said Mr. Graves, -"but I am bound to say for myself that I cannot recommend, or vote for, -granting such a loan."</p> - -<p>"Perhaps you think I am not responsible," said Mr. Courtney, irritated.</p> - -<p>"I presume you are, but that ought not to be considered, when the -question is about violating our fixed usage."</p> - -<p>"It seems to me, considering my official connection with the bank, that -a point might be strained in my favor."</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_161" id="Page_161">[Pg 161]</a></span></p><p>"That is not my view, Mr. Courtney; although I am now president, I -should not care to ask any special favor of the bank. I prefer to be -treated like any other customer."</p> - -<p>Mr. Courtney mentally voted Graves slow and behind the times. In his -views, one great advantage of holding a high financial position was to -favor himself and his own interests, without special regard to the -welfare of the corporation or stockholders.</p> - -<p>"You wouldn't find many bank presidents agree with you, Mr. Graves," -said Courtney impatiently.</p> - -<p>"I am sorry to hear it," returned the president gravely. "It seems to me -that I owe a duty to the stockholders of the bank which ought to -override any personal considerations."</p> - -<p>"You are very quixotic in your ideas," said Courtney coldly.</p> - -<p>"I am sure I am right, at any rate," returned Graves firmly.</p> - -<p>"I consider your refusal unfriendly—nay, more, I think it is calculated -to throw suspicion on my financial position."</p> - -<p>"Not at all. I have no reason to doubt your financial stability, and as -to the unkindness, when I distinctly state that I would not ask<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_162" id="Page_162">[Pg 162]</a></span> such a -favor for myself, you will see that I am disposed to treat you as well -as myself."</p> - -<p>"It may be so," sneered Courtney, "but I presume you are not at present -in need of a personal loan, and—circumstances alter cases, you know."</p> - -<p>"If you mean that I shall at any future time ask favors for myself, -which, I am not disposed to grant to you, you are mistaken," said the -president.</p> - -<p>"My financial position is as strong as yours," said Courtney rather -irrelevantly.</p> - -<p>"Very probably you are a richer man than I am, but as I said, that is -not in question."</p> - -<p>At this point a servant entered, and said to the president:</p> - -<p>"Mr. Graves, there is a boy outside who says he wants to see you."</p> - -<p>"What boy is it?"</p> - -<p>"Grit Morris."</p> - -<p>"Very well; you can bring him in."</p> - -<p>"The young boatman," said Courtney contemptuously. "I wouldn't allow a -boy like that to take up my time."</p> - -<p>"He may have something of importance to communicate. Besides, I don't -set so high a value on my time."</p> - -<p>This will illustrate the difference between the two men. Mr. Graves was -pleasant and <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_163" id="Page_163">[Pg 163]</a></span>affable to all, while Mr. Courtney was stiff, and -apparently always possessed of a high idea of his own importance and -dignity. In this respect, his son Phil was his counterpart.</p> - -<p>Into the presence of these two gentlemen Grit was admitted.</p> - -<p>"Good morning, Grit," said the president pleasantly. "Take a seat. -Margaret tells me you wish to see me."</p> - -<p>"Yes, sir, I wish to see you on a matter of importance."</p> - -<p>"Perhaps he wants a loan from the bank," suggested Mr. Courtney -scornfully.</p> - -<p>"If Grit wanted a loan, he would not need to apply to the bank," said -Mr. Graves, in a friendly manner. "I would lend him, myself."</p> - -<p>"Thank you, Mr. Graves," said Grit gratefully, "but I don't wish any -loan for myself. My business relates to the bank, however."</p> - -<p>Both gentlemen were rather surprised to hear this. They could not -understand what business Grit could have with the bank.</p> - -<p>"Go on, Grit," said Mr. Graves. "Mr. Courtney is one of our directors, -so that you may speak freely before him."</p> - -<p>"I understand," commenced Grit, coming at once to the point, "that you -are intending to send up thirty thousand dollars in <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_164" id="Page_164">[Pg 164]</a></span>government bonds to -the Merchants' Bank, in Boston."</p> - -<p>Mr. Graves and Mr. Courtney looked at each other in surprise. This was a -bank secret, and such matters were generally kept very close with them.</p> - -<p>"How did you learn this?" asked the president, in surprise, "and if so, -what can you have to say in regard to it?"</p> - -<p>"Perhaps he wants to be the messenger," said Mr. Courtney, with a -derisive smile.</p> - -<p>Grit took no notice of this, for his mind was occupied with the plan of -the would-be robbers.</p> - -<p>"I will tell you at once," he said. "There is a plan to waylay the -messenger, and relieve him of the bonds."</p> - -<p>Here was a fresh surprise. Mr. Graves began to find Grit's communication -of absorbing interest.</p> - -<p>"How do you know this?" he asked cautiously.</p> - -<p>"Because I overheard the robbers discussing their plan."</p> - -<p>"You say the robbers. Then there are more than one?"</p> - -<p>"Yes, there are two."</p> - -<p>"Are you willing to tell me who they are, Grit?"</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_165" id="Page_165">[Pg 165]</a></span></p><p>"That is what I came to tell you. I am sorry to say that one is my -stepfather, as I am obliged to call him, Mr. Brandon."</p> - -<p>"Mr. Brandon? I thought he was——" Here Mr. Graves paused, out of -delicacy.</p> - -<p>"He has been in prison until a few days since," said Grit, understanding -what the president of the bank intended to say, "but now he is free."</p> - -<p>"And where is he?"</p> - -<p>"He is living at our house. Since he got back, he has given my mother -and myself a great deal of trouble. Not content with living on us, he -has spent what money he could get at the tavern, and because I would -give him no more, he sold my boat without my knowledge."</p> - -<p>"That was bad, Grit. To whom did he sell it?" asked Mr. Graves.</p> - -<p>"To Mr. Courtney's son Phil!" answered Grit.</p> - -<p>"My son's name is Philip," said Mr. Courtney stiffly.</p> - -<p>"We boys generally call him Phil," said Grit, smiling. "However, that -doesn't matter."</p> - -<p>"My son had a right to purchase the boat," said Mr. Courtney.</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_166" id="Page_166">[Pg 166]</a></span></p><p>"I have nothing to say as to that, at any rate now," returned Grit. "I -only mention it to show how Mr. Brandon has treated us."</p> - -<p>"Who was the other conspirator, Grit?" asked Graves.</p> - -<p>"A companion of Mr. Brandon's, named Travers. I understand they are to -be employed by a third person, now staying at the hotel, a man named -Johnson."</p> - -<p>"One thing more, Grit, how did you come to hear of their plan?"</p> - -<p>Grit answered this question fully. He related how he had overheard the -conference between his stepfather and Travers in the afternoon.</p> - -<p>"This information is of great importance, Grit," said the president. -"If, as you say, there are three conspirators, there would be a very -good chance of their succeeding in overpowering any messenger, and -abstracting the bonds. As it happens, the bonds do not belong to the -bank, but to an individual depositor, but it would be very unpleasant -and mortifying to have them taken from our messenger. It might lead to a -supposition on the part of some that we didn't keep our secrets well, -but suffered a matter as important as this to become known <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_167" id="Page_167">[Pg 167]</a></span>outside. Mr. -Courtney, what would you advise to be done in such an emergency?"</p> - -<p>Courtney always looked important when his advice was asked, and answered -promptly:</p> - -<p>"It is a very simple matter. Put the messenger on his guard. Supply him -with a revolver, if need be, and if he is on the watch he can't be -robbed."</p> - -<p>Mr. Graves looked thoughtful, and appeared to be turning over this -advice in his mind.</p> - -<p>"If Mr. Courtney will excuse me," Grit said, "I think there is a better -plan than that."</p> - -<p>Courtney's lip curled.</p> - -<p>"Ask the boy's advice, by all means, Mr. Graves," he said, with a -palpable sneer. "It must be very valuable, considering his experience -and knowledge of the world."</p> - -<hr /> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER XXIII.</span> <span class="smaller">GRIT GIVES IMPORTANT ADVICE.</span></h2> - -<p>"Let me hear your idea, Grit," said Mr. Graves courteously.</p> - -<p>"I have little experience or knowledge of<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_168" id="Page_168">[Pg 168]</a></span> the world," said Grit, "as -Mr. Courtney says, or means to say, but it occurs to me to ask whether -you have full confidence in your messenger?"</p> - -<p>"Of course we have," said Mr. Courtney. "What foolish idea have you got -in your head?"</p> - -<p>"Tell me why this question occurs to you, Grit?" asked the president.</p> - -<p>"I thought it possible that this Colonel Johnson, who employs the -conspirators, as you call them, may have learned from the messenger that -he was to be entrusted with a valuable package of bonds."</p> - -<p>"Why on earth should the messenger reveal this news to a stranger?" -demanded Mr. Courtney sharply.</p> - -<p>"Because," said Grit quietly, not allowing himself to be disturbed by -the sneering tone of the ex-president, "he might be well paid for doing -so."</p> - -<p>"Nonsense!" said Mr. Courtney, but the president of the bank said -thoughtfully:</p> - -<p>"There may be something in that."</p> - -<p>"I am sure the messenger is faithful," asserted Mr. Courtney positively, -but it may be remarked that his confidence sprang rather from a desire -to discredit Grit's suggestion<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_169" id="Page_169">[Pg 169]</a></span> than from any real belief in the -integrity of the bank messenger.</p> - -<p>"It isn't best to take this integrity for granted in a matter where a -mistake would subject us to serious loss," observed President Graves. "I -hope he is reliable, but I do not shut my eyes to the fact that such a -price as he might demand for conniving with these conspirators would be -a strong temptation to a poor man like Ephraim Carver."</p> - -<p>"What are you going to do about it?" asked Courtney. "For my part I am -free to confess that I attach very little importance to the astounding -discovery of this young man, who knows a good deal more, I presume, -about managing a boat than managing a bank."</p> - -<p>"You are right there, Mr. Courtney," said Grit good-naturedly. "I don't -want Mr. Graves to attach any more importance to my suggestion than he -thinks it deserves."</p> - -<p>"Whatever your suggestion may be worth, Grit," said the president of the -bank, "there can be no doubt that you have brought me news of great -importance. I shall not forget the obligation the bank is under to you."</p> - -<p>Mr. Courtney shrugged his shoulders.</p> - -<p>"The story looks to me very improbable," he said. "If I were still -president of the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_170" id="Page_170">[Pg 170]</a></span> bank, I should probably dismiss it as an idle -fabrication."</p> - -<p>"Then, Mr. Courtney," said Mr. Graves emphatically, "permit me to say -that you would be wanting in your duty to the bank and its interests."</p> - -<p>"I understand the duties of a bank president at least as well as you, -Mr. Graves," said Mr. Courtney stiffly. "After that remark you will not -be surprised if I bid you good evening."</p> - -<p>"Good evening!" said the president quietly, not attempting to call back -or placate the offended director.</p> - -<p>"Perhaps I had better go, too," said Grit, rising from his chair.</p> - -<p>"No, Grit, stay a few minutes longer; I wish to inquire further into -this affair."</p> - -<p>"Certainly, Mr. Graves, I will stay, with pleasure."</p> - -<p>Mr. Courtney heard this fragment of conversation, and it led him to say -with pointed sarcasm, as he stood with the knob of the door in his hand:</p> - -<p>"Perhaps I had better resign my position, and suggest this young boatman -as bank director in my place."</p> - -<p>"I doubt whether Grit would consider himself competent to discharge the -duties of a<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_171" id="Page_171">[Pg 171]</a></span> director," said Mr. Graves, smiling. "It may come in time."</p> - -<p>Mr. Courtney shut the door hastily, and left the room.</p> - -<p>"Mr. Courtney is rather a peculiar man; you needn't mind him, Grit," -said Mr. Graves, when the ruffled director was gone.</p> - -<p>"He doesn't like me very much, nor Phil, either," said Grit. "It is -lucky you are president of the bank now, and not he, for there is no -humbug about the news I bring you."</p> - -<p>"I consider it highly important," said Mr. Graves, "as I have already -stated. I am a little puzzled as to what I ought to do in the matter. As -you say, the messenger himself may be in the plot. By the way, what put -that idea into your head?"</p> - -<p>"I didn't know how otherwise Colonel Johnson could have learned about -the bonds being sent up to Boston."</p> - -<p>"Frequently the messenger himself is ignorant of the service he is to -render, but in this particular instance it happened that I told Mr. -Carver that I should have occasion to send him to Boston this week, and -for what purpose."</p> - -<p>"I am sorry that one who is in any way connected with our family should -be concerned in such a plot," said Grit.</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_172" id="Page_172">[Pg 172]</a></span></p><p>"Of course; that is natural. Still, you did your duty in telling me of -it. Whatever consequences may follow, you have done right."</p> - -<p>"I can't take much credit to myself for that," said Grit, "since I don't -like Mr. Brandon, and it would be a great relief both to my mother and -myself if he were away."</p> - -<p>"As I have already consulted you on this matter, Grit," said the bank -president, after a pause, "I am disposed to consult you further. Have -you any advice to offer as to the best course to pursue?"</p> - -<p>"Yes, sir," answered Grit. "As long as you don't think it presumption in -me, I will tell you of a plan I thought of as I was coming here. In the -first place, I would send the messenger as usual, without letting him -know that he was suspected."</p> - -<p>"But that would involve risks, wouldn't it Grit," objected Mr. Graves. -"We can't afford to lose the bonds."</p> - -<p>"I did not intend that he should carry the bonds," continued Grit. "I -would make up a parcel, filled with old papers, of about the same size, -and let him think he was carrying the bonds."</p> - -<p>"So far, so good, but what of the bonds? They would still be here, when -we want them delivered in Boston."</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_173" id="Page_173">[Pg 173]</a></span></p><p>"I have thought of that," said Grit promptly. "Either a little before -or a little afterward, I would send them by another messenger."</p> - -<p>"Good, Grit! You're a trump!" said the banker, his face lighting up. -"It's a capital plan. But one thing you have forgotten. We shall not in -this way ascertain whether the messenger is in collusion with the -conspirators—that is, not necessarily."</p> - -<p>"I think you can, sir. As I understand, this is the way in which the -theft will be accomplished: The conspirators will make up a bundle of -the same shape as the messenger's, and slyly substitute it at some point -on the route. They will not openly rob him, for there will be no chance -of doing so without attracting attention."</p> - -<p>"If the messenger is careful, they could not easily substitute a false -for the true package."</p> - -<p>"That is true, and that is the reason why I think the messenger is in -league with them. If he is careless, the change can easily be made. I -understand Brandon and Travers are to receive five thousand dollars each -for their services, and Colonel Johnson may, perhaps, have offered the -same sum to Mr. Carver."</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_174" id="Page_174">[Pg 174]</a></span></p><p>"It would be a great temptation to a man employed on a small salary -like Carver," said Mr. Graves thoughtfully.</p> - -<p>"What do you think of my plan, Mr. Graves?" asked Grit.</p> - -<p>"I think it a capital one. I shall adopt it in every detail. The only -thing that remains is to decide whom to employ to carry the genuine -package of bonds to Boston. Do you think of any one?"</p> - -<p>Grit shook his head.</p> - -<p>"No, sir, I don't know of any one."</p> - -<p>"I do," said the president.</p> - -<p>"Who is it?" asked Grit, with considerable curiosity.</p> - -<p>"I mean to send you!" answered Mr. Graves.</p> - -<hr /> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER XXIV.</span> <span class="smaller">WHAT GRIT OVERHEARD BEHIND THE ELM-TREE.</span></h2> - -<p>Grit listened with incredulous amazement to the words of the bank -president.</p> - -<p>"You mean to send me?" he ejaculated.</p> - -<p>"Yes," answered Mr. Graves, nodding.</p> - -<p>"But I am only a boy!"</p> - -<p>"That is true; but you have shown a sagacity and good judgment which -justify me in selecting you, young as you are. Of course,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_175" id="Page_175">[Pg 175]</a></span> I shall take -care that you are paid for your time. Now, are you willing to go?"</p> - -<p>Willing to go to Boston, where he had not been for five years? Grit did -not take long to consider.</p> - -<p>"Yes," he answered promptly. "If you are willing to trust me, I am -willing to go."</p> - -<p>"That is well," said the president. "I need hardly caution you to keep -your errand a profound secret."</p> - -<p>"You must not even tell your mother," continued Mr. Graves.</p> - -<p>"But she will feel anxious if I go away without a word to her."</p> - -<p>"You mistake me. I would not for the world have you give her unnecessary -anxiety. You may tell her that you are employed on an errand which may -detain you from home a day or two, and ask her not to question you till -you return."</p> - -<p>"Yes, I can say that," returned Grit. "Mother will very likely think Mr. -Jackson has employed me."</p> - -<p>"Mr. Jackson?"</p> - -<p>"A gentleman now staying at the hotel. He has already been very kind to -me."</p> - -<p>If Grit had been boastful or vainglorious, he would have given the -particulars of his rescue of little Willie Jackson from drowning. As it<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_176" id="Page_176">[Pg 176]</a></span> -was, he said no more than I have recorded above.</p> - -<p>"Very well," answered the president. "Your mother will not, at any rate, -think you are in any mischief, as she knows you too well for that."</p> - -<p>"When do you want me to go, sir?" asked Grit.</p> - -<p>"Let me see. To-day is Wednesday, and Friday is the day when we had -decided to send the messenger. He was to go by the morning train. I -think I will send you off in advance by the evening train of Thursday. -Then the bonds will be in the bank at Boston, while the regular -messenger is still on the way."</p> - -<p>"That will suit me very well, sir."</p> - -<p>"The train starts at ten o'clock. You can be at the train at half-past -nine. I will be there at the same hour, and will have the bonds with me. -I will at the same time provide you with money for the journey."</p> - -<p>"All right, sir. Do you want to see me any time to-morrow?"</p> - -<p>"No. I think it best that we should not be too much together. Even then, -I don't think any one would suspect that I would employ you on such an -errand. Still, it will be most prudent not to do anything to arouse -suspicion."</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_177" id="Page_177">[Pg 177]</a></span></p><p>"Then, Mr. Graves, I will bid you good night," said Grit, rising. "I -thank you very much for the confidence you are going to repose in me. I -will do my best, so that you may not have occasion to repent it."</p> - -<p>"I don't expect to repent it," said Mr. Graves, shaking hands with Grit -in a friendly manner.</p> - -<p>When the young boatman left the house of the bank president, it was -natural that he should feel a thrill of pride as the thought of the -important mission on which he was to be sent. Then again, it was -exhilarating to reflect that he was about to visit Boston. He had lived -at Chester for five years and more, and during that time he had once -visited Portland. That was an exciting day for him; but Boston he knew -was a great deal larger than the beautiful city of which Maine people -are pardonably proud, and contained possibilities of pleasure and -excitement which filled him with eager anticipations.</p> - -<p>But Grit knew that his journey was undertaken not for his own enjoyment, -but was to be an important business mission, and he resolved that he -would do his duty, even if he did not have a bit of fun.</p> - -<p>As he thought over the business on which he was to be employed, his -thoughts reverted<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_178" id="Page_178">[Pg 178]</a></span> to Ephraim Carver, the bank messenger, and the more -he thought of him, the more he suspected that he was implicated in the -projected robbery. It was perhaps this thought that led him to make a -detour so that he could pass the house of the messenger.</p> - -<p>It was a small cottage-house, standing back from the street, from which -a narrow lane led to it. Connected with it were four or five acres of -land, which might have yielded quite an addition to his income, but Mr. -Carver was not very fond of working on land, and he let it lie fallow, -making scarcely any use of it. Until he obtained the position of bank -messenger he had a hard time getting a living, and was generally -regarded as rather a shiftless man. He was connected with the wife of -one of the directors, and that was the way in which he secured his -position. Now he received a small salary, but one on which he might have -lived comfortably in a cheap place like Chester. But in spite of this he -was dissatisfied, and on many occasions complained of the difficulty he -experienced in making both ends meet.</p> - -<p>Grit turned down the lane and approached the house.</p> - -<p>He hardly knew why he did so. He had no expectation of learning anything -that would<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_179" id="Page_179">[Pg 179]</a></span> throw light on the question whether Carver was or was not -implicated in the conspiracy. Still, he was drawn toward the house.</p> - -<p>The night was quite dark, but Grit knew every step of the way, and he -walked slowly up the lane, which was probably two hundred feet long.</p> - -<p>He had gone, perhaps, half the distance, when he saw the front door of -Carver's house open. Mr. Carver himself could be seen in the doorway -with a kerosene-lamp in his hand, and at his side was a person whom with -a thrill of surprise Grit recognized as the man staying at the hotel -under the name of Colonel Johnson.</p> - -<p>"That looks suspicious," thought Grit. "I am afraid the messenger is -guilty."</p> - -<p>He reflected that it would not do for either of them to see him, as it -might render them suspicious. He took advantage of the darkness, and the -fact that the two were not looking his way, to jump over the stone wall -and hide behind the broad trunk of the lofty elm which stood just in -that spot.</p> - -<p>"I wish I could hear what they are saying," thought Grit. "Then I should -know for certain if my suspicions are well founded."</p> - -<p>The two men stood at the door for the space of a minute or more, and -then the stranger <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_180" id="Page_180">[Pg 180]</a></span>departed, but not alone. Ephraim Carver took his hat -and accompanied him, both walking slowly up the lane toward the main -road.</p> - -<p>By a piece of good luck, as Grit considered it, they halted beneath the -very elm-tree behind which he lay concealed.</p> - -<p>These were the first words Grit heard spoken:</p> - -<p>"My dear friend," said Johnson, in bland, persuasive accents, "there -isn't a particle of danger in it. You have only to follow my directions, -and all will be well."</p> - -<p>"I shall find it hard to explain how it happened that I lost the -package," said Carver.</p> - -<p>"Not at all! You will have a facsimile in your possession—one so like -that no one need wonder that you mistook it for the original. -Undoubtedly you will be charged with negligence, but they can't prove -anything more against you. You can stand being found fault with for five -thousand dollars, can't you?"</p> - -<p>"If that is all, I won't mind. I shall probably lose my situation."</p> - -<p>"Suppose you do; it brings you in only six hundred dollars a year, while -we pay you in one lump five thousand dollars—over eight times as much. -Why, man, the interest of this sum at six per cent. will yield half as -much as your annual salary."</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_181" id="Page_181">[Pg 181]</a></span></p><p>"The bank people ought to pay me more," said Carver. "Two months since -I asked them to raise me to eight hundred a year, but they wouldn't. -There was only one of the directors in favor of it—the man who married -my wife's cousin."</p> - -<p>"They don't appreciate you, friend Carver," said Johnson. "How can they -expect you to be honest, when they treat you in so niggardly a manner?"</p> - -<p>"Just so," said Carver, eager to find some justification for his -intended treachery. "If they paid me a living salary, I wouldn't do this -thing you ask of me."</p> - -<p>"As it is, they have only themselves to blame," said Colonel Johnson.</p> - -<p>"That's the way I look at it," said the bank messenger.</p> - -<p>"And quite right, too! I shouldn't be surprised if you managed to keep -your place, after all. They won't suspect you of anything more than -carelessness."</p> - -<p>"That would be splendid!" returned Carver. "With my salary and the -interest of five thousand dollars, I could live as comfortably as I -wanted to. How soon shall I receive the money?"</p> - -<p>"As soon as we can dispose of the bonds safely. It won't be long."</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_182" id="Page_182">[Pg 182]</a></span></p><p>Here the two men parted, and Carver returned to his house.</p> - -<p>Grit crept out from behind the elm-tree when the coast was clear, and -made his way home. He had learned a most important secret, but resolved -to communicate it only to Mr. Graves.</p> - -<hr /> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER XXV.</span> <span class="smaller">MRS. BRANDON IS MYSTIFIED.</span></h2> - -<p>When Grit explained to his mother that he was going away for a day or -two on a journey, she was naturally surprised, and asked for -particulars.</p> - -<p>"I should like to tell you, mother," said the young boatman, "but there -are reasons why I cannot. It is a secret mission, and the secret is not -mine."</p> - -<p>"That is perfectly satisfactory, Grit," said Mrs. Brandon. "I have full -confidence in you, and know I can trust you."</p> - -<p>"After I return I shall probably be able to tell you all," said Grit. -"Meanwhile, I shall, no doubt, be paid better than if I were ferrying -passengers across the river."</p> - -<p>"At any rate, I shall be glad to see you back. We have not been -separated for a night for years, or, indeed, since you were born."</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_183" id="Page_183">[Pg 183]</a></span></p><p>The next day, Mr. Brandon, taught by experience that he need not look -for his meals at home, went over to the tavern to breakfast. He felt -unusually independent and elated, for he had money in his pocket, -obtained from Colonel Johnson, and he expected soon to receive the -handsome sum of five thousand dollars. A shrewder man, in order to avert -suspicion, would have held his tongue, at least until he had performed -the service for which he was to be so liberally paid; but Brandon could -not forego the opportunity to boast a little.</p> - -<p>"It is quite possible, Mrs. B.," he said, in the morning, "that I may -leave you in a day or two, to be gone a considerable time."</p> - -<p>Mrs. B. did not show the expected curiosity, but received the -communication in silence.</p> - -<p>"You don't inquire where I am going," said Brandon.</p> - -<p>"Where do you propose to go?" asked his wife, whose chief feeling was -that she and Grit would now be left to their old quiet and peace.</p> - -<p>"I may go to Europe," said Mr. Brandon, in an important tone.</p> - -<p>"Isn't this a new plan?" asked Mrs. Brandon, really surprised.</p> - -<p>"Yes, it is new. I shall go on business,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_184" id="Page_184">[Pg 184]</a></span> Mrs. B. My friend Travers and -I will probably go together. You and Grit made a great mistake when you -treated him with rudeness. It is through him that I am offered most -remunerative employment."</p> - -<p>"I don't enjoy the society of your friend," said Mrs. Brandon. "If he is -likely to give you a chance to earn something, I am glad, but that does -not excuse the rudeness with which he treated me."</p> - -<p>"My friend Travers is a gentleman, Mrs. B., a high-toned gentleman, and -if you had treated him with the respect which is his due, you would have -had nothing to complain of. As it is, you may soon discover that you -have made a mistake, and lost a great pleasure. I had not intended to -tell you, but I am tempted to do so, that but for your impoliteness to -Travers, I might have taken you and Grit with me on a European tour."</p> - -<p>Mr. Brandon watched his wife, to see if she exhibited severe -disappointment at the dazzling prospect which was no sooner shown than -withdrawn, but she showed her usual equanimity.</p> - -<p>"Grit and I will be quite as happy at home," she answered.</p> - -<p>"Sour grapes!" thought Brandon, but he was wrong. A tour of Europe taken -in his<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_185" id="Page_185">[Pg 185]</a></span> company would have no attractions for his wife.</p> - -<p>"Very well," said Brandon. "You and Grit are welcome to the charms of -Pine Point. As for me, it is too small and contracted for a man of my -business capacity."</p> - -<p>"I wonder whether there is any truth in what he says," thought Mrs. -Brandon, puzzled.</p> - -<p>"Your business seems a profitable one," she ventured to remark.</p> - -<p>"It is, Mrs. B.," answered her husband. "It is of an unusually delicate -nature, and requires business talents of a high order."</p> - -<p>"Your friend Travers does not impress one as a man possessed of a high -order of business talent," said Mrs. Brandon.</p> - -<p>"That is where you fail to appreciate him, but I cannot say more. My -business is secret, and cannot be revealed."</p> - -<p>So saying, Brandon took his hat, and with a jaunty step walked to the -hotel.</p> - -<p>"More secrecy!" thought Mrs. Brandon. "Grit tells me that his mission is -a secret one, and now Mr. Brandon says he, too, is engaged in something -that cannot be revealed. I know that it is all right with Grit, but I do -not feel so sure about Mr. Brandon."</p> - -<p>The day passed as usual. Grit plied his<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_186" id="Page_186">[Pg 186]</a></span> boat on the river, and did a -fair day's work. But about four o'clock he came home.</p> - -<p>"You are home early, Grit," said his mother.</p> - -<p>"Yes, for I must get ready to go."</p> - -<p>He had not yet mentioned to his mother when he was to start.</p> - -<p>"Do you go to-morrow morning?" asked Mrs. Brandon.</p> - -<p>"I go to-night, and may be away for a couple of days, mother."</p> - -<p>Mrs. Brandon uttered an exclamation of surprise.</p> - -<p>"I suppose I must not ask you where you are going," said his mother.</p> - -<p>"I cannot tell, for it is somebody else's secret. One thing more, will -you take care to say as little as possible about my going away? I would -rather Mr. Brandon should not know of it."</p> - -<p>"I will do as you wish, Grit. By the way, Mr. Brandon tells me he is -soon going to Europe."</p> - -<p>Grit smiled. He knew where the money was to come from, which his -stepfather depended upon to defray the expenses of a foreign journey.</p> - -<p>"I don't feel sure about his going, mother," he answered.</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_187" id="Page_187">[Pg 187]</a></span></p><p>"He said he would have taken you and me if we had treated his friend -Travers more politely."</p> - -<p>"Well, mother, we must reconcile ourselves as well as we can to staying -at home."</p> - -<p>"Home will be happy while I have you with me, Grit."</p> - -<p>"And Mr. Brandon away," added the young boatman.</p> - -<p>"Yes; I can't help hoping that he will be able to carry out his purpose, -and go to Europe, or somewhere else as far off."</p> - -<p>"I think it very likely we sha'n't see him again for some time," said -Grit, "though I don't think he will be traveling in Europe."</p> - -<p>"As you and Mr. Brandon are both to be engaged in business of a secret -nature," said Mrs. Brandon, smiling, "I don't know but I ought to follow -your example."</p> - -<p>"I have full confidence in you, mother, whatever you undertake," said -Grit, with a laugh, repeating his mother's own words.</p> - -<p>Evening came on, and Grit stole out of the house early, lest his -stepfather might by some chance return home, and suspect something from -his unusual journey.</p> - -<p>He need not have been alarmed, for Brandon did not leave the tavern till -ten o'clock,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_188" id="Page_188">[Pg 188]</a></span> though he, too, expected to leave town the next morning.</p> - -<p>When he returned he didn't inquire for Grit, whom he supposed to be abed -and asleep.</p> - -<p>"Mrs. B.," he said, "I must trouble you to wake me at seven o'clock -to-morrow morning. I am going to take the early train to Portland."</p> - -<p>"Very well."</p> - -<p>"And as it will be rather inconvenient for me to go out to breakfast, I -would be glad if you would give me some breakfast before I go."</p> - -<p>"I will do so," said his wife.</p> - -<p>"It may be some time before I see you again, as I am to go away on -business."</p> - -<p>"I hope you may be successful," said Mrs. Brandon.</p> - -<p>Brandon laughed queerly.</p> - -<p>"If the old lady knew that I was going to steal some government bonds, -she would hesitate a little before she wished me success," he thought, -but he said:</p> - -<p>"Thank you, Mrs. B., your good wishes are appreciated, and I may -hereafter be able to show my appreciation in a substantial way. I -suppose Grit is asleep."</p> - -<p>Mrs. Brandon did not answer, finding the question an embarrassing one.</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_189" id="Page_189">[Pg 189]</a></span></p><p>The next morning Brandon, contrary to his wont, showed considerable -alacrity in dressing, and did justice to the breakfast his wife had set -before him.</p> - -<p>"Well, good-bye, Mrs. B.," he said, as he took his hat and prepared to -leave the house. "Perhaps I had better go up-stairs and bid good-by to -Grit, as I may not see him again for some time."</p> - -<p>"Grit is out," said Mrs. Brandon hastily, for she did not wish her -husband to go up to Grit's room, as he would discover that his bed had -not been slept in.</p> - -<p>"Out already?" said Brandon. "He's made an early start. Well, bid him -good-by for me."</p> - -<p>"It's very strange," repeated Mrs. Brandon, as she cleared away the -breakfast dishes; "there's Grit gone, I don't know where, and now Mr. -Brandon has started off on some mysterious business. What can it all mean?"</p> - -<hr /> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER XXVI.</span> <span class="smaller">THE FALL RIVER MANUFACTURER.</span></h2> - -<p>Grit lost no time in prosecuting his journey. In Portland he found that -he should need to stay over a few hours, and repaired<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_190" id="Page_190">[Pg 190]</a></span> to the United -States Hotel. He left word to be called early, as he wished to take a -morning train to Boston.</p> - -<p>At the breakfast-table he found himself sitting next to a man of swarthy -complexion and bushy black whiskers.</p> - -<p>"Good morning, my young friend," said the stranger, after a scrutinizing -glance.</p> - -<p>"Good morning, sir," said Grit politely.</p> - -<p>"Are you stopping at this hotel?"</p> - -<p>"For the present, yes," answered the young boatman.</p> - -<p>"Are you going farther?"</p> - -<p>"I think of it," said Grit cautiously.</p> - -<p>"Perhaps you are going to Boston," proceeded the stranger.</p> - -<p>"I may do so," Grit admitted.</p> - -<p>"I am glad of it, for I am going, too. If agreeable, we will travel in -company."</p> - -<p>"I suppose we shall go on the same train?" said Grit evasively.</p> - -<p>"Just so. I am going to Boston on business. You, I suppose, are too -young to have business of any importance?"</p> - -<p>"Boys of my age seldom have business of importance," said Grit, resolved -to baffle the evident curiosity of the stranger.</p> - -<p>"Exactly. I suppose you have relations in Boston?"</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_191" id="Page_191">[Pg 191]</a></span></p><p>"I once lived in that neighborhood," said Grit.</p> - -<p>"Just so. Are you going to stay long in the city?"</p> - -<p>"That depends on circumstances?"</p> - -<p>"Do you live in this State?"</p> - -<p>"At present I do."</p> - -<p>The man looked a little annoyed, for he saw that Grit was determined to -say as little about himself as possible. He decided to set the boy an -example of frankness.</p> - -<p>"I do not live in Maine," he said; "I am a manufacturer in Fall River, -Mass. I suppose you have heard of Fall River?"</p> - -<p>"Oh, yes!"</p> - -<p>"It is a right smart place, as a Philadelphian would say. You never -heard of Townsend's Woolen Mill, I dare say?"</p> - -<p>"No, I never have."</p> - -<p>"It is one of the largest mills in Fall River. I own a controlling -interest in it. I assure you I wouldn't take a hundred thousand dollars -for my interest in it."</p> - -<p>"You ought to be in very easy circumstances," said Grit politely, though -it did occur to him to wonder why the owner of a controlling interest in -a large woolen mill should be attired in such a rusty suit.</p> - -<p>"I am," said the stranger complacently.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_192" id="Page_192">[Pg 192]</a></span> "Daniel Townsend's income—I am -Daniel T., at your service—for last year was twelve thousand three -hundred and sixty-nine dollars."</p> - -<p>"This gentleman seems very communicative," thought Grit.</p> - -<p>"Your income was rather larger than mine," he said.</p> - -<p>"Ho, ho! I should say so," laughed Mr. Townsend. "Are you in any -business, my young friend?"</p> - -<p>"I am connected with navigation," said Grit.</p> - -<p>"Indeed?" observed Townsend, appearing puzzled. "Do you find it a paying -business?"</p> - -<p>"Tolerably so, but I presume woolen manufacturing is better?"</p> - -<p>"Just so," assented Townsend, rather absently.</p> - -<p>At this point Grit rose from the table, having finished his breakfast.</p> - -<p>"Mr. Townsend seems very social," thought our hero, "but I think he is -given to romancing. I don't believe he has anything more to do with a -woolen mill in Fall River than I have."</p> - -<p>Grit reached the station in time, and took his seat in the train. He -bought a morning paper, and began to read.</p> - -<p>"Ah, here you are, my young friend!" fell<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_193" id="Page_193">[Pg 193]</a></span> on his ears just after they -passed Saco, and Grit, looking up, saw his breakfast companion.</p> - -<p>"Is the seat beside you taken?" asked Mr. Daniel Townsend.</p> - -<p>Grit would like to have said "yes," but he was compelled to admit that -it was unengaged.</p> - -<p>"So much the better for me," said the woolen manufacturer, and he sat -down beside our hero.</p> - -<p>He had with him a small, well-worn valise, which looked as if in some -remote period it had seen better days. He laid it down, and, looking -keenly about, observed Grit's parcel, which, though commonplace in -appearance, contained, as we know, thirty thousand dollars in government -bonds.</p> - -<p>"It is rather a long ride to Boston," said Mr. Townsend.</p> - -<p>"Yes; but it seems shorter when you have something to read," answered -Grit, looking wistfully at his paper, which he would have preferred -reading to listening to the conversation of his neighbor.</p> - -<p>"I never care to read on the cars," said Mr. Townsend. "I think it is -injurious to the eyes. Do you ever find it so?"</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_194" id="Page_194">[Pg 194]</a></span></p><p>"I have not traveled enough to be able to judge," said Grit.</p> - -<p>"Very likely. At your age I had traveled a good deal. My father was a -rich merchant, and as I was fond of roving, he sent me on a voyage to -the Mediterranean on one of his vessels. I was sixteen at that time."</p> - -<p>"I wonder whether this is true, or not," thought Grit.</p> - -<p>"I enjoyed the trip, though I was seasick on the Mediterranean. It is -really more trying than the ocean, though you might not imagine it. -Don't you think you would enjoy a trip of that sort?"</p> - -<p>"Yes; I am sure I would," said Grit, with interest.</p> - -<p>"Just so; most boys of your age are fond of traveling. Perhaps I might -find it in my way to gratify your wishes. Our corporation is thinking of -sending a traveler to Europe. You are rather young, but still I might be -able to get it for you."</p> - -<p>"You know so little about me," said Grit sensibly, "that I wonder you -should think of me in any such connection."</p> - -<p>"That is true. I don't know anything of you, except what you have told -me."</p> - -<p>"That isn't much," thought Grit.</p> - -<p>"And it may be necessary for me to know<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_195" id="Page_195">[Pg 195]</a></span> more. I will ask you a few -questions, and report your answers to our directors at their meeting -next week."</p> - -<p>"Thank you, sir; but I think we will postpone discussing the matter this -morning."</p> - -<p>"Is any time better than the present?" inquired Townsend.</p> - -<p>Grit did not care to say much about himself until after he had fulfilled -his errand in the city. He justly felt that with such an important -charge it was necessary for him to use the greatest caution and -circumspection. Still, there was a bare possibility that the man beside -him was really what he claimed to be, and might have it in his power to -give him a business commission which he would enjoy.</p> - -<p>"If you will call on me at the Parker House this evening," said Grit, "I -will speak with you on the subject."</p> - -<p>"Whom shall I inquire for?" asked the Fall River manufacturer.</p> - -<p>"You need not inquire for any one. You will find me in the reading-room -at eight o'clock."</p> - -<p>"Very well," answered Mr. Townsend, appearing satisfied.</p> - -<p>The conversation drifted along till they reached Exeter.</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_196" id="Page_196">[Pg 196]</a></span></p><p>Then Mr. Townsend rose in haste, and, seizing Grit's bundle instead of -his own, hurried toward the door.</p> - -<p>Grit sprang after him and snatched the precious package.</p> - -<p>"You have made a mistake, Mr. Townsend," he said, eyeing his late seat -companion with distrust.</p> - -<p>"Why, so I have!" ejaculated Townsend, in apparent surprise. "By Jove! -it's lucky you noticed it. That little satchel of mine contains some -papers and certificates of great value."</p> - -<p>"In that case I would advise you to be more careful," said Grit, who did -not believe one word of the last statement.</p> - -<p>"So I will," said Townsend, taking the satchel. "I am going into the -smoking-car. Won't you go with me?"</p> - -<p>"No, thank you."</p> - -<p>"I have a spare cigar," urged Townsend.</p> - -<p>"Thank you again, but I don't smoke."</p> - -<p>"Oh, well, you're right, no doubt, but it's an old habit of mine. I -began to smoke when I was twelve years old. My wife often tells me I am -injuring my health, and perhaps I am. Take the advice of a man old -enough to be your father, and don't smoke."</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_197" id="Page_197">[Pg 197]</a></span></p><p>"That's good advice, sir, and I shall probably follow it."</p> - -<p>"Well, good day, if we don't meet again," said Townsend.</p> - -<p>Mr. Townsend, instead of passing into the smoking-car, got off the -train. Grit observed this, and was puzzled to account for it, -particularly as the train started on, leaving him standing on the -platform.</p> - -<p>A few minutes later the conductor passed through the train, calling for -tickets.</p> - -<p>Grit looked in vain for his, and, deciding that he should have to pay -the fare over again, he felt for his pocketbook, but that, too, was -missing.</p> - -<p>He began to understand why Mr. Townsend left the train at Exeter.</p> - -<hr /> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER XXVII.</span> <span class="smaller">A FRIEND IN NEED.</span></h2> - -<p>The conductor waited while Grit was searching for his ticket. He was not -the same one who started with the train, so that he could not know -whether our hero had shown a ticket earlier in the journey.</p> - -<p>"I can't find my ticket or my money," said Grit, perplexed.</p> - -<p>"Then you will have to leave the train at<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_198" id="Page_198">[Pg 198]</a></span> the next station," said the -conductor suspiciously.</p> - -<p>"It is very important that I should proceed on my journey," pleaded -Grit. "I will give you my name, and send you the money."</p> - -<p>"That won't do, youngster," said the conductor roughly. "I have heard of -that game before. It won't go down."</p> - -<p>"There is no game about it," said Grit. "My ticket and pocketbook have -been stolen."</p> - -<p>"Of course," sneered the conductor. "Perhaps you can point out the -thief."</p> - -<p>"No, I can't, for he has left the train. He got out at Exeter."</p> - -<p>"Very likely. You can take the next train back and find him."</p> - -<p>"Do you doubt that I had a ticket?" asked Grit, nettled by the -conductor's evident incredulity.</p> - -<p>"Yes, I do, if you want the truth. You want to steal a ride; that's -what's the matter."</p> - -<p>"That is not true," said Grit. "I am sure some of these passengers have -seen me show my ticket. Didn't you, sir?"</p> - -<p>He addressed this question to a stout old gentleman who sat in the seat -behind him.</p> - -<p>"Really, I couldn't say," answered the old gentleman addressed. "I was -reading my paper, and didn't take notice."</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_199" id="Page_199">[Pg 199]</a></span></p><p>The conductor looked more incredulous than ever.</p> - -<p>"I can't waste any more time with you, young man," he said. "At the next -station you must get out."</p> - -<p>Grit was very much disturbed. It was not pleasant to be left penniless -at a small station, but if he had been left alone he would not have -cared so much. But to have the custody of thirty thousand dollars' worth -of government bonds, under such circumstances, was certainly -embarrassing. He could not get along without money, and for a tramp -without money to be in charge of such a treasure was ample cause of -suspicion.</p> - -<p>What could he do?</p> - -<p>The train was already going slower, and it was evident that the next -station was near at hand.</p> - -<p>Grit was trying in vain to think of some way of securing a continuation -of his journey, when a stout, good-looking lady of middle age, who sat -just opposite, rose from her seat and seated herself beside him.</p> - -<p>"You seem to be in trouble," she said kindly.</p> - -<p>"Yes, ma'am," answered Grit. "My ticket and money have been stolen, and -the conductor threatens to put me off the train."</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_200" id="Page_200">[Pg 200]</a></span></p><p>"So I heard. Who do you think robbed you?"</p> - -<p>"The man who sat beside me and got out at Exeter."</p> - -<p>"I noticed him. I wonder you didn't detect him in the act of robbing -you."</p> - -<p>"So do I," answered Grit. "He must be a professional. All the same, I am -ashamed of being so taken in."</p> - -<p>"I heard you say it was important for you to reach Boston."</p> - -<p>"It is," said Grit.</p> - -<p>He was about to explain why, when it occurred to him that it would not -be prudent in a crowded car, which might contain suspicious and -unprincipled persons, to draw attention to the nature of his packet.</p> - -<p>"I can't explain why just at present," he said; "but if any one would -lend me money to keep on my journey I would willingly repay the loan two -for one."</p> - -<p>At this point the train came to a stop, and the conductor, passing -through the car, addressed Grit:</p> - -<p>"Young man, you must get out at this station."</p> - -<p>"No, he needn't," said the stout lady decidedly. "Here, my young friend, -pay your<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_201" id="Page_201">[Pg 201]</a></span> fare out of this," and she drew from a pearl portemonnaie a -ten-dollar bill.</p> - -<p>Grit's heart leaped for joy. It was such an intense relief.</p> - -<p>"How can I ever thank you?" he said gratefully, as he offered the change -to his new friend.</p> - -<p>"No," she said; "keep the whole. You will need it, and you can repay me -whenever you find it convenient."</p> - -<p>"That will be as soon as I get home," said Grit promptly. "I have the -money there."</p> - -<p>"That will be entirely satisfactory."</p> - -<p>"Let me know your name and address, madam," said Grit, taking out a -small memorandum-book, "so that I may know where to send."</p> - -<p>"Mrs. Jane Bancroft, No. 37 Mount Vernon Street," said the lady.</p> - -<p>Grit noted it down.</p> - -<p>"Let me tell you mine," he said. "My name is Harry Morris, and I live in -the town of Chester, in Maine."</p> - -<p>"Chester? I know that place. I have a cousin living there, or, rather, I -should say, a cousin of my late husband."</p> - -<p>"Who is it, Mrs. Bancroft?" asked Grit. "I know almost everybody in the -village."</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_202" id="Page_202">[Pg 202]</a></span></p><p>"Mr. Courtney. I believe he has something to do with the bank."</p> - -<p>"Yes, he is a director. He was once president."</p> - -<p>"Exactly. Do you know him?"</p> - -<p>"Yes, ma'am. I saw him only a day or two before I left."</p> - -<p>"I presume you know his son Philip, also."</p> - -<p>"Oh, yes, I know Phil," said Grit.</p> - -<p>"Is he a friend of yours?" asked the lady curiously.</p> - -<p>"No, I can't say that. We don't care much for each other."</p> - -<p>"And whose fault is that?" asked the lady, smiling.</p> - -<p>"I don't think it is mine. I have always treated Phil well enough, but -he doesn't think me a suitable associate for him."</p> - -<p>"Why?"</p> - -<p>"Because I am poor, while he is the son of a rich man."</p> - -<p>"That is as it may be," said the lady, shrugging her shoulders. "Money -sometimes has wings. So you are not rich?"</p> - -<p>"I have to work for a living."</p> - -<p>"What do you do?"</p> - -<p>"I ferry passengers across the Kennebec, and in that way earn a living -for my mother and myself."</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_203" id="Page_203">[Pg 203]</a></span></p><p>"Do you make it pay?"</p> - -<p>"I earn from seven to ten dollars a week."</p> - -<p>"That is doing very well for a boy of your age. What sort of a boy is -Phil? Is he popular?"</p> - -<p>"I don't think he is."</p> - -<p>"Why?"</p> - -<p>"He is your nephew, Mrs. Bancroft, and I don't like to criticize him."</p> - -<p>"Never mind that. Speak freely."</p> - -<p>"He puts on too many airs to be popular. If he would just forget that -his father is a rich man, and meet the rest of the boys on an equality, -I think we should like him well enough."</p> - -<p>"That is just the opinion I have formed of him. Last winter he came to -make me a visit, but I found him hard to please. He wanted a great deal -of attention, and seemed disposed to order my servants about, till I was -obliged to check him."</p> - -<p>"I remember hearing him say he was going to visit a rich relative in -Boston," said Grit.</p> - -<p>Mrs. Bancroft smiled.</p> - -<p>"It was all for his own gratification, no doubt," she said. "So your -name is Harry Morris?"</p> - -<p>"Yes, but I am usually called Grit."</p> - -<p>"A good omen. It is a good thing for any<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_204" id="Page_204">[Pg 204]</a></span> boy—especially a poor boy—to -possess grit. Most of our successful men were poor boys, and most of -them possessed this quality."</p> - -<p>"You encourage me, Mrs. Bancroft," said our hero. "I want to succeed in -life, for my mother's sake especially."</p> - -<p>"I think you will; I have little knowledge of you, but you seem like one -born to prosper. How long are you going to stay in Boston?"</p> - -<p>"Till to-morrow, at any rate."</p> - -<p>"You will be in the city overnight, then. Where did you think of -staying?"</p> - -<p>"At the Parker House."</p> - -<p>"It is an expensive hotel. You had better stay at my house."</p> - -<p>"At your house?" exclaimed Grit, surprised.</p> - -<p>"Yes; I may want to ask more questions about Chester. We have tea at -half-past six. That will give you plenty of time to attend to your -business. I shall be at home any time after half-past five. Will you -come?"</p> - -<p>"With pleasure," said Grit politely.</p> - -<p>"Then I will expect you."</p> - -<p>Mrs. Bancroft returned to her seat. Our hero mentally congratulated -himself on making so agreeable and serviceable a friend.</p> - -<p>"What will Phil say when he learns that I<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_205" id="Page_205">[Pg 205]</a></span> have been the guest of his -fashionable relatives in Boston?" thought he.</p> - -<p>In due time the train reached Boston, and Grit lost no time in repairing -to the bank.</p> - -<hr /> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER XXVIII.</span> <span class="smaller">THE TRAIN ROBBERY.</span></h2> - -<p>When Grit had delivered the bonds at the bank, a great load seemed to be -lifted from his shoulders. Especially after he had been robbed on the -train, he realized the degree of risk and responsibility involved in the -custody of so valuable a packet.</p> - -<p>The officials at the bank seemed surprised at the youth of the -messenger, but Grit felt at liberty to explain why he was selected as a -substitute for the regular messenger.</p> - -<p>Leaving our hero for a time, we go back to Chester to speak of other -characters in our story.</p> - -<p>Ephraim Carver, the bank messenger, went to the bank at the hour of -opening to receive the package of bonds which he expected to convey to -Boston. He had no suspicion that his negotiations of a previous evening -had been overheard and reported to the president. He felt somewhat -nervous, it is true, for he<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_206" id="Page_206">[Pg 206]</a></span> felt that a few hours would make him a rich -man. Then the risk involved, though he did not consider it to be great, -was yet sufficient to excite him.</p> - -<p>He was admitted into the president's room, as usual.</p> - -<p>Mr. Graves was already in his office, but his manner was his ordinary -one, and the messenger did not dream that the quiet official read him -through and through and understood him thoroughly.</p> - -<p>"You know, I suppose, Mr. Carver," said President Graves, "that you are -to go to Boston by the next train."</p> - -<p>"Yes, sir."</p> - -<p>"The packet you will carry is of unusual value, and requires an unusual -degree of care and caution."</p> - -<p>"Yes, sir."</p> - -<p>"It contains thirty thousand dollars in government bonds," said the -president, laying his hand on the prepared packet, which was in the -usual form. "That is a fortune in itself," he added, closely -scrutinizing the face of the messenger. He thought he detected a -transient gleam of exultation in the eyes of the bank messenger.</p> - -<p>"Of course," he proceeded, "if it were known that you carried a packet -of such<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_207" id="Page_207">[Pg 207]</a></span> value, there would be great danger of your being robbed. -Indeed, you might be in some personal danger."</p> - -<p>"Yes, sir."</p> - -<p>"But as it is only known to you and the officers of the bank, there is -no special danger. Still, I advise you to be more than usually vigilant, -on account of the value of your charge."</p> - -<p>"Oh, yes, sir, I shall take good care of it," answered Carver, reaching -out his hand for the packet.</p> - -<p>"Let me see, how long have you been in the employ of the bank?" asked -the president.</p> - -<p>"Nearly three years, sir."</p> - -<p>"You have found it a light, easy position, have you not?"</p> - -<p>"Yes, sir, though, if you will allow me to say so, the salary is small."</p> - -<p>"True; but the expenses of living in Chester are small, also. However, -we will not discuss that question now. Possibly at the end of the year, -if they continue satisfied with you, the directors may increase your -salary slightly. There cannot be a large increase."</p> - -<p>"I may not need an increase then," thought Carver. "With five thousand -dollars to fall back upon, I shall feel independent."</p> - -<p>"You will report to me when you return,"<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_208" id="Page_208">[Pg 208]</a></span> said Mr. Graves, as the -messenger left the bank parlor.</p> - -<p>"Yes, sir, directly."</p> - -<p>The president fixed his eyes upon the vanishing figure of the messenger, -and said to himself:</p> - -<p>"My friend, you have deliberately planned your own downfall. Greed of -money has made you dishonest, but your plans are destined to miscarry, -as this time to-morrow you and your confederates will be made aware."</p> - -<p>"Now," thought the bank messenger, as he bent his steps toward the -railway station, "the path is clear. Here is what will completely change -my fortunes, and lift me from an humble dependent to a comfortable -position in life."</p> - -<p>Then he thought, with some dissatisfaction, that he was to receive but -one-sixth of the value of the bonds, and that the man who employed him -to betray his trust would be much more richly paid. However, in his -case, there would be no risk of being personally implicated. No one -could prove that he had allowed himself to be robbed. Even if suspicion -fastened upon him, nothing could be proved. So, on the whole, perhaps it -was better to be content with one-sixth than to incur greater<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_209" id="Page_209">[Pg 209]</a></span> risk, and -the dread penalty of imprisonment for a term of years.</p> - -<p>On the railroad platform Carver glanced furtively about him. He easily -recognized Brandon and Travers, who stood side by side, each having -provided himself with a ticket. They on their side also glanced swiftly -at him, and then turned away with a look of indifference. But they had -not failed to notice the important packet which the bank messenger -carried in his hand.</p> - -<p>"It is all right!" was the thought that passed through their minds.</p> - -<p>There was another passenger waiting for the train, whom they did not -notice. He was a small, quiet, unpretentious-looking man, attired in a -suit of pepper and salt, and looked like a retail merchant in a small -way, going to Portland or Boston, to order goods. They would have been -very much startled had they known that it was a Boston detective, who -had been telegraphed for by Mr. Graves, and that his special business -was to follow them and observe their actions.</p> - -<p>When the train reached the station Carver got in, and took a seat by -himself in the second car. Just behind him sat the two confederates, -Brandon and Travers, and in line with them, on the opposite side of the -car,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_210" id="Page_210">[Pg 210]</a></span> sat the quiet man, whom we will call Denton.</p> - -<p>Ten minutes before the train reached Portland Ephraim Carver left his -seat, and very singularly forgot to take the parcel, of which he had -special custody, with him. It was a remarkable piece of forgetfulness, -truly.</p> - -<p>But his oversight was not unobserved. Travers sprang from his seat, took -the parcel, and following the messenger overtook him at the door of the -car.</p> - -<p>He tapped Carver on the shoulder, and the latter turned round.</p> - -<p>"I beg pardon," said Travers, "but you left this on the seat."</p> - -<p>As he spoke he handed a packet to Carver.</p> - -<p>"A thousand thanks!" said the messenger hurriedly. "I was very careless. -I am very much indebted to you."</p> - -<p>"I thought the packet might contain something valuable," said Travers.</p> - -<p>"At any rate, I should not like to lose it," said the messenger, who -appeared to be properly on his guard.</p> - -<p>"Oh, don't mention it," said Travers politely, and he walked back and -resumed his seat beside Brandon.</p> - -<p>The quiet man, to whom we have already referred, noted this little piece -of acting with a smile of enjoyment.</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_211" id="Page_211">[Pg 211]</a></span></p><p>"Very well done, good people," he said to himself. "It ought to -succeed, but it won't."</p> - -<p>His sharp eyes had detected what the other passengers had not—that -Travers had skilfully substituted another package for the one he had -picked up from the seat vacated by Carver.</p> - -<p>Carver passed on into the next car, and Denton now concentrated his -attention upon Brandon and Travers.</p> - -<p>He noticed in both traces of joyful excitement, for which he could -easily account. They thought they had succeeded, and each mentally -congratulated himself on the acquisition of a neat little fortune.</p> - -<p>"They will get out at Portland," thought Denton, "and take account of -their booty. I should like to be there to see, but I am instructed to -follow my friend the bank messenger to Boston, and must, therefore, -forego the pleasure."</p> - -<p>At Portland, Brandon and Travers got out of the cars, and took a hack to -the Falmouth Hotel.</p> - -<p>They went to the office, and, calling for the hotel register, carefully -scanned the list of arrivals.</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_212" id="Page_212">[Pg 212]</a></span></p><p>The afternoon previous they found entered the name of Colonel Johnson.</p> - -<p>"Is Colonel Johnson in?" asked Brandon.</p> - -<p>"We will ascertain," was the reply.</p> - -<p>The bell-boy who was despatched to inquire returned with the message -that Colonel Johnson would see the gentlemen.</p> - -<p>They followed the attendant to a room on the third floor, where they -found their employer pacing the room in visible excitement.</p> - -<p>"Give me the parcel," he said, in a peremptory tone.</p> - -<p>He cut the strings, and hastily opened the coveted prize.</p> - -<p>But his eager look was succeeded by black disappointment, as, instead of -the bonds, he saw a package of blank paper of about the same shape and -size.</p> - -<p>"Confusion!" he ejaculated; "what does all this mean? What devil's mess -have you made of the business?"</p> - -<hr /> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER XXIX.</span> <span class="smaller">THE CONSPIRATORS ARE PERPLEXED.</span></h2> - -<p>Johnson's hasty exclamation was heard with blank amazement by his two -confederates.</p> - -<p>"What do you mean, Colonel? Ain't the bonds there?" asked Travers.</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_213" id="Page_213">[Pg 213]</a></span></p><p>"Do you call these bonds?" demanded Johnson savagely, as he pointed to -the neatly folded brown paper. "You must have brought back your own -parcel, and left the genuine one with the bank messenger."</p> - -<p>"No," said Travers, shaking his head; "our package was filled with old -newspapers. This is different."</p> - -<p>"It is evidently only a dummy. Was it the only parcel Carver had?"</p> - -<p>"Yes, it was the only one."</p> - -<p>"Is it possible the villain has fooled us?" said Johnson, frowning -ominously. "If he has, we'll get even with him—I swear it!"</p> - -<p>"I don't know what to think, colonel," said Travers. "You can tell -better than I, for you saw him about this business."</p> - -<p>"He didn't seem like it, for he caught at my suggestion greedily. -There's another possibility," added Johnson, after a pause, with a -searching glance at his two confederates. "How do I know but you two -have secured the bonds, and palmed off this dummy upon me?"</p> - -<p>Both men hastily disclaimed doing anything of the kind, and Johnson was -forced to believe them, not from any confidence he felt in them, but -from his conviction that they<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_214" id="Page_214">[Pg 214]</a></span> were not astute enough to think of any -such treachery.</p> - -<p>"This must be looked into," he said slowly. "There has been treachery -somewhere. It lies between you and the messenger, though I did not dream -that either would be up to such a thing."</p> - -<p>"You don't think the bank people did it, do you?" suggested Brandon.</p> - -<p>"I don't know," said Johnson slowly. "I can't understand how they could -learn what was in the wind, unless one of you three blabbed."</p> - -<p>Of course, Travers and Brandon asseverated stoutly that they had not -breathed a word to any third party.</p> - -<p>Johnson was deeply perplexed, and remained silent for five minutes.</p> - -<p>At length he announced his decision.</p> - -<p>"We can do nothing, and decide upon nothing," he said, "till we see -Carver. He went on to Boston, I conclude?"</p> - -<p>"Yes, sir."</p> - -<p>"He will be back to-morrow. We must watch the trains, and intercept -him."</p> - -<p>Leaving this worthy trio in Portland, we follow Ephraim Carver to -Boston. As the cars sped on their way, he felt an uneasy excitement as -he thought of his treachery, and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_215" id="Page_215">[Pg 215]</a></span> he feared he should look embarrassed -when he was called to account by the Boston bank officials. But there -was a balm in the thought of the substantial sum he was to receive as -the reward of his wrongdoing. That, he thought, would well repay him for -the bad quarter of an hour he would pass in Boston.</p> - -<p>"Five thousand dollars! Five thousand dollars!" This was the burden of -his thoughts as he considered the matter. "It will make me independent. -If I can keep my post, I will, and I can then afford to be faithful to -the bank. If they discharge me, I will move away, for my living without -work, and having money to spend, would attract suspicion if I continued -to live in Chester. Somewhere else I can go into business for myself. I -might stock a small dry-goods store, for instance. I must inquire into -the chances of making a living at that business."</p> - -<p>So, in spite of his treachery, Ephraim Carver, on the whole, indulged in -pleasing reflections, so that the railroad journey seemed short.</p> - -<p>Arrived in Boston, he found that he had just time to go to the bank and -deliver his parcel within banking hours.</p> - -<p>"I may as well do it, and have it over with," he said to himself.</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_216" id="Page_216">[Pg 216]</a></span></p><p>So, with a return of nervousness, which he tried to conceal by outward -indifference, he made his way to the bank to which he was commissioned.</p> - -<p>He had been there before, and was recognized when he entered.</p> - -<p>He was at once conducted into the presence of the president.</p> - -<p>To him he delivered the parcel of bonds.</p> - -<p>"That will do, Mr. Carver," said the president. "You may go outside -while I examine them."</p> - -<p>He was ushered into the ordinary room, and waited five minutes. He was -trying to brace himself for an outburst of surprise, perhaps of stormy -indignation, and searching cross-examination, when the president -presented himself at the door of his private office.</p> - -<p>"That will do," he said. "You can go, Mr. Carver."</p> - -<p>Carver stared at him in blank amazement. This was precisely what he did -not expect.</p> - -<p>"Have you examined the bonds?" he asked.</p> - -<p>"Of course," answered the president.</p> - -<p>"And you find them all right?" continued the messenger, with -irrepressible surprise.</p> - -<p>"I suppose so," answered the president. "I will examine more carefully -presently."</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_217" id="Page_217">[Pg 217]</a></span></p><p>"Then you don't wish me to stay?" inquired Carver.</p> - -<p>"No; there is no occasion to do so."</p> - -<p>Ephraim Carver left the bank in a state of stupefaction.</p> - -<p>"What can it all mean?" he asked himself. "The man must be blind as a -bat if he didn't discover that the package contained no bonds. I don't -believe he opened it at all."</p> - -<p>So Carver was left in a state of uncertainty. On the whole he wished -that the substitution had been discovered, so that the president could -have had it out with him. Now he felt that a sword was impending over -his head, which might fall at any time. This was unpleasant, for he did -not know what to expect.</p> - -<p>He went back to Portland by a late train, however, as he had arranged to -do.</p> - -<p>At the depot he met Colonel Johnson. He was puzzled to find that Johnson -did not look as jubilant as he anticipated, now that their plot had -succeeded. On the other hand, he looked grave and stern.</p> - -<p>"Well, colonel, how goes it?" he asked.</p> - -<p>"That is for you to say," returned Johnson. "You have seen Brandon and -Travers, I suppose?"</p> - -<p>"Yes, I have seen them."</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_218" id="Page_218">[Pg 218]</a></span></p><p>"Then it's all right, and the parcel is in your hands."</p> - -<p>"He takes it pretty coolly," thought Johnson. "I can't understand what -it means. I must get to the bottom of this thing. Well, how did they -take it at the bank?" he added, aloud. "Did they make any fuss?"</p> - -<p>"No," answered the bank messenger. Johnson was surprised.</p> - -<p>"They didn't question you about the parcel you brought them?"</p> - -<p>"No; they told me it was all right, and let me go."</p> - -<p>"Then they must have got the bonds," said Johnson hastily.</p> - -<p>"What! haven't you got them?" asked the messenger, in genuine surprise.</p> - -<p>"No," said Johnson bitterly. "The fools brought me a package stuffed -with sheets of brown paper."</p> - -<p>Carver stared at him in open-mouthed amazement.</p> - -<p>"I don't understand it," he said. "I can't account for any parcel of the -kind."</p> - -<p>"They couldn't have made the exchange at all. This must have been their -own parcel."</p> - -<p>"No," said Carver; "theirs was stuffed with old newspapers."</p> - -<p>"That was what they said."</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_219" id="Page_219">[Pg 219]</a></span></p><p>"They told the truth. I helped them make up the parcel myself."</p> - -<p>"Then it must have been their parcel that is now in the hands of the -bank."</p> - -<p>"It seems likely."</p> - -<p>"Then where are the bonds?" demanded Johnson sternly.</p> - -<p>"That is more than I can tell," said the bank messenger, in evident -perplexity.</p> - -<p>"It's enough to make a man tear his hair to have such a promising scheme -miscarry," said Johnson gloomily. "I wish I could lay my finger on the -man that's responsible for it."</p> - -<p>"I can't understand it at all, colonel. We followed out your -instructions to the letter. Everything went off smoothly."</p> - -<p>"Can you tell me where are the bonds?" interrupted Johnson harshly.</p> - -<p>"No, I can't."</p> - -<p>"Then you may as well be silent."</p> - -<p>"I will follow your directions," said Carver submissively. "What do you -wish me to do?"</p> - -<p>Johnson reflected a moment. Finally he said:</p> - -<p>"Take the earliest morning train to Chester. I will stay here. So will -the other two men."</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_220" id="Page_220">[Pg 220]</a></span></p><p>"Anything further?"</p> - -<p>"Only this: Keep your eyes and ears open when you get home. If you hear -anything that will throw light on this affair, write or telegraph, or -send a special messenger, so that I may act promptly on your -information. Do you understand?"</p> - -<p>"Yes, sir. Your directions shall be followed. I am as anxious as you are -to find out why we failed."</p> - -<hr /> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER XXX.</span> <span class="smaller">GRIT IS BETRAYED.</span></h2> - -<p>In sending Grit to Boston instead of the regular messenger, President -Graves had acted on his own responsibility, as he had a right to do, -since it was a matter to be decided by the executive. He might, indeed, -have consulted the directors, but that would have created delay, and -might have endangered the needful secrecy. When, however, Grit returned -and reported to him that his mission had been satisfactorily -accomplished, he informed the directors of what had been done at a -special meeting summoned at his own house. All approved the action -except Mr. Courtney, who was prejudiced<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_221" id="Page_221">[Pg 221]</a></span> against Grit, and, moreover, -felt offended because his own counsel had not been asked or regarded.</p> - -<p>"It seems to me," he said, with some heat, "that our president has acted -in a very rash manner."</p> - -<p>"How do you make that out, Mr. Courtney?" interrogated that official.</p> - -<p>"It was actually foolhardy to trust a boy like Grit Morris with a -package of such value."</p> - -<p>"Why?" inquired Graves.</p> - -<p>"Why? He is only a common boy, who makes a living by ferrying passengers -across the river."</p> - -<p>"Does that prevent his being honest?"</p> - -<p>"A valuable package like that would be a powerful temptation to a boy -like that," asserted Courtney.</p> - -<p>"The package was promptly delivered," said Mr. Graves dryly.</p> - -<p>"He says so," sneered Courtney.</p> - -<p>"Pardon me, Mr. Courtney, I have had advice to that effect from the -Boston bank," said the president blandly.</p> - -<p>"Well, I'm glad the danger has been averted," said Courtney, rather -discomfited. "All the same, I blame your course as hazardous and -injudicious. I suppose the boy was<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_222" id="Page_222">[Pg 222]</a></span> afraid to appropriate property of so -much value."</p> - -<p>"I think, Mr. Courtney, you do injustice to Grit," said Mr. Saunders, -another director. "I am satisfied that he is strictly honest."</p> - -<p>"Perhaps you'd be in favor of appointing him regular bank messenger," -said Courtney, with a sneer.</p> - -<p>"I should certainly prefer him to Ephraim Carver."</p> - -<p>"I consider Carver an honest man."</p> - -<p>"And I have positive proof that he is not honest," said the president. -"I have proof, moreover, that he was actually in league with the man who -plotted to rob the bank."</p> - -<p>This statement made a sensation, and the president proceeded:</p> - -<p>"Indeed, I have called this extra meeting partly to suggest the -necessity of appointing in Carver's place a man in whom we can repose -confidence."</p> - -<p>Here he detailed briefly the conversation which Grit overheard between -the bank messenger and Colonel Johnson. It impressed all, except Mr. -Courtney.</p> - -<p>"All a fabrication of that boy, I'll be bound," he declared. "I am -surprised, Mr. Graves, that you should have been humbugged by such a -palpable invention."</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_223" id="Page_223">[Pg 223]</a></span></p><p>"What could have been the boy's object in inventing such a story, allow -me to ask, Mr. Courtney?"</p> - -<p>"Oh, he wanted to worm himself into our confidence," said Courtney. -"Very likely he wished to be appointed bank messenger, though that -would, of course, be preposterous."</p> - -<p>"Gentlemen," said President Graves, "as my course does not seem to -command entire approval, I will ask those of you who think I acted with -discretion to signify it."</p> - -<p>All voted in the affirmative except Mr. Courtney.</p> - -<p>"I regret, Mr. Courtney, that you disapprove my course," said the -president; "but I continue to think it wise, and am glad that your -fellow directors side with me."</p> - -<p>Soon after the meeting dissolved, and Mr. Courtney went home very much -dissatisfied.</p> - -<p>Nothing was done about the appointment of a new messenger, the matter -being postponed for three days.</p> - -<p>When Mr. Courtney went home he did a very unwise thing. He inveighed in -the presence of his family against the course of President Graves, -though it was a matter that should have been kept secret. He found one -to sympathize with him—his son Phil.</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_224" id="Page_224">[Pg 224]</a></span></p><p>"You don't mean to say," exclaimed that young man, "that Grit Morris -was sent to Boston in charge of thirty thousand dollars in bonds?"</p> - -<p>"Yes, I do. That is just what was done."</p> - -<p>"It's a wonder he didn't steal them and make himself scarce."</p> - -<p>"That is in substance what I said at the meeting of the directors, my -son."</p> - -<p>"I wish they'd sent me," said Phil. "I should have enjoyed the trip."</p> - -<p>"It would certainly have been more appropriate," said Mr. Courtney, "as -you are the son of one of the directors, and not the least influential -or prominent, I flatter myself."</p> - -<p>"To take a common boatman!" said Phil scornfully. "Why, Mr. Graves must -be crazy!"</p> - -<p>"He is certainly a very injudicious man," said his father.</p> - -<p>"Do you believe Carver to be dishonest, father?"</p> - -<p>"No, I don't, though Graves does, on some evidence trumped up by the boy -Grit. He wants to supersede him, and it would not at all surprise me if -he should be in favor of appointing Grit."</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_225" id="Page_225">[Pg 225]</a></span></p><p>"How ridiculous! What is the pay?" asked Phil.</p> - -<p>"Six hundred dollars a year, I believe," said Courtney.</p> - -<p>"Can't you get it for me?" asked Phil eagerly.</p> - -<p>"I don't think it would be suitable to appoint a boy," returned -Courtney. "That is my objection to Grit."</p> - -<p>"Surely I would be a better messenger than a common boy like that."</p> - -<p>"Of course, you come of a very different family. Still, I prefer a man, -and indeed I am in favor of retaining Ephraim Carver."</p> - -<p>Phil would really have liked the office of bank messenger. He was tired -of studying, and would have found it very agreeable to have an income of -his own. He got considerable sums from his father, but not sufficient -for his needs, or, rather, his wishes. Besides, like most boys of his -age, he enjoyed traveling about, and considered the office a light and -pleasant one.</p> - -<p>"What a fool Graves must be," he said to himself, "to think of a common -boatman for such a place! He'd better stick to his boat, it's all he's -qualified for. I'd like to put a spoke in his wheel."</p> - -<p>He left the house, and a short distance up<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_226" id="Page_226">[Pg 226]</a></span> the street he met Ephraim -Carver, who had come back to town in obedience to Colonel Johnson's -suggestion, to learn what he could about the mysterious package.</p> - -<p>"I'll see what I can learn from him," thought Phil.</p> - -<p>"Good morning, Mr. Carver," he said.</p> - -<p>"Good morning, Philip."</p> - -<p>"You've been to Boston lately, haven't you?"</p> - -<p>"I wonder whether he has heard anything about the matter from his -father," thought Carver.</p> - -<p>"Yes," he answered.</p> - -<p>"You didn't happen to meet Grit Morris there, did you?" asked Phil.</p> - -<p>"Grit Morris!" exclaimed Carver, in genuine surprise.</p> - -<p>"Yes, didn't you know he had been to Boston?"</p> - -<p>"No; what business had he in Boston?" asked the messenger.</p> - -<p>"None of his own," answered Phil significantly.</p> - -<p>"Did any one send him?"</p> - -<p>"You had better ask Mr. Graves," said Phil, telling more than he -intended to.</p> - -<p>"Why didn't Mr. Graves get me to attend<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_227" id="Page_227">[Pg 227]</a></span> to his business?" asked Carver, -still in the dark.</p> - -<p>"I didn't say Graves had any business of his own. He is president of the -bank, you know."</p> - -<p>"But I attend to the bank business. I am the messenger."</p> - -<p>"Perhaps you don't attend to all of it," said Phil, telling considerably -more than he intended when the conversation commenced.</p> - -<p>"Tell me what you know, Phil, about this matter. It is important for me -to know," said Carver coaxingly. "I know you don't like Grit, neither do -I. If he is trying to curry favor with Mr. Graves, I want to know it, so -as to circumvent him."</p> - -<p>Before Phil quite knew what he was saying, he had revealed everything to -Carver, adding that Grit was after his place.</p> - -<p>The bank messenger now understood why the package entrusted to him was a -dummy, and who carried the real package. He lost no time in sending -information to Colonel Johnson, in Portland.</p> - -<p>The gentleman was very much excited when he learned in what way he had -been circumvented.</p> - -<p>"So it was a boy, was it?" he said savagely. "That boy must be looked -after. He may find that he has made a mistake in meddling with affairs -that don't concern him."</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_228" id="Page_228">[Pg 228]</a></span></p> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER XXXI.</span> <span class="smaller">NEW PLANS.</span></h2> - -<p>When Grit returned he found his mother naturally curious to know where -he had been and on what errand.</p> - -<p>"I should like to tell you everything, mother," he said, "but it may not -be prudent just yet."</p> - -<p>"It's nothing wrong, I hope, Grit?"</p> - -<p>"You may be sure of that, mother; I wouldn't engage in anything that I -thought wrong. I feel justified in telling you confidentially that I was -sent by Mr. Graves."</p> - -<p>"What! the president of the bank?"</p> - -<p>"Yes."</p> - -<p>"Then it's all right," said Mrs. Brandon, with an air of relief.</p> - -<p>"My time wasn't wasted, mother," said Grit cheerfully, as he displayed a -ten-dollar note, new and crisp, which Mr. Graves had given him, besides -paying the expenses of his trip. "I've only been gone two days, and ten -dollars will pay me very well. It's better than boating, at any rate."</p> - -<p>"Yes, but it isn't a steady employment."</p> - -<p>"No; don't suppose I have any idea of<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_229" id="Page_229">[Pg 229]</a></span> giving up boating, because I have -been paid five dollars a day for my trip. It's a help, though."</p> - -<p>"Did you see anything of Mr. Brandon while you were gone?" asked his -mother apprehensively.</p> - -<p>"No, mother. I can't say I was disappointed, either."</p> - -<p>"When he went away he spoke mysteriously of some good fortune that was -coming to him. He expected to earn a large sum of money, and talked of -going to Europe."</p> - -<p>"He is welcome to do so," said Grit, smiling. "I hope he will, and then -we can resume our old life. I tell you, mother, I feel more sure than -ever of getting along. I am certain I can earn considerably more next -year than I have ever done before," and the boy's cheeks glowed and his -eyes sparkled with cheerful hope.</p> - -<p>"I am sure you deserve to, Grit, for you've always been a good son."</p> - -<p>"I ought to be, for I've got a good mother," said the boy, with a glance -of affection at his mother.</p> - -<p>"He pays me for all," thought Mrs. Brandon, as she watched with pride -and a mother's love the form of her boy as he walked down to the river. -"As long as he lives, I have reason<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_230" id="Page_230">[Pg 230]</a></span> to be grateful to God. Mr. Brandon -is a heavy cross to me, but I can bear it while I have Grit."</p> - -<p>Mr. Brandon, however, did not show himself. He was at Portland, subject -to the orders of Colonel Johnson, who thought it not prudent that he or -Travers should return just at present, lest, under the influence of -liquor, they might become talkative and betray more than he desired.</p> - -<p>It was at this point that he learned from Ephraim Carver that Grit had -been sent to Boston in the place of the regular bank messenger.</p> - -<p>"It looks as if somebody suspected something," he reflected anxiously. -"Is it possible that any part of our plan has leaked out? And if so, -how? Then why should a boy like that be selected for so responsible a -duty? He must have had some agency in the discovery. Ha! I have it! He -is the stepson of this Brandon. I must question Brandon."</p> - -<p>"Brandon," he said abruptly, summoning that worthy to his presence, "you -have a son named Grit, have you not?"</p> - -<p>"Yes—curse the brat!" answered Brandon, in a tone by no means paternal.</p> - -<p>"What kind of a boy is he?"</p> - -<p>"Impudent and undutiful," said Brandon.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_231" id="Page_231">[Pg 231]</a></span> "He doesn't treat me with any -kind of respect."</p> - -<p>"I don't blame him for that," thought Johnson, surveying his instrument -with a glance that did not indicate the highest esteem.</p> - -<p>"Did you tell him anything of our plans?" he asked searchingly.</p> - -<p>"Tell him! He's the last person I'd tell!" returned Brandon, with -emphasis.</p> - -<p>"He didn't overhear you and Travers speaking of the matter, did he?"</p> - -<p>"Certainly not. What makes you ask me that, colonel?"</p> - -<p>"Because it was he who carried the genuine package of bonds to -Boston—that's all."</p> - -<p>"Grit—carried—the bonds!" Brandon ejaculated, in amazement.</p> - -<p>"Yes."</p> - -<p>"How did you find out?"</p> - -<p>"Carver found out. I have just had a despatch from him."</p> - -<p>"Well, that beats me!" muttered Brandon. "I can't understand it at all."</p> - -<p>"It looks as if Carver were distrusted. I shall find out presently. In -the meanwhile, I must see that boy of yours."</p> - -<p>"I'll go and bring him here," said Brandon.</p> - -<p>"Don't trouble yourself. I can manage the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_232" id="Page_232">[Pg 232]</a></span> matter better by myself. I -shall go to Boston this afternoon."</p> - -<p>"Are Travers and I to go, too?"</p> - -<p>"No; you can stay here. I'll direct you to a cheap boarding-house, where -you can await my orders. I may take Travers with me."</p> - -<p>This arrangement did not suit Brandon very well, though it might had he -been entrusted with a liberal sum of money. But Colonel Johnson, having -lost the valuable prize for which he had striven, was in no mood to be -generous. He agreed to be responsible for Brandon's board, but only gave -him two dollars for outside expenses, thus enforcing a degree of -temperance which was very disagreeable to Brandon.</p> - -<hr /> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER XXXII.</span> <span class="smaller">GRIT RECEIVES A BUSINESS LETTER.</span></h2> - -<p>Grit returned to his old business, but I am obliged to confess that he -was not as well contented with it as he had been a week previous. The -incidents of the past four days had broadened his views, and given him -thoughts of a career which would suit him better. He earned a dollar and -a quarter during the day, and this made a very good average. Multiply it -by six, and it stood for an income of seven<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_233" id="Page_233">[Pg 233]</a></span> dollars and a half per -week. This, to be sure, was not a large sum, but it was quite sufficient -to maintain the little household in a degree of comfort which left -nothing to be desired.</p> - -<p>"It's all very well now," thought Grit, "but it won't lead to anything. -I'm so old now"—he was not quite sixteen—"that I ought to be getting -hold of some business that I can follow when I am a man. I don't mean to -be a boatman when I am twenty-five years old."</p> - -<p>There was something in this, no doubt. Still Grit need not have felt in -such a hurry. He was young enough to wait. Waiting, however, is a very -bad thing for boys of his age. I only want to show how his mind was -affected, in order that the reader may understand how it happened that -he fell unsuspiciously into a trap which Colonel Johnson prepared for -him.</p> - -<p>After supper—it was two days later—Grit prepared to go to the village. -He had a little errand of his own, and besides, his mother wanted a few -articles at the grocery-store. Our hero, unlike some boys that I know, -was always ready to do any errands for his mother, so that she was -spared the trouble of exacting unwilling service.</p> - -<p>Grit had done all his business, when he<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_234" id="Page_234">[Pg 234]</a></span> chanced to meet his friend -Jesse Burns, who, as I have already said, was the son of the postmaster.</p> - -<p>"How are you, Jesse?" said Grit.</p> - -<p>"All right, Grit. Have you got your letter?"</p> - -<p>"My letter!" returned Grit, in surprise.</p> - -<p>"Yes; there's a letter for you in the post-office."</p> - -<p>"I wonder who it can be from?"</p> - -<p>"Perhaps it's from your affectionate stepfather," suggested Jesse, -smiling.</p> - -<p>"I hope not, I don't want to see or hear from him."</p> - -<p>"Well, you can easily solve the problem. You have only to take the -letter out."</p> - -<p>"That's good advice, Jesse. I'll follow it."</p> - -<p>Grit called for his letter, and noticed, with some surprise, that it was -addressed to him, not under his real name, but under that familiar name -by which we know him.</p> - -<p>"Grit Morris," said Jesse, scanning the envelope. "Who can it be from?"</p> - -<p>The letter was postmarked Boston, and was addressed in a bold, business -hand.</p> - -<p>Grit opened the envelope, read it through hastily, and with a look of -evident pleasure.</p> - -<p>"What's it all about, Grit?" asked Jesse.</p> - -<p>"Read it for yourself, Jesse," said the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_235" id="Page_235">[Pg 235]</a></span> young boatman, handing the -letter to his friend.</p> - -<p>This was the letter:</p> - -<blockquote><p>"<span class="smcap">Dear Sir</span>: I need a young person on whom I can rely to travel for -me at the West. I don't know you personally, but you have been -recommended to me as likely to suit my purpose. I am willing to pay -twelve dollars per week and traveling expenses. If this will suit -your views, come to Boston at once, and call upon me at my private -residence, No. ——, Essex Street.</p> - -<p class="right">"Yours truly,<span class="s5"> </span><br /> -"<span class="smcap">Solomon Weaver</span>."</p></blockquote> - -<p>"What are you going to do about it, Grit?" asked Jesse, when he had -finished reading the letter.</p> - -<p>"I shall go to Boston to-morrow morning," answered Grit promptly.</p> - -<hr /> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER XXXIII.</span> <span class="smaller">GRIT LEAVES PINE POINT.</span></h2> - -<p>"It does seem to be a good offer," said Jesse thoughtfully.</p> - -<p>"I should think it was—twelve dollars a week and traveling expenses," -said Grit enthusiastically.</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_236" id="Page_236">[Pg 236]</a></span></p><p>"I wonder how this Mr. Weaver came to hear of you?"</p> - -<p>"I can't think. That's what puzzles me," said Grit.</p> - -<p>"He says that you have been recommended to him, I see."</p> - -<p>"Yes. At any rate, I am very much obliged to the one who recommended -me."</p> - -<p>"What will your mother say?"</p> - -<p>"She won't want to part with me; but when I tell her how good the offer -is, she will get reconciled to it."</p> - -<p>When Grit went home and read the letter to his mother, it was a shock to -the good woman.</p> - -<p>"How can I part from you, Grit?" she said, with a troubled look.</p> - -<p>"It won't be for long, mother," said Grit hopefully. "I shall soon be -able to send for you, and we can settle down somewhere near Boston. I've -got tired of this place, haven't you?"</p> - -<p>"No, Grit. I think Pine Point is very pleasant, as long as I can keep -you with me. When you are gone, of course, it will seem very different. -I don't see how I am going to stand it."</p> - -<p>"It won't be for long, mother; and you'll know I am doing well."</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_237" id="Page_237">[Pg 237]</a></span></p><p>"You can make a living with your boat, Grit."</p> - -<p>"Yes, mother; but it isn't going to lead to anything. It's all very well -now, but half a dozen years from now I ought to be established in some -good business."</p> - -<p>"Can't you put off going for a year, Grit?"</p> - -<p>"A year hence there may be no such chance as this, mother."</p> - -<p>"That is true."</p> - -<p>"You'll give your consent, then, mother?"</p> - -<p>"If you really think it is best, Grit—that is, if you've set your heart -on it."</p> - -<p>"I have, mother," said Grit earnestly. "I was getting tired of boating -before this letter came, but I kept at it because there didn't seem to -be anything else. Now it would seem worse than ever, and I'm afraid I -should be very discontented."</p> - -<p>"I wish you would call on your friend Mr. Jackson, at the hotel, and see -what he thinks of it," said Mrs. Brandon. "He is an experienced man of -business, and his judgment will be better than ours."</p> - -<p>"I will do as you say, mother. I am sure he will recommend me to go."</p> - -<p>Grit went to the hotel, arriving there about eight o'clock, and inquired -for Mr. Jackson. He was told that that gentleman had started<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_238" id="Page_238">[Pg 238]</a></span> in the -morning for Augusta, and would not return for a day or two. The young -boatman was not, on the whole, sorry to hear this, for it was possible -that the broker might not think favorably of the plan proposed, and he -felt unwilling, even in that case, to give it up. He returned, and -acquainted his mother with the result of his visit.</p> - -<p>"Can't you wait till Mr. Jackson returns?" asked his mother.</p> - -<p>"No, mother; I should run the risk of losing the chance."</p> - -<p>The evening was spent in getting ready to go. Grit left in his mother's -hands all the money he had, except the ten dollars he had last received, -and gave an order for the sixty dollars in the hands of Mr. Lawrence, -the lawyer, so that even if this Western journey were prolonged for -three months, his mother would have enough to provide for her wants.</p> - -<p>"Now, mother, I can leave home without any anxiety," he said.</p> - -<p>"You will write me often, Grit?" said Mrs. Brandon anxiously.</p> - -<p>"Oh, yes, mother; there is no danger I shall forget that."</p> - -<p>"Your letters will be all I shall have to think of, you know, Grit."</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_239" id="Page_239">[Pg 239]</a></span></p><p>"I won't forget it, mother."</p> - -<p>Grit kissed his mother good-by, and bent his steps toward the railway -station.</p> - -<p>On the way he met Ephraim Carver.</p> - -<p>"Where are you going, Grit?" asked the bank messenger.</p> - -<p>"I am going to Boston."</p> - -<p>"It seems to me you have a good deal of business in Boston."</p> - -<p>"I hope to have."</p> - -<p>"You ain't going to stay, are you?"</p> - -<p>"I expect to stay. I've got an offer from a party there."</p> - -<p>"Of what sort?"</p> - -<p>"That letter will tell you."</p> - -<p>Ephraim Carver looked over the letter, and he smiled to himself, for he -recognized the handwriting of Colonel Johnson, though the letter was -signed by another name.</p> - -<p>"You're walking into the lion's den, young man," he thought; but he only -said: "It seems to be a good offer. Why, you will be paid as much as I -get. How old are you?"</p> - -<p>"Almost sixteen."</p> - -<p>"Boys get on more rapidly now than they did when I was of your age. Why, -I'm more'n twenty years older than you are, and I haven't got any higher -than twelve dollars a week yet."</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_240" id="Page_240">[Pg 240]</a></span></p><p>Mr. Carver laughed in what seemed to be an entirely uncalled-for -manner.</p> - -<p>"I don't believe you'll keep your place long," thought the young -boatman; but he, too, was not disposed to tell all he knew. So the two -parted, each possessed of a secret in regard to the other.</p> - -<p>Mr. Carver, however, was destined to receive the first disagreeable -surprise. After parting from Grit he met Mr. Graves in the street.</p> - -<p>"Good morning, Mr. Graves," he said, in his usual deferential manner, -for he was a worldly-wise man, though he had committed one fatal -mistake.</p> - -<p>"Good morning, Mr. Carver," said the president of the bank gravely.</p> - -<p>"Shall you have any errand for me this week?"</p> - -<p>"I have something to say to you, Mr. Carver," said Mr. Graves, "and I -may as well take the present opportunity to do so. We have concluded to -dispense with your services, and you are at liberty to look elsewhere -for employment."</p> - -<p>"You are going to dispense with my services!" repeated Carver, in -dismay.</p> - -<p>"Such is the determination of the directors, Mr. Carver."</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_241" id="Page_241">[Pg 241]</a></span></p><p>"But, sir, that is very hard on me. How am I to get along?"</p> - -<p>"I hope you may find something else to do. We shall pay you a month's -salary in advance, to give you an opportunity of looking about."</p> - -<p>"But, Mr. Graves, why am I treated so harshly? Can't you intercede for -me? I am a poor man."</p> - -<p>"I feel for your situation, Mr. Carver, but I am compelled to say that I -do not feel disposed to intercede for you."</p> - -<p>"Haven't I always served the bank faithfully?"</p> - -<p>"I advise you to ask yourself that question, Mr. Carver," said the -president significantly. "You can answer it to your own conscience -better than I or any one else can do for you."</p> - -<p>"What does he mean?" thought Carver, startled.</p> - -<p>Then it occurred to the messenger that nothing had been discovered, but -that Mr. Graves, who had recently shown such partiality to Grit, wished -to create a vacancy for him.</p> - -<p>"Are you going to put Grit Morris in my place?" he asked angrily.</p> - -<p>"What makes you think so?" asked Mr. Graves keenly.</p> - -<p>"I knew you were partial to him," <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_242" id="Page_242">[Pg 242]</a></span>answered Carver, who reflected that -it would not do to give the source of his information.</p> - -<p>"I will at any rate answer your question, Mr. Carver. There is no -intention of putting Grit in your place. We have every confidence in his -fidelity and capacity, but consider him too young for the position."</p> - -<p>"I was only going to say that Grit has another chance in Boston, so that -there will be no need to provide for him."</p> - -<p>"Grit has a chance in Boston!" said Mr. Graves, in surprise.</p> - -<p>"Yes; he has just started for the city."</p> - -<p>"What sort of a chance is it?"</p> - -<p>"He has received an offer to travel at the West, with a salary of twelve -dollars a week and expenses."</p> - -<p>"That is strange."</p> - -<p>"It is true. He showed me the letter."</p> - -<p>"From whom did it come?"</p> - -<p>"I don't remember."</p> - -<p>Carver did remember, but for obvious reasons did not think it best to -acquaint Mr. Graves.</p> - -<p>"That is remarkable," thought Mr. Graves, as he walked home. "Grit is a -smart boy, but such offers are not often made by strangers to a boy of -fifteen. I must speak to Clark about it."</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_243" id="Page_243">[Pg 243]</a></span></p><p>He found Mr. Clark at his house. He was the quiet man who had been -employed by the bank as a detective, and who had come to report to the -president.</p> - -<p>There was a look of intelligence as he listened to the news about Grit.</p> - -<p>"I tell you what I think of it," he said. "The rascals have found out -the part which Grit took in circumventing them, and this letter is part -of a plot. They mean the boy mischief."</p> - -<p>"I hope not," said Mr. Graves anxiously. "I am attached to Grit, and I -wouldn't have harm come to him for a good deal."</p> - -<p>"Leave the matter in my hands. I will take the next train for Boston, -and follow this clue. It may enable me to get hold of this Johnson, who -is a dangerous rascal, because he has brains."</p> - -<p>"Do so, and I will see you paid, if necessary, out of my own pocket."</p> - -<hr /> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER XXXIV.</span> <span class="smaller">GRIT REACHES BOSTON.</span></h2> - -<p>Full of hope and joyful anticipation, Grit left home and pursued his -journey to Boston. He had occasion to stop a couple of hours at -Portland, and improved it by strolling down<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_244" id="Page_244">[Pg 244]</a></span> to the pier of the little -steamers that make periodical trips to the islands in the harbor. Just -outside a low saloon he unexpectedly ran across his stepfather.</p> - -<p>"How are you, Grit?" said Brandon affably.</p> - -<p>There was a flush on Brandon's face, and an unsteadiness of gait which -indicated that he had succeeded in evading what is known as the Maine -law. To Grit it was not a welcome apparition. Still, he felt it due to -himself to be ordinarily polite.</p> - -<p>"I am well," he answered briefly.</p> - -<p>"And how's your mother?" asked Brandon.</p> - -<p>"Quite well, thank you," Grit answered, as formally as if the question -had been asked by a stranger.</p> - -<p>"Does she miss me much?" asked his stepfather, with a smile.</p> - -<p>"She has not mentioned it," responded our hero coldly.</p> - -<p>"I am sorry that circumstances compel me to be absent from her for a -time," continued Brandon.</p> - -<p>"Oh, don't disturb yourself," said Grit. "She is quite used to being -alone. I think she mentioned that you talked of going to Europe."</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_245" id="Page_245">[Pg 245]</a></span></p><p>Brandon frowned, and his bitter disappointment was thus recalled to his -mind.</p> - -<p>"I don't know whether I shall or not," he answered. "It depends upon -whether my—speculation turns out well. Where are you going?"</p> - -<p>Grit hesitated as to whether he should answer correctly. He was not -anxious to have Brandon looking him up in Boston, but it occurred to him -that he should be traveling at the West, and, therefore, he answered:</p> - -<p>"I have heard of a chance in Boston, and am going to see about it."</p> - -<p>"All right, Grit!" said Brandon. "You have my consent."</p> - -<p>It occurred to Grit that he did not stand in need of his stepfather's -approval, but he did not say so.</p> - -<p>"Yes, Grit, I send you forth with a father's blessing," said Brandon -paternally. "By the way, have you a quarter about you?"</p> - -<p>Grit thought that a quarter was rather a high price to pay for Brandon's -blessing, but he was in good spirits, and this made him good-natured. -Accordingly, he drew a quarter from his pocket and handed it to his -stepfather.</p> - -<p>"Thank you, Grit," said Brandon briskly, for he had felt uncertain as to -the success of<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_246" id="Page_246">[Pg 246]</a></span> his application. "I like to see you respectful and -dutiful. I will drink your good health, and success to your plans."</p> - -<p>"You had better drink it in cold water, Mr. Brandon."</p> - -<p>"That's all right," said Brandon. "Good-by!"</p> - -<p>He disappeared in the direction of the nearest saloon, and Grit returned -to the depot to take the train for Boston.</p> - -<p>"I don't know that I ought to have given him any money," thought Grit, -"but I was so glad to get rid of him that I couldn't refuse."</p> - -<p>He reached Boston without further adventure, arriving at the Boston and -Maine depot in Haymarket Square about four o'clock.</p> - -<p>"I wonder whether it is too late to call on Mr. Weaver to-night," -thought Grit.</p> - -<p>He decided that it was not. Even if it were too late for an interview, -he thought it would be wise to let his prospective employer understand -that he had met his appointment punctually.</p> - -<p>"Carriage, sir?" asked a hackman.</p> - -<p>Grit answered in the negative, feeling that to one in his circumstances -it would be foolish extravagance to spend money for a carriage. But this -was succeeded by the thought that time was valuable, and as he did not<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_247" id="Page_247">[Pg 247]</a></span> -know where Essex Street was, it might consume so much to find out the -place indicated in the letter that he might miss the opportunity of -seeing Mr. Weaver.</p> - -<p>"How far is Essex Street from here?" he asked.</p> - -<p>"Three or four miles," promptly answered the hackman.</p> - -<p>"Is there any street-car line that goes there?"</p> - -<p>"Oh, bless you, no."</p> - -<p>Neither of these answers was correct, but Grit did not know this.</p> - -<p>"How much will you charge to take me to No. —— Essex Street?"</p> - -<p>"Seein' it's you, I'll take you for a dollar and a quarter."</p> - -<p>Grit was about to accept this offer, when a quiet-looking man beside him -said:</p> - -<p>"The regular fare is fifty cents."</p> - -<p>"Is it any of your business?" demanded the hackman angrily. "Do you want -to take the bread out of a poor man's mouth?"</p> - -<p>"Yes, if the poor man undertakes to cheat a boy!" answered the quiet man -keenly.</p> - -<p>"It's ridiculous expectin' to pay fifty cents for a ride of three or -four miles," grumbled the hackman.</p> - -<p>"The distance isn't over a mile and a <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_248" id="Page_248">[Pg 248]</a></span>quarter, and you are not allowed -to ask over fifty cents. My boy, I advise you to call another hack."</p> - -<p>"Jump in," said the hackman, fearful of losing his fare.</p> - -<p>"I think I will get in, too, as I am going to that part of the city," -said the small man, in whom my readers will probably recognize the -detective already referred to.</p> - -<p>"That'll be extra."</p> - -<p>"Of course," said the detective. "I understand that, and I understand -how much extra," said the stranger significantly.</p> - -<p>As the man and boy rattled through the streets, they fell into a -conversation, and Grit, feeling that he was with a friend, told his -plan.</p> - -<p>"Humph!" said the detective. "May I see this letter?"</p> - -<p>"Certainly, sir."</p> - -<p>"Do you know who recommended you to Mr. Weaver?" asked Grit's new -friend.</p> - -<p>"No, sir."</p> - -<p>"And can't guess?"</p> - -<p>"No, sir."</p> - -<p>"Doesn't it strike you as a little singular that such an offer should -come from a stranger?"</p> - -<p>"Yes, sir; that did occur to me. Don't you<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_249" id="Page_249">[Pg 249]</a></span> think it genuine?" asked -Grit anxiously.</p> - -<p>"I don't know. I could tell better if I should see this Mr. Weaver."</p> - -<p>"Won't you go in with me?"</p> - -<p>"No; it might seem odd, and the proposal may be genuine. I'll tell you -what to do, my boy. That is, if you feel confidence in me."</p> - -<p>"I do, and shall be glad of your advice."</p> - -<p>"Come to the Parker House after your interview, and inquire for Benjamin -Baker."</p> - -<p>"I will, sir, and thank you."</p> - -<p>When the hack drew up in front of No. —— Essex Street, the stranger -got out with Grit.</p> - -<p>"I am calling close by," he said, "and won't ride any farther. Here is -the fare for both."</p> - -<p>"But, sir," said Grit, "it is not right that you should pay my fare for -me."</p> - -<p>"It is all right," said Mr. Baker. "I have more money than you, -probably, my young friend. Besides, meeting with you has saved me some -trouble."</p> - -<p>This speech puzzled Grit, but he did not feel like asking any -explanation.</p> - -<p>He glanced with some interest at the house where he was to meet Mr. -Weaver. It was a three-story brick house, with a swell front, such as -used to be very popular in Boston thirty or forty years since. It was -very quiet in appearance, and there was nothing to distinguish it from -its neighbors on either side.</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_250" id="Page_250">[Pg 250]</a></span></p><p>"Good afternoon, Mr. Baker," said Grit, as he ascended the steps to -ring the bell.</p> - -<p>"Good afternoon. Remember to call upon me at the Parker House."</p> - -<p>"Thank you, sir."</p> - -<p>Benjamin Baker turned down a side street, and Grit rang the bell.</p> - -<p>It was opened by a tall, gaunt woman, with a cast in her eye.</p> - -<p>"What's wanted?" she asked abruptly.</p> - -<p>"I called to see Mr. Weaver—Mr. Solomon Weaver," said Grit.</p> - -<p>"Oh, yes," said the woman, with a curious smile. "Come in."</p> - -<p>The hall which Grit entered was dark and shabby in its general -appearance. Our hero followed his guide to a rear room, the door of -which was thrown open, revealing a small apartment, with a shabby -collection of furniture. There was no carpet on the floor, but one or -two rugs relieved the large expanse of floor.</p> - -<p>"Take a seat, and I'll call Mr. Weaver," said the woman.</p> - -<p>Somehow Grit's courage was dampened by the unpromising look of the house -and its interior.</p> - -<p>He had pictured to himself Mr. Weaver as a<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_251" id="Page_251">[Pg 251]</a></span> pleasant, prosperous-looking -man, who lived in good style, and was liberally disposed.</p> - -<p>He sat down in an armchair in the center of the room.</p> - -<p>He had but five minutes to wait.</p> - -<p>Then the door opened, and to Grit's amazement the man whom he had known -as Colonel Johnson entered the room, and coolly locked the door after him.</p> - -<hr /> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER XXXV.</span> <span class="smaller">CROSS-EXAMINED.</span></h2> - -<p>Grit's face showed the astonishment he felt at the unexpected appearance -of a man whom he knew to be the prime instigator of the attempt to rob -the bank at Chester.</p> - -<p>Colonel Johnson smiled grimly as he saw the effect produced by his -presence.</p> - -<p>"You didn't expect to see me?" he said.</p> - -<p>"No, sir," answered Grit.</p> - -<p>"I flatter myself you had done me the honor to call upon me," said -Johnson, seating himself at a little distance from our hero.</p> - -<p>"I came to see Mr. Solomon Weaver, from whom I received a letter," -explained Grit. "If this is your house I may have made a mistake in the -number."</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_252" id="Page_252">[Pg 252]</a></span></p><p>"Not at all," answered Johnson. "Mr. Weaver is a friend of mine."</p> - -<p>"Does he live here?"</p> - -<p>"Oh, yes," said Johnson, smiling.</p> - -<p>"He wrote me that he wished to send me on a Western trip."</p> - -<p>"That's all right."</p> - -<p>"Then the letter was genuine," said Grit, hoping that things might turn -out right after all.</p> - -<p>Could it be possible, he thought, that Colonel Johnson was the friend -who had recommended him? It did not seem at all probable, but in his -bewilderment he did not know what to think.</p> - -<p>"Can I see Mr. Weaver?" asked Grit, desirous of putting an end to his -uncertainty.</p> - -<p>"Presently," answered Colonel Johnson. "He is busy just at present, but -he deputed me to speak with you."</p> - -<p>This was all very surprising, but would probably soon be explained.</p> - -<p>"I shall be glad to answer any questions," said Grit.</p> - -<p>"I suppose you can present good recommendations, as the position is a -responsible one," said Johnson, with a half smile.</p> - -<p>"Yes, sir."</p> - -<p>"Whom, for instance?"</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_253" id="Page_253">[Pg 253]</a></span></p><p>"Mr. Graves, president of the Chester Bank," said Grit.</p> - -<p>Knowing what he did of Colonel Johnson's attempt upon the bank, it was -perhaps a rather odd choice to make, but the young boatman thought it -might help him to discover whether Johnson knew anything of his recent -employment by the bank.</p> - -<p>"I have heard of Mr. Graves," said Johnson. "Has he ever employed you?"</p> - -<p>"Yes, sir."</p> - -<p>"In what capacity?" demanded Johnson searchingly.</p> - -<p>"He sent me to this city with a package."</p> - -<p>"What did the package contain?"</p> - -<p>"I think it contained bonds."</p> - -<p>"Haven't they a regular bank messenger?"</p> - -<p>"Yes, sir."</p> - -<p>"What's his name?"</p> - -<p>"Ephraim Carver."</p> - -<p>"Why was he not employed? Why should you be sent in his place?"</p> - -<p>"I think you had better ask Mr. Graves," said Grit independently.</p> - -<p>"Why? Don't you know?"</p> - -<p>"Even if I did I should consider that I had no right to tell."</p> - -<p>"You are a very conscientious and honorable young man," said Johnson -sneeringly.</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_254" id="Page_254">[Pg 254]</a></span></p><p>"Thank you, sir," returned Grit, choosing not to show that he -understood the sneer.</p> - -<p>"Where is your stepfather?" inquired Johnson, changing the subject -abruptly.</p> - -<p>"In Portland."</p> - -<p>"How do you know?"</p> - -<p>"I met him in the street while on my way through the city."</p> - -<p>"Did you speak with him?"</p> - -<p>"Yes, sir."</p> - -<p>"What did he say?" asked Johnson suspiciously.</p> - -<p>"He wished to borrow twenty-five cents," answered Grit, with a smile.</p> - -<p>"Did you lend it to him?"</p> - -<p>"Yes."</p> - -<p>"Very dutiful, on my word!"</p> - -<p>"I have no feeling of that sort for Mr. Brandon," said Grit frankly. "I -thought it the easiest way to get rid of him."</p> - -<p>Johnson changed the subject again.</p> - -<p>"Is Ephraim Carver likely to lose his situation as bank messenger?" he -asked.</p> - -<p>"I think you had better ask Mr. Graves," said Grit, on his guard.</p> - -<p>Johnson frowned, for he did not like Grit's independence.</p> - -<p>"It is reported that you are intriguing for his position," he continued.</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_255" id="Page_255">[Pg 255]</a></span></p><p>"That is not true."</p> - -<p>"Do you think there is any likelihood of your being appointed in his -place?"</p> - -<p>"No, sir; I never dreamed of it."</p> - -<p>"Yet there is a possibility of it. Don't suppose that I am particularly -interested in this Carver. So far as I am concerned, I should not object -to your succeeding him."</p> - -<p>"What does all this mean?" thought Grit.</p> - -<p>"If you should do so, I might have a proposal to make to you that would -be to your advantage."</p> - -<p>Knowing what he did, Grit very well understood what was meant. Johnson, -no doubt, wished to hire him to betray the confidence reposed in him by -the bank, and deliver up any valuable package entrusted to him for a -money consideration. Like any right-minded and honorable boy, Grit felt -that the very hint of such a thing was an insult to him, and his face -flushed with indignation. For the moment he forgot his prudence.</p> - -<p>"I don't think there is the least chance of my getting such a position," -he said; "but even if I did, it would not do you any good to make me a -proposal."</p> - -<p>"How do you know what sort of a proposal I should make?" demanded -Johnson keenly.</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_256" id="Page_256">[Pg 256]</a></span></p><p>"I don't know," answered Grit, emphasizing the last word.</p> - -<p>"It appears to me, young man, that you are a little ahead of time," said -Johnson. "You shouldn't crow too soon."</p> - -<p>"I think I will bid you good evening," said Grit, rising.</p> - -<p>"Why so soon? You haven't seen Mr. Weaver."</p> - -<p>"On the whole, I don't think I should wish to engage with him."</p> - -<p>Our hero felt that if Mr. Weaver were a friend of the man before him, it -would be safest to have nothing to do with him. On the principle that a -man is known by the company he keeps, the friend of Colonel Johnson -could hardly be a desirable person to serve.</p> - -<p>"You seem to be in a hurry, especially as you have not seen my friend -Weaver."</p> - -<p>"You will be kind enough to explain to him that I have changed my -plans," said Grit.</p> - -<p>"Resume your seat for five minutes," said Johnson, "and I will call -Weaver. You had better see him for yourself."</p> - -<p>"Very well, sir."</p> - -<p>He reflected that merely seeing Mr. Weaver would not commit him to -anything.</p> - -<p>Colonel Johnson rose to his feet, and placed<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_257" id="Page_257">[Pg 257]</a></span> his foot firmly on a -particular spot in the floor.</p> - -<p>To Grit's dismay, the floor seemed to sink beneath him, and chair and -all were lowered a dozen feet into a subterranean cavity, too quickly -for him to help himself.</p> - -<p>He realized that the chair so conveniently placed in the center of the -apartment rested on a trap-door.</p> - -<hr /> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER XXXVI.</span> <span class="smaller">THE BOY DANIEL.</span></h2> - -<p>Though Grit was not hurt by his sudden descent into the dark cavity -under the room in which he had been seated, he was, nevertheless, -somewhat startled. Indeed, it was enough to startle a person much older. -For the first time it dawned upon him that he was the victim of a -conspiracy, and Mr. Weaver was either an imaginary person, or his offer -was not genuine. It was clear, also, from the tenor of Johnson's -questions that he fully understood, or at least suspected, that his plan -had been known in advance to the bank officials.</p> - -<p>The young boatman understood how to manage a boat, but in the present -case he found that he was out of his element. The<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_258" id="Page_258">[Pg 258]</a></span> tricks, traps, and -devices of a great city he knew very little about. He had, indeed, read -about trap-doors and subterranean chambers in certain sensational -stories which had come into his possession, but he looked upon them as -mere figments of the imagination, and did not believe they really -existed. Now, here was he himself made an unexpected victim by a -conspiracy of the same class familiar to him in novels.</p> - -<p>Naturally, the first thing to do was to take a survey of his new -quarters, and obtain some idea of his position. At first everything -seemed involved in thick darkness, but as his eye became accustomed to -it, he could see that he was in a cellar of about the same size as the -room above, though there was a door leading into another. He felt his -way to it, and tried to open it, but found that it was fastened, -probably by a bolt on the other side. There was no other door.</p> - -<p>"I am like a rat in a trap," thought Grit. "What are they going to do -with me, I wonder?"</p> - -<p>While it was unpleasant enough to be where he was, he did not allow -himself to despond or give way to unmanly fears. There was no reason, he -thought, to apprehend serious peril or physical violence. Colonel -Johnson <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_259" id="Page_259">[Pg 259]</a></span>probably intended to frighten him, with a view of securing his -compliance with the demands of the conspirators.</p> - -<p>"He will find he has made a mistake," thought Grit. "I am not a baby, -and don't mean to act like one."</p> - -<p>He heard a noise, and, looking round, discovered the armchair in which -he had descended being drawn up toward the trap-door. The door was -opened by some agency, the chair disappeared, and again he was in -darkness.</p> - -<p>"They don't mean to keep me here in luxury," thought Grit. "If I sit -down anywhere, it will have to be on the floor."</p> - -<p>It was late in the afternoon, as we know, and it seemed likely that our -hero would have to remain in the subterranean chamber all night. As -there was no bed, he would have to lie down on the ground. Grit kneeled -down, and ascertained that the floor was cemented, and not a damp -earthen flooring as he had feared. He congratulated himself, for he was -bound to make the best of the situation.</p> - -<p>There was another source of discomfort, however. It was already past -Grit's ordinary supper hour, and, except a very slight lunch, consisting -of a sandwich bought in the cars,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_260" id="Page_260">[Pg 260]</a></span> our hero had had nothing to eat since -breakfast, and an early breakfast at that. Now, Grit was not one of -those delicate boys who are satisfied with a few mouthfuls, but he had -what is called a "healthy appetite," such as belongs to most boys who -have good stomachs and spend considerable time in the open air. He began -to feel an aching void in the region of his stomach, and thought, with a -sigh, of the plain but hearty supper he should have had at home.</p> - -<p>"I hope Colonel Johnson isn't going to starve me," he thought. "That is -carrying the joke too far. It seems to me I never felt so hungry in all -my life before."</p> - -<p>Half an hour passed, and poor Grit's reflections became decidedly gloomy -as his stomach became more and more troublesome. However, he was -perfectly helpless, and must wait till the man, or men, who had him in -their clutches, saw fit to provide for him.</p> - -<p>Under these circumstances it may well be imagined that his heart leaped -for joy when he heard the bolt of the only door, already referred to, -slowly withdrawn with a rasping sound, as if it did not slide easily in -its socket.</p> - -<p>He turned his eyes eagerly toward the door.</p> - -<p>It was opened, and a tall, overgrown youth<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_261" id="Page_261">[Pg 261]</a></span> entered with a small basket -in his hand, which he set down on the floor while he carefully closed -the door.</p> - -<p>"Hello, there! Where are you?" he asked, for his eyes were not used to -the darkness.</p> - -<p>"Here I am," answered Grit. "I hope you've brought me some supper."</p> - -<p>"Right you are!" said the youth. "Oh, now I see you."</p> - -<p>The speaker was tall and overgrown, as I have said. He was also -painfully thin, and his clothes were two or three sizes too small for -him, so that his long, bony arms protruded from his coat-sleeves, and -his legs appeared to have outgrown his pants. His face was long, and his -cheeky were hollow.</p> - -<p>"He reminds me of Smike, in 'Nicholas Nickleby,'" thought Grit.</p> - -<p>"Take your supper, young one, and eat it quick," said the youth, for he -was not more than eighteen.</p> - -<p>Grit needed no second invitation. He quickly explored the contents of -the basket. The supper consisted of cold meat and slices of bread and -butter, with a mug of tea. To Grit everything tasted delicious, and he -did not leave a crumb.</p> - -<p>"My! haven't you got an appetite?" said the youth.</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_262" id="Page_262">[Pg 262]</a></span></p><p>"I haven't had anything to eat since morning," said Grit -apologetically—"that is, only a sandwich."</p> - -<p>"Say, what are you here for?" asked the youth curiously.</p> - -<p>"I don't know," answered Grit.</p> - -<p>"Honor bright?"</p> - -<p>"Yes, honor bright. Do you live here?"</p> - -<p>"Yes," answered the youth soberly.</p> - -<p>"Is this man—Colonel Johnson—any relation of yours?"</p> - -<p>"No."</p> - -<p>"Where are your folks?"</p> - -<p>"Haven't got any. Never had any as I know of."</p> - -<p>"Have you always lived here?"</p> - -<p>"Always lived with him," answered the boy, jerking his thumb in an -upward direction. "Sometimes here, sometimes in New York."</p> - -<p>"Do you like to be with—him?"</p> - -<p>"No."</p> - -<p>"Why don't you run away?"</p> - -<p>"Run away!" repeated the other, looking around him nervously. "He'd get -me back, and half kill me."</p> - -<p>"There's some mystery about this boy," thought Grit. "Do you think he -will keep me here long?" he asked, in some anxiety.</p> - -<p>"Can't say—maybe."</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_263" id="Page_263">[Pg 263]</a></span></p><p>"What's your name?"</p> - -<p>"Daniel."</p> - -<p>"What's your other name?"</p> - -<p>"Haven't got any."</p> - -<p>"Daniel," said Grit, a thought striking him. "Do you ever go out—about -the city, I mean?"</p> - -<p>"Oh, yes; I go to the post-office and other places."</p> - -<p>"Will you carry a message for me to the Parker House?"</p> - -<p>"I darsn't," said Daniel, trembling.</p> - -<p>"No one will know it," pleaded Grit. "Besides, I'll give you—five -dollars," he added, after a pause.</p> - -<p>"Have you got so much?" asked Daniel eagerly.</p> - -<p>"Yes."</p> - -<p>"Show it to me."</p> - -<p>Grit did so.</p> - -<p>"Yes, I'll do it," said the youth, after a pause; "but I must be careful -so he won't know."</p> - -<p>"All right. When can you leave the house?"</p> - -<p>"In the morning."</p> - -<p>"That will suit me very well. Now, shall I see you again to-morrow -morning?"</p> - -<p>"Yes, I shall bring you your breakfast."</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_264" id="Page_264">[Pg 264]</a></span></p><p>"Very well; I will write a note, and will describe the gentleman you -are to hand it to."</p> - -<p>"You'll be sure to give me the money?"</p> - -<p>"Yes, I will give it to you before you go, if you will promise to do my -errand faithfully."</p> - -<p>"I'll promise. I never had five dollars," continued Daniel. "There's -many things I can buy for five dollars."</p> - -<p>"So you can," answered Grit, who began to perceive that this overgrown -youth was rather deficient mentally.</p> - -<p>"You mustn't tell anybody that you are going to carry a message for me," -said Grit, thinking the caution might be necessary.</p> - -<p>"Oh, no, I darsn't," said Daniel quickly, and Grit was satisfied.</p> - -<p>Our hero felt much more comfortable after he was left alone, partly in -consequence of the plain supper he had eaten, partly because he thought -he saw his way out of the trap into which he had been inveigled.</p> - -<p>"To-morrow I hope to be free," he said to himself, as he lay down on the -floor and sought the refreshment of sleep.</p> - -<p>Fortunately for him, he was feeling pretty well fatigued, and though it -was but eight o'clock, he soon lost consciousness of all that<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_265" id="Page_265">[Pg 265]</a></span> was -disagreeable in his situation under the benignant influence of sleep.</p> - -<p>When Grit awoke, he had no idea what time it was, for there was no way -for light to enter the dark chamber.</p> - -<p>"I hope it is almost breakfast-time," thought our hero, for he already -felt the stirrings of appetite, and besides, all his hope centered in -Daniel, whom he was then to see.</p> - -<p>After awhile he heard the welcome sound of the bolt drawn back. Then a -sudden fear assailed him. It might be some one else, not Daniel, who -would bring his breakfast. If so, all his hopes would be dashed to the -ground, and he could fix no limit to his captivity. But his fears were -dissipated when he saw the long, lank youth, with the same basket which -he had brought the night before.</p> - -<p>"Good morning, Daniel," said Grit joyfully. "I am glad to see you."</p> - -<p>"You're hungry, I reckon," said the youth practically.</p> - -<p>"Yes; but I wanted to see you, so as to give you my message. Are you -going out this morning?"</p> - -<p>"Yes; I'm goin' to market."</p> - -<p>"Can you go to the Parker House? You know where it is, don't you?"</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_266" id="Page_266">[Pg 266]</a></span></p><p>"Yes; it is on School Street."</p> - -<p>Grit was glad that Daniel knew, for he could not have told him.</p> - -<p>Grit had written a note in pencil on a sheet of paper which he -fortunately had in his pocket. This he handed to Daniel, with full -instructions as to the outward appearance of Mr. Benjamin Baker, to whom -it was to be handed.</p> - -<p>"Now give me the money," said Daniel.</p> - -<p>"Here it is. Mind, Daniel, I expect you to serve me faithfully."</p> - -<p>"All right!" said, the lank youth, as he disappeared through the door, -once more leaving Grit alone.</p> - -<hr /> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER XXXVII.</span> <span class="smaller">DANIEL CALLS AT THE PARKER HOUSE.</span></h2> - -<p>It was half-past nine o'clock in the forenoon, and Mr. Benjamin Baker, -detective, sat smoking a cigar in the famous hotel on School Street, -known as "Parker's."</p> - -<p>"I hope nothing has happened to the boy," he said to himself, uneasily, -as he drew out his watch. "It is time he was here. Have I done rightly -in leaving him in the clutches of a company of unprincipled men? Yet I<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_267" id="Page_267">[Pg 267]</a></span> -don't know what else I could do. If I had accompanied him to the door, -my appearance would have awakened suspicion. If through his means I can -get authentic information as to the interior of this house, which I -strongly suspect to be the headquarters of the gang, I shall have done a -good thing. Yet perhaps I did wrong in not giving the boy a word of -warning."</p> - -<p>Mr. Baker took the cigar from his mouth and strolled into the opposite -room, where several of the hotel guests were either reading the morning -papers or writing letters. He glanced quickly about him, but saw no one -that resembled Grit.</p> - -<p>"Not here yet?" he said to himself, "perhaps he can't find the hotel. -But he looks too smart to have any difficulty about that. Ha! whom have -we here?"</p> - -<p>This question was elicited by a singular figure upon the sidewalk. It -was a tall, overgrown boy, whose well-worn suit appeared to have been -first put on when he was several years younger, and several inches -shorter. The boy was standing still, with mouth and eyes wide open, -staring in a bewildered way at the entrance of the hotel, as if he had -some business therein, but did not know how to go about it.</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_268" id="Page_268">[Pg 268]</a></span></p><p>"That's an odd-looking boy," he thought. "Looks like one of Dickens' -characters."</p> - -<p>Finally the boy, in an uncertain, puzzled way, ascended the steps into -the main vestibule, and again began to stare helplessly in different -directions.</p> - -<p>One of the employees of the hotel went up to him.</p> - -<p>"What do you want?" he demanded, rather roughly.</p> - -<p>"Be you Mr. Baker?" asked the boy.</p> - -<p>"No; I am not Mr. Baker."</p> - -<p>"Where is Mr. Baker?"</p> - -<p>"I don't know anything about Mr. Baker," answered the attendant -impatiently.</p> - -<p>"The boy told me I would find him here," said Daniel, for of course my -reader recognizes him.</p> - -<p>"Then the boy was playing a trick on you, most likely."</p> - -<p>By this time Mr. Baker thought it advisable to make himself known.</p> - -<p>"I am Mr. Benjamin Baker," he said, advancing. "Do you want to see me?"</p> - -<p>Daniel looked very much relieved.</p> - -<p>"I've got a note for you," he said.</p> - -<p>"Give it to me."</p> - -<p>Daniel did so, and was about to go out.</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_269" id="Page_269">[Pg 269]</a></span></p><p>"Wait a minute, my young friend, there may be an answer," said the -detective.</p> - -<p>Mr. Baker read rapidly the following note:</p> - -<blockquote><p>"I am in trouble. I think the letter I received was only meant to -entrap me. I have not seen Mr. Weaver, but I have had an interview -with Colonel Johnson, who planned the robbery of the bank at -Chester. He seems to know that I had something to do with defeating -his plans, and has sounded me as to whether I will help him in case -I act again as bank messenger. On my refusing, he touched a spring, -and let me down through a trap-door in the floor of the rear room -to a cellar beneath, where I am kept in darkness. The boy who gives -you this brings me my meals. He doesn't seem very bright, but I -have agreed to pay him well if he will hand you this, and I hope he -will succeed. I don't know what Colonel Johnson proposes to do with -me, but I hope you will be able to help me.</p> - -<p class="right"><span class="smcap">Grit.</span>"</p></blockquote> - -<p>Benjamin Baker nodded to himself while he was reading this note.</p> - -<p>"This confirms my suspicions," he said to himself. "If I am lucky I -shall succeed in trapping the trappers. Hark you, my boy, when are you -going back?"</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_270" id="Page_270">[Pg 270]</a></span></p><p>"As soon as I have been to the market."</p> - -<p>"Very well; what did the boy agree to give you for bringing this note?"</p> - -<p>"Five dollars," answered Daniel, his dull face lighting up, for he knew -the power of money.</p> - -<p>"Would you like five dollars more?"</p> - -<p>"Wouldn't I?" was the eager response.</p> - -<p>"Then don't say a word to anybody about bringing this note."</p> - -<p>"No, I won't. He'd strap me if I did."</p> - -<p>"Shall you see the boy?"</p> - -<p>"Yes, at twelve o'clock, when I carry his dinner."</p> - -<p>"When you see him, tell him you've seen me, and it's all right. Do you -understand?"</p> - -<p>Daniel nodded.</p> - -<p>"I may call up there some time this morning. If I do I want you to open -the door and let me in."</p> - -<p>Daniel nodded again.</p> - -<p>"That will do. You can go."</p> - -<p>Mr. Baker left the hotel with a preoccupied air.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_271" id="Page_271">[Pg 271]</a></span></p> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER XXXVIII.</span> <span class="smaller">GRIT MAKES A DISCOVERY.</span></h2> - -<p>Grit, left to himself, was subjected to the hardest trial, that of -waiting for deliverance, and not knowing whether the expected help would -come.</p> - -<p>"At any rate I have done the best I could," he said to himself. "Daniel -is the best messenger I could obtain. He doesn't seem to be more than -half-witted, but he ought to be intelligent enough to find Mr. Baker and -deliver my note."</p> - -<p>The subterranean apartment, with its utter destitution of furniture, -furnished absolutely no resources against ennui. Grit was fond of -reading, and in spite of his anxiety might in an interesting paper or -book have forgotten his captivity, but there was nothing to read, and -even if there had been, it was too dark to avail himself of it.</p> - -<p>"I suppose I sha'n't see Daniel till noon," he reflected. "Till then I -am left in suspense."</p> - -<p>He sat down in a corner and began to think over his position and future -prospects. He was not wholly cast down, for he refused<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_272" id="Page_272">[Pg 272]</a></span> to believe that -he was in any real peril. In fact, though a captive, he had never felt -more hopeful, or more self-reliant than now. But he was an active boy, -and accustomed to exercise, and he grew tired of sitting down.</p> - -<p>"I will walk a little," he decided, and proceeded to pace up and down -his limited apartment.</p> - -<p>Then it occurred to him to ascertain the dimensions of the room, by -pacing.</p> - -<p>As he did so, he ran his hand along the side wall. A most remarkable -thing occurred. A door flew open, which had appeared like the rest of -the wall, and a narrow passageway was revealed, leading Grit could not -tell where.</p> - -<p>"I must have touched some spring," he thought. "This house is a regular -trap. I wonder where this passageway leads?"</p> - -<p>Grit stooped down, for the passage was but about four feet in height, -and tried to peer through the darkness. But he could see nothing.</p> - -<p>"Shall I explore it?" he thought.</p> - -<p>He hesitated a moment, not knowing whether it would be prudent, but -finally curiosity overruled prudence, and he decided to do so.</p> - -<p>Stooping over, he felt his way for possibly<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_273" id="Page_273">[Pg 273]</a></span> fifty feet, when he came to -a solid wall. Here seemed to be the end of the passage.</p> - -<p>He began to feel slowly with his hand, when another small door, only -about twelve inches square, flew open, and he looked through it into -another subterranean apartment. It did not appear to be occupied, but on -a small wooden table was a candle, and by the light of the candle Grit -could see a variety of articles, including several trunks, one open, -revealing its contents to be plate.</p> - -<p>"What does it mean?" thought Grit.</p> - -<p>Then the thought came to him, for, though he was a country boy, his wits -had been sharpened by his recent experiences. "It must be a storehouse -of stolen goods."</p> - -<p>This supposition seemed in harmony with the character of the man who had -lured him here, and now held him captive.</p> - -<p>"If I were only outside," thought Grit, "I would tell Mr. Baker of this. -The police ought to know it."</p> - -<p>Just then he heard his name called, and, turning suddenly, distinguished -by the faint light which the candle threw into the passage the stern and -menacing countenance of Colonel Johnson.</p> - -<p>"Come out here, boy!" he called, in an angry tone. "I have an account to -settle with you."</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_274" id="Page_274">[Pg 274]</a></span></p> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER XXXIX.</span> <span class="smaller">AN UNPLEASANT INTERVIEW.</span></h2> - -<p>There was nothing to do but to obey. Judging by his own interpretation -of the discovery our hero was not surprised that his captor should be -incensed. He retraced his steps, and found himself once more in the -subterranean chamber facing an angry man.</p> - -<p>"What took you in there?" demanded Colonel Johnson.</p> - -<p>"Curiosity, I suppose," answered Grit composedly. He felt that he was in -a scrape, but he was not a boy to show fear or confusion.</p> - -<p>"How did you happen to discover the entrance?"</p> - -<p>"It was quite accidental. I was pacing the floor to see how wide the -room was, when my hand touched the spring."</p> - -<p>"Why did you want to know the width of the room?" asked Johnson -suspiciously.</p> - -<p>"I didn't care much to know, but the time hung heavily on my hands, and -that was one way of filling it up."</p> - -<p>Colonel Johnson eyed the boy attentively. He was at a loss to know -whether Grit really suspected the nature and meaning of his <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_275" id="Page_275">[Pg 275]</a></span>discovery, -or not. If not, he didn't wish to excite suspicion in the boy's mind. He -decided to insinuate an explanation.</p> - -<p>"I suppose you were surprised to find the passageway," he remarked.</p> - -<p>"Yes, sir."</p> - -<p>"As you have always lived in the country, that is natural. Such -arrangements are common enough in the city."</p> - -<p>"I wonder whether trap doors are common," thought Grit, but he did not -give expression to his thought.</p> - -<p>"The room into which you looked is under the house of my brother-in-law, -and the passage affords an easy mode of entrance."</p> - -<p>"I should think it would be easier going into the street," thought Grit.</p> - -<p>"Still I am annoyed at your meddlesome curiosity, and shall take -measures to prevent your gratifying it again. I had a great mind when I -first saw you to shut you up in the passage. I fancy you wouldn't enjoy -that."</p> - -<p>"I certainly shouldn't," said Grit, smiling.</p> - -<p>"I will have some consideration for you, and put a stop to your -wanderings in another way."</p> - -<p>As he spoke he drew from his pocket a thick, stout cord, and directing -Grit to hold his hands together, proceeded to tie his wrists.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_276" id="Page_276">[Pg 276]</a></span> This our -hero naturally regarded as distasteful.</p> - -<p>"You need not do this," he said. "I will promise not to go into the -passage."</p> - -<p>"Humph! Will you promise not to attempt to escape?"</p> - -<p>"No, sir, I can't promise that."</p> - -<p>"Ha! you mean, then, to attempt to escape?"</p> - -<p>"Of course!" answered Grit. "I should be a fool to stay here if any -chance offered of getting away."</p> - -<p>"You are candid, young man," returned Johnson. "There is no earthly -chance of your escaping. Still, I may as well make sure. Put out your -feet."</p> - -<p>"You are not going to tie my feet, too, are you?" asked Grit, in some -dismay.</p> - -<p>"To be sure I am. I can't trust you after what you have done this -morning."</p> - -<p>It was of no use to resist, for Colonel Johnson was a powerful man, and -Grit, though strong, only a boy of sixteen.</p> - -<p>"This doesn't look much like escaping," thought Grit. "I hope he won't -search my pockets and discover my knife. If I can get hold of that, I -may be able to release myself."</p> - -<p>Colonel Johnson had just completed tying the last knot when the door, -which had been<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_277" id="Page_277">[Pg 277]</a></span> left unbolted, was seen to open, and the half-witted -boy, Daniel, entered hastily.</p> - -<p>"How now, idiot!" said Johnson harshly. "What brings you here?"</p> - -<p>"There's a gentleman up-stairs wants to see you, master," said Daniel, -with the scared look with which he always regarded his tyrant.</p> - -<p>"A gentleman!" repeated Johnson hastily. "Who let him in?"</p> - -<p>"I did, sir."</p> - -<p>"You did!" thundered Johnson. "How often have I told you to let in -nobody? Do you want me to choke you?"</p> - -<p>"I—forgot," faltered the boy. "Besides, he said he wanted to see you -particular."</p> - -<p>"All the more reason why I don't want to see him. What does he look -like?"</p> - -<p>"He's a small man, sir."</p> - -<p>"Humph! Where did you leave him?"</p> - -<p>"Room above, sir."</p> - -<p>"I'll go up and see him. If it's somebody I don't want to see, I'll -choke you."</p> - -<p>"Yes, sir," said Daniel humbly.</p> - -<p>As Johnson went out, Daniel lingered a moment, and, in a hoarse whisper, -said to Grit: "It's him."</p> - -<p>"Who is it?" asked Grit puzzled.</p> - -<p>"It's the man you sent me to."</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_278" id="Page_278">[Pg 278]</a></span></p><p>"Good! You're a trump, Daniel," said Grit joyfully.</p> - -<p>A minute after a confused noise was heard in the room above. Daniel -turned pale.</p> - -<p>"Tell him where I am, Daniel," said Grit, as the boy timidly left the room.</p> - -<hr /> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER XL.</span> <span class="smaller">COLONEL JOHNSON COMES TO GRIEF.</span></h2> - -<p>We must now follow Johnson up-stairs.</p> - -<p>In the room above, sitting down tranquilly in an arm-chair, but not in -that in the center of the room, was a small, wiry man of unpretending -exterior.</p> - -<p>"What is your business here, sir?" demanded Johnson rudely.</p> - -<p>"Are you the owner of this house?" asked Benjamin Baker coolly.</p> - -<p>"Yes. That does not explain your presence here, however."</p> - -<p>"I am in search of a quiet home, and it struck me that this was about -the sort of a house I would like," answered Baker.</p> - -<p>"Then, sir, you have wasted your time in coming here. This house is not -for sale."</p> - -<p>"Indeed! Perhaps I may offer you enough to make it worth your while to -sell it to me."</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_279" id="Page_279">[Pg 279]</a></span></p><p>"Quite impossible, sir. This is my house, and I don't want to sell."</p> - -<p>"I am sorry to hear it. Perhaps you would be kind enough to show me over -the house to let me see its arrangements, as I may wish to copy them if -I build."</p> - -<p>"It strikes me, sir, you are very curious, whoever you are," said -Johnson angrily. "You intrude yourself into the house of a quiet -citizen, and wish to pry into his private arrangements."</p> - -<p>"I really beg your pardon, Mr. —— I really forget your name."</p> - -<p>"Because you never heard it. The name is of no consequence."</p> - -<p>"I was about to say, if you have anything to conceal, I won't press my -request."</p> - -<p>"Who told you I had anything to conceal?" said Johnson suspiciously.</p> - -<p>"I inferred it from your evident reluctance to let me go over your -house."</p> - -<p>"Then, sir, I have only to say that you are mistaken. Because I resent -your impertinent intrusion, you jump to the conclusion that I have -something to conceal."</p> - -<p>"Just so. There might, for example, be a trap-door in this very -room——"</p> - -<p>Colonel Johnson sprang to his feet and advanced toward his unwelcome -guest.</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_280" id="Page_280">[Pg 280]</a></span></p><p>"Tell me what you mean," he said savagely. "I am not the man to be -bearded in my own house. You will yet repent your temerity in thrusting -yourself here."</p> - -<p>Benjamin Baker also rose to his feet, and, putting a whistle to his -mouth, whistled shrilly.</p> - -<p>Instantly two stalwart policemen sprang into the apartment from the hall -outside.</p> - -<p>"Seize that man!" said the detective.</p> - -<p>"What does this mean?" asked Johnson, struggling, but ineffectually.</p> - -<p>"It means, Colonel Johnson, alias Robert Kidd, that you are arrested on -a charge of being implicated in the attempt to steal a parcel of bonds -belonging to the National Bank of Chester, Maine."</p> - -<p>"I don't know anything about it," said Johnson sullenly. "You've got the -wrong man."</p> - -<p>"Possibly. If so, you'll be released, especially as there are other -charges against you. Guard him, men, while I search the house."</p> - -<p>"Here, boy, show me where my young friend is concealed," said Baker to -Daniel, who was timidly peeping in at the door.</p> - -<p>A minute later and Baker cut the cords that confined the hands and feet -of Grit.</p> - -<p>"Now," said he quickly, "have you <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_281" id="Page_281">[Pg 281]</a></span>discovered anything that will be of -service to me?"</p> - -<p>Grit opened for him the dark passage. The detective walked to the end, -and saw the room into which it opened.</p> - -<p>"Do you know, Grit," he said, on his return, "you have done a splendid -day's work? With your help I have discovered the headquarters of a bold -and desperate gang of thieves, which has long baffled the efforts of the -Boston police. There is a standing reward of two thousand dollars for -their discovery, to which you will be entitled."</p> - -<p>"No, sir; it belongs to you," said Grit modestly. "I could have done -nothing without you."</p> - -<p>"Nor I without your information. But we can discuss this hereafter."</p> - -<p>Johnson ground his teeth when Grit was brought upstairs, free, to see -him handcuffed and helpless.</p> - -<p>"I believe you are at the bottom of this, you young rascal!" he said.</p> - -<p>"You are right," said the detective. "We have received very valuable -information from this boy, whom you supposed to be in your power."</p> - -<p>"I wish I had killed him!" said Johnson furiously.</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_282" id="Page_282">[Pg 282]</a></span></p><p>"Fortunately, you were saved that crime, and need expect nothing worse -than a long term of imprisonment. Officers, take him along."</p> - -<hr /> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER XLI.</span> <span class="smaller">CONCLUSION.</span></h2> - -<p>The Boston and Portland papers of the next morning contained full -accounts of the discovery of the rendezvous of a gang of robbers whose -operations had been extensive in and near Boston, together with the -arrest of their chief.</p> - -<p>In the account full credit was given to our young hero, Grit, for his -agency in the affair, and it was announced that the prize offered would -be divided between Grit and the famous detective, Benjamin Baker.</p> - -<p>It may readily be supposed that this account created great excitement in -Chester. Most of the villagers were heartily pleased by the good fortune -and sudden renown of the young boatman; but there was at least one -household to which the news brought no satisfaction. This was the home -of Phil Courtney.</p> - -<p>"What a fuss the papers make about that boy!" exclaimed Phil, in -disgust. "I <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_283" id="Page_283">[Pg 283]</a></span>suppose he will put on no end of airs when he gets home."</p> - -<p>"Very likely," said Mr. Courtney. "He seems to have had good luck, -that's all."</p> - -<p>"It's pretty good luck to get a thousand dollars," said Phil enviously. -"Papa, will you do me a favor?"</p> - -<p>"What is it?"</p> - -<p>"Can't you put a thousand dollars in the bank for me, so that the -boatman can't crow over me?"</p> - -<p>"Money is very scarce with me just now, Philip," said his father. "It -will do just as well to tell him you have a thousand dollars in my -hands."</p> - -<p>"I would rather have it in a bank," said Philip.</p> - -<p>"Then you'll have to wait till it is convenient for me," said his father -shortly.</p> - -<p>It was true that money was scarce with Mr. Courtney. I have already -stated that he had been speculating in Wall Street heavily, and with by -no means unvarying success. In fact, the same evening he received a -letter from his brother, stating that the market was so heavily against -him that he must at once forward five thousand dollars to protect his -margin, or the stocks carried on his account must be sold.</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_284" id="Page_284">[Pg 284]</a></span></p><p>As Mr. Courtney was unable to meet this demand, the stocks were sold, -involving a loss of ten thousand dollars.</p> - -<p>This, in addition to previous losses, so far crippled Mr. Courtney that -he was compelled materially to change his way of living, and Phil had to -come down in the social scale, much to his mortification.</p> - -<p>But the star of the young boatman was in the ascendant.</p> - -<p>On his return to Pine Point he found Mr. Jackson, the New York broker, -about to leave the hotel for a return to the city. He congratulated Grit -on his success as an amateur detective, and then asked:</p> - -<p>"What are your plans, Grit? Probably you won't care to remain a -boatman?"</p> - -<p>"No, sir; I have decided to give up that business, at any rate."</p> - -<p>"Have you anything in view?"</p> - -<p>"I thought I might get a situation of some kind in Boston. The -prize-money will keep us going till I can earn a good salary."</p> - -<p>"Will your mother move from Pine Point?"</p> - -<p>"Yes, sir; she would be lonely here without me."</p> - -<p>"I have an amendment to offer to your plans, Grit."</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_285" id="Page_285">[Pg 285]</a></span></p><p>"What is that, sir?"</p> - -<p>"Come to New York instead of Boston."</p> - -<p>"I have no objection, sir, if there is any opening there for me."</p> - -<p>"There is, and in my office. Do you think you would like to enter my -office?"</p> - -<p>"I should like it very much," said Grit eagerly.</p> - -<p>"Then I will engage you at a salary of twelve dollars per week—for the -first year."</p> - -<p>"Twelve dollars!" exclaimed Grit, overwhelmed. "I had no idea a green -hand could get such pay."</p> - -<p>"Nor can they," answered Mr. Jackson, smiling; "but you remember that -there is an unsettled account between us. I have not forgotten that you -saved the life of my boy."</p> - -<p>"I don't want any reward for that, sir."</p> - -<p>"I appreciate your delicacy, but I shall feel better satisfied to -recognize it in my own way. I have another proposal to make to you. It -is this: Place in my hands as much of your thousand dollars as you can -spare, and I will invest it carefully for your advantage in stock -operations, and hope materially to increase it."</p> - -<p>"I shall be delighted if you will do so, Mr. Jackson, and think myself -very fortunate that you take this trouble for me."</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_286" id="Page_286">[Pg 286]</a></span></p><p>"Now, how soon can you go to New York?"</p> - -<p>"When you think best, sir?"</p> - -<p>"I advise you to go on with me, and select a home for your mother. Then -you can come back for her, and settle yourself down to work."</p> - -<p class="center">* * * * * * * *</p> - -<p>A year later, in a pleasant cottage on Staten Island, Grit and his -mother sat in a neatly furnished sitting-room. Our young hero was -taller, as befitted his increased age, but there was the same pleasant, -frank expression which had characterized him as a boy.</p> - -<p>"Mother," said he, "I have some news for you."</p> - -<p>"What is it, Grit?"</p> - -<p>"Mr. Jackson has raised my pay to twenty dollars a week."</p> - -<p>"That is excellent news, Grit."</p> - -<p>"He has besides rendered an account of the eight hundred dollars he took -from me to operate with. How much do you think it amounts to now?"</p> - -<p>"Perhaps a thousand."</p> - -<p>"Between four and five thousand!" answered Grit, in exultation.</p> - -<p>"How can that be possible?" exclaimed Mrs. Morris, in astonishment.</p> - -<p>"He used it as a margin to buy stocks<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_287" id="Page_287">[Pg 287]</a></span> which advanced greatly in a short -time. This being repeated once or twice, has made me almost rich."</p> - -<p>"I can hardly believe it, Grit. It is too good to be true."</p> - -<p>"But it is true, mother. Now we can change our mode of living."</p> - -<p>"Wait till you are worth ten thousand dollars, Grit—then I will -consent. But, I, too, have some news for you."</p> - -<p>"What is it?"</p> - -<p>"I had a letter from Chester to-day. Our old neighbor, Mr. Courtney, has -lost everything—or almost everything—and has been compelled to accept -the post of bank messenger, at a salary of fifty dollars per month."</p> - -<p>"That is indeed a change," said Grit. "What will Phil do?"</p> - -<p>"He has gone into a store in Chester, on a salary of three dollars a -week."</p> - -<p>"Poor fellow!" said Grit. "I pity him. It must be hard for a boy with -his high notions to come down in the world so. I would rather begin -small and rise, than be reared in affluence only to sink into poverty -afterward."</p> - -<p>It was quite true. The result of his rash speculations was to reduce Mr. -Courtney to poverty, and make him for the balance of his life a soured, -discontented man.</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_288" id="Page_288">[Pg 288]</a></span></p><p>As for Phil, he is still young, and adversity may teach him a valuable -lesson. Still, I hardly think he will ever look with satisfaction upon -the growing success and prosperity of the young boatman.</p> - -<p>I must note another change. It will be observed that I have referred to -Grit's mother as Mrs. Morris. Mr. Brandon was accidentally drowned in -Portland Harbor, having undertaken, while under the influence of liquor, -to row to Peake's Island, some two miles distant. His wife and Grit were -shocked by his sudden death, but they could hardly be expected to mourn -for him. His widow resumed the name of her former husband, and could now -lay aside all anxiety as to the quiet tenor of her life being broken in -upon by her ill-chosen second husband.</p> - -<p>It looks as if Grit's prosperity had come to stay. I am privately -informed that Mr. Jackson intends next year to make him junior partner, -and this will give him a high position in business circles. I am sure my -young readers will feel that his prosperity has been well earned, and -will rejoice heartily in the brilliant success of the young boatman of -Pine Point.</p> - -<p class="center space-above">THE END.</p> - - - - - - - - -<pre> - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Grit, by Horatio Alger Jr. - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK GRIT *** - -***** This file should be named 54195-h.htm or 54195-h.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/5/4/1/9/54195/ - -Produced by David Edwards, Martin Pettit and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This -book was produced from scanned images of public domain -material from the Google Books project.) - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions -will be renamed. - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no -one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation -(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without -permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org/license - - -Title: Grit - or The Young Boatman of Pine Point - -Author: Horatio Alger Jr. - -Release Date: February 19, 2017 [EBook #54195] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ASCII - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK GRIT *** - - - - -Produced by David Edwards, Martin Pettit and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This -book was produced from scanned images of public domain -material from the Google Books project.) - - - - - - -+-------------------------------------------------+ -|Transcriber's note: | -| | -|Obvious typographic errors have been corrected. | -| | -+-------------------------------------------------+ - - -GRIT - -OR - -The Young Boatman of Pine Point - -BY -HORATIO ALGER, JR. - -AUTHOR OF "THE YOUNG ACROBAT," "THE STORE BOY," "THE -TIN BOX," "TOM TRACY," "SAM'S CHANCE," "ONLY AN -IRISH BOY," "JOE'S LUCK," AND FORTY-NINE OTHER -RATTLING GOOD STORIES OF ADVENTURE PUBLISHED -IN THE MEDAL LIBRARY - - -NEW YORK -HURST & COMPANY -PUBLISHERS - - - - -GRIT. - - - - -CHAPTER I. - -GRIT. - - -"Grit!" - -"Well, mother, what is it?" - -The speaker was a sturdy, thick-set boy of fifteen, rather short for his -age, but strongly made. His eyes were clear and bright, his expression -was pleasant, and his face attractive, but even a superficial observer -could read in it unusual firmness and strength of will. He was evidently -a boy whom it would not be easy to subdue or frighten. He was sure to -make his way in the world, and maintain his rights against all -aggression. It was the general recognition of this trait which had led -to the nickname, "Grit," by which he was generally known. His real name -was Harry Morris, but even his mother had fallen into the habit of -calling him Grit, and his own name actually sounded strange to him. - -"Well, mother, what is it?" he asked again, as his mother continued to -look at him in silence, with an expression of trouble on her face. - -"I had a letter this morning, Grit." - -"From--_him_?" - -"Yes, from your father." - -"Don't call him my father!" said the boy hastily. "He isn't my father." - -"He is your stepfather--and my husband," said Mrs. Morris soberly. - -"Yes, worse luck for you! Well, what does he say?" - -"He's coming home." - -An expression of dismay quickly gathered on the boy's face. - -"How can that be? His term isn't out." - -"It is shortened by good behavior, and so he comes out four months -before his sentence would have expired." - -"I wouldn't have him here, mother," said Grit earnestly. "He will only -worry and trouble you. We are getting on comfortably now without him." - -"Yes, thanks to my good, industrious boy." - -"Oh, don't talk about that," said Grit, who always felt embarrassed when -openly praised. - -"But it is true, Grit. But for the money you make in your boat, I might -have to go to the poorhouse." - -"You will never go while I live, mother," said Grit quickly. - -"No, Grit, I feel sure of that. It seems wicked to rejoice in your -father's misfortune and disgrace----" - -"Not my father," interrupted Grit. - -"Mr. Brandon, then. As I was saying, it seems wicked to feel relieved by -his imprisonment, but I can't help it." - -"Why should you try to help it? He has made you a bad husband, and only -brought you unhappiness. How did you ever come to marry him, mother?" - -"I did it for the best, as I thought, Grit. I was left a widow when you -were four years old. I had this cottage, to be sure, and about two -thousand dollars, but the interest of that sum at six per cent. only -amounted to a hundred and twenty dollars, and I was not brave and -self-reliant like some, so when Mr. Brandon asked me to marry him, I did -so, thinking that he would give us a good home, be a father to you, and -save us from all pecuniary care or anxiety." - -"You were pretty soon undeceived, mother." - -"No, not soon. Your stepfather had a good mercantile position in Boston, -and we occupied a comfortable cottage in Newton. For some years all went -well, but then I began to see a change for the worse in him. He became -fond of drink, was no longer attentive to business, picked up bad -associates, and eventually lost his position. This was when you were ten -years of age. Then he took possession of my little capital and went into -business for himself. But his old habits clung to him, and of course -there was small chance of success. He kept up for about a year, however, -and then he failed, and the creditors took everything----" - -"Except this house, mother." - -"Yes, this house was fortunately settled upon me, so that my husband -could not get hold of it. When we were turned out of our home in Newton, -it proved a welcome refuge for us. It was small, plain, humble, but -still it gave us a home." - -"It has been a happy home, mother--that is, ever since Mr. Brandon left -us." - -"Yes; we have lived plainly, but I have had you, and you have always -been a comfort to me. You were always a good boy, Grit." - -"I'm not quite an angel, mother. Ask Phil Courtney what he thinks about -it," said Grit, smiling. - -"He is a bad, disagreeable boy," said Mrs. Brandon warmly. - -"So I think, mother; but Phil, on the other hand, thinks I am a low, -vulgar boy, unworthy of associating with him." - -"I don't want you to associate with him, Grit." - -"I don't care to, mother; but we are getting away from the subject. How -did Mr. Brandon behave after you moved here?" - -"He did nothing to earn money, but managed to obtain liquor at the -tavern, and sometimes went off for three or four days or a week, leaving -me in ignorance of his whereabouts. At last he did not come back at all, -and I heard that he had been arrested for forgery, and was on trial. The -trial was quickly over, and he was sentenced to imprisonment for a term -of years. I saw him before he was carried to prison, but he treated me -so rudely that I have not felt it my duty to visit him since. Gradually -I resumed your father's name, and I have been known as Mrs. Morris, -though my legal name of course is Brandon." - -"It is a pity you ever took the name, mother," said Grit hastily. - -"I agree with you, Grit; but I cannot undo the past." - -"The court ought to grant you a divorce from such a man." - -"Perhaps I might obtain one, but it would cost money, and we have no -money to spend on such things." - -"If you had one," said Grit thoughtfully, "Mr. Brandon would no longer -have any claim upon you." - -"That is true." - -"You said you had a letter from him. When did you receive it?" - -"While you were out, this morning. Mr. Wheeler saw it in the -post-office, and brought it along, thinking we might not have occasion -to call." - -"May I see the letter, mother?" - -"Certainly, Grit; I have no secrets from you." - -Mrs. Morris--to call her by the name she preferred--took from the -pocket of her dress a letter in a yellow envelope, which, however, was -directed in a neat, clerky hand, for Mr. Brandon had been carefully -prepared for mercantile life, and had once been a bookkeeper, and wrote -a handsome, flowing hand. - -"Here it is, Grit." - -Grit opened the letter, and read as follows: - - - "'---- PRISON, May 10. - - "MY AFFECTIONATE WIFE: I have no doubt you will be overjoyed to - hear that my long imprisonment is nearly over, and that on the - fifteenth, probably, I shall be set free, and can leave these - cursed walls behind me. Of course, I shall lose no time in seeking - out my loving wife, who has not deigned for years to remember that - she has a husband. You might at least have called now and then, to - show some interest in me.' - - -"Why should you?" ejaculated Grit indignantly. "He has only illtreated -you, spent your money, and made you unhappy." - -"You think, then, I was right in staying away, Grit?" asked his mother. - -"Certainly I do. You don't pretend to love him?" - -"No, I only married him at his urgent request, thinking I was doing what -was best for you. It was a bad day's work for me. I could have got along -much better alone." - -"Of course you could, mother. Well, I will read the rest: - - - "'However, you are my wife still, and owe me some reparation for - your long neglect. I shall come to Pine Point as soon as I can, and - it is hardly necessary to remind you that I shall be out of money, - and shall want you to stir round and get me some, as I shall want - to buy some clothes and other things." - - -"How does he think you are to supply him with money, when he has left -you to take care of yourself all these years?" again burst from Grit's -indignant lips. - -He read on: - - - "'How is the cub? Is he as independent and saucy as ever? I am - afraid you have allowed him to do as he pleases. He needs a man's - hand to hold him in check and train him up properly.'" - - -"Heaven help you if Mr. Brandon is to have the training of you, Grit!" -exclaimed his mother. - -"He'll have a tough job if he tries it!" said Grit. "He'll find me -rather larger and stronger than when he went to prison." - -"Don't get into any conflict with him, Grit," said his mother, a new -alarm seizing her. - -"I won't if I can help it, mother; but I don't mean to have him impose -upon me." - - - - -CHAPTER II. - -THE YOUNG BOATMAN. - - -Pine Point was situated on the Kennebec River, and from its height -overlooked it, so that a person standing on its crest could scan the -river for a considerable distance up and down. There was a small grove -of pine-trees at a little distance, and this had given the point its -name. A hundred feet from the brink stood the old-fashioned cottage -occupied by Mrs. Morris. It had belonged, in a former generation, to an -uncle of hers, who, dying unmarried, had bequeathed it to her. Perhaps -half an acre was attached to it. There had been more, but it had been -sold off. - -When Grit and his mother came to Chester to live--it was in this -township that Pine Point was situated--she had but little of her two -thousand dollars' remaining, and when her husband was called to expiate -his offense against the law in prison, there were but ten dollars in the -house. Mrs. Morris was fortunate enough to secure a boarder, whose -board-money paid nearly all their small household expenses for three -years, the remainder being earned by her own skill as a dressmaker; but -when the boarder went to California, never to return, Grit was already -thirteen years old, and hit upon a way of earning money. - -On the opposite bank of the Kennebec was the village of Portville, but -there was no bridge at that point. So Grit bought a boat for a few -dollars, agreeing to pay for it in instalments, and established a -private ferry between the two places. His ordinary charge for rowing a -passenger across--the distance being half a mile--was ten cents; but if -it were a child, or a poor person, he was willing to receive five, and -he took parties of four at a reduction. - -It was an idea of his own, but it paid. Grit himself was rather -surprised at the number of persons who availed themselves of his ferry. -Sometimes he found at the end of the day that he had received in fares -over a dollar, and one Fourth of July, when there was a special -celebration in Portville, he actually made three dollars. Of course, he -had to work pretty hard for it, but the young boatman's arms were -strong, as was shown by his sturdy stroke. - -Grit was now fifteen, and he could reflect with pride that for two years -he had been able to support his mother in a comfortable manner, so that -she had wanted for nothing--that is, for nothing that could be classed -as a comfort. Luxuries he had not been able to supply, but for them -neither he nor his mother cared. They were content with their plain way -of living. - -But if his stepfather were coming home, Grit felt that his income would -no longer be adequate to maintain the household. Mr. Brandon ought to -increase the family income, but, knowing what he and his mother did of -his ways, he built no hope upon that. It looked as if their quiet home -happiness was likely to be rudely broken in upon by the threatened -invasion. - -"Well, mother," said Grit, "I must get to work." - -"You haven't finished your dinner, my son." - -"Your news has spoiled my appetite, mother. However, I dare say I'll -make up for it at supper." - -"I'll save a piece of meat for you to eat then. You work so hard that -you need meat to keep up your strength." - -"I haven't had to work much this morning, mother, worse luck! I only -earned twenty cents. People don't seem inclined to travel to-day." - -"Never mind, Grit. I've got five dollars in the house." - -"Save it for a rainy day, mother. The day is only half over, and I may -have good luck this afternoon." - -As Grit left the house with his quick, firm step, Mrs. Morris looked -after him with blended affection and pride. - -"What a good boy he is!" she said to herself. "He is a boy that any -mother might be proud of." - -And so he was. Our young hero was not only a strong, manly boy, but -there was something very attractive in his clear eyes and frank smile, -browned though his skin was by constant exposure to the sun and wind. He -was a general favorite in the town, or, rather, in the two towns, for he -was as well known in Portville as he was in Chester. - -I have said he was a general favorite, but there was one at least who -disliked him. This was Phil Courtney, a boy about his own age, the son -of an ex-president of the Chester bank, a boy who considered himself of -great consequence, and socially far above the young boatman. He lived in -a handsome house, and had a good supply of pocket-money, though he was -always grumbling about his small allowance. It by no means follows that -money makes a boy a snob, but if he has any tendency that way, it is -likely to show itself under such circumstances. - -Now, it happened that Phil had a cousin staying at his house as a -visitor, quite a pretty girl, in whose eyes he liked to appear to -advantage. As Grit reached the shore, where he had tied his boat, they -were seen approaching the same point. - -"I wonder if Phil is going to favor me with his patronage," thought -Grit, as his eyes fell upon them. - -"Here, you boatman!" called out Phil, in a tone of authority. "We want -to go over to Portville." - -Grit's eyes danced with merriment, as he answered gravely: - -"I have no objection to your going." - -The girl laughed merrily, but Phil frowned, for his dignity was wounded -by Grit's flippancy. - -"I am not in the habit of considering whether you have any objection or -not," he said haughtily. - -"Don't be a goose, Phil!" said his cousin. "The boy is in fun." - -"I would rather he would not make fun of me," said Phil. - -"I won't, then," said Grit, smiling. - -"Ahem! you may convey us across," said Phil. - -"If you please," added the young lady, with a smile. - -"She is very good-looking, and five times as polite as Phil," thought -Grit, fixing his eyes admiringly upon the pretty face of Marion Clarke, -as he afterward learned her name to be. - -"I shall be glad to have you as a passenger," said our hero, but he -looked at Marion, not at Phil. - -"Thank you." - -"If you've got through with your compliments," said Phil impatiently, -"we'd better start." - -"I am ready," said Grit. "May I help you in?" he asked of Marion. - -"Yes, thank you." - -"It is quite unnecessary. I can assist you," said Phil, advancing. - -But he was too late, for Marion had already availed herself of the young -boatman's proffered aid. - -"Thank you," said Marion again, pleasantly, as she took her seat in the -stern. - -"Why didn't you wait for me?" demanded Phil crossly, as he took his seat -beside her. - -"I didn't want to be always troubling you, cousin Phil," said Marion, -with a coquettish glance at Grit, which her cousin did not at all -relish. - -"Don't notice him so much," he said, in a low voice. "He's only a poor -boatman." - -"He is very good-looking, I think," said Marion. - -Grit's back was turned, but he heard both question and answer, and his -cheeks glowed with pleasure at the young lady's speech, though it was -answered by a contemptuous sniff from Phil. - -"I don't admire your taste, Marion," he said. - -"Hush, he'll hear you," she whispered. "What's his name?" - -By way of answering, Phil addressed Grit in a condescending tone. - -"Well, Grit, how is business to-day?" - -"Rather quiet, thank you." - -"You see, he earns his living by boating, explained Phil, with the -manner of one who was speaking of a very inferior person. - -"How much have you earned now?" he asked further. - -"Only twenty cents," answered Grit; "but I suppose," he added, smiling, -"I suppose you intend to pay me liberally." - -"I mean to pay you your regular fare," said Phil, who was not of a -liberal disposition. - -"Thank you; I ask no more." - -"Do you row across often?" asked Marion. - -"Sometimes I make eight or ten trips in a day. On the Fourth of July I -went fifteen times." - -"How strong you must be!" - -"Pooh! I could do more than that," said Phil loftily, unwilling that -Grit should be admired for anything. - -"Oh, I know you're remarkable," said his cousin dryly. - -Just then the wind, which was unusually strong, took Phil's hat, and it -blew off to a considerable distance. - -"My hat's off!" exclaimed Phil, in excitement. "Row after it, quick. -It's a new Panama, and cost ten dollars." - - - - -CHAPTER III. - -THE LOST HAT. - - -Grit complied with the request of his passenger, and rowed after Phil's -hat. But there was a strong current, and it was not without -considerable trouble that he at last secured it. But, alas! the new hat, -with its bright ribbon, was well soaked when it was fished out of the -water. - -"It's mean," ejaculated Phil, lifting it with an air of disgust. "Just -my luck." - -"Are you so unlucky, then?" asked his cousin Marion, with a half smile. - -"I should say so. What do you call this?" - -"A wet hat." - -"How am I ever to wear it? It will drip all over my clothes." - -"I think you had better buy a common one in Portville, and leave this -one here to dry." - -"How am I going round Portville bareheaded?" inquired Phil crossly. - -"Shall I lend you my hat?" asked Marion. - -"Wouldn't I look like a fool, going round the streets with a girl's hat -on?" - -"Well, you are the best judge of that," answered Marion demurely. - -Grit laughed, as the young lady glanced at him with a smile. - -"What are you laughing at, you boatman?" snarled Phil. - -"I beg your pardon," said Grit good-naturedly; "I know it must be -provoking to have your hat wet. Can I help you in any way? If you will -give me the money, and remain in the boat, I will run up to Davis, the -hatter's, and get you a new hat." - -"How can you tell my size?" asked Phil, making no acknowledgment for the -offer. - -"Then I will lend you my hat to go up yourself." - -Phil's lip curled, as if he considered that there would be contamination -in such a plebeian hat. However, as Marion declared it would be the best -thing to do, he suppressed his disdain, and, without a word of thanks, -put Grit's hat on his head. - -"Come with me, Marion," he said. - -"No, Phil; I will remain here with Mr. ----," and she turned inquiringly -toward the young boatman. - -"Grit," he suggested. - -"Mr. Grit," she said, finishing the sentence. - -"Just as you like. I admire your taste," said Phil, with a sneer. - -As he walked away, Marion turned to the young boatman. - -"Is your name really Grit?" she asked. - -"No; people call me so." - -"I can understand why," she answered with a smile. "You look--gritty." - -"If I do, I hope it isn't anything disagreeable," responded our hero. - -"Oh, no," said Marion; "quite the contrary. I like to see boys that -won't allow themselves to be imposed upon." - -"I don't generally allow myself to be imposed upon." - -"What is your real name?" - -"Harry Morris." - -"I suppose you and Phil know each other very well?" - -"We have known each other a long time, but we are not very intimate -friends." - -"I don't think Phil has any intimate friends," said Marion thoughtfully. -"He--I don't think he gets on very well with the other boys." - -"He wants to boss them," said Grit bluntly. - -"Yes; I expect that is it. He's my cousin, you know." - -"Is he? I don't think you are much alike." - -"Is that remark a compliment to me--or him?" asked Marion, laughing. - -"To you, decidedly." - -"Well, Phil can be very disagreeable when he sets out to be. I should -not want to be that, you know." - -"You couldn't," said Grit, with an admiring glance. - -"That's a compliment," said Marion. "But you're mistaken. I can be -disagreeable when I set out to be. I expect Phil finds me so sometimes." - -"I wouldn't." - -"You know how to flatter as well as to row, Mr. Grit. It's true. I tease -Phil awfully sometimes." - -By this time Phil came back with a new hat on his head, holding Grit's -in the tips of his fingers, as if it would contaminate him. He pitched -it into Grit's lap, saying shortly: - -"There's your hat." - -"Upon my word, Phil, you're polite," said his cousin. "Can't you thank -Mr. Grit?" - -"Mr. Grit!" repeated Phil contemptuously. "Of course I thank him." - -"You're welcome," answered Grit dryly. - -"Here's your fare!" said Phil, taking out two dimes, and offering them -to the young boatman. - -"Thank you." - -"Phil, you ought to pay something extra for the loan of the hat," said -Marion, "and the delay." - -With evident reluctance Phil took a nickel from his vest pocket, and -offered it to Grit. - -"No, thank you!" said Grit, drawing back, "I wouldn't be willing to take -anything for that. I've found it very agreeable to wait," and he glanced -significantly at Marion. - -"I suppose I am to consider that another compliment," said the young -lady, with a coquettish glance. - -"What, has he been complimenting you?" asked Phil jealously. - -"Yes, and it was very agreeable, as I got no compliments from you. Good -afternoon, Mr. Grit. I hope you will row us back by and by." - -"I hope so, too," said the young boatman, bowing. - -"Look here, Marion," said Phil, as they walked away, "you take -altogether too much notice of that fellow." - -"Why do I? I am sure he is a very nice boy." - -"He is a common working boy!" snapped Phil. "He lives with his mother -in a poor hut upon the bluff, and makes his living by boating." - -"I am sure that is to his credit." - -"Oh, yes, I suppose it is. So's a ditch-digger engaged in a creditable -employment, but you don't treat him as an equal." - -"I should be willing to treat Grit as an equal. He is very good-looking, -don't you think so, Phil?" - -"Good-looking! So is a cow good-looking." - -"I've seen some cows that were very good-looking," answered Marion, with -a mischievous smile. "I suppose Grit and you are well acquainted." - -"Oh, I know him to speak to him," returned Phil loftily. "Of course, I -couldn't be intimate with such a boy." - -"I was thinking," said Marion, "it would be nice to invite him round to -the house to play croquet with us." - -"Invite Grit Morris?" gasped Phil. - -"Yes, why not?" - -"A boy like him!" - -"Why, wouldn't he behave well?" - -"Oh, I suppose he would, but he isn't in our circle." - -"Then it's a pity he isn't. He's the most agreeable boy I have met in -Chester." - -"You say that only to provoke me." - -"No, I don't. I mean it." - -"I won't invite him," said Phil doggedly. "I am surprised that you -should think of such a thing." - -"Propriety, Miss Marion, propriety!" said the young lady, in a tone of -mock dignity, turning up the whites of her eyes. "That's just the way my -governess used to talk. It's well I've got so experienced a young -gentleman to look after me, and see that I don't stumble into any -impropriety." - -Meanwhile, Grit sat in his boat, waiting for a return passenger, and as -he waited he thought of the young lady he had just ferried over. - -"I can't see how such a fellow as Phil Courtney can have such a nice -cousin," he said to himself. "She's very pretty, too! She isn't -stuck-up, like him. I hope I shall get the chance of rowing them back." - -He waited about ten minutes, when he saw a gentleman and a little boy -approaching the river. - -"Are you the ferry-boy?" asked the gentleman. - -"Yes, sir." - -"I heard there was a boy who would row me across. I want to go to -Chester with my little boy. Can you take us over?" - -"Yes, sir; I shall be happy to do so." - -"Are you ready to start?" - -"Yes, sir, just as soon as you get into the boat." - -"Come, Willie," said the gentleman, addressing his little boy, "won't -you like to ride over in the boat?" - -"Oh, yes, papa," answered Willie eagerly. - -"I hope you are well acquainted with rowing, and careful," said Mr. -Jackson, for this was his name. "I am rather timid about the water, for -I can't swim." - -"Yes, sir, I am as much at home on the water as on the land. I've been -rowing every day for the last three years." - -The gentleman and his little boy sat down, and Grit bent to his oars. - - - - -CHAPTER IV. - -A BOY IN THE WATER. - - -Mr. Jackson was a slender, dark-complexioned man of forty, or -thereabouts. He was fashionably dressed, and had the air of one who -lives in a city. He had an affable manner, and seemed inclined to be -social. - -"Is this your business, ferrying passengers across the river?" he asked -of Grit. - -"Yes, sir," answered the young boatman. - -"Does it pay?" was the next inquiry--an important one in the eyes of a -city man. - -"Yes, sir; I make more in this way than I could in any other." - -"How much, for instance?" - -"From five to seven dollars. Once--it was Fourth of July week--I made -nearly ten dollars." - -"That is a great deal more than I made at your age," said Mr. Jackson. - -"You look as if you made more now," said Grit, smiling. - -"Yes," said the passenger, with an answering smile. "I am afraid I -couldn't get along on that sum now." - -"Do you live in the city?" asked Grit, with a sudden impulse. - -"Yes, I live in what I regard as the city. I mean New York." - -"It must be a fine place," said the young boatman thoughtfully. - -"Yes, it is a fine place, if you have money enough to live handsomely. -Did you ever hear of Wall Street?" - -"Yes, sir." - -"I am a Wall Street broker. I commenced as a boy in a broker's office. I -don't think I was any better off than you at your age--certainly I did -not earn so much money." - -"But you didn't have a mother to take care of, did you, sir?" - -"No; do you?" - -"Yes, sir." - -"You are a good boy to work for your mother. My poor boy has no mother;" -and the gentleman looked sad. "What is your name?" - -"Grit." - -"Is that your real name?" - -"No, sir, but everybody calls me so." - -"For a good reason, probably. Willie, do you like to ride in the boat?" - -"Yes, papa," answered the little boy, his bright eyes and eager manner -showing that he spoke the truth. - -"Grit," said Mr. Jackson, "I see we are nearly across the river. Unless -you are due there at a specified time, you may stay out, and we will row -here and there, prolonging our trip. Of course, I will increase your -pay." - -"I shall be very willing, sir," said Grit. "My boat is my own, and my -time also, and I have no fixed hours for starting from either side." - -"Good! Then we can continue our conversation. Is there a good hotel in -Chester?" - -"Quite a good one, sir. They keep summer boarders." - -"That was the point I wished to inquire about. Willie and I have been -staying with friends in Portville, but they are expecting other -visitors, and I have a fancy for staying a while on your side of the -river--that is, if you live in Chester." - -"Yes, sir; our cottage is on yonder bluff--Pine Point, it is called." - -"Then I think I will call at the hotel, and see whether I can obtain -satisfactory accommodations." - -"Are you taking a vacation?" asked Grit, with curiosity. - -"Yes; the summer is a dull time in Wall Street, and my partner attends -to everything. By and by I shall return, and give him a chance to go -away." - -"Do people make a great deal of money in Wall Street?" asked Grit. - -"Sometimes, and sometimes they lose a great deal. I have known a man who -kept his span of horses one summer reduced to accept a small clerkship -the next. If a broker does not speculate, he is not so liable to such -changes of fortune. What is your real name, since Grit is only a -nickname?" - -"My real name is Harry Morris." - -"Have you any brothers or sisters?" - -"No, sir; I am an only child." - -"Were you born here?" - -"No, sir; I was born in Boston." - -"Have you formed any plans for the future? You won't be a boatman all -your life, I presume?" - -"I hope not, sir. It will do well enough for the present, and I am glad -to have such a chance of earning a living for my mother and myself; but -when I grow up I should like to go to the city, and get into business -there." - -"All the country boys are anxious to seek their fortune in the city. In -many cases they would do better to stay at home." - -"Were you born in the city, sir?" asked Grit shrewdly. - -"No; I was born in the country." - -"But you didn't stay there." - -"No; you have got me there. I suppose it was better for me to go to the -city, and perhaps it may be for you; but there is no hurry. You wouldn't -have a chance to earn six dollars a week in the city, as you say you do -here. Besides, it would cost much more for you and your mother to live." - -"I suppose so, sir. I am contented to remain where I am at present." - -"Is your father dead?" - -"Yes, sir." - -"It is a great loss. Then your mother is a widow?" - -"I wish she were," said Grit hastily. - -"But she must be, if your father is dead," said Mr. Jackson. - -"No, sir; she married again." - -"Oh, there is a stepfather, then? Don't you and he get along well -together?" - -"There has been no chance to quarrel for nearly five years." - -"Why?" - -"Because he has been in prison." - -"Excuse me if I have forced upon you a disagreeable topic," said the -passenger, in a tone of sympathy. "His term of confinement will expire, -and then he can return to you." - -"That is just what troubles me, sir," said Grit bluntly. "We are -expecting him in a day or two, and then our quiet life will be at an -end." - -"Will he make things disagreeable for you?" - -"Yes, sir." - -"At least, you will not have to work so hard." - -"Yes, sir. I shall have to work harder, for I shall have to support him, -too." - -"Won't he be willing to work?" - -"No, sir, he is very lazy, and if he can live without work, he will." - -"That is certainly unfortunate." - -"It is worse than having no father at all," said Grit bluntly. "I don't -care to have him remain in prison, if he will only keep away from us, -but I should be glad if I could never set eyes upon him again." - -"Well, my boy, you must bear the trial as well as you can. We all have -our trials, and yours comes in the shape of a disagreeable -stepfather----" - -He did not finish the sentence, for there was a startling interruption. - -Mr. Jackson and Grit had been so much engaged in their conversation that -they had not watched the little boy. Willie had amused himself in -bending over the side of the boat, and dipping his little fingers in the -rippling water. With childish imprudence he leaned too far, and fell -head first into the swift stream. - -A splash told the startled father what had happened. - -"Good Heaven!" he exclaimed, "my boy is overboard, and I cannot swim." - -He had scarcely got the words out of his mouth than Grit was in the -water, swimming for the spot where the boy went down, now a rod or two -distant, for the boat had been borne onward by the impulse of the oars. - -The young boatman was an expert swimmer. It would naturally have been -expected, since so much of his time had been spent on the river. He had -often engaged in swimming-matches with his boy companions, and there was -no one who could surpass him in speed or endurance. - -He struck out boldly, and, as Willie rose to the surface for the second -time, he seized him by the arm, and, turning, struck out for the boat. -The little boy struggled, and this made his task more difficulty but -Grit was strong and wary, and, holding Willie in a strong grasp, he soon -gained the boat. - -Mr. Jackson leaned over, and drew the boy, dripping, into its safe -refuge. - -"Climb in, too, Grit!" he said. - -"No, I shall upset it. If you will row to the shore, I will swim there." - -"Very well." - -Mr. Jackson was not wholly a stranger to the use of oars, and the shore -was very near. In three minutes the boat touched the bank, and almost at -the same time Grit clambered on shore. - -"You have saved my boy's life," said Mr. Jackson, his voice betraying -the strong emotion he felt. "I shall not forget it." - -"Willie is cold!" said the little boy. - -"Our house is close by," said Grit. "Let us take him there at once, and -mother will take care of him, and dry his clothes." - -The suggestion was adopted, and Mr. Jackson and his two young companions -were soon standing at the door of the plain cottage on the bluff. - -When his mother admitted them, Grit noticed that she looked disturbed, -and he seized the first chance to ask her if anything were the matter. - -"Your stepfather has come!" she answered. - - - - -CHAPTER V. - -THE STEPFATHER. - - -Grit was disagreeably surprised at the news of Mr. Brandon's arrival, -and he looked about him in the expectation of seeing his unwelcome -figure, in vain. - -"Where is he, mother?" the boy inquired. - -"Gone to the tavern," she answered significantly. - -"Did you give him any money?" - -"I gave him a dollar," she replied sadly. "It is easy to tell how it -will be spent." - -Grit had no time to inquire further at that time, for he was assisting -his mother in necessary attentions to their guests, having hurriedly -exchanged his own wet clothes for dry ones. - -Mr. Jackson seemed very grateful to Mrs. Morris for her attention to -Willie. She found an old suit of Grit's, worn by him at the age of -eight, and dressed Willie in it, while his own wet suit was being dried. -The little boy presented a comical spectacle, the suit being three or -four sizes too large for him. - -"I don't like it," he said. "It is too big." - -"So it is, Willie," said his father; "but you won't have to wear it -long. You would catch your death of cold if you wore your wet clothes. -How long will it take to dry his clothes, Mrs. Morris?" - -"Two or three hours at least," answered the widow. - -"I have a great mind to go back to Portville, and get a change of -garments," said the father. - -"That would be the best thing, probably." - -"But I should have to burden you with Willie; for I should need to take -Grit with me to ferry me across." - -"It will be no trouble, sir. I will take good care of him." - -"Willie, will you stay here while I go after your other clothes?" asked -Mr. Jackson. - -Willie readily consented, especially after Grit had brought him a -picture-book to look over. Then he accompanied the father to the river, -and they started to go across. While they were gone, Mr. Brandon -returned to the cottage. His flushed face and unsteady gait showed that -he had been drinking. He lifted the latch, and went in. - -When he saw Willie sitting in a small chair beside his wife, he gazed at -the child in astonishment. - -"Is that the cub?" he asked doubtfully. "Seems to me he's grown smaller -since I saw him." - -"I ain't a cub," said Willie indignantly. - -"Oh! yer ain't a cub, hey?" repeated Brandon mockingly. - -"No, I ain't. My name is Willie Jackson, and my papa lives in New York." - -"What is the meaning of this, Mrs. Brandon?" asked the inebriate. "Where -did you pick up this youngster?" - -His wife explained in a few words. - -"I thought it wasn't the cub," said Mr. Brandon indistinctly. "Where is -he?" - -"He has gone to row Mr. Jackson over to Portville." - -"I say, Mrs. B., does he earn much money that way?" - -"He earns all the money that supports us," answered his wife coldly. - -"I must see to that," said Brandon unsteadily. "He must bring me his -money every night--do you hear, Mrs. B.?--must bring me his money every -night." - -"To spend for liquor, I suppose?" she responded bitterly. - -"I'm a gentleman. My money--that is, his money is my money. D'ye -understand?" - -"I understand only too well, Mr. Brandon." - -"That's all right. I feel tired. Guess I'll go and lie down." - -To his wife's relief he went up-stairs, and was soon stretched out on -the bed in a drunken sleep. - -"I am glad he is out of the way. I should be ashamed to have Mr. Jackson -see him," thought Grit's mother, or Mrs. Brandon, as we must now call -her. - -"Who is that man?" asked Willie anxiously. - -"His name is Brandon," answered Grit's mother. - -"He isn't a nice man. I don't like him." - -Mrs. Brandon said nothing. What could she say? If she had spoken as she -felt, she would have been compelled to agree with the boy. Yet this man -was her husband, and was likely to be to her a daily source of anxiety -and annoyance. - -"I am afraid Grit and he won't agree," she thought anxiously. "Oh I why -did he ever come back? For the last five years we have been happy. We -have lived plainly and humbly, but our home has been peaceful. Now, -Heaven knows what trouble is in store for us." - -Half an hour later Mr. Jackson and Grit returned. - - - - -CHAPTER VI. - -GRIT'S RECOMPENSE. - - -No time was lost in arraying Willie in clothes more suitable for him. -The little boy was glad to lay aside Grit's old suit, which certainly -was not very becoming to him. - -"Are we going now, papa?" asked the little boy. - -"Yes, Willie; but first I must express to this good lady my great thanks -for her kindness." - -"I have done but little, sir," said Mrs. Brandon; "but that little I was -very glad to do." - -"I am sure of that," said the visitor cordially. - -"If you remain in the neighborhood, I shall hope to see your little boy -again, and yourself, also." - -"I will come," said Willie promptly. - -"He answers for himself," said his father, smiling, "and he will keep -his promise. Now, Grit," he said, turning to the young boatman, "I will -ask you to accompany me to the hotel." - -"Certainly, sir." - -When they had passed from the cottage, Mr. Jackson turned to the boy and -grasped his hand. - -"I have not yet expressed to you my obligations," he said, with emotion, -"for the great service you have done me--the greatest in the power of -any man, or boy." - -"Don't speak of it, sir," said Grit modestly. - -"But I must. You have saved the life of my darling boy." - -"I don't know, sir." - -"But I do. I cannot swim a stroke, and but for your prompt bravery, he -would have drowned before my eyes." - -Grit could not well contradict this statement, for it was incontestably -true. - -"It was lucky I could swim," he answered. - -"Yes, it was. It seems providential that I should have had with me so -brave a boy, when Willie's life was in peril. It will be something that -you will remember with satisfaction to the end of your own life." - -"Yes, sir, there is no doubt of that," answered Grit sincerely. - -"I shudder to think what a sad blank my own life would have been if I -had lost my dear boy. He is my only child, and for this reason I should -have missed him the more. Your brave act is one that I cannot fitly -reward----" - -"I don't need any reward, Mr. Jackson," said Grit hastily. - -"I am sure you do not. You do not look like a mercenary boy. But, for -all that, I owe it to myself to see that so great a favor does not go -unacknowledged. My brave boy, accept this wallet and what it contains, -not as the payment of a debt, but as the first in the series of my -acknowledgments to you." - -As he spoke, he put into the hand of the young boatman a wallet. - -"I am very much obliged to you, Mr. Jackson," said Grit, "but I am not -sure that I ought to take this." - -"Then let me decide for you," said the broker, smiling. "I am older, and -may be presumed to have more judgment." - -"It will seem as if I took pay for saving Willie from drowning." - -"If you did, it would be perfectly proper. But you forget that I have -had the use of your boat and your own services for the greater part of -the afternoon." - -"I presume you have paid me more than I ask for such services." - -"Very likely," answered Mr. Jackson. "In fact, outside of my obligations -to you, I have formed a good opinion of a boy who works hard and -faithfully to support his mother. I was a poor boy once, and I have not -forgotten how to sympathize with those who are beginning the conflict -with narrow means. Mind, Grit, I don't condole with you. You have good -health and strong hands, and in our favored country there is no reason -why, when you reach my age, you may not be equally well off." - -"I wish I might--for mother's sake," said Grit, his face lighting up -with hope. - -"I shall see more of you while I am here, but I may as well say now that -I mean to bear you in mind, and wish you to come to me, either here or -in the city, when you stand in need of advice or assistance." - -Grit expressed his gratitude. Mr. Jackson selected a room at the hotel, -and promised to take up his quarters there the next day. Then Grit once -more took up his oars and ferried Willie and his father across the -river. - -It was not for some time, therefore, that he had a chance to examine the -wallet which had been given him. - - - - -CHAPTER VII. - -GRIT ASTONISHES PHIL. - - -Grit was not wholly without curiosity, and, as was natural, he -speculated as to the amount which the wallet contained. When Mr. Jackson -and Willie had left him, he took it out of his pocket and opened it. - -He extracted a roll of bills and counted them over. There were ten -five-dollar bills, and ten dollars in notes of a smaller denomination. - -"Sixty dollars!" ejaculated Grit, with a thrill of pleasure. "I never -was so rich in all my life." - -He felt that the sum was too large for him to accept, and he was half -tempted to run after Mr. Jackson and say so. But quick reflection -satisfied him that the generous New Yorker wished him to retain it, and, -modest though he was, he was conscious that in saving the little boy's -life he had placed his passenger under an obligation which a much larger -sum would not have overpaid. Besides, he saw two new passengers walking -toward his boat, who doubtless wished to be ferried across the river. -They were Phil Courtney and Marion Clarke. - -"We are just in time, Mr. Grit," said the young lady, smiling. - -"Yes, my good fellow," said Phil condescendingly, "we will employ you -again." - -"You are very kind," answered Grit, with a smile of amusement. - -"I like to encourage you," continued Phil, who was not very quick to -interpret the looks of others. - -Grit looked at Marion, and noticed that she, too, looked amused. - -"Have you had any passengers since we came over?" asked Phil, in a -patronizing tone. - -He was quite ready to employ his old schoolmate, provided he would show -proper gratitude, and be suitably impressed by his condescension. - -"I have been across several times," answered Grit briefly. - -"And how much have you made now?" asked Phil, with what he intended to -pass for benevolent interest. - -If Phil had been his friend, Grit would not have minded telling him; but -he had the pride of self-respect, and he objected to being patronized or -condescended to. - -"I haven't counted up," he answered. - -"I might have brought my own boat," said Phil, "but I like to encourage -you." - -"Really, Phil, you are appearing in a new character," said Marion. "I -never should have taken you for a philanthropist before. I thought you -told your mother it would be too much bother to row over in your own -boat." - -"That was one reason," said Phil, looking slightly embarrassed. -"Besides, I didn't want to interfere with Grit's business. He is poor, -and has to support his mother out of his earnings." - -This was in bad taste, and Grit chafed against it. - -"That is true," he said, "but I don't ask any sympathy. I am prosperous -enough." - -"Oh, yes; you are doing well enough for one in your position, I don't -doubt. How much would you give, now, to have as much money as I carry -in this pocketbook?" asked Phil boastfully. - -He had just passed his birthday, and had received a present of ten -dollars from his father, and five dollars each from his mother and an -aunt. He had spent a part of it for a hat and in other ways, but still -he had seventeen dollars left. - -"Perhaps I have as much money," answered Grit quietly. - -"Oho! That's a good joke," said Phil. - -"No joke at all," said Grit. "I don't know how much money you have in -your pocketbook, but I presume I can show more." - -Phil's face grew red with anger. He was one of those disagreeable boys -who are purse-proud, and he was provoked at hearing such a ridiculous -assertion from a poor boy who had to earn his own living. - -Even Marion regarded Grit with some wonder, for she happened to know how -much money her cousin carried, and it seemed to her very improbable that -the young boatman should have as much in his possession. - -"Don't make a fool of yourself, Grit!" said Phil sharply. - -"Thank you; I don't propose to." - -"But you are doing it." - -"How?" - -"Didn't you say you had more money than I?" - -"I think I have." - -"Hear him talk!" said Phil, with a glance of derision. - -By this time the young boatman's grit was up, if I may use the -expression, and he resolved to surprise and mortify his young adversary. - -"If you are not afraid to test it," he said, "I will leave it to the -young lady to decide. Let her count the money in your pocketbook, and I -will then give her my wallet for the same purpose." - -"Done!" said Phil promptly. - -Marion, wondering a little at Grit's confidence, took her cousin's -pocketbook, and counted the contents. - -"Well, Marion, how much is there?" said Phil exultingly. - -"Seventeen dollars and thirty-seven cents," was the announcement of the -fair umpire. - -Phil smiled triumphantly. - -"You didn't think I had so much--eh, Grit?" he said. - -"No, I didn't," Grit admitted. - -"Now hand over your wallet." - -"With pleasure, if Miss Marion will take the trouble," answered the -young boatman, with a polite bow. - -When Marion opened the wallet, and saw the roll of bills, both she and -Phil looked astonished. She proceeded to count the bills, however, and -in a tone of serious surprise announced: - -"I find sixty dollars here." - -"That is right," said Grit quietly, as he received back his wallet, and -thrust it into his pocket. - -Phil hardly knew whether he was more surprised or mortified at this -unexpected result. But a thought struck him. - -"Whose money is that?" he demanded abruptly. - -"It is mine." - -"I don't believe it. You are carrying it over to some one in Chester." - -"Perhaps I am; but, if so, that some one is my mother." - -"You don't mean to say that you have sixty dollars of your own?" - -"Yes, I do. You didn't think I had so much money--eh, Phil?" he -retorted, with a smile. - -"I don't believe a word of it," returned Phil crossly. "It is ridiculous -that a boy like you should have so much money. It can't be yours." - -"Do you doubt it, Miss Marion?" asked Grit, turning to the young lady. - -"No; I believe that it is yours since you say so." - -"Thank you." - -"If it is yours, where did you get it?" asked Phil, whose curiosity -overcame his mortification sufficiently to induce him to ask the -question. - -"I don't feel called upon to tell you," answered Grit. - -"Then I can guess." - -"Very well. If you guess right, I will admit it." - -"You found it, and won't be long before finding the owner." - -"You are wrong. The money is mine, and was paid me in the course of -business." - -Phil did not know what to say, but Marion said pleasantly: - -"Allow me to congratulate you, Mr. Grit, on being so well off. You are -richer than either of your passengers. I never had sixty dollars of my -own in my life." - -By this time they had reached the other side of the river, and the two -passengers disembarked. - -"Well, Phil, you came off second best," said his cousin. - -"I can't understand how the boy came into possession of such a sum of -money," said Phil, frowning. - -"Nor I; but I am sure of one thing." - -"What is that?" - -"That he came by it honestly." - -"Don't be too sure of that," said Phil, shaking his head. - -"Phil, you are too bad," said Marion warmly. "You seem to have taken an -unaccountable prejudice against Grit. I am sure he seems to me a very -nice boy." - -"You're welcome to the young boatman's society," said Phil, with a -sneer. "You seem to be fond of low company." - -"If you call him low company, then perhaps I am. I never met Grit before -this morning, but he seems a very polite, spirited boy, and it is -certainly to his credit that he supports his mother." - -"I can tell you something about him that may chill your ardor? His -father is in jail." - -"I heard that it was his stepfather." - -"Oh, well, it doesn't matter which." - -"In one sense, no. The boy isn't to blame for it." - -"No, but it shows of what stock he comes." - -Meanwhile, Grit, having fastened his boat, made his way to the cottage -on the bluff. He wanted to tell his mother of his good fortune. - - - - -CHAPTER VIII. - -GRIT PUTS HIS MONEY AWAY. - - -"You seem to be in good spirits, Grit," said his mother, as our hero -opened the outside door and entered the room where she sat sewing. - -"Yes, mother, I have reason to be. Is--is Mr. Brandon home?" - -"Yes; he is up-stairs lying down," answered Mrs. Brandon, with a sigh. - -Grit rose and closed the door. - -"I don't want him to hear what I'm going to tell you," he said. "Mother, -I have been very lucky to-day." - -"I suppose Mr. Jackson was liberal." - -"I should say he was. Guess how much money I have in this wallet, -mother." - -"Five dollars." - -"Multiply that by twelve." - -"You don't mean to say that he gave you sixty dollars?" inquired his -mother quickly. - -"Yes, I do. See here," and Grit displayed the roll of bills. - -"You are, indeed, in luck, Grit. How much good this money will do us. -But I forgot," she added, her expression changing to one of anxious -solicitude. - -"What did you forget, mother?" - -"That your father--that Mr. Brandon had returned." - -"What difference will that make, mother? I suppose, of course, it will -increase our expenses." - -"If that were all, Grit." - -"What is it, then, you fear, mother?" - -"That he will take this money away from you." - -"I should like to see him try it," exclaimed Grit, compressing his -lips. - -"He will try it, Grit. He said only an hour ago that you would have to -account to him for your daily earnings." - -"Doesn't he mean to do any work himself?" - -"I fear not. You know what sort of a man he is, Grit. He probably means -to live on what we can earn, and spend his time and what money he can -get hold of at the tavern." - -"And he calls himself a man!" said Grit disdainfully. - -"I am afraid our quiet, happy life is at an end, Grit," sighed his -mother. - -Grit did not answer for a moment, but he looked stern and determined. -Finally, he answered: - -"I don't want to make any disturbance, mother, or to act improperly, but -I feel sure that we ought not to submit to such treatment." - -"What can we do, Grit?" - -"If Mr. Brandon cares to stay here we will provide him a home, give him -his board, but, as to supplying him with money, we ought not to do it." - -"I agree with you, Grit, but I don't see how we can help it. Mr. -Brandon is a man, and you are only a boy. I don't want you to quarrel -with him." - -"I won't if I can help it. By the way, mother, I don't think it will be -prudent to leave all this money in the house." - -"What can we do with it?" - -"I will put it out of my hands. Perhaps I had better not tell you what I -am going to do with it, for Mr. Brandon might ask you, and it is better -that you should be able to tell him that you don't know." - -"You are right, Grit." - -"I will attend to that matter at once, mother. I will be back in half or -three-quarters of an hour," and the young boatman hurried from the -house. - -He bent his steps to the house of his particular friend, Fred Lawrence, -the son of a lawyer in the village. Mr. Lawrence was rated as wealthy by -the people in the village, and lived in a house quite as good as Mr. -Courtney's, but his son Fred was a very different style of boy. He had -no purse-pride, and it never occurred to him that Grit was unfit to -associate with, simply because he was poor, and had to earn a living for -himself and his mother by ferrying passengers across the Kennebec. In -fact, he regarded Grit as his most intimate friend, and spent as much -time in his company as their differing engagements would allow. - -Phil Courtney, though he condescended to Grit, regarded Fred as his -social equal, and wished to be intimate with him; but Fred did not fancy -Phil, and the latter saw, with no little annoyance, that the young -boatman's company was preferred to his. It displayed shocking bad taste -on the part of Fred, but he did not venture to express himself to the -lawyer's son as he would not scruple to do to the young ferryman. - -Naturally, when Grit felt the need of advice, he thought of his most -intimate friend, and sought the lawyer's house. - -He met Fred on the way. - -"Hello, Grit!" said Fred cordially. "Where are you going?" - -"I was going to your house." - -"Then turn round, and we will go there." - -"I can talk with you in the street. I want your advice and help." - -"My advice is probably very valuable," said Fred, smiling, "considering -my age and experience. However, my help you can rely upon, if I can give -it." - -"Did you hear that Mr. Brandon had got home?" asked Grit abruptly. - -"Your stepfather?" - -"Yes; I am sorry to say that there is that tie between us. I presume you -know where he has spent the last five years?" - -"Yes," answered Fred. - -"Of course, I am glad for his sake that he is free; but I am afraid he -is going to give us trouble." - -"How does he appear?" - -"I have not seen him yet." - -"How's that?" - -"He only arrived to-day, and I was absent when he reached home." - -"Does he mean to live here?" - -"I am afraid so; and, what is more, I am afraid he means that mother and -I shall pay his expenses. He has already told mother that he shall -require me to account to him for my daily earnings." - -"That will be hard on you." - -"Yes; I need all I can make to pay our daily expenses, and I don't feel -like letting mother suffer for the necessaries of life in order to -supply Mr. Brandon with money for drink." - -"You are right there, Grit. I sympathize with you; but how can I help -it?" - -"That is what I am coming to. I want to deposit my money with you--that -is, what I don't need to use." - -"I suppose you haven't much. It might not be well to trust me too far," -said Fred, smiling. - -"I have sixty dollars here, which I would like to put in your -hands--that is, all but two dollars." - -"Sixty dollars! Where on earth did you get so much money, Grit?" asked -his friend, opening his eyes wide in astonishment. - -Grit told the story briefly, and received the warm congratulations of -his friend. - -"You deserve it all, Grit," he said, "for your brave deed." - -"Don't flatter me, Fred, or I may put on airs like Phil Courtney. But, -to come back to business--will you do me this favor?" - -"Of course, I will. Father has a safe in his office, and I will put the -money in there. Whenever you want any of it, you have only to ask me." - -"Thank you. That will suit me. I shan't break in upon it unless I am -obliged to, as I would like to have it in reserve to fall back upon." - -"Come and take supper with us, Grit, won't you?" asked Fred cordially. - -"Thank you, Fred; not to-night. I haven't seen Mr. Brandon yet, and I -may as well get over the first interview as soon as possible. We shall -have to come to an understanding, and it is better not to delay it." - -"Good night, then; I shall see you to-morrow, for I am going to -Portville, and I shall go over in your boat." - -"Then we can have a chat together. Good night." - -Meanwhile, Mr. Brandon, having slept off his debauch, had come -down-stairs. - -"Where's the cub?" he asked. - -"I wish you wouldn't call him by that name," said his wife. "He wouldn't -like it." - -"I shall call him what I please. Hasn't he been in?" - -"Yes, Grit has been in." - -"Grit?" - -"That's a nickname the boys have given him, and as everybody calls him -so, I have got into that way." - -"Oh, well, call him what you like. Has he been in?" - -"Yes." - -"Where is he now?" - -"He went out for a short time. I expect him in every minute." - -"Did he leave his day's earnings with you?" - -"No," answered Mrs. Brandon, with a troubled look. "He has the best -right to that himself." - -"Has he, hey? We'll see about that. I, as his stepfather and legal -guardian, shall have something to say to that." - -Mrs. Brandon was not called upon to reply, for the door opened just -then, and the young boatman stood in the presence of his worthy -stepfather. - - - - -CHAPTER IX. - -A LITTLE DISCUSSION. - - -Grit was only ten years old when his stepfather began to serve out his -sentence at the penitentiary, and the two had not seen each other since. -Instead of the small boy he remembered, Brandon saw before him a boy -large and strong for his age, of well-knit frame and sturdy look. Five -years had made him quite a different boy. His daily exercise in rowing -had strengthened his muscles and developed his chest, so that he seemed -almost a young man. - -Brandon stared in surprise at the boy. - -"Is that--the cub?" he asked. - -"I object to that name, Mr. Brandon," said Grit quietly. - -"You've grown!" said Brandon, still regarding him with curiosity. - -"Yes, I ought to have grown some in five years." - -It occurred to Mr. Brandon that it might not be so easy as he had -expected to bully his stepson. He resolved at first to be conciliatory. - -"I'm glad to see you," he said. "It's long since we met." - -"Yes," answered Grit. - -He was not prepared to return the compliment, and express pleasure at -his stepfather's return. - -"I'm glad you and your mother have got along so well while I was away." - -Grit felt tempted to say that they had got along better during Mr. -Brandon's absence than when he was with them, but he forbore. He did not -want to precipitate a conflict, though, from what his mother had said, -he foresaw that one would come soon enough. - -"Your mother tells me that you make money by your boat," continued Mr. -Brandon. - -"Yes, sir." - -"That's a good plan. I approve it. How much money have you made to-day, -now?" - -"I have a dollar or two in my pocket," answered Grit evasively. - -"Very good!" said Brandon, in a tone of satisfaction. "You may as well -hand it to me." - -So the crisis had come! Mrs. Brandon looked at her son and her husband -with anxiety, fearing there would be a quarrel, and perhaps something -worse. She was tempted to say something in deprecation, but Grit said -promptly: - -"Thank you, Mr. Brandon, but I would prefer to keep the money myself." - -Brandon was rather taken aback by the boy's perfect coolness and -self-possession. - -"How old are you?" he asked, with a frown. - -"Fifteen." - -"Indeed!" sneered Brandon. "I thought, from the way you talked, you were -twenty-one. You don't seem to be aware that I am your legal guardian." - -"No, sir, I was not aware of it." - -"Then it's time you knew it. Ain't I your stepfather?" - -"I suppose so," said Grit, with reluctance. - -"Ha, you admit that, do you? I'm the master of this house, and it's my -place to give orders. Your wages belong to me, but if you are obedient -and respectful, I will allow you a small sum daily, say five cents." - -"That arrangement is not satisfactory, Mr. Brandon," said Grit firmly. - -"Why isn't it?" demanded his stepfather, frowning. - -"I use my money to support the family." - -"Did I say anything against it? As the master of the house, the bills -come to me to be paid, and therefore I require you to give me every -night whatever you may have taken during the day." - -"Do you intend to earn anything yourself?" asked Grit pointedly; "or do -you expect to live on us?" - -"Boy, you are impertinent," said Brandon, coloring. - -"Don't provoke Mr. Brandon," said Grit's mother timidly. - -"We may as well come to an understanding," said Grit boldly. "I am -willing to do all I can for you, mother, but Mr. Brandon is able to take -care of himself, and I cannot support him, too." - -"Is this the way you talk to your father, you impertinent boy?" -exclaimed Brandon wrathfully. - -"You are not my father, Mr. Brandon," said Grit coldly. - -"It is all the same; I am your mother's husband." - -"That's a different thing." - -"Once more, are you going to give me the money you have in your pocket?" - -"No, sir." - -Brandon looked at Grit, and he felt that it would have given him -pleasure to shake the rebellion out of his obstinate stepson, but supper -was almost ready, and he felt hungry. He decided that it would be as -well to postpone an open outbreak. Grit was in the house, and not likely -to run away. - -"We'll speak of this another time," he said, waving his hand. "You will -find, young man, that it is of no use opposing me. Mrs. Brandon, is -supper almost ready?" - -"Nearly," answered his wife, glad to have the subject postponed. - -"Then serve it as soon as possible," he said, in a lordly tone. "I am to -meet a gentleman on business directly afterward." - -Supper was on the table in fifteen minutes. - -Mr. Brandon ate with evident enjoyment. Indeed, it was so short a time -since he had been restricted to prison fare that he relished the plain -but well-cooked dishes which his wife prepared. - -"Another cup of tea, Mrs. Brandon," he said. "It seems pleasant to be at -home again after my long absence." - -"I shouldn't think he would like to refer to his imprisonment," thought -Grit. - -"I hope soon to be in business," continued Brandon, "and we shall then -be able to live in better style. When that time comes I shall be willing -to have Grit retain his small earnings, stipulating only that he shall -buy his own clothes, and pay his mother, say a dollar and a quarter a -week, for board." - -He said this with the air of a man who considered himself liberal, but -neither Grit nor his mother expressed their sense of his generosity. - -"Of course, just at present," Mr. Brandon proceeded, "I have no money. -The minions of the law took from me all I had when they unjustly thrust -me into a foul dungeon. For a time, therefore, I shall be compelled to -accept Grit's earnings, but it will not be for long." - -Grit said nothing to this hint, but all the same he determined, whether -for a short or a long time, to resist the exactions of his stepfather. - -As for Brandon, his change of front was induced by the thought that he -could accomplish by stratagem what he might have had some difficulty in -securing by force. He still had twenty-five cents of the dollar which -his wife had given him in the morning. - -When supper was over he rose, and, putting on his hat, said: - -"I am going to the village on business. I shall be home in good season. -Are you going my way, Grit?" - -"Not just at present," answered Grit. - -Mother and son looked at each other when they were alone. - -"I suppose he's gone to the tavern," said Grit. - -"Yes, I presume so," said his mother, sighing. - -"Well, mother, I didn't give up the money." - -"No, Grit, but he means to have it yet." - -"He's welcome to it if he can get it," said the boy manfully. - -"You haven't got the sixty dollars with you?" said his mother -anxiously. - -"No, they are safe. I have kept only two dollars, thinking you might -need some groceries." - -"Yes, I do, Grit. They go off faster, now that we have another mouth to -feed." - -"Suppose you make out a list of what you want, mother, and I will go up -to the store this evening. I may as well save Mr. Brandon from -temptation." - -His mother made a list, and Grit, putting it in his pocket, walked up to -the village. - -The groceries, with a pound of steak, cost a dollar and ninety cents. - -As Grit took the bundles and walked homeward, he thought to himself. - -"Mr. Brandon wouldn't feel very well repaid for his trouble if he should -take all I have left. He ought to be satisfied with free board, without -expecting us to supply him with pocket-money besides. I wonder what he -would say if he knew how much money I have deposited with Fred -Lawrence?" - -Grit congratulated himself that his stepfather was not likely to make -this discovery, but in this he reckoned without his host. - -Mr. Brandon made the discovery that same evening. How it came about -will appear in the next chapter. - - - - -CHAPTER X. - -BRANDON LEARNS GRIT'S SECRET. - - -"I had no idea the boy had grown so much," said Brandon to himself, as -he directed his course toward the tavern. "I thought he was a little -kid, but he's almost as big as I am. He's kind of obstinate, too, but -he'll find out who's master before long. It's ridiculous, his expectin' -to have the handlin' of all the money that comes into the house. Just as -if he had any judgment--a boy of his age." - -The chances are that Grit's judgment in the matter would have proved -better than Brandon's, since the latter proposed to spend a large -portion of the money for drink. - -"I expect the boy makes a good thing out of his boating," resumed Mr. -Brandon. "He owned up that he had almost two dollars, and it's likely he -earned it all to-day." - -Presently Brandon reached the tavern, and entered the barroom. - -He called for whisky, and swallowed it with gusto. - -"You may charge it to me," said he carelessly; "I'll pay once a week." - -"We don't care to do business that way," said the barkeeper. - -"You ain't afraid I won't pay you?" said Brandon, in a tone of affected -indignation. - -"I don't know whether you would or not, but our terms are cash." - -"Oh, well, if you're so strict as that, take it out of this quarter," -said Brandon, throwing his sole remaining coin on the counter. - -Fifteen cents were returned to him, and in half an hour that sum was -also expended at the bar. - -It might have been supposed that Brandon would be satisfied, but he was -not. He made an attempt to obtain another drink on credit, but the -barkeeper proved obdurate. - -Then he engaged in a game of cards, and about half-past nine set out to -go home, in a better condition than if he had had more money to spend. - -"This will never do!" he muttered, in a discontented tone; "I can't be -kept so short as this. It is humiliating to think of me, a grown man, -going round without a cent in my pocket, while my stepson is reveling in -money. I won't have it, and I'll let him understand it." - -A few feet in front of Brandon two boys were walking. One of them was -Phil Courtney, and the other Dick Graham, a poor boy, who, by proper -subserviency, had earned a position as chief favorite with his -companion. - -Brandon could not help hearing their conversation. He heard Grit's name -mentioned, and this made him listen attentively. - -"I can't understand where Grit got his money," Phil was saying. - -"How much did you say he had?" inquired Dick. - -"Sixty dollars!" - -"Whew!" - -Brandon felt like saying "Whew!" too, for his amazement was great, but -he wanted to hear more, and remained silent. - -"Are you sure there were sixty dollars?" - -"Yes; my cousin Marion counted it." - -"How did Grit happen to show his money?" - -"He was boasting that he had more money than I, and I challenged him to -show his money." - -"I suppose he did show more?" - -"Yes, I had only seventeen dollars. But what I can't understand is, -where did a common boatman pick up so much money?" - -"Perhaps he has been saving for a long time." - -"Perhaps so, but I don't believe he could save so much," answered Phil. - -"Perhaps he stole it." - -Phil didn't believe this, but he would like to have believed it true. - -"I shouldn't wonder if he did, though I don't know where he could get -the chance." - -"I wonder if he'd lend me five dollars," thought Dick Graham, though he -did not care to let Phil know his thought. He resolved to be more -attentive to Grit, in the hope of pecuniary favors. Meanwhile, he did -not forget that Phil also was well provided. - -"You were pretty well fixed, too," he said. "I wonder how I'd feel if I -had seventeen dollars." - -"What do I care about seventeen dollars?" said Phil discontentedly, -"when a boy like Grit Morris can show more than three times as much." - -"Oh, well, he'll have to spend it. He won't keep it long. By the way, -Phil, will you do me a favor?" - -"What is it?" asked Phil cautiously. - -"Won't you lend me two dollars? I want it the worst way. I haven't got a -cent to my name." - -"I can't spare it," said Phil curtly. - -"It will leave you fifteen----" - -"I'm going to use it all. Besides, it would be the same as giving -it----" - -"No, I'd pay you back in a week or two." - -"You've been owing me fifty cents for three months. If you'd paid that -up punctually, perhaps I would have lent you. You'd better go to Grit." - -"He isn't my friend, and I thought you might not like my going to him." - -"Oh, you can borrow as much as you like of him--the more, the better!" -returned Phil, with a laugh. - -"I'll try it, then. I shall have to pretend to be his friend." - -"All right. The faster he gets rid of his money, the better it will suit -me." - -Brandon heard no more of the conversation, for the boys turned down a -side street. But he had heard enough to surprise him. - -"Grit got sixty dollars!" he repeated to himself. "Why, the artful young -villain! Who'd have thought it? And he coolly refuses to let his father -have a cent. He's actually rolling in riches, while I haven't got a -penny in my purse. And his mother aids and abets him in it, I'll be -bound. It's the blackest ingratitude I ever heard of." - -What Grit had to be grateful to him for Mr. Brandon might have found it -difficult to instance, but he actually managed to work himself into a -fit of indignation because Grit declined to commit his money to his -custody. - -Brandon felt very much like a man who has suddenly been informed that a -pot of gold was concealed in his back yard. Actually, a member of his -family possessed the handsome sum of sixty dollars. How was he to get it -into his own hands? - -That was easier to ask than to answer. As he had said, Grit was a stout, -strong boy, nearly his equal in size and strength, and he had already -had sufficient acquaintance with his firmness, or obstinacy, as he -preferred to call it, to make sure that the boy would not give up the -money without a struggle. If now he could get hold of the money by -stratagem, it would be easier, and make less disturbance. - -Where did Grit keep the money? - -"He may have given it to his mother," thought Brandon. "If so, I can -find it in one of her bureau drawers. She always used to keep money -there. But it is more likely that the boy keeps it in his own pocket. I -know what I'll do. I'll get up in the night, when he and his mother are -asleep, and search his pockets. Gad, how astonished he'll look in the -morning when he searches for it, and finds it missing!" - -Brandon was very much amused by this thought, and he laughed aloud. - -"Sixty dollars'll set me on my feet again," he reflected. "Let me see. -I'll go to Boston, and look round, and see if I can't pick up a job of -some kind. There isn't anything to do here in this beastly hole. By the -way, I wonder where the boy did get so much money. He must find boatin' -more profitable than I had any idea of." - -At this point Brandon entered the little path that led to his wife's -cottage. - -"Mrs. B. is sittin' up," he said, as he saw through the window the -figure of his wife in a rocking-chair, apparently occupied with some -kind of work. "I'll get her off to bed soon, so that I can have a clear -field." - -Mrs. Brandon looked up when her husband entered, and noticed, with a -feeling of relief, that he was sober. That, however, was not owing to -any intentional moderation on his part, but to his lack of funds. - -"Sittin' up for me, Mrs. B.?" asked Brandon. - -"I generally sit up till past this hour," she answered. - -"I feel rather tired myself," said Brandon, succeeding in yawning. - -"It isn't on account of having done any work," thought his wife. - -"I've been walkin' round considerably, and got tired." - -"Do you come from the tavern?" asked Mrs. Brandon coldly. - -"Yes, Mrs. B., I expected to meet a gentleman there on business, but he -disappointed me. Where's Grit?" - -"He has gone to bed. He has got to get up early in the morning, to help -me, and then he spends the day in ferrying passengers across the river." - -"That's a bright idea of Grit's. I approve it. He makes considerable -money, doesn't he?" - -"Considerable for a boy. I don't know what I should do if it were not -for Grit." - -"Just so. But now I'm home, and shall soon get into business. Then you -won't need to depend on him. Of course, I shall need a little money to -start with." - -Mrs. Brandon did not reply to this obvious hint. She prepared for bed. -An hour later, Brandon, having ascertained that his wife was asleep, -left the room cautiously, and stole into Grit's chamber. - - - - -CHAPTER XI. - -THE MIDNIGHT VISIT. - - -Grit was not aware that Brandon had discovered his secret, but still was -not unprepared for a night visit. As we already know, he had but ten -cents left of the two dollars he had reserved, and this coin he put into -a small leather purse, which he usually carried. - -"If Mr. Brandon searches for money, he will be disappointed," he said -to himself, with a quiet smile. "He won't find enough to pay him for his -trouble." - -Grit was not anxious enough about his money to keep awake. When, -therefore, his stepfather entered his chamber, he was fast asleep. -Brandon listened for a moment to the deep breathing of the boy, and felt -that there was no need of caution. He therefore boldly advanced, candle -in hand, to the bedside. The candle he set on the bureau, and then took -up Grit's clothes, which hung over a chair, and proceeded to examine the -pockets. - -His countenance changed as he continued the search. - -At last he came to the purse, but it felt empty, and he did not open it -with much confidence. Thrusting in his finger, he drew out the solitary -dime which it contained. - -"Only ten cents!" he exclaimed, with intense disappointment. "It isn't -worth taking. On second thoughts, I'll take it, though, for it will pay -for a drink." - -He pocketed the coin, and resumed his search. - -"The boy must have a pocketbook somewhere," he muttered. "He wouldn't -carry bank-bills in a purse. Where can he keep it?" Once more he -explored the pockets of his stepson, but he met with no greater success -than before. - -It is a curious circumstance that sometimes in profound sleep a person -seems vaguely aware of the presence of an intruder, and the feeling is -frequently strong enough to disturb slumber. Grit was a sound sleeper, -but, however we may account for it, whether it was the instinctive -feeling I have mentioned, or the glare of the candle, he woke up, and -his glance rested on the kneeling figure of his stepfather rummaging his -pockets. Instantly Grit realized the situation, and he felt more amused -than indignant, knowing how poorly the searcher would be rewarded. - -Brandon's back was turned to him, and our hero felt inclined to try the -effect of a practical joke. - -In a deep, sepulchral voice, he called out: - -"What are you doing there?" - -Brandon, taken by surprise, started as if he had been shot, and sprang -to his feet in confusion. Turning to the bed, he saw Grit surveying him -calmly. Then his natural hardihood restored his self-possession. - -"Where do you keep your money, you young cub?" he demanded. - -"Where do I keep it? I suspect you know well enough. Haven't you looked -into my purse?" - -"Yes, and I only found ten cents." - -"Did you take it?" asked Grit. - -"Yes." - -"Then it's lucky I had no more in it." - -"Where is the rest of your money?" demanded Brandon. - -"What do you mean by the rest of my money?" - -"I mean the sixty dollars you had with you to-day." - -Grit whistled. - -"So you heard I had sixty dollars?" he said. - -"Yes." - -"It is in a safe place." - -"Ha! You own that you had so much money. You wanted to keep it from me, -did you?" demanded Brandon, with a frown. - -"Yes, I did," admitted Grit. "Did Phil Courtney tell you I had it?" - -"No matter how I heard. I know that you are trying to conceal a large -sum of money, which ought to be in my hands." - -"Indeed! How do you make that out?" - -"I am your stepfather and natural guardian. I am the best person to take -care of your money." - -"I don't think so, and I propose to keep it myself," said Grit firmly. - -"Do you defy me?" demanded Brandon angrily. - -"If you call my refusing to give you my own money by that name, then I -do." - -"Boy, you don't know me!" said Brandon, in a tone intended to strike -terror into the heart of his stepson. "Hitherto you have had only your -mother to look after you, and she has been foolishly indulgent. Now you -have a man to deal with. Once more, will you hand me that money?" - -"I decline," said Grit firmly. - -"Then on your head be the consequences," said Brandon. "You will hear -from me again, and soon." - -So saying, he stalked majestically from the chamber. - -"I wonder what he means to do?" thought Grit. - -But the thought did not keep him awake. - - - - -CHAPTER XII. - -GRIT'S MISFORTUNE. - - -The next morning Grit came down to breakfast nearly an hour later than -usual. It might have been because he was unusually fatigued, or it may -have been on account of his slumbers having been interrupted. When he -came down-stairs, he looked at the clock, and realized that he had -overslept himself. - -"I am nearly an hour late, mother," he said. "Why didn't you call me?" - -"I thought you were tired, Grit, and needed sleep." - -"Where is Mr. Brandon? I suppose he has not got up!" - -"Yes, he has had his breakfast and gone out." - -"He is in a great hurry to spend my ten cents," said Grit, laughing. - -"What do you mean, Grit?" - -"I had a visit from him last night," Grit explained. "He rummaged my -pockets, and was successful in finding a dime." - -"Is it possible?" - -"Why should you be surprised, mother? I was not." - -"Did he say anything to you?" - -"Yes; he has found out somehow about the sixty dollars, and he asked me -to give it to him." - -"Oh, Grit, I am afraid there will be trouble," said Mrs. Brandon -anxiously. "He won't rest till he gets the money." - -"Then he won't rest at all," said Grit firmly. - -"I am afraid you will have to give it to him, Grit." - -"Not if I know what I am about. No, mother, the money is safe, where he -won't find it. I won't tell you, for he might annoy you till you told -him." - -"No, Grit; don't tell me. I would rather not know. How happy we were -before he came, and how rich we should feel if this money had come to -you before Mr. Brandon came home!" - -"That is true, mother. It's a shame that he should come home to give us -so much trouble." - -"I can't see how it's all going to end," murmured Mrs. Brandon sadly. - -"Nor I; but I mean to resist Mr. Brandon till he finds it's of no use -trying to appropriate my money. When he finds he can't get anything out -of us except a bare living, he may become disgusted and leave us." - -"He won't do it while he has any hope left. What do you think he has -been trying to persuade me to do, Grit?" - -"I don't know." - -"He wants me to mortgage this cottage, and give him the money." - -"Just like him, mother. I hope you were firm?" - -"Yes, Grit. I told him I would not consent. It is all we have. I cannot -part with our home and the roof that shelters us." - -"Of course not, mother. You would be very foolish if you did. Did he -mention any one that wanted to buy it?" - -"Yes, he said that Mr. Green would be willing to advance money upon it." - -"Mr. Green--the landlord of the hotel? I don't doubt it. He knows that -Brandon would pay back the whole for drink in a short time." - -"I am afraid that would be the case." - -"Mother," said Grit, with energy, "promise me that you will never -consent to this wicked plan." - -"No, Grit, I won't. I consider that the house is as much yours as mine, -and I am not willing to leave you without a home." - -"I don't so much mind that, for I could shift for myself somehow, but I -want you to keep it in your own hands, and I am not willing that Mr. -Brandon should sacrifice it for drink." - -"I agree with you, Grit. Whatever it may cost me, I won't consent." - -"The sooner he becomes convinced that he has nothing to hope from either -of us, the sooner he will leave us," said Grit. "If I thought he would -go away and never come back, I would be willing to let him have the -sixty dollars, but it would only make him stay, in the hope of getting -more." - -By this time Grit had finished his breakfast. - -"I must get to work, mother," he said. "I'll be home to dinner at the -usual time, if I can." - -"If not, I will save something for you, Grit." - -The young boatman made his way to the river. Here an unpleasant surprise -awaited him. His boat was not where he had left it. He looked in all -directions, but it had disappeared. - -"What can have become of it?" thought Grit, in perplexity. - - - - -CHAPTER XIII. - -GRIT'S BOAT IS SOLD. - - -Brandon was not usually an early riser, and would not on this occasion -have got up so soon if a bright idea had not occurred to him likely to -bring money to his purse. - -It was certainly vexatious that Grit so obstinately refused to pay into -his hands the money he had managed in some way unknown to his stepfather -to accumulate. Perhaps some way of forcing the boy to do so might -suggest itself, but meanwhile he was penniless; that is, with the -exception of the dime he had abstracted during the night. Possibly his -wife might have some money. He proceeded to sound her on the subject. - -"Mrs. B.," said he, "I shall have to trouble you for a little money." - -"I gave you a dollar yesterday," said Mrs. Brandon. - -"What's a dollar? I have none of it left now." - -"Did you spend it at the tavern?" asked his wife gravely. - -"I am not willing to be catechized upon that point," returned Brandon, -in a tone of lofty dignity. - -"It is quite impossible to supply you with money for such a purpose," -continued Mrs. Brandon. "What money Grit earns is wanted for necessary -expenses." - -"I am not so easily deceived," said her husband, nodding sagaciously. - -"It is quite true." - -"I won't argue the point, Mrs. B. Have you any change now? That is the -question." - -"No, I have not." - -"Be it so. I have only to remark that you and your son will have -occasion to regret the unfriendly and suspicious manner in which you see -fit to treat me." - -So saying, Mr. Brandon sat down to his breakfast, which he ate with an -appetite such as is usually earned by honest toil. - -When he rose from the table, he left the cottage without a word. - -"How it all this to end?" thought Mrs. Brandon, following his retreating -form with an anxious glance. "He has not been here twenty-four hours -yet, and he has spent a dollar of Grit's hard earnings, and is -dissatisfied because we will not give him more. Besides, he has already -broached the subject of mortgaging the house, and all to gratify his -insatiable thirst for strong drink." - -Certainly the prospects were not very bright, and Mrs. Brandon might -well be excused for feeling anxious. - -Though Brandon had ten cents in his pocket, the price of a glass of -whisky, he did not go at once to the tavern, as might have been -expected. Instead of this, he bent his steps toward the river. - -He knew about where Grit kept his boat, and went directly to it. - -"Ha! a very good boat!" he said, after surveying it critically. "It -ought to be worth ten dollars, at least, though I suppose I can't get -over five for it. Well, five dollars will be a lift to me, and if Grit -wants another boat he's got the money to buy one. I can get even with -him this way, at least. He'd better have treated me well and saved his -boat." - -The boat was tied fast, but this presented no insurmountable difficulty. - -Brandon pulled a jack-knife out of his pocket, and after awhile--for it -was very dull--succeeded in severing the rope. - -Then he jumped into the boat and began to row out into the stream. - -He was a little at a loss at first as to where he would be most likely -to find a purchaser. In his five years' absence from the neighborhood he -had lost his former acquaintances, and there had been, besides, changes -in the population. - -As he was rowing at random, he chanced to look back to the shore he had -left, and noticed that a boy was signaling to him. - -He recognized him as the boy whom he had heard speaking of Grit's -treasure, and, being desirous of hearing more on the subject, he at once -began to pull back to the river bank. - -The boy, as the reader will surmise, was Phil Courtney. - -"Hello, there!" said Phil; "isn't that Grit Morris' boat?" - -"No, it's mine." - -"It is the same Grit usually rows in," said Phil, beginning to suspect -Brandon of theft. - -"That may be, but the boat is mine." - -"Did he sell it to you?" - -"No." - -"Who are you, then?" - -"I am Mr. Brandon, Grit's stepfather." - -Phil whistled. - -"Oh, it's you, is it?" he said, surveying Brandon, not over -respectfully, for he knew where he had spent the last five years. "So -you've come home?" - -"Yes, but I might as well have stayed away." - -"How is that?" asked Phil, regarding the man before him with curiosity. - -Brandon was not too proud to speak of his domestic grievances, as he -regarded them, to a stranger. - -"My wife and son treat me like a stranger," he said. "Instead of giving -me a warm welcome after my long absence, they seem to be sorry to see -me." - -"I don't wonder much," thought Phil, but he did not say so, not being -averse to drawing Brandon out on this subject. - -"And that reminds me, young gentleman; I was walking behind you last -evening, and I heard you say something about Grit's having a large sum -of money." - -"Yes; he showed me sixty dollars yesterday." - -"Are you sure there was as much as that?" inquired Brandon eagerly. - -"Yes, I am sure, for my cousin counted it in my presence." - -"It might have belonged to some one else," suggested Brandon. - -"No; I thought so myself, but Grit said it belonged to him." - -"Did he say where he got it?" - -"No; he's mighty close about his affairs. I couldn't help wondering -myself, and asked him, but he wouldn't tell me." - -"If he's got as much money as that, he ought to give it to me to take -care of." - -"Why don't you make him give it to you?" suggested Phil maliciously. - -"I did ask him, but he refused. A boy of his age ought not to carry -about so much money. Did he carry it in a roll of bills, or in a -pocketbook?" - -"He had it in a wallet." - -"I didn't see the wallet," thought Brandon. "I only found the purse. The -boy must have hidden it somewhere. I must look for it." - -"What are you going to do about it?" asked Phil. "Are you going to let -him keep it?" - -"Not if I can find it. I will take it away from him if I get the -chance." - -"I wish he would," thought Phil. "It would soon go for drink, and then -Master Grit wouldn't put on so many airs." - -"May I ask your name?" asked Brandon. - -"I am Phil Courtney, the son of Squire Courtney, the president of the -bank," answered Phil pompously. - -"You don't say so!" exclaimed Brandon, in a tone of flattering -deference. "I am proud to know you. You come of a fine family." - -"Yes, my father stands pretty high," remarked Phil complacently. - -"Really," thought he, "this man has very good manners, even if he has -just come from the penitentiary. He treats me with a good deal more -respect than Grit does. If I could help him to get the money I would." - -"Not a man in town stands higher," said Brandon emphatically. "Are you a -friend of my stepson?" - -"Well, hardly," answered Phil, shrugging his shoulders. "You must excuse -my saying so, but Grit hasn't very good manners, and, though I patronize -him by riding in his boat, I cannot regard him as a fitting associate." - -"You are entirely right, young gentleman," said Brandon. "Though Grit is -my stepson, I am not blind to his faults. He has behaved very badly to -me already, and I shall be obliged to require him to treat me with more -respect. If he would only copy you, I should be very glad." - -"You are very polite, Mr. Brandon," said Phil, flattered. "I hope, for -your sake, that Grit will improve." - -"By the way, Mr. Courtney"--Phil swelled with conscious pride at this -designation--"do you know any one who would like to buy a boat?" - -"What boat do you refer to?" asked Phil. - -"This boat." - -"But I thought it was Grit's." - -"I am his stepfather, and have decided to sell it." - -"What'll you take?" asked Phil, not unwilling to buy a good boat, -especially as he knew it would annoy Grit. - -"It is worth ten dollars, but I will sell it for six dollars cash." - -"Say five, and I'll take it." - -"Very well, Mr. Courtney, seeing it's you, I will say five." - -"It's a bargain." - -Phil had his money in his pocket, and he lost no time in binding the -bargain by paying the money. - -"I think I'll take a row myself," he said. - -He jumped into the boat, and Brandon, with five dollars in his pocket, -took the nearest road to the tavern. - - - - -CHAPTER XIV. - -THE BILL OF SALE. - - -A sudden thought struck Phil, and he called back Brandon. - -"What's wanted now?" asked the latter impatiently. - -"I want you to give me a bill of sale of the boat," said Phil. - -"What's the use of that?" - -"I don't want Grit to charge me with taking his boat without leave." - -"Oh, bother! it's all right. I haven't got any paper," said Brandon, who -was anxious to reach the tavern, and take his morning dram. - -"I have," said Phil promptly, as he drew out a small note-book and tore -out a leaf, which he handed, with a pencil, to Brandon. - -"What do you want me to write?" asked the latter. - -Phil dictated a form, which Brandon wrote down and signed. - -"Will that do?" he asked. - -"Yes, that will do. Now I am all right, and the boat is mine in spite of -all Grit may say." - -"I have made a good bargain," said Phil, to himself, complacently. -"This boat is worth at least twice what I have paid for it. I will get -it painted, and a new name for it, and it will pass for a new boat. -Won't Grit be mad when he hears what his stepfather has done?" - -This was, on the whole, the pleasantest reflection connected with the -purchase. It was not creditable to Phil to cherish such malice against a -boy, simply because he would not treat him with as much deference as he -expected; but human nature is often betrayed into petty meannesses, and -Phil was a very human boy, so far, at least, as such traits were -concerned. - -We now come back to Grit, who stood on the river's bank in perplexity, -when he discovered that his boat had been abstracted. - -"Who can have taken it?" he thought. - -Here he felt quite at a loss. It did not occur to him that his -stepfather had had anything to do with his boat, for he could not -understand of what advantage it would be to him. He did not comprehend -fully, however, how serious the loss was likely to prove, since it took -away his means of living. - -He stooped over and examined the rope. Clearly, it had been cut, and -this showed that the boat had been taken by some unauthorized person. - -"I can't understand who would serve me such a trick," thought Grit. "I -don't know that I have any enemies." - -But at this point he could not help thinking of Phil Courtney, who, if -not an enemy, was certainly not a friend. - -"Is it possible that Phil would play me such a trick?" he asked himself. -"No; he would think too much of himself. He would not condescend to do -such a thing." - -Grit walked up and down along the river bank, looking here and there to -see if anywhere he could descry his boat. At length he saw a boat, but -the boat was not his. It belonged to Jesse Burns, the son of the -postmaster, and was of about the same size and build as his own. - -"Jesse!" he called out, putting his hands to his mouth to increase the -volume of sound. - -Jesse heard the call, and rowed toward where Grit was standing. - -"What is it, Grit?" - -"My boat has been taken, and I don't know what has become of it." - -"Is that so?" asked Jesse, in surprise. "Why, I saw Phil Courtney out on -the river with it. I passed him only fifteen minutes since. I thought -you had let it to him." - -"Phil Courtney!" exclaimed Grit, angry and surprised. "I didn't think he -would take it without leave." - -"Did he?" - -"Yes, I found the rope cut." - -"That doesn't seem like Phil. He's mean enough to do anything, but I -didn't think he would do that." - -"Nor I. I'll give him a good piece of my mind when we meet. Where did -you meet him?" - -"Just above Glen Cove." - -"Do me a favor, Jesse. Take me into your boat, and row me up there, so -that I may meet him, and recover my boat." - -"All right, Grit. I'm very glad to do you a favor." - -"Are you sure it is my boat Phil had?" asked Grit, still unwilling to -believe that Phil had deliberately taken his boat. - -"Yes, I know your boat as well as my own. Besides, there was the name, -_Water Lily_, on it, as plain as day. There is no doubt about it." - -"Well," said Grit, closing his lips firmly, "all I can say is, I'll make -him pay for the use of the boat, or there'll be trouble." - -"You won't challenge him, will you, Grit?" asked Jesse, smiling. - -"That's just what I will do. I should be justified in thrashing him, -without notice, but I will give him a chance to defend himself." - -"If you want a second, call on me," said Jesse. "I don't like Phil any -better than you do, and I shan't object to seeing his pride humbled. -It's bad for your business, having the boat taken." - -"Yes, I shall lose the chance of two passengers who wanted to go across -to Portville an hour from now." - -"You may use my boat for that, Grit." - -"Thank you, Jesse; I should like to, if I don't get back my own. Did you -speak to Phil?" - -"No. I said 'good morning,' but, with his usual politeness, he only gave -a slight nod, and did not answer. I wanted to ask him how it happened -that he was using your boat so early in the morning, but, you see, I got -no chance." - -"It is queer. I can't guess what he will have to say for himself." - -"There he is now!" said Jesse suddenly, looking up the river. - -"Where?" - -"Don't you see? He is rowing this way. His back is turned, and he -hasn't seen us yet." - -Yes, it was Phil. He had enjoyed a good row, and now was on his return -course. He was rowing slowly and lazily, as if fatigued. - -"You will soon hear what he has to say, Grit," said Jesse. - -At that moment Phil chanced to turn round, and he saw and recognized the -boys that were approaching him. He did not, however, seem confused or -embarrassed; neither did he change his course. He merely smiled, and -continued to row toward his pursuers. - -"He sees us, and still he comes on. There's cheek for you!" ejaculated -Jesse. - -Grit said nothing, but his mouth closed firmly, and his eyes sparkled -with anger. He waited till Phil was within earshot, and then he demanded -sternly: - -"What are you doing there with my boat, Phil Courtney?" - -Phil would have resented Grit's tone, but he gloated over the triumphant -answer he was able to make, and thought he would tantalize Grit a -little. - -"To what boat do you allude?" he asked, in a nonchalant tone. - -"To what boat do I allude?" repeated Grit, provoked. "I allude to my -boat, in which you are rowing." - -"You are mistaken," said Phil composedly. "I am rowing in my own boat." - -"Isn't that the _Water Lily_?" asked Jesse, coming to the help of his -friend. - -"It is at present. I shall change the name for one I like better." - -"Look here, Phil Courtney!" said Grit indignantly, "this is carrying the -joke a little too far. You have taken my boat without leave or license -from me, and now you actually claim it as your own. Do you mean to say -that isn't the boat I have been rowing on this river for the last year?" - -"I never said it wasn't." - -"Isn't it the boat in which I carried you across the river yesterday?" - -"Of course." - -"Then what business had you to cut the rope and carry it off?" - -"I didn't." - -"Then how did you come by it?" - -"I bought it!" - -"Bought it!" exclaimed Grit and Jesse simultaneously. - -"Yes, I bought it, and it is mine," continued Phil, with a smile of -triumph. "It's just as much mine to-day as it was yours yesterday." - -"I never sold it to you," said Grit, perplexed. - -"No, but your stepfather, Mr. Brandon, did. If the rope was cut, he cut -it." - -"Can you prove this, Phil Courtney?" asked Grit. - -"If you will row up alongside, I will satisfy your curiosity." - -Jesse pulled his boat alongside, and Phil drew from his vest pocket a -paper and handed it to Grit. - -"Read that," he said. - -Grit read as follows: - - - "In consideration of five dollars, to me paid, I make over and sell - the boat called the _Water Lily_ to Philip Courtney. - - NATHAN BRANDON." - - -"There!" said Philip triumphantly, "what have you to say now?" - - - - -CHAPTER XV. - -GRIT ENGAGES ANOTHER BOAT. - - -When Phil displayed the bill of sale, made out in due form by Brandon, -Grit was for the moment taken aback. - -"Whose boat is it now?" continued Phil triumphantly. - -"It is mine," answered Grit quietly; "for Mr. Brandon had no right to -sell it." - -"I have nothing to do with that," said Phil. "He is your stepfather--you -ought to feel proud of having a jail-bird in the family--and he told me -the boat was his." - -"I shall not contest your claim at present," said Grit. "As long as it -passes out of my hands, you may as well have it as any one." - -"I'll sell it back for ten dollars," said Phil, who had a keen scent for -a bargain. - -"Thank you, I don't care to buy back my own property. Besides, Mr. -Brandon would be ready to sell it again to-morrow. As to what you say of -him, I shan't undertake to defend him. I am not particularly proud of -the relationship." - -"What are you going to do for a boat to ferry your passengers?" asked -Phil. - -"I don't know." - -"I'll let you this for fifty cents a day." - -"That would be about half of my receipts, and you would get your money -back in ten days. I don't care about making such a bargain as that." - -"You'll have to give up your business, then," said Phil. - -"No, he won't," said Jesse Burns. "I will give him the use of mine, and -won't charge him a cent." - -"Thank you, Jesse. You are a true friend," said Grit warmly. "You are -doing me a great favor." - -"And I am glad to do it. Suppose we pull to land? There are three -persons at the landing who look as if they wanted to be ferried across." - -Grit seized the oars and impelled the boat to land. As Jesse had said, -there were three persons waiting, a gentleman and two ladies, who at -once engaged the services of the young boatman. - -For this service he received thirty cents, and, finding two persons at -the other end who wished to come to Chester, the first hour in his new -boat brought him fifty cents. - -Grit's spirits rose. His misfortune was not irremediable, after all. He -had feared that his means of living were taken away, and though he had -money enough to buy a new boat, he did not dare to do so, lest Brandon -should also sell that. - -"I'll give him a piece of my mind," he thought. "It's contemptible to -come home and live on us, and then to take away my means of living." - -Meanwhile, Brandon had gone to the tavern, which he entered with a -swagger, and immediately called for a glass of whisky. - -The barkeeper hesitated. - -"My orders are not to sell on credit," he said. - -"Who wants you to sell on credit?" asked Brandon haughtily. - -"You had no money last night." - -"I've got some now. What do you say to that?" and he displayed the -five-dollar bill he had received from Phil Courtney. - -"That alters the case," said the barkeeper complaisantly. "Your money is -as good as anybody's." - -"I should say so. Give me another." - -When Brandon left the barroom, he had spent a dollar, having drunk -himself and treated others. - -"Wonder if Grit has found out about his boat?" he said to himself, with -a waggish smile, as he walked homeward with unsteady steps. "Serves the -boy right for treating me so disrespectfully." - -It was not much out of his way to go down to the margin of the river, -and he did so. It happened that, as he reached it, Grit had just arrived -from Portville with a second load of passengers. Fortune, as if to -compensate him for his loss of a boat, had brought him an unusual number -of passengers, so that he had already earned a dollar. - -When Brandon saw Grit engaged in his usual avocation, he opened wide his -eyes in surprise. - -"Has the boy got his boat back again?" he asked himself. - -He was not familiar with the appearance of the boat, and the name had -slipped from his recollection. Then, also, Jesse's boat looked very much -like Grit's. - -When the passengers had walked away Brandon took measures to gratify his -curiosity. - -"Where did you get that boat, Grit?" he asked. - -"Ah, it's you, is it?" said Grit, seeing his stepfather for the first -time. "What business had you to sell my boat, Mr. Brandon?" - -"Ain't I your stepfather, I'd like to know?" retorted Brandon. - -"I am sorry to say you are," answered Grit; "but that doesn't give you -any authority to steal and sell my boat." - -"Don't you dare to charge me with stealin', you--you young puppy!" -exclaimed Brandon, indignantly. "If you had behaved as you ought to me, -I wouldn't have meddled with your boat." - -"I understand you, Mr. Brandon. Because I wouldn't give you the money -that I need to support my mother, you meanly and maliciously plot to -take away my means of living." - -"You wouldn't give me your money to take care of for you." - -"You take care of my money for me!" returned Grit disdainfully. "I know -very well how you would take care of it. You've already spent a part of -the five dollars you received for stolen property at the tavern, and the -result is that you can't walk straight." - -"You lie! I can walk as straight as you!" said Brandon, and proceeded to -prove it by falling against a tree, and recovering his equilibrium with -difficulty. - -"I see you can," said Grit sarcastically. - -"Of course I can. Where did you get that boat? Is it the same----" - -"The same you stole from me? No, it isn't." - -"Have you bought it?" inquired Brandon, with a cunning look. - -"No, I haven't, and I don't intend to buy another boat for you to sell. -I have borrowed it of my friend, Jesse Burns." - -Mr. Brandon looked disappointed. He had thought the new boat would prove -a second bonanza, and he was already considering whether he could find -another purchaser for it. - -"Have you made much money this mornin', Grit?" next inquired Brandon, -changing the conversation. - -"I decline to tell you," answered Grit shortly. - -"Grit, you don't seem to reflect that I am your stepfather, and set in -authority over you." - -"I am not very likely to forget that I have a stepfather I am ashamed -of," said Grit. - -"This is unkind, Grit," said Brandon, in a voice tremulous with maudlin -sentiment. "Because I've been unfortunate, and have been shut out from -all enjoyment for five years, you mock and insult me when I get home and -pine for domestic happiness." - -"If you would behave decently, you wouldn't be reminded of the past," -said Grit. "But how is it? You haven't been home but twenty-four hours, -and have already borrowed all the money mother had, and have sold my -boat, to gratify your taste for rum. There may be more contemptible men -in the world, but I never met with one." - -"Grit, if you talk to me in that way," said Brandon, with attempted -dignity, "I shall be under the necessity of flogging you." - -"You'd better not try it, Mr. Brandon. I wouldn't stand still while you -were doing it. I promise you that." - -Just then two gentlemen came down to Phil's pier, and one asked: - -"Can you take us across to Portville?" - -"Yes, sir," answered Grit promptly. - -The two gentlemen got in, and Grit was about to push off, when Brandon -said: - -"Stop, Grit; I'll go, too." - -"You'll have to wait, Mr. Brandon," said Grit coolly, and a determined -push sent the boat out into the stream, and frustrated the design of his -stepfather. - -"You don't want any more passengers, I see," said one of the gentlemen, -smiling. - -"Not of that kind," answered Grit. - -"You are right. The man had evidently been drinking, and his presence -would have been disagreeable to us." - -When the boat reached the opposite shore, the gentleman who had engaged -him handed Grit half a dollar. - -Grit was about to offer change, but the passenger said: - -"No, keep the change, my lad. You'll find a use for it, I make no -doubt." - -"After all," thought Grit, who did not forget to thank his liberal -patron, "this isn't going to be so bad a day for me." - -Five minutes later a man with a heavy black beard and rather shabbily -attired presented himself as a passenger. - -"I say, boy," said he, "do you know a man named Brandon that has -recently gone to Chester?" - -"Yes," answered Grit. - -"All right. When we get over on the other side, you can just point out -to me where he lives." - - - - -CHAPTER XVI. - -MR. BRANDON'S FRIEND. - - -It was clear that Grit's new passenger was a stranger in the -neighborhood. Had he been a resident of Chester or Portville, the young -boatman would have known him. It must be confessed, however, that the -appearance of the newcomer was not such as to render any one anxious to -make his acquaintance. He was a black-haired, low-browed man, with a -cunning, crafty look, and, to sum up, with the general appearance of a -tramp. - -He seated himself comfortably, and scanned the young boatman critically. - -"Where do you live?" he asked abruptly. - -"In Chester," answered Grit briefly. - -"That's where my friend Brandon lives, isn't it?" - -"Yes." - -"Do you know him?" - -"Yes." - -Grit felt reluctant to admit that any tie existed between himself and -the returned convict. - -"Brandon's wife is living, isn't she?" - -"Yes." - -"There's a kid, isn't there?" - -"Mrs. Brandon has a son, if that's what you mean," said Grit. - -"Of course, that's what I mean. Mrs. Brandon got any property?" - -Grit was getting provoked. He did not fancy discussing his mother's -affairs with a man of this stamp. - -"You seem to feel considerable interest in the family," he could not -help saying. - -"S'pose I do! That's my business, isn't it?" - -"I suppose so," answered Grit. - -"Well, why don't you answer my question?" demanded the passenger -impatiently. - -"I haven't agreed to answer your questions; I have engaged to row you -across the river, and I am doing it." - -"Look here, boy!" said the passenger, bending his brows, "I don't want -you to talk back to me--do you hear?" - -"Yes, I hear; but if you ask me questions I shall answer as I please." - -"You will, hey? I've a great mind to throw you into the river." - -"That wouldn't do you any good. You wouldn't get over any quicker, and, -besides, you would find yourself under arrest before night." - -"And you would drown." - -"Not if I could help it. I can swim across the river easily." - -"You're a cool hand. Then you are not willing to answer my questions?" - -"I will, if you will answer mine." - -"Go ahead. I'll see about it." - -"Where did you meet Mr. Brandon?" - -"Where? Well, let that pass." - -It so happened that the two had first met as fellow prisoners--a -confession the passenger did not care to make. Grit inferred this from -the reluctance displayed in giving the answer. - -"What is your name?" - -"Thomas Travers," answered the passenger, rather slowly. "What is -yours?" - -"Harry Morris." - -This answer revealed nothing, since Travers did not know the name of -Brandon's wife before marriage. - -"Do you make much, ferrying passengers across the river?" - -"I do pretty well." - -"What is your fare?" - -"Ten cents." - -"Pretty good. I'd do it for that myself." - -"There's a chance to run opposition to me," said Grit, smiling. - -"I've got more important business on hand. So you know Brandon, do you?" - -"Yes, I know him." - -"Do you know his wife?" - -"Yes." - -"Has she property?" - -"She owns the small cottage she lives in." - -"Good!" said Travers, nodding. "That's luck for Brandon." - -"How is it?" asked Grit, desirous of drawing out Travers, as he probably -knew Mr. Brandon's intentions, and it was important that these should be -understood. - -"It's a good thing to have property in the family. My friend Brandon is -short of funds, and he can sell the house, or raise money on it." - -"Without his wife's consent?" - -"Oh, she'll have to give in," said Travers nonchalantly. - -"We'll see about that," said Grit to himself, but he did not utter his -thoughts aloud. - -By this time they had reached the opposite shore of the river, and -Travers stepped out of the boat. - -He felt in his vest pocket, as a matter of form, but did not succeed in -finding anything there. - -"I've got no change, boy," he said. "I'll get some from Brandon, and pay -you to-morrow." - -"Mr. Brandon's credit isn't good with me," said Grit. - -"Ha, does he owe you money?" - -"I refused to take him across the river this morning," answered Grit. - -"Look here, young fellow, that isn't the way to carry on business. When -you insult my friend Brandon, you insult me. I've a great mind never to -ride across on your boat again." - -"I don't mind losing your patronage," repeated Grit. "It doesn't pay." - -"We'll discuss that another time. Where does my friend Brandon live?" - -"You can inquire," returned Grit, by no means anxious to point out the -way to his mother's house to this objectionable stranger. - -"You're the most impudent boy I've met lately," said Travers angrily. -"I'll settle you yet." - -"Better settle with me first, Mr. Travers," said Grit coolly, and he -pushed his boat back into the stream. - -"I wonder who he is," thought Travers, as he walked away from the boat -landing. "I must ask Brandon. I wish I could meet him. I'm precious -short of funds, and I depend on him to take care of me for a few days." - -Thomas Travers passed by the little cottage on the bluff, quite unaware -that it was the house he was in search of. He kept on his way toward -the village, not meeting any one of whom he could ask the proper -direction. - -At length, greatly to his relief, he espied in the distance the familiar -figure of Brandon, walking, or, more properly, reeling, toward him. - -"That's he--that's my friend Brandon!" he exclaimed joyfully. "Now I'm -all right. Say, old fellow, how are you?" - -"Is it you, Travers?" said Brandon, trying to steady himself. - -"Yes, it's I--Tom Travers." - -"When did you get out?" - -"Sh! Don't speak too loud!" said Travers, looking about him cautiously. -"I got out two days after you." - -"What are you doing here?" - -"Just come. Come to see you, old boy. I can stay with you, can't I?" - -Brandon looked dubious. - -"I don't know what Mrs. B. will say," he answered slowly. - -"You're boss in your own house, ain't you?" - -"Well, that's where it is! It isn't my own house. It belongs to Mrs. B." - -"Same thing, I take it." - -"No, it isn't. The old lady's bound to keep it in her own hands." - -"Can't you sell or mortgage it?" - -"She won't let me." - -"Bah! Can't you control a woman?" returned Travers disdainfully. - -"I might, but for the cub." - -"The boy?" - -"Yes. He's the most obstinate, perverse, independent young kid you ever -saw." - -"You don't say so!" - -"Fact! It's pretty hard on me." - -"Then he'll make a pretty good match for the boy I met this morning." - -"Where?" - -"The boy that ferried me across the river. He's as sassy a young kid as -I ever saw." - -"Why, that's him--that's Grit." - -"Grit! He told me his name was Harry Morris." - -"So it is, and his mother was Mrs. Morris before I married her." - -"You don't mean to say that boy is your stepson?" - -"Yes, he is." - -"Whew!" whistled Travers. "Well, he doesn't seem to admire you very -much," continued the visitor. - -"No, doesn't treat me with any respect. If it wasn't for him, I could -manage his mother. He sets her against me, and gets her to stand out -against anything I propose. It's hard, Travers," continued Brandon, -showing an inclination to indulge in maudlin tears. - -"Then why do you submit to it, Brandon? Ain't you a match for a boy like -that? Why, you ain't half the man I thought you was." - -"Ain't I? I was too much for Grit this morning, anyway," said Brandon, -with a cunning smile. - -"What did you do?" - -"I sold his boat before he was up, and he had to borrow another." - -"Good!" exclaimed Travers, delighted. "You're a trump. Have you got any -of the money left?" - -"A little." - -"Then steer for the tavern, old fellow. I'm awfully thirsty." - -The next hour was spent in the barroom, and then the worthy and -well-matched pair bent their steps toward the little cottage, Travers -supporting his friend Brandon as well as he could. - - - - -CHAPTER XVII. - -AN UNWELCOME VISITOR. - - -Mrs. Brandon was laying the cloth for dinner when she heard a scuffling -sound, as of footsteps, in the entry. - -"Who is with Mr. Brandon?" she thought. "It can't be Grit. They wouldn't -be likely to come home together." - -Her uncertainty was soon at an end, for the door was opened, and her -husband reeled in, sinking into the nearest chair, of necessity, for his -limbs refused to support him. Just behind him was Mr. Thomas Travers, -who was also under the influence of his recent potations, but not to the -same extent as his companion. - -"How do, Mrs. B.?" said her liege lord. "Mrs. B., I have the pleasure of -introducin' my frien' Travers. Come in, Travers." - -Mrs. Brandon surveyed the two with a look of disgust, and did not speak. - -"I hope I see you well, ma'am," said Travers, rather awkwardly, -endeavoring, with some difficulty, to maintain an erect attitude. "Sorry -to intrude, but my old friend Brandon insisted." - -"You can come in if you like," said Mrs. Brandon coldly. - -"I say, Mrs. B., is dinner almost ready? My frien', Mr. Travers, is -hungry, an' so'm I." - -"Dinner is nearly ready. I suppose, Mr. Brandon, you have just come from -the tavern." - -"Yes, Mrs. B., I've come from the tavern," hiccoughed Brandon. "Have you -anything to say against it?" - -"I would say something if it would do any good," said his wife -despondently. - -"If you think--hic--that I've been drinking Mrs. B., you're mistaken; -ain't she, Travers?" - -"You didn't drink enough to hurt you, Brandon," said his companion, -coming to his assistance. - -Mrs. Brandon looked at Travers, but did not deign to answer him. It was -clear that his assurance possessed no value in her eyes. - -She continued her preparations, and laid the dinner on the table. - -Then she went to the door, and, shading her eyes, looked out, hoping to -see Grit on his way home. But she looked in vain. Just as he was about -fastening his boat, or, rather, the boat he had borrowed, two passengers -came up and wished to be conveyed across the river. - -"My dinner can wait," thought Grit. "I must not disappoint passengers." - -So his coming home was delayed, and Brandon and his friend had the field -to themselves. - -When dinner was ready, Brandon staggered to the table and seated -himself. - -"Sit down, Travers," he said. "You're in my house, and you must make -yourself at home." - -He said this a little defiantly, for he saw by Mrs. Brandon's expression -that she was not pleased with his friend's presence. - -"I'm glad to hear it," said Travers, with a knowing smile. "I was told -that the house belonged to your wife." - -"It's the same thing, isn't it, Mrs. B.?" returned Brandon. - -"Not quite," answered his wife bitterly. "If it were, we should not have -a roof over our heads." - -"There you go again!" said Brandon fiercely, pounding the table with the -handle of his knife. "Don't let me hear no more such talk. I'm master -here, d'ye hear that?" - -"That's the talk, Brandon!" said Travers approvingly. "I like to hear a -man show proper independence. Of course you're master here." - -Mrs. Brandon was of a gentle nature, but she was roused to resentment -by this rudeness. Turning to Travers, she said: - -"I don't know who you are, sir, but your remarks are offensive and -displeasing." - -"I'm the friend of my friend Brandon," said Travers insolently, "and as -long as he don't complain of my remarks, I shall remark what I please. -What d'ye say, Brandon?" - -"Quite right, Travers, old boy! You're in my house, and I expect you to -be treated accordingly. Mrs. B., you will be kind enough to remember -that this gen'leman is a frien' of mine," and Brandon closed the -sentence with a drunken hiccough. - -"I think it necessary to say that this house belongs to me," said Mrs. -Brandon, "and that no one is welcome here who does not treat me with -respect." - -"Spunky, eh?" said Travers, laughing rudely. - -"Yes, she's spunky," said Brandon, "but we'll cure her of that, eh, -Travers?--the same way as I cured that boy of hers." - -"That was good!" laughed Travers. "He's an impudent young rascal." - -Mrs. Brandon was alarmed. What did they mean by these references? What -had been done to Grit, and how had he been served? Was it possible that -Brandon had dared to use violence to the boy? The very thought hardened -her, and gave her courage. - -"Mr. Brandon," she said, with flashing eyes, "what do you mean? What -have you done to Grit? Have you dared to illtreat him? If you have, it -will be a bad day's work for you." - -"Ha! She threatens you, Brandon. Now, brace up, man, and show your -spunk," said Travers, enjoying the scene. - -"I'm not accountable to you, Mrs. B.," stammered Brandon, in what he -essayed to make a dignified tone. "Grit is my stepson, and I'm his -natural guardian." - -"Mr. Brandon, what have you done to Grit?" persisted his wife, with -flashing eyes. "Have you dared to lay a finger upon him?" - -"I'll lay two fingers, three fingers, on him, if I like," said Brandon -doggedly. "He's a sassy puppy, Mrs. B." - -Mrs. Brandon became more and more anxious. Generally, Grit was home by -this time, and his failure to appear led the anxious mother to conclude -that he had been injured by her husband. - -"Where is Grit?" she asked, with startling emphasis. - -"He's all right," stammered Brandon. - -"He's all right, but he isn't happy," said Travers, laughing. "That was -a good move of yours, selling his boat." - -"Did you sell Grit's boat, Mr. Brandon?" demanded his wife quickly. - -"Yes, I did, Mrs. B. Have you got anything to say against it?" - -"I say that it was a mean, contemptible, dishonest act!" said Mrs. -Brandon warmly. "You have taken away the poor boy's means of living, in -order to gratify your love of drink. The food which you are eating was -bought with his earnings. How do you expect to live, now that you have -taken away his boat?" - -"He'll get along; he's got sixty dollars," said Brandon thickly. - -"Sixty dollars won't last forever. To whom did you sell the boat?" - -"Phil Courtney." - -"He was just the boy to buy it. Little he cared for the harm he was -doing my poor Grit. How much did he pay you?" - -"Five dollars." - -"And how much of the money have you got left?" - -Brandon drew out two silver half-dollars from his pocket. - -"That's all I've got left," he said. - -"And you have actually squandered four dollars on liquor, you and your -friend!" said Mrs. Brandon--"nearly the whole sum you received for my -poor boy's boat!" - -"Hush up, Mrs. B.! It's none of your business," said Brandon. - -"That's the way to talk, Brandon!" said Travers, surveying the scene -with boorish delight. "I like to see a man show the proper spirit of a -man. I like to see a man master in his own house." - -"You would not insult me so if Grit were here!" said Mrs. Brandon, with -a red spot on either cheek. "Mr. Brandon, I tolerate your presence here, -because I was foolish enough to accept you as my husband. As for this -man whom you have brought here, he is unwelcome. He has dared to insult -me while sitting at my table, and I ask him in your presence to leave -the house." - -"Travers is my frien'; he will stay here, Mrs. B., and don't you forget -it!" - -Brandon pounded the table as he spoke, and nodded his head vigorously. - -"Sorry to disappoint you, Mrs. Brandon," said Travers impudently, "but -when my friend Brandon tells me to stay, stay I must. If you don't -enjoy my being here, let me suggest to you, in the politest manner, to -go and take a walk. Eh, Brandon?" - -"Yes, go take a walk!" said Brandon, echoing his friend's remark. "I'll -have you to know, Mrs. B., that this is my house, an' I am master here. -My frien' Travers will stay here as long as he pleases." - -"That's the talk, Brandon. I knew you weren't under petticoat -government. You're too much of a man for that." - -"Yesh, I'm too much of a man for that," said Brandon sleepily. - -Travers took from his pocket a clay pipe, and, deliberately filling the -bowl with tobacco, began to smoke. - -As he leaned back in his chair, winking insolently at Mrs. Brandon, the -poor woman cried: - -"Will no one relieve me from this insolent intruder?" - -The words caught the ears of Grit, who entered at this moment. - -He looked from one to the other of the two men who sat at his mother's -table, and his eyes flashed, and his boyish form dilated with passion. - - - - -CHAPTER XVIII. - -A STORMY TIME. - - -"What does this mean?" demanded Grit, in a stern voice. "What have these -men been doing?" - -"Oh, Grit, I am glad you are here!" said his mother. "Mr. Brandon has -brought this man here against my will, and he has treated me rudely." - -Travers looked round and saw the boy. - -"Hello, my young friend!" he said. "You didn't tell me that my friend -Brandon was your stepfather." - -"Because I was ashamed of it," answered Grit promptly. - -"D'ye hear that, Brandon?" said Travers. "The boy says he is ashamed of -you." - -"I'll settle with him when I feel better," said Brandon, who realized -that he was not in a condition even to deal with a boy. "He's a -bad-mannered cub, an' deserves a floggin'." - -"You won't give it to me!" said Grit contemptuously. "What is the name -of this man you have brought into the house?" - -"He's my frien' Travers," answered Brandon. "My frien' Travers is a -gen'l'man." - -"A gentleman isn't insolent to ladies," retorted Grit. "Mr. Travers, if -that is your name, my mother wishes you to leave the house." - -"Couldn't do it," said Travers, leering. "My frien' Brandon wants me to -stay--don't you, Brandon?" - -"Certainly, Travers. This is my house, an' I'm master of the house. -Don't you mind what Mrs. B. or this cub says. Just stay where you are, -and stand by me." - -"I'll do it with pleasure," said Travers. "My friend Brandon is the -master of this house, and what he says I will do." - -"Mr. Travers," said Grit firmly, "you shall not stay here. This house -belongs to my mother, and she wishes you to go. I suppose you can -understand that?" - -"My dear boy, you may as well shut up. I shan't go." - -"You won't!" said Grit menacingly. - -"Oh, Grit, don't get into any difficulty," said his mother, becoming -alarmed. - -Travers puffed away at his pipe, surveying Grit with an insulting smile. - -"Listen to your mother, boy!" he said. "She talks sense." - -"Mother," said Grit quietly, "will you be kind enough to go up-stairs -for five minutes? I will deal with these men." - -"I will go if you think it best, Grit; but do be cautious. I am sure Mr. -Travers will see the impropriety of his remaining here against my -wishes." - -"I may see it in a few days," said Travers insolently. "Don't trouble -yourself, ma'am. The law is on my side, and I am the guest of my friend -Brandon. Isn't that so, Brandon?" - -"To be sure, Travers," said Brandon, in a drowsy tone. - -"Mr. Brandon's friends are not welcome here," said Grit, "nor is he -himself welcome." - -"That's an unkind thing for your own boy to say," said Brandon, in a -tone which he tried to make pathetic. "Because I've been unfortunate, my -own family turn against me." - -"If you had behaved decently, Mr. Brandon, we would have tolerated your -presence," said Grit; "but during the short time you have been here, you -have annoyed and robbed my mother and myself, and spent the money you -stole at the tavern. We have had enough of you!" - -"Do you hear that, Travers?" asked Brandon, by a ludicrous transition -shedding maudlin tears. "Do you hear that ungrateful boy?" - -Meanwhile, Mrs. Brandon, in accordance with Grit's request, had left the -room. - -Grit felt that the time had come for decisive measures. He was not a -quarrelsome boy, nor was he given to fighting, but he had plenty of -spirit, and he was deeply moved and provoked by the insolence of -Travers. - -Some consideration he perhaps owed to his mother's husband; but to his -disreputable companion, none whatever. - -"Mr. Travers," he said, with cool determination, turning toward the -intruder, "did you hear me say that my mother desired you to leave the -house?" - -"I don't care that for your mother!" said Travers, snapping his fingers. -"My friend Brandon----" - -He did not complete the sentence. Grit could not restrain himself when -he heard this insolent defiance of his mother, and, without a moment's -hesitation, he approached Travers, with one sweep of his arm dashed the -pipe he was smoking into a hundred pieces, and, seizing the astonished -visitor by the shoulders, pushed him forcibly to the door and thrust -him out. - -Travers was so astonished that he was quite unable to resist, nor indeed -was he a match for the strong and muscular boy in his present condition. - -"Well, that beats all I ever heard of!" he muttered, as he stumbled into -a sitting position on the door-step. - -Brandon stared at Grit and his summary proceeding in a dazed manner. - -"Wha--what's all this, Grit?" he asked, trying to rise from his chair. -"How dare you treat my friend Travers so rudely?" - -Grit's blood was up. His cheeks were flushed, and his eyes sparkled with -resentment. - -"Mr. Brandon," he said, "we have borne with you, my mother and I, but -this has got to stop. When you bring one of your disreputable friends -here to insult my mother, you've got me to deal with. Don't you dare -bring that man here again!" - -This was, I admit, rather a singular tone for a boy of Grit's age to -assume, but it must be considered what provocation he had. Circumstances -had made him feel older than he really was. For nearly five years he had -been his mother's adviser, protector, and dependence, and he felt -indignant through and through at the mean and dastardly course of his -stepfather. - -"Don't be sassy, Grit," said Brandon, slipping back into his chair. "I'm -the master of this house." - -"That is where you are mistaken, Mr. Brandon," said Grit. - -"Perhaps you are," retorted Brandon, with mild sarcasm. - -"This house has no master. My mother is the mistress and owner," said -Grit. - -"I'm goin' to flog you, Grit, when I feel better." - -"I'm willing to wait," said Grit calmly. - -Here there was an interruption. The ejected guest rose from his sitting -posture on the steps, and essayed to lift the latch and gain fresh -admittance. - -He failed, for Grit, foreseeing the attempt, had bolted the door. - -Finding he could not open the door, Travers rattled the latch and called -out: - -"Open the door, Brandon, and let me in!" - -"Open the door, Grit," said his stepfather, not finding it convenient to -rise. - -"I refuse to do so, Mr. Brandon," said Grit, in a firm tone. - -"Why don't you let me in?" was heard from the outside, as Travers -rattled the latch once more. - -"I'll have to open it myself," said Brandon, half rising and trying to -steady himself. - -The attempt was vain, for he had already drunk more than was good for -him when he met Travers, and had drunk several glasses on top of that. - -Instead of going to the door, he sank helpless and miserable on the -floor. - -"That disposes of him," said Grit, eying the prostrate form with a -glance of disgust and contempt. "I shall be able to manage the other one -now with less trouble." - -"Let me in, Brandon!" repeated Travers, beginning to pound on the door. - -Grit went to a window on a line with the door, and, raising it, looked -out at the besieging force. - -"Mr. Travers," he said, "you may as well go away; you won't get back -into the house." - -"My friend Brandon will let me in. You're only a boy. My friend Brandon -is the master of the house. He will let me in." - -"Your friend Brandon is lying on the floor, drunk, and doesn't hear -you," said Grit. - -"Then I'll let myself in!" said Travers, with an oath. - -He picked up a rock, and began to pound the door, to the imminent danger -of breaking the panels. "There's more than one way to get in. When I get -in, I'll mash you!" - -The time had come for decisive action. Drunk as he was, Travers would -sooner or later break down the door, and then there would be trouble. - -Grit seized an old pistol which lay on the mantel-piece. It had long -been disused, and was so rusty that it was very doubtful whether any use -could have been made of it. Still it presented a formidable appearance, -as the young boatman pointed it at Travers. - -"Stop pounding that door, or I fire!" Grit exclaimed, in a commanding -tone. - -Travers turned quickly at the word, and as he saw the rusty weapon -pointed at him, his small stock of courage left him, and he turned pale, -for he was a coward at heart. - -"For the Lord's sake, don't fire!" he cried hastily. - - - - -CHAPTER XIX. - -TRAVERS PICKS UP A FRIEND. - - -Travers looked the picture of fright as he beheld the rusty pistol which -Grit pointed at him. - -"Don't fire, for the Lord's sake!" he repeated, in alarm. - -"Will you go away, then, and give up troubling us?" demanded the young -boatman sternly. - -"Yes, yes, I'll go," said Travers hurriedly. "Lower that pistol. It -might go off." - -Grit lowered the weapon, as desired, seeing that Travers was likely to -keep his word. - -"Tell Brandon I want to see him. I will be at the tavern this afternoon -at four o'clock." - -"I'll tell him," said Grit, who preferred that his stepfather should be -anywhere rather than at home. - -Having got rid of Travers, Grit turned to survey his stepfather, who was -lying on the floor, breathing heavily. His eyes were closed, and he -seemed in a drunken stupor. - -"How long have we got to submit to this?" thought Grit. "I must go up -and consult with mother about what is to be done." - -He went up-stairs, and found his mother seated in her chamber, nervously -awaiting the issue of the interview between Grit and the worthy pair -below. - -"Are they gone, Grit?" she asked quickly. - -"Travers is gone, mother. I turned him out of the house." - -"Did you have any trouble with him?" - -"I should have had, but he was too weak to resist me, on account of -having drunk too much." - -"I thought I heard him pounding on the door." - -"So he did, but I frightened him away with the old pistol," and Grit -laughed at the remembrance. "He thought it was loaded." - -"He may come back again," said Mrs. Brandon apprehensively. - -"Yes, he may. Brandon is likely to draw such company. I wish we could -get rid of him, too." - -"What a fatal mistake I made in marrying that man!" said Mrs. Brandon -mournfully. - -"That is true, mother but it can't be helped now. The question is, what -shall we do?" - -"Where is he?" - -"Lying on the floor, drunk," said Grit, in a tone of disgust. "We may as -well leave him there for the present." - -"He has hardly been home twenty-four hours, yet how he has changed our -quiet life. If he would only reform!" - -"Not much chance of that, mother." - -"What shall we do, Grit?" asked Mrs. Brandon, who was wont to come to -Grit, young as he was, for advice. - -"I have thought of two ways. I might buy him a ticket for Boston, if I -thought he would use it. It would be of no use to give him the money, or -he would spend it at the tavern instead." - -"If he would only leave us to ourselves, it would a blessing." - -"If he won't hear of that, there is another way." - -"What is it?" - -"I could engage board for you and myself at the house of one of our -neighbors for a week." - -"What good would that do, Grit?" - -"You would prepare no meals at home, and Mr. Brandon would be starved -out. While he can live upon us, and raise money to buy liquor at the -tavern, there is little chance of getting rid of him." - -"I don't know, Grit. It seems a harsh thing to do." - -"But consider the circumstances, mother. We can't allow him to continue -annoying us as he has done." - -"Do as you think best, Grit." - -"Then I will go over to Mrs. Sprague's and ask if she will take us for a -few days. That will probably be sufficient." - -Going down-stairs, Grit saw his stepfather still lying on the floor. -Grit's step aroused him, and he lifted his head. - -"'S'that you Grit?" he asked, in thick accents. - -"Yes, sir." - -"Where's my frien' Travers?" - -"He's gone." - -"Where's he gone?" - -"To the tavern. He said he would meet you there at four o'clock." - -"What time is it?" asked Brandon, trying to get up. - -"Two o'clock." - -"I'll be there. You tell him so, Grit." - -"I will if I see him." - -Grit went on his way to Mrs. Sprague's, and had no difficulty in making -the arrangement he desired for his mother and himself, when she learned -that Mr. Brandon was not to come, too. - -"I feel for your mother, Grit," she said. "If I can help her in this -trial, I certainly will." - -"Thank you, Mrs. Sprague. I will return and tell her. Perhaps she may -come over by the middle of the afternoon. I don't like to leave her -alone in the house with Mr. Brandon." - -"She will be welcome whenever she comes, Grit." - -"You had better go over at once, mother," said Grit, on his return. "A -drunken man is not fit company for you." - -Mrs. Brandon was easily persuaded to take the step recommended, and her -husband was left in the house alone. - -Meanwhile, Travers went on his way to the tavern. It was rather a -serious thing for him to be turned out of his friend's house, for he had -but a scanty supply of money, and his appearance was not likely to give -him credit. - -"Confound that boy!" he muttered. "He's just reckless enough to shoot -me, if I don't give up to him. I pity Brandon, having such a son as -that." - -It would have been more in order to pity Grit for having such a -stepfather, but Travers looked upon the matter from his own point of -view, which, it is needless to say, was influenced by his own interests. - -"Will they take me at the tavern?" he thought to himself. "If they -won't, I shall have to sleep out, and that would be hard for a gentleman -like me." - -When we are in a tight place, help often comes from unexpected quarters, -and this to those who hardly deserve such a favor. So it happened in the -case of Travers. - -As he was walking slowly along, his face wrinkled with perplexity, he -attracted the attention of a tall man, dressed in black, who might -readily have passed for a clergyman, so far as his externals went. He -crossed the street, and accosted Travers. - -"My friend," he said, "you appear to be in trouble." - -"So I am," answered Travers readily. - -"Of what nature?" - -"I've just been turned out of the house of the only friend I have in the -village, and I don't know where to go." - -"Go to the tavern." - -"So I would if I had money enough to pay my score. You haven't got five -dollars to spare, have you?" - -Travers had no expectation of being answered in the affirmative, and he -was surprised, as well as gratified, when the stranger drew out his -wallet, and, taking therefrom a five-dollar bill, put it into his hand. - -"There," said he. - -"Well!" exclaimed the astonished Travers, "you're a gentleman if ever -there was one. May I know the name of such an--an ornament to his -species?" - -The stranger smiled. - -"I am glad you appreciate my little favor," he said. "As to my name, you -may call me Colonel Johnson." - -"Proud to know you, colonel," said Travers, clasping the hand of his new -acquaintance warmly. - -"What is your name?" asked Johnson. - -"Thomas Travers." - -"I am glad to know you, Mr. Travers," said the colonel. "Let me drop you -a hint. There's more money where that came from." - -"You couldn't lend me any more, could you?" asked Travers eagerly. - -"Well, not exactly lend, Mr. Travers, but perhaps we can enter into a -little business arrangement." - -"All right, colonel," said Travers briskly. "I'm out of business. Fact -is, I've been in seclusion lately--confined to the house in fact, and -haven't been able to earn anything." - -"Just so. Suppose we take a walk in yonder field, and I will tell you -what I have in view." - -They got over a fence, and walked slowly along a path that led a quarter -of a mile farther on into the woods. - -Here they sat down under a tree, and Colonel Johnson, producing a couple -of cigars and a match, said: - -"I can always talk better when I am smoking. Have one, Travers." - -"You're a man after my own heart, colonel," said Travers -enthusiastically. "Now, if I only had a nip I should be in clover." - -"Take one, then," said the colonel, producing a pocket-flask of brandy. - -Travers was by no means bashful in accepting this invitation. - - - - -CHAPTER XX. - -A PROMISING PLAN. - - -The conference between Colonel Johnson and Travers was apparently of -great interest to the latter. It is important that the reader should be -made acquainted with its nature. - -"I take it for granted, Mr. Travers," said the colonel, after their -potation, "that you are ready to undertake a job if there is money in -it." - -"That's as true as you live," said Travers emphatically. - -"Am I also right in concluding that you are not squeamish as to how the -money is earned? You are not overburdened with conscientious scruples, -eh?" - -"Not much! They're all nonsense," returned Travers. - -"Good! I see you are the sort of a man I took you for. Now you must, to -begin with, promise that you will regard as confidential what I am about -to say to you." - -"Tom Travers can be relied upon, colonel. He's safe every time." - -"Good again! Then I shall not hesitate to unfold to you my little plan. -I believe you have a bank in the village?" - -"Yes; but, colonel, I am a stranger here. I only know one person -here--my friend Brandon." - -"Is he--the same kind of a man as yourself?" inquired Johnson. - -"The same identical kind, colonel. What is it Shakespeare, or some other -poet, says: - - - "'Two flowers upon a single stalk, - Two hearts that beat as one.'" - - -"I compliment you on your knowledge of poetry, Mr. Travers. I didn't -think it was in you." - -Travers looked complimented. - -"I've had an education, colonel," he said complacently, "though -circumstances have been against me for the last four years. As for my -friend Brandon, he's one you can rely upon." - -"I shall probably require his services as well as yours," said Johnson. -"Now let me proceed. You agree with me that bank capitalists are -grasping monopolists, that they grind down the poor man, and live in -luxury at the expense of the poor laborer." - -"Just my notion, colonel!" - -"And whatever we can get out of them is what they richly deserve to -lose?" - -"Just so!" - -"Well and good! I see you agree with me. And now, friend Travers, I will -tell you what I have in view, and why it is that I need the services of -two gentlemen like you and your friend. The fact is"--here Johnson -dropped the mask, being assured of the character of his -listener--"there's a good haul to be made within three days--a haul -which, if successful, will make all three of us easy in our -circumstances for years to come." - -"Go ahead, colonel. I'm with you, and my friend Brandon, too. I'll -answer for him. We both need a lift mightily." - -"I learn--no matter how"--said Johnson, lowering his voice, "that a -messenger from the bank goes to Boston day after to-morrow with a -package of thirty thousand dollars in government bonds. He's to carry -them to the Merchant's National Bank in Boston. These bonds are not -registered, but coupon bonds, and can easily be sold. They are at a -premium of fifteen or sixteen per cent., which would bring up the value -to nearly or quite thirty-five thousand dollars." - -Travers listened with eager interest. He began to understand the -service that was expected of him, but it did not apparently shock him. - -"Well?" he said. - -"My plan," continued Colonel Johnson, "is for you and your friend to -follow this bank messenger, and between here and Boston to relieve him -of this package. You will meet me at a spot agreed upon in or near the -city, and I will take the package." - -"You will take the package?" repeated Travers blankly. - -"Yes, but I will reward you liberally for your service. You and Brandon -will each receive from me, in case the affair succeeds, the sum of five -thousand dollars." - -"I thought we would share and share alike," said Travers, in a tone of -disappointment. - -"Nonsense, man! Isn't it my plan? Am I to reap no benefit from my own -conception? Besides, shall I not have the care and responsibility of -disposing of the bonds? This will involve danger." - -"So will our part involve danger," objected Travers. - -"That is true, but your hazard is small. There will be two of you to one -bank messenger. Besides, I take it for granted that you will be adroit -enough to relieve the messenger without his knowing anything about it. -When he discovers his loss you will be out of sight. It strikes me you -will be rewarded very handsomely for the small labor imposed upon you." - -Travers made a further effort to secure better terms, but his new -acquaintance was firm in refusing them. The result was, that Travers -unconditionally accepted for himself and Brandon. - -"When shall you see your friend Brandon, as you call him?" inquired the -colonel. - -"This very afternoon," answered Travers promptly. - -"Good! I like your promptness." - -"That is, if I can," continued Travers, a shade doubtfully, for he -remembered the summary manner in which he had been ejected from the -house of his congenial companion and friend. - -"Very well. Then we will postpone further debate till you have done so. -I shall stay at the tavern here, and you can readily find me." - -"I will stay there, too. I was staying with my friend Brandon, but his -wife and her son did not treat me well, and I left them. They want to -separate us--old friends as we are." - -"They are jealous of you," suggested Johnson, smiling. - -"Just so, but I'll euchre them yet." - -The two walked together to the road, and there they separated, Johnson -suggesting that it might be prudent for them not to be seen together too -much. - -Travers assented, and turned back in the direction of the house he had -recently left under rather mortifying circumstances. - -"The boy'll be gone to his boat," he thought, "and I don't care for the -old lady. She doesn't like me, but I can stand that. I must see my -friend Brandon, if I can." - -Although Travers decided that Grit had returned to his boat, he -approached the house cautiously. He thought it possible that Grit might -still be on guard with the formidable pistol which he had pointed at him -an hour or more earlier, and he did not like the looks of the weapon. - -"It might go off!" he thought. "That plaguy boy is awfully reckless, and -he wouldn't mind shooting a gentleman, if he felt like it. I'd like to -pitch him into the water, pistol and all," he ejaculated fervently, in -conclusion. - -As I have said, Travers approached the little cottage with cautious -steps. Drawing near, he listened to see if he could hear any sound of -voices that would betray the presence of the boy he wished to avoid. - -All was still. Nothing was to be heard but the deep breathing of -Brandon, who still lay on the floor in a stupor. Grit was back at his -boat, and Mrs. Brandon had already left the house and gone to spend the -remainder of the afternoon with her neighbor. Brandon was, therefore, -the only occupant of the cottage. - -"I hear my friend Brandon," said Travers to himself. "I can hear nothing -of the boy. He must be away." - -By way of ascertaining definitely, Travers moved round to the window and -peered in. He caught sight of the prostrate figure of Brandon, but could -see no one else. - -"It's all right," he said to himself, in a satisfied tone. - -He tried the door, and found it unlocked. - -He entered, and stooping over, seized Brandon by the shoulder, and -called him loudly by name. - -"I say, Brandon, wake up!" - -"Go away, Grit," said Brandon drowsily. - -"It isn't Grit. It's I--your friend Travers," said that gentleman. - -"Thought my friend Travers was gone," muttered Brandon, opening his -eyes. - -"So I did go, but I've come back. I want to see you on important -business." - -"'Portant business?" repeated Brandon. - -"Yes, very important business. Do you want to earn five thousand -dollars?" - -"Five thousand dollars!" said Brandon, roused by this startling inquiry. -"'Course I do." - -"Then rouse yourself, and I'll tell you all about it. Here, let me bring -you some water, and you can dip your face in it. It will bring you to -yourself sooner than anything else." - -Brandon acceded to the proposal, and was soon in a clearer state of -mind. - -Travers proceeded to unfold his plan, after learning that Mrs. Brandon -was out; but he had a listener he did not know of. Grit had come home -for something he had forgotten, and, with his ear to the keyhole, heard -the whole plot. He listened attentively. When all was told, he said to -himself: - -"I'll foil them, or my name isn't Grit!" - - - - -CHAPTER XXI. - -MR. BRANDON LOSES HIS SUPPER. - - -When Brandon and Travers had discussed the plan, and decided to accept -the terms offered by Colonel Johnson, the latter, looking cautiously -about, inquired: - -"Where's the boy?" - -"Out with the boat, I expect," said Brandon. - -"He's a little ruffian. I never saw such a desperate boy of his age." - -"He managed you neatly," said Brandon, with a smile. - -"Pooh!" returned Travers, who did not like the allusion. "I didn't want -to hurt the boy." - -"He didn't want to harm you," said Brandon, with an exasperating smile. - -"I could wind him round my finger," said Travers disdainfully. "You -don't think I'm afraid of that half-grown cub, I hope." - -Grit heard this, and smiled to himself at the evident annoyance of -Travers. - -"As to winding me round his finger," thought the young boatman, "I may -have something to say about that." - -Brandon did not continue his raillery, not wishing to provoke the -friend who had secured him participation in so profitable a job. - -"Where's the old lady?" asked Travers, with a glance toward the -staircase. - -"I believe she's gone out, but I'll see." - -Brandon went to the foot of the stairs, and called: - -"Mrs. B.!" - -There was no response. - -"Yes, she's gone, and the coast is clear. Where are you staying, -Travers?" - -"I s'pose I'll have to stay at the hotel, unless you can provide for me -here." - -"You'd better go to the tavern, for there might be trouble about keepin' -you here. Mrs. B. and the boy don't like you." - -"I thought you were master of the house," said Travers, with mild -sarcasm. - -"So I am," answered Brandon, a little embarrassed, "but I don't want to -be in hot water all the time." - -"You don't want me to stay to supper, I reckon." - -"Well, I guess not to-night. Fact is, I don't know when we shall have -supper. Mrs. B. ought to be here gettin' it ready." - -"Come out and have a walk, Brandon. I will introduce you to Colonel -Johnson, and we can talk this thing over." - -"All right. That'll take up the time till supper." - -The two men walked over to the tavern, and Colonel Johnson walked out -with them. They had a conference together, but it is not necessary to -give the details here. - -A little after six o'clock Brandon directed his steps homeward. - -"I'll be a little late to supper," he said to himself, "but Mrs. B. will -save some for me. I feel confoundedly hungry. Must be in the air. -There's nothing like country air to give a man a good appetite." - -Brandon opened the door of the cottage, and went in. All was quiet and -solitary, as he had left it. - -"Well. I'll be blowed!" he ejaculated. "What does all this mean? Where's -Mrs. B., and where's supper?" - -He sat down, and looked about him in surprise and bewilderment. - -"What has become of Mrs. B.?" he thought. "She hasn't gone and left me, -just when I've come home after an absence of five years? That boy can't -have carried her off, can he?" - -Brandon did not have long to debate this question in his own mind, for -the door opened, and Grit and his mother entered. Brandon was relieved, -but he could not forbear expressing his vexation. - -"Well, Mrs. B.," he said, "this I call pretty goings on. Are you aware -that it is nearly seven o'clock, ma'am?" - -"I supposed it was," answered his wife quietly. - -"And you've left me to starve here, ma'am! This is a strange time for -supper." - -"We've had supper," answered Grit coolly. - -"Had supper!" ejaculated Brandon, looking about him. "I don't see any -signs of supper." - -"You won't see any signs of it here," continued Grit. - -"What do you mean?" - -"I mean that mother and I have engaged board at Mrs. Sprague's. We have -just had supper there." - -"You have! Well, that's a new start. It doesn't matter much, though. -I'll go over and get mine." - -"We haven't made any arrangements for you," said Grit. "I shall pay for -mother's board and mine. You can make any bargain you like for your -board." - -"Well, if that isn't the meanest treatment I ever received!" exclaimed -Brandon, in wrath and disgust. "You actually begrudge me the little I -eat, and turn me adrift in the cold world!" - -"That's one way of looking at it, Mr. Brandon," said Grit. "Here's the -other: You are a strong man, in good health, and able to work. Most men -in your position expect to support a family, but you come to live upon -my earnings, and expect me not only to provide you with board, but with -money for the purpose of drink. That isn't all! You bring home one of -your disreputable companions, and expect us to provide for him, too. -Now, I am willing to work for mother, and consider it a privilege to do -so, but I can't do any more. If you don't choose to contribute to the -support of the family, you must at least take care of yourself. I am not -going to do it." - -"How hard and unfeeling you are, Grit!" said Brandon, in the tone of a -martyr. "After all I have suffered in the last five years you treat me -like this." - -"As to the last five years, Mr. Brandon," said Grit, "I should think you -would hardly care to refer to them. It was certainly your own fault that -you were not as free as I am." - -"I was a victim of circumstances," whined Brandon. - -"We won't discuss that," said Grit. "You had a fair trial, and were -sentenced to five years' imprisonment. About the unkindness. I should -like to know what you think of a man who deliberately takes away the -means of earning a living from his stepson, who is filling his place, -and supporting his family, in order to gratify his miserable love of -drink." - -"You drove me to it, Grit." - -"How did I drive you to it?" - -"You would not give me from your overflowing hoards, when I felt sick -and in need of a mild stimulus. You had sixty dollars, and would not -spare me one." - -"So you sold my boat for half price, and squandered nearly the whole -proceeds in one forenoon!" exclaimed Grit scornfully. "Mr. Brandon, your -reasoning is altogether too thin. We have decided to leave you to -support yourself as you can." - -Here the glowing prospects offered by the plan suggested by Colonel -Johnson occurred to Brandon, and his tone changed. - -"You may find you have made a mistake, Grit, you and Mrs. B.," said -Brandon pompously. "You have snubbed and illtreated me because you -looked upon me as a poor, destitute, friendless man. It's the way of the -world! But you may regret it, and that very soon. What will you say when -I tell you that I have a chance to earn five thousand dollars in the -next five days, eh?" - -Mrs. Brandon looked surprised, for Grit had not thought it wise to -confide to his mother what he had heard of the conversation between -Travers and his stepfather. Grit, on the other hand, was immediately -interested, for the compensation offered was one of the things he had -not overheard. - -"Five thousand dollars!" he repeated, appearing to be surprised. - -"Yes, five thousand dollars!" repeated Brandon complacently. "That's a -thousand dollars a day! Perhaps you won't be so anxious to get rid of me -when I am worth my thousands." - -"That's pretty good pay," said Grit quietly. "What have you got to do?" - -"That would be telling," said Brandon cunningly. "It's a joint -speculation of my friend Travers and myself--my friend Travers, whom you -treated so badly. It's he that's brought me this fine offer, and you -insult and order him out of the house. You were just as bad as Grit, -Mrs. B." - -"You are welcome to all you make, Mr. Brandon," said Grit. "Neither my -mother nor myself will ask a penny of the handsome sum you expect to -make. You can spend it all on yourself if you like. All we ask is, that -you will take care of yourself, and leave us alone." - -"I mean to do so," said Brandon independently, "but, as I shan't get the -money for three or four days, I should like to borrow five dollars, and -I'll repay you double within a week." - -"That's a very generous offer," said Grit, "but I don't lend without -better security." - -"Isn't there anything to eat in the house, Mrs. B.?" asked Brandon, -changing the subject. "I'm famished." - -"You will find some cold meat, and bread, and butter in the pantry." - -Brandon went to the pantry, and satisfied his appetite as well as he -could. He then went out, and Grit soon followed. - -"Mother," he said, "I have an important call to make, but will be back -soon." - -It will be remembered that Mr. Courtney had formerly been president of -the bank, but proving unpopular in consequence of his disposition to -manage it in his own interest, Mr. Philo Graves, a manufacturer, was put -in his place. To the house of Mr. Graves Grit directed his steps. - - - - -CHAPTER XXII. - -BANK OFFICIALS IN COUNCIL. - - -Mr. Graves was at home, but he was not alone. Mr. Courtney had dropped -in, and as he was still a director of the bank, it was natural that the -conversation should turn upon affairs of the bank in which he and Mr. -Graves had a common interest. Though no longer president, Mr. Courtney -was still anxious to control the affairs of the bank, and to make it of -as much service to himself as possible. He had recently become -interested in certain speculative securities, through a firm of Wall -Street brokers, and finding himself rather cramped for money, desired to -obtain a loan on them from the bank. To this end he had sought a -preliminary interview with Mr. Graves, previous to making a formal -application to the full board of directors. - -"You are aware, Mr. Courtney," said the president, "that to grant your -request would be contrary to the general usage of the bank." - -"I ought to know the usage of the bank, having served as president for -three years," said Mr. Courtney. "In my time such loans were made." - -Mr. Graves was aware of this, but he was also aware that such loans had -been made on the former president's sole authority, and either to -himself or some one of his friends, and that it was on account of this -very circumstance that he had been removed from office. - -"I know that such loans were made, but I am equally certain that such a -course would not meet the approval of the directors." - -"But," insinuated Mr. Courtney, "if you openly favored it, and my vote -as director was given, we could probably influence enough other votes to -accomplish our object." - -"I cannot say whether this would or would not follow," said Mr. Graves, -"but I am bound to say for myself that I cannot recommend, or vote for, -granting such a loan." - -"Perhaps you think I am not responsible," said Mr. Courtney, irritated. - -"I presume you are, but that ought not to be considered, when the -question is about violating our fixed usage." - -"It seems to me, considering my official connection with the bank, that -a point might be strained in my favor." - -"That is not my view, Mr. Courtney; although I am now president, I -should not care to ask any special favor of the bank. I prefer to be -treated like any other customer." - -Mr. Courtney mentally voted Graves slow and behind the times. In his -views, one great advantage of holding a high financial position was to -favor himself and his own interests, without special regard to the -welfare of the corporation or stockholders. - -"You wouldn't find many bank presidents agree with you, Mr. Graves," -said Courtney impatiently. - -"I am sorry to hear it," returned the president gravely. "It seems to me -that I owe a duty to the stockholders of the bank which ought to -override any personal considerations." - -"You are very quixotic in your ideas," said Courtney coldly. - -"I am sure I am right, at any rate," returned Graves firmly. - -"I consider your refusal unfriendly--nay, more, I think it is calculated -to throw suspicion on my financial position." - -"Not at all. I have no reason to doubt your financial stability, and as -to the unkindness, when I distinctly state that I would not ask such a -favor for myself, you will see that I am disposed to treat you as well -as myself." - -"It may be so," sneered Courtney, "but I presume you are not at present -in need of a personal loan, and--circumstances alter cases, you know." - -"If you mean that I shall at any future time ask favors for myself, -which, I am not disposed to grant to you, you are mistaken," said the -president. - -"My financial position is as strong as yours," said Courtney rather -irrelevantly. - -"Very probably you are a richer man than I am, but as I said, that is -not in question." - -At this point a servant entered, and said to the president: - -"Mr. Graves, there is a boy outside who says he wants to see you." - -"What boy is it?" - -"Grit Morris." - -"Very well; you can bring him in." - -"The young boatman," said Courtney contemptuously. "I wouldn't allow a -boy like that to take up my time." - -"He may have something of importance to communicate. Besides, I don't -set so high a value on my time." - -This will illustrate the difference between the two men. Mr. Graves was -pleasant and affable to all, while Mr. Courtney was stiff, and -apparently always possessed of a high idea of his own importance and -dignity. In this respect, his son Phil was his counterpart. - -Into the presence of these two gentlemen Grit was admitted. - -"Good morning, Grit," said the president pleasantly. "Take a seat. -Margaret tells me you wish to see me." - -"Yes, sir, I wish to see you on a matter of importance." - -"Perhaps he wants a loan from the bank," suggested Mr. Courtney -scornfully. - -"If Grit wanted a loan, he would not need to apply to the bank," said -Mr. Graves, in a friendly manner. "I would lend him, myself." - -"Thank you, Mr. Graves," said Grit gratefully, "but I don't wish any -loan for myself. My business relates to the bank, however." - -Both gentlemen were rather surprised to hear this. They could not -understand what business Grit could have with the bank. - -"Go on, Grit," said Mr. Graves. "Mr. Courtney is one of our directors, -so that you may speak freely before him." - -"I understand," commenced Grit, coming at once to the point, "that you -are intending to send up thirty thousand dollars in government bonds to -the Merchants' Bank, in Boston." - -Mr. Graves and Mr. Courtney looked at each other in surprise. This was a -bank secret, and such matters were generally kept very close with them. - -"How did you learn this?" asked the president, in surprise, "and if so, -what can you have to say in regard to it?" - -"Perhaps he wants to be the messenger," said Mr. Courtney, with a -derisive smile. - -Grit took no notice of this, for his mind was occupied with the plan of -the would-be robbers. - -"I will tell you at once," he said. "There is a plan to waylay the -messenger, and relieve him of the bonds." - -Here was a fresh surprise. Mr. Graves began to find Grit's communication -of absorbing interest. - -"How do you know this?" he asked cautiously. - -"Because I overheard the robbers discussing their plan." - -"You say the robbers. Then there are more than one?" - -"Yes, there are two." - -"Are you willing to tell me who they are, Grit?" - -"That is what I came to tell you. I am sorry to say that one is my -stepfather, as I am obliged to call him, Mr. Brandon." - -"Mr. Brandon? I thought he was----" Here Mr. Graves paused, out of -delicacy. - -"He has been in prison until a few days since," said Grit, understanding -what the president of the bank intended to say, "but now he is free." - -"And where is he?" - -"He is living at our house. Since he got back, he has given my mother -and myself a great deal of trouble. Not content with living on us, he -has spent what money he could get at the tavern, and because I would -give him no more, he sold my boat without my knowledge." - -"That was bad, Grit. To whom did he sell it?" asked Mr. Graves. - -"To Mr. Courtney's son Phil!" answered Grit. - -"My son's name is Philip," said Mr. Courtney stiffly. - -"We boys generally call him Phil," said Grit, smiling. "However, that -doesn't matter." - -"My son had a right to purchase the boat," said Mr. Courtney. - -"I have nothing to say as to that, at any rate now," returned Grit. "I -only mention it to show how Mr. Brandon has treated us." - -"Who was the other conspirator, Grit?" asked Graves. - -"A companion of Mr. Brandon's, named Travers. I understand they are to -be employed by a third person, now staying at the hotel, a man named -Johnson." - -"One thing more, Grit, how did you come to hear of their plan?" - -Grit answered this question fully. He related how he had overheard the -conference between his stepfather and Travers in the afternoon. - -"This information is of great importance, Grit," said the president. -"If, as you say, there are three conspirators, there would be a very -good chance of their succeeding in overpowering any messenger, and -abstracting the bonds. As it happens, the bonds do not belong to the -bank, but to an individual depositor, but it would be very unpleasant -and mortifying to have them taken from our messenger. It might lead to a -supposition on the part of some that we didn't keep our secrets well, -but suffered a matter as important as this to become known outside. Mr. -Courtney, what would you advise to be done in such an emergency?" - -Courtney always looked important when his advice was asked, and answered -promptly: - -"It is a very simple matter. Put the messenger on his guard. Supply him -with a revolver, if need be, and if he is on the watch he can't be -robbed." - -Mr. Graves looked thoughtful, and appeared to be turning over this -advice in his mind. - -"If Mr. Courtney will excuse me," Grit said, "I think there is a better -plan than that." - -Courtney's lip curled. - -"Ask the boy's advice, by all means, Mr. Graves," he said, with a -palpable sneer. "It must be very valuable, considering his experience -and knowledge of the world." - - - - -CHAPTER XXIII. - -GRIT GIVES IMPORTANT ADVICE. - - -"Let me hear your idea, Grit," said Mr. Graves courteously. - -"I have little experience or knowledge of the world," said Grit, "as -Mr. Courtney says, or means to say, but it occurs to me to ask whether -you have full confidence in your messenger?" - -"Of course we have," said Mr. Courtney. "What foolish idea have you got -in your head?" - -"Tell me why this question occurs to you, Grit?" asked the president. - -"I thought it possible that this Colonel Johnson, who employs the -conspirators, as you call them, may have learned from the messenger that -he was to be entrusted with a valuable package of bonds." - -"Why on earth should the messenger reveal this news to a stranger?" -demanded Mr. Courtney sharply. - -"Because," said Grit quietly, not allowing himself to be disturbed by -the sneering tone of the ex-president, "he might be well paid for doing -so." - -"Nonsense!" said Mr. Courtney, but the president of the bank said -thoughtfully: - -"There may be something in that." - -"I am sure the messenger is faithful," asserted Mr. Courtney positively, -but it may be remarked that his confidence sprang rather from a desire -to discredit Grit's suggestion than from any real belief in the -integrity of the bank messenger. - -"It isn't best to take this integrity for granted in a matter where a -mistake would subject us to serious loss," observed President Graves. "I -hope he is reliable, but I do not shut my eyes to the fact that such a -price as he might demand for conniving with these conspirators would be -a strong temptation to a poor man like Ephraim Carver." - -"What are you going to do about it?" asked Courtney. "For my part I am -free to confess that I attach very little importance to the astounding -discovery of this young man, who knows a good deal more, I presume, -about managing a boat than managing a bank." - -"You are right there, Mr. Courtney," said Grit good-naturedly. "I don't -want Mr. Graves to attach any more importance to my suggestion than he -thinks it deserves." - -"Whatever your suggestion may be worth, Grit," said the president of the -bank, "there can be no doubt that you have brought me news of great -importance. I shall not forget the obligation the bank is under to you." - -Mr. Courtney shrugged his shoulders. - -"The story looks to me very improbable," he said. "If I were still -president of the bank, I should probably dismiss it as an idle -fabrication." - -"Then, Mr. Courtney," said Mr. Graves emphatically, "permit me to say -that you would be wanting in your duty to the bank and its interests." - -"I understand the duties of a bank president at least as well as you, -Mr. Graves," said Mr. Courtney stiffly. "After that remark you will not -be surprised if I bid you good evening." - -"Good evening!" said the president quietly, not attempting to call back -or placate the offended director. - -"Perhaps I had better go, too," said Grit, rising from his chair. - -"No, Grit, stay a few minutes longer; I wish to inquire further into -this affair." - -"Certainly, Mr. Graves, I will stay, with pleasure." - -Mr. Courtney heard this fragment of conversation, and it led him to say -with pointed sarcasm, as he stood with the knob of the door in his hand: - -"Perhaps I had better resign my position, and suggest this young boatman -as bank director in my place." - -"I doubt whether Grit would consider himself competent to discharge the -duties of a director," said Mr. Graves, smiling. "It may come in time." - -Mr. Courtney shut the door hastily, and left the room. - -"Mr. Courtney is rather a peculiar man; you needn't mind him, Grit," -said Mr. Graves, when the ruffled director was gone. - -"He doesn't like me very much, nor Phil, either," said Grit. "It is -lucky you are president of the bank now, and not he, for there is no -humbug about the news I bring you." - -"I consider it highly important," said Mr. Graves, "as I have already -stated. I am a little puzzled as to what I ought to do in the matter. As -you say, the messenger himself may be in the plot. By the way, what put -that idea into your head?" - -"I didn't know how otherwise Colonel Johnson could have learned about -the bonds being sent up to Boston." - -"Frequently the messenger himself is ignorant of the service he is to -render, but in this particular instance it happened that I told Mr. -Carver that I should have occasion to send him to Boston this week, and -for what purpose." - -"I am sorry that one who is in any way connected with our family should -be concerned in such a plot," said Grit. - -"Of course; that is natural. Still, you did your duty in telling me of -it. Whatever consequences may follow, you have done right." - -"I can't take much credit to myself for that," said Grit, "since I don't -like Mr. Brandon, and it would be a great relief both to my mother and -myself if he were away." - -"As I have already consulted you on this matter, Grit," said the bank -president, after a pause, "I am disposed to consult you further. Have -you any advice to offer as to the best course to pursue?" - -"Yes, sir," answered Grit. "As long as you don't think it presumption in -me, I will tell you of a plan I thought of as I was coming here. In the -first place, I would send the messenger as usual, without letting him -know that he was suspected." - -"But that would involve risks, wouldn't it Grit," objected Mr. Graves. -"We can't afford to lose the bonds." - -"I did not intend that he should carry the bonds," continued Grit. "I -would make up a parcel, filled with old papers, of about the same size, -and let him think he was carrying the bonds." - -"So far, so good, but what of the bonds? They would still be here, when -we want them delivered in Boston." - -"I have thought of that," said Grit promptly. "Either a little before -or a little afterward, I would send them by another messenger." - -"Good, Grit! You're a trump!" said the banker, his face lighting up. -"It's a capital plan. But one thing you have forgotten. We shall not in -this way ascertain whether the messenger is in collusion with the -conspirators--that is, not necessarily." - -"I think you can, sir. As I understand, this is the way in which the -theft will be accomplished: The conspirators will make up a bundle of -the same shape as the messenger's, and slyly substitute it at some point -on the route. They will not openly rob him, for there will be no chance -of doing so without attracting attention." - -"If the messenger is careful, they could not easily substitute a false -for the true package." - -"That is true, and that is the reason why I think the messenger is in -league with them. If he is careless, the change can easily be made. I -understand Brandon and Travers are to receive five thousand dollars each -for their services, and Colonel Johnson may, perhaps, have offered the -same sum to Mr. Carver." - -"It would be a great temptation to a man employed on a small salary -like Carver," said Mr. Graves thoughtfully. - -"What do you think of my plan, Mr. Graves?" asked Grit. - -"I think it a capital one. I shall adopt it in every detail. The only -thing that remains is to decide whom to employ to carry the genuine -package of bonds to Boston. Do you think of any one?" - -Grit shook his head. - -"No, sir, I don't know of any one." - -"I do," said the president. - -"Who is it?" asked Grit, with considerable curiosity. - -"I mean to send you!" answered Mr. Graves. - - - - -CHAPTER XXIV. - -WHAT GRIT OVERHEARD BEHIND THE ELM-TREE. - - -Grit listened with incredulous amazement to the words of the bank -president. - -"You mean to send me?" he ejaculated. - -"Yes," answered Mr. Graves, nodding. - -"But I am only a boy!" - -"That is true; but you have shown a sagacity and good judgment which -justify me in selecting you, young as you are. Of course, I shall take -care that you are paid for your time. Now, are you willing to go?" - -Willing to go to Boston, where he had not been for five years? Grit did -not take long to consider. - -"Yes," he answered promptly. "If you are willing to trust me, I am -willing to go." - -"That is well," said the president. "I need hardly caution you to keep -your errand a profound secret." - -"You must not even tell your mother," continued Mr. Graves. - -"But she will feel anxious if I go away without a word to her." - -"You mistake me. I would not for the world have you give her unnecessary -anxiety. You may tell her that you are employed on an errand which may -detain you from home a day or two, and ask her not to question you till -you return." - -"Yes, I can say that," returned Grit. "Mother will very likely think Mr. -Jackson has employed me." - -"Mr. Jackson?" - -"A gentleman now staying at the hotel. He has already been very kind to -me." - -If Grit had been boastful or vainglorious, he would have given the -particulars of his rescue of little Willie Jackson from drowning. As it -was, he said no more than I have recorded above. - -"Very well," answered the president. "Your mother will not, at any rate, -think you are in any mischief, as she knows you too well for that." - -"When do you want me to go, sir?" asked Grit. - -"Let me see. To-day is Wednesday, and Friday is the day when we had -decided to send the messenger. He was to go by the morning train. I -think I will send you off in advance by the evening train of Thursday. -Then the bonds will be in the bank at Boston, while the regular -messenger is still on the way." - -"That will suit me very well, sir." - -"The train starts at ten o'clock. You can be at the train at half-past -nine. I will be there at the same hour, and will have the bonds with me. -I will at the same time provide you with money for the journey." - -"All right, sir. Do you want to see me any time to-morrow?" - -"No. I think it best that we should not be too much together. Even then, -I don't think any one would suspect that I would employ you on such an -errand. Still, it will be most prudent not to do anything to arouse -suspicion." - -"Then, Mr. Graves, I will bid you good night," said Grit, rising. "I -thank you very much for the confidence you are going to repose in me. I -will do my best, so that you may not have occasion to repent it." - -"I don't expect to repent it," said Mr. Graves, shaking hands with Grit -in a friendly manner. - -When the young boatman left the house of the bank president, it was -natural that he should feel a thrill of pride as the thought of the -important mission on which he was to be sent. Then again, it was -exhilarating to reflect that he was about to visit Boston. He had lived -at Chester for five years and more, and during that time he had once -visited Portland. That was an exciting day for him; but Boston he knew -was a great deal larger than the beautiful city of which Maine people -are pardonably proud, and contained possibilities of pleasure and -excitement which filled him with eager anticipations. - -But Grit knew that his journey was undertaken not for his own enjoyment, -but was to be an important business mission, and he resolved that he -would do his duty, even if he did not have a bit of fun. - -As he thought over the business on which he was to be employed, his -thoughts reverted to Ephraim Carver, the bank messenger, and the more -he thought of him, the more he suspected that he was implicated in the -projected robbery. It was perhaps this thought that led him to make a -detour so that he could pass the house of the messenger. - -It was a small cottage-house, standing back from the street, from which -a narrow lane led to it. Connected with it were four or five acres of -land, which might have yielded quite an addition to his income, but Mr. -Carver was not very fond of working on land, and he let it lie fallow, -making scarcely any use of it. Until he obtained the position of bank -messenger he had a hard time getting a living, and was generally -regarded as rather a shiftless man. He was connected with the wife of -one of the directors, and that was the way in which he secured his -position. Now he received a small salary, but one on which he might have -lived comfortably in a cheap place like Chester. But in spite of this he -was dissatisfied, and on many occasions complained of the difficulty he -experienced in making both ends meet. - -Grit turned down the lane and approached the house. - -He hardly knew why he did so. He had no expectation of learning anything -that would throw light on the question whether Carver was or was not -implicated in the conspiracy. Still, he was drawn toward the house. - -The night was quite dark, but Grit knew every step of the way, and he -walked slowly up the lane, which was probably two hundred feet long. - -He had gone, perhaps, half the distance, when he saw the front door of -Carver's house open. Mr. Carver himself could be seen in the doorway -with a kerosene-lamp in his hand, and at his side was a person whom with -a thrill of surprise Grit recognized as the man staying at the hotel -under the name of Colonel Johnson. - -"That looks suspicious," thought Grit. "I am afraid the messenger is -guilty." - -He reflected that it would not do for either of them to see him, as it -might render them suspicious. He took advantage of the darkness, and the -fact that the two were not looking his way, to jump over the stone wall -and hide behind the broad trunk of the lofty elm which stood just in -that spot. - -"I wish I could hear what they are saying," thought Grit. "Then I should -know for certain if my suspicions are well founded." - -The two men stood at the door for the space of a minute or more, and -then the stranger departed, but not alone. Ephraim Carver took his hat -and accompanied him, both walking slowly up the lane toward the main -road. - -By a piece of good luck, as Grit considered it, they halted beneath the -very elm-tree behind which he lay concealed. - -These were the first words Grit heard spoken: - -"My dear friend," said Johnson, in bland, persuasive accents, "there -isn't a particle of danger in it. You have only to follow my directions, -and all will be well." - -"I shall find it hard to explain how it happened that I lost the -package," said Carver. - -"Not at all! You will have a facsimile in your possession--one so like -that no one need wonder that you mistook it for the original. -Undoubtedly you will be charged with negligence, but they can't prove -anything more against you. You can stand being found fault with for five -thousand dollars, can't you?" - -"If that is all, I won't mind. I shall probably lose my situation." - -"Suppose you do; it brings you in only six hundred dollars a year, while -we pay you in one lump five thousand dollars--over eight times as much. -Why, man, the interest of this sum at six per cent. will yield half as -much as your annual salary." - -"The bank people ought to pay me more," said Carver. "Two months since -I asked them to raise me to eight hundred a year, but they wouldn't. -There was only one of the directors in favor of it--the man who married -my wife's cousin." - -"They don't appreciate you, friend Carver," said Johnson. "How can they -expect you to be honest, when they treat you in so niggardly a manner?" - -"Just so," said Carver, eager to find some justification for his -intended treachery. "If they paid me a living salary, I wouldn't do this -thing you ask of me." - -"As it is, they have only themselves to blame," said Colonel Johnson. - -"That's the way I look at it," said the bank messenger. - -"And quite right, too! I shouldn't be surprised if you managed to keep -your place, after all. They won't suspect you of anything more than -carelessness." - -"That would be splendid!" returned Carver. "With my salary and the -interest of five thousand dollars, I could live as comfortably as I -wanted to. How soon shall I receive the money?" - -"As soon as we can dispose of the bonds safely. It won't be long." - -Here the two men parted, and Carver returned to his house. - -Grit crept out from behind the elm-tree when the coast was clear, and -made his way home. He had learned a most important secret, but resolved -to communicate it only to Mr. Graves. - - - - -CHAPTER XXV. - -MRS. BRANDON IS MYSTIFIED. - - -When Grit explained to his mother that he was going away for a day or -two on a journey, she was naturally surprised, and asked for -particulars. - -"I should like to tell you, mother," said the young boatman, "but there -are reasons why I cannot. It is a secret mission, and the secret is not -mine." - -"That is perfectly satisfactory, Grit," said Mrs. Brandon. "I have full -confidence in you, and know I can trust you." - -"After I return I shall probably be able to tell you all," said Grit. -"Meanwhile, I shall, no doubt, be paid better than if I were ferrying -passengers across the river." - -"At any rate, I shall be glad to see you back. We have not been -separated for a night for years, or, indeed, since you were born." - -The next day, Mr. Brandon, taught by experience that he need not look -for his meals at home, went over to the tavern to breakfast. He felt -unusually independent and elated, for he had money in his pocket, -obtained from Colonel Johnson, and he expected soon to receive the -handsome sum of five thousand dollars. A shrewder man, in order to avert -suspicion, would have held his tongue, at least until he had performed -the service for which he was to be so liberally paid; but Brandon could -not forego the opportunity to boast a little. - -"It is quite possible, Mrs. B.," he said, in the morning, "that I may -leave you in a day or two, to be gone a considerable time." - -Mrs. B. did not show the expected curiosity, but received the -communication in silence. - -"You don't inquire where I am going," said Brandon. - -"Where do you propose to go?" asked his wife, whose chief feeling was -that she and Grit would now be left to their old quiet and peace. - -"I may go to Europe," said Mr. Brandon, in an important tone. - -"Isn't this a new plan?" asked Mrs. Brandon, really surprised. - -"Yes, it is new. I shall go on business, Mrs. B. My friend Travers and -I will probably go together. You and Grit made a great mistake when you -treated him with rudeness. It is through him that I am offered most -remunerative employment." - -"I don't enjoy the society of your friend," said Mrs. Brandon. "If he is -likely to give you a chance to earn something, I am glad, but that does -not excuse the rudeness with which he treated me." - -"My friend Travers is a gentleman, Mrs. B., a high-toned gentleman, and -if you had treated him with the respect which is his due, you would have -had nothing to complain of. As it is, you may soon discover that you -have made a mistake, and lost a great pleasure. I had not intended to -tell you, but I am tempted to do so, that but for your impoliteness to -Travers, I might have taken you and Grit with me on a European tour." - -Mr. Brandon watched his wife, to see if she exhibited severe -disappointment at the dazzling prospect which was no sooner shown than -withdrawn, but she showed her usual equanimity. - -"Grit and I will be quite as happy at home," she answered. - -"Sour grapes!" thought Brandon, but he was wrong. A tour of Europe taken -in his company would have no attractions for his wife. - -"Very well," said Brandon. "You and Grit are welcome to the charms of -Pine Point. As for me, it is too small and contracted for a man of my -business capacity." - -"I wonder whether there is any truth in what he says," thought Mrs. -Brandon, puzzled. - -"Your business seems a profitable one," she ventured to remark. - -"It is, Mrs. B.," answered her husband. "It is of an unusually delicate -nature, and requires business talents of a high order." - -"Your friend Travers does not impress one as a man possessed of a high -order of business talent," said Mrs. Brandon. - -"That is where you fail to appreciate him, but I cannot say more. My -business is secret, and cannot be revealed." - -So saying, Brandon took his hat, and with a jaunty step walked to the -hotel. - -"More secrecy!" thought Mrs. Brandon. "Grit tells me that his mission is -a secret one, and now Mr. Brandon says he, too, is engaged in something -that cannot be revealed. I know that it is all right with Grit, but I do -not feel so sure about Mr. Brandon." - -The day passed as usual. Grit plied his boat on the river, and did a -fair day's work. But about four o'clock he came home. - -"You are home early, Grit," said his mother. - -"Yes, for I must get ready to go." - -He had not yet mentioned to his mother when he was to start. - -"Do you go to-morrow morning?" asked Mrs. Brandon. - -"I go to-night, and may be away for a couple of days, mother." - -Mrs. Brandon uttered an exclamation of surprise. - -"I suppose I must not ask you where you are going," said his mother. - -"I cannot tell, for it is somebody else's secret. One thing more, will -you take care to say as little as possible about my going away? I would -rather Mr. Brandon should not know of it." - -"I will do as you wish, Grit. By the way, Mr. Brandon tells me he is -soon going to Europe." - -Grit smiled. He knew where the money was to come from, which his -stepfather depended upon to defray the expenses of a foreign journey. - -"I don't feel sure about his going, mother," he answered. - -"He said he would have taken you and me if we had treated his friend -Travers more politely." - -"Well, mother, we must reconcile ourselves as well as we can to staying -at home." - -"Home will be happy while I have you with me, Grit." - -"And Mr. Brandon away," added the young boatman. - -"Yes; I can't help hoping that he will be able to carry out his purpose, -and go to Europe, or somewhere else as far off." - -"I think it very likely we sha'n't see him again for some time," said -Grit, "though I don't think he will be traveling in Europe." - -"As you and Mr. Brandon are both to be engaged in business of a secret -nature," said Mrs. Brandon, smiling, "I don't know but I ought to follow -your example." - -"I have full confidence in you, mother, whatever you undertake," said -Grit, with a laugh, repeating his mother's own words. - -Evening came on, and Grit stole out of the house early, lest his -stepfather might by some chance return home, and suspect something from -his unusual journey. - -He need not have been alarmed, for Brandon did not leave the tavern till -ten o'clock, though he, too, expected to leave town the next morning. - -When he returned he didn't inquire for Grit, whom he supposed to be abed -and asleep. - -"Mrs. B.," he said, "I must trouble you to wake me at seven o'clock -to-morrow morning. I am going to take the early train to Portland." - -"Very well." - -"And as it will be rather inconvenient for me to go out to breakfast, I -would be glad if you would give me some breakfast before I go." - -"I will do so," said his wife. - -"It may be some time before I see you again, as I am to go away on -business." - -"I hope you may be successful," said Mrs. Brandon. - -Brandon laughed queerly. - -"If the old lady knew that I was going to steal some government bonds, -she would hesitate a little before she wished me success," he thought, -but he said: - -"Thank you, Mrs. B., your good wishes are appreciated, and I may -hereafter be able to show my appreciation in a substantial way. I -suppose Grit is asleep." - -Mrs. Brandon did not answer, finding the question an embarrassing one. - -The next morning Brandon, contrary to his wont, showed considerable -alacrity in dressing, and did justice to the breakfast his wife had set -before him. - -"Well, good-bye, Mrs. B.," he said, as he took his hat and prepared to -leave the house. "Perhaps I had better go up-stairs and bid good-by to -Grit, as I may not see him again for some time." - -"Grit is out," said Mrs. Brandon hastily, for she did not wish her -husband to go up to Grit's room, as he would discover that his bed had -not been slept in. - -"Out already?" said Brandon. "He's made an early start. Well, bid him -good-by for me." - -"It's very strange," repeated Mrs. Brandon, as she cleared away the -breakfast dishes; "there's Grit gone, I don't know where, and now Mr. -Brandon has started off on some mysterious business. What can it all -mean?" - - - - -CHAPTER XXVI. - -THE FALL RIVER MANUFACTURER. - - -Grit lost no time in prosecuting his journey. In Portland he found that -he should need to stay over a few hours, and repaired to the United -States Hotel. He left word to be called early, as he wished to take a -morning train to Boston. - -At the breakfast-table he found himself sitting next to a man of swarthy -complexion and bushy black whiskers. - -"Good morning, my young friend," said the stranger, after a scrutinizing -glance. - -"Good morning, sir," said Grit politely. - -"Are you stopping at this hotel?" - -"For the present, yes," answered the young boatman. - -"Are you going farther?" - -"I think of it," said Grit cautiously. - -"Perhaps you are going to Boston," proceeded the stranger. - -"I may do so," Grit admitted. - -"I am glad of it, for I am going, too. If agreeable, we will travel in -company." - -"I suppose we shall go on the same train?" said Grit evasively. - -"Just so. I am going to Boston on business. You, I suppose, are too -young to have business of any importance?" - -"Boys of my age seldom have business of importance," said Grit, resolved -to baffle the evident curiosity of the stranger. - -"Exactly. I suppose you have relations in Boston?" - -"I once lived in that neighborhood," said Grit. - -"Just so. Are you going to stay long in the city?" - -"That depends on circumstances?" - -"Do you live in this State?" - -"At present I do." - -The man looked a little annoyed, for he saw that Grit was determined to -say as little about himself as possible. He decided to set the boy an -example of frankness. - -"I do not live in Maine," he said; "I am a manufacturer in Fall River, -Mass. I suppose you have heard of Fall River?" - -"Oh, yes!" - -"It is a right smart place, as a Philadelphian would say. You never -heard of Townsend's Woolen Mill, I dare say?" - -"No, I never have." - -"It is one of the largest mills in Fall River. I own a controlling -interest in it. I assure you I wouldn't take a hundred thousand dollars -for my interest in it." - -"You ought to be in very easy circumstances," said Grit politely, though -it did occur to him to wonder why the owner of a controlling interest in -a large woolen mill should be attired in such a rusty suit. - -"I am," said the stranger complacently. "Daniel Townsend's income--I am -Daniel T., at your service--for last year was twelve thousand three -hundred and sixty-nine dollars." - -"This gentleman seems very communicative," thought Grit. - -"Your income was rather larger than mine," he said. - -"Ho, ho! I should say so," laughed Mr. Townsend. "Are you in any -business, my young friend?" - -"I am connected with navigation," said Grit. - -"Indeed?" observed Townsend, appearing puzzled. "Do you find it a paying -business?" - -"Tolerably so, but I presume woolen manufacturing is better?" - -"Just so," assented Townsend, rather absently. - -At this point Grit rose from the table, having finished his breakfast. - -"Mr. Townsend seems very social," thought our hero, "but I think he is -given to romancing. I don't believe he has anything more to do with a -woolen mill in Fall River than I have." - -Grit reached the station in time, and took his seat in the train. He -bought a morning paper, and began to read. - -"Ah, here you are, my young friend!" fell on his ears just after they -passed Saco, and Grit, looking up, saw his breakfast companion. - -"Is the seat beside you taken?" asked Mr. Daniel Townsend. - -Grit would like to have said "yes," but he was compelled to admit that -it was unengaged. - -"So much the better for me," said the woolen manufacturer, and he sat -down beside our hero. - -He had with him a small, well-worn valise, which looked as if in some -remote period it had seen better days. He laid it down, and, looking -keenly about, observed Grit's parcel, which, though commonplace in -appearance, contained, as we know, thirty thousand dollars in government -bonds. - -"It is rather a long ride to Boston," said Mr. Townsend. - -"Yes; but it seems shorter when you have something to read," answered -Grit, looking wistfully at his paper, which he would have preferred -reading to listening to the conversation of his neighbor. - -"I never care to read on the cars," said Mr. Townsend. "I think it is -injurious to the eyes. Do you ever find it so?" - -"I have not traveled enough to be able to judge," said Grit. - -"Very likely. At your age I had traveled a good deal. My father was a -rich merchant, and as I was fond of roving, he sent me on a voyage to -the Mediterranean on one of his vessels. I was sixteen at that time." - -"I wonder whether this is true, or not," thought Grit. - -"I enjoyed the trip, though I was seasick on the Mediterranean. It is -really more trying than the ocean, though you might not imagine it. -Don't you think you would enjoy a trip of that sort?" - -"Yes; I am sure I would," said Grit, with interest. - -"Just so; most boys of your age are fond of traveling. Perhaps I might -find it in my way to gratify your wishes. Our corporation is thinking of -sending a traveler to Europe. You are rather young, but still I might be -able to get it for you." - -"You know so little about me," said Grit sensibly, "that I wonder you -should think of me in any such connection." - -"That is true. I don't know anything of you, except what you have told -me." - -"That isn't much," thought Grit. - -"And it may be necessary for me to know more. I will ask you a few -questions, and report your answers to our directors at their meeting -next week." - -"Thank you, sir; but I think we will postpone discussing the matter this -morning." - -"Is any time better than the present?" inquired Townsend. - -Grit did not care to say much about himself until after he had fulfilled -his errand in the city. He justly felt that with such an important -charge it was necessary for him to use the greatest caution and -circumspection. Still, there was a bare possibility that the man beside -him was really what he claimed to be, and might have it in his power to -give him a business commission which he would enjoy. - -"If you will call on me at the Parker House this evening," said Grit, "I -will speak with you on the subject." - -"Whom shall I inquire for?" asked the Fall River manufacturer. - -"You need not inquire for any one. You will find me in the reading-room -at eight o'clock." - -"Very well," answered Mr. Townsend, appearing satisfied. - -The conversation drifted along till they reached Exeter. - -Then Mr. Townsend rose in haste, and, seizing Grit's bundle instead of -his own, hurried toward the door. - -Grit sprang after him and snatched the precious package. - -"You have made a mistake, Mr. Townsend," he said, eyeing his late seat -companion with distrust. - -"Why, so I have!" ejaculated Townsend, in apparent surprise. "By Jove! -it's lucky you noticed it. That little satchel of mine contains some -papers and certificates of great value." - -"In that case I would advise you to be more careful," said Grit, who did -not believe one word of the last statement. - -"So I will," said Townsend, taking the satchel. "I am going into the -smoking-car. Won't you go with me?" - -"No, thank you." - -"I have a spare cigar," urged Townsend. - -"Thank you again, but I don't smoke." - -"Oh, well, you're right, no doubt, but it's an old habit of mine. I -began to smoke when I was twelve years old. My wife often tells me I am -injuring my health, and perhaps I am. Take the advice of a man old -enough to be your father, and don't smoke." - -"That's good advice, sir, and I shall probably follow it." - -"Well, good day, if we don't meet again," said Townsend. - -Mr. Townsend, instead of passing into the smoking-car, got off the -train. Grit observed this, and was puzzled to account for it, -particularly as the train started on, leaving him standing on the -platform. - -A few minutes later the conductor passed through the train, calling for -tickets. - -Grit looked in vain for his, and, deciding that he should have to pay -the fare over again, he felt for his pocketbook, but that, too, was -missing. - -He began to understand why Mr. Townsend left the train at Exeter. - - - - -CHAPTER XXVII. - -A FRIEND IN NEED. - - -The conductor waited while Grit was searching for his ticket. He was not -the same one who started with the train, so that he could not know -whether our hero had shown a ticket earlier in the journey. - -"I can't find my ticket or my money," said Grit, perplexed. - -"Then you will have to leave the train at the next station," said the -conductor suspiciously. - -"It is very important that I should proceed on my journey," pleaded -Grit. "I will give you my name, and send you the money." - -"That won't do, youngster," said the conductor roughly. "I have heard of -that game before. It won't go down." - -"There is no game about it," said Grit. "My ticket and pocketbook have -been stolen." - -"Of course," sneered the conductor. "Perhaps you can point out the -thief." - -"No, I can't, for he has left the train. He got out at Exeter." - -"Very likely. You can take the next train back and find him." - -"Do you doubt that I had a ticket?" asked Grit, nettled by the -conductor's evident incredulity. - -"Yes, I do, if you want the truth. You want to steal a ride; that's -what's the matter." - -"That is not true," said Grit. "I am sure some of these passengers have -seen me show my ticket. Didn't you, sir?" - -He addressed this question to a stout old gentleman who sat in the seat -behind him. - -"Really, I couldn't say," answered the old gentleman addressed. "I was -reading my paper, and didn't take notice." - -The conductor looked more incredulous than ever. - -"I can't waste any more time with you, young man," he said. "At the next -station you must get out." - -Grit was very much disturbed. It was not pleasant to be left penniless -at a small station, but if he had been left alone he would not have -cared so much. But to have the custody of thirty thousand dollars' worth -of government bonds, under such circumstances, was certainly -embarrassing. He could not get along without money, and for a tramp -without money to be in charge of such a treasure was ample cause of -suspicion. - -What could he do? - -The train was already going slower, and it was evident that the next -station was near at hand. - -Grit was trying in vain to think of some way of securing a continuation -of his journey, when a stout, good-looking lady of middle age, who sat -just opposite, rose from her seat and seated herself beside him. - -"You seem to be in trouble," she said kindly. - -"Yes, ma'am," answered Grit. "My ticket and money have been stolen, and -the conductor threatens to put me off the train." - -"So I heard. Who do you think robbed you?" - -"The man who sat beside me and got out at Exeter." - -"I noticed him. I wonder you didn't detect him in the act of robbing -you." - -"So do I," answered Grit. "He must be a professional. All the same, I am -ashamed of being so taken in." - -"I heard you say it was important for you to reach Boston." - -"It is," said Grit. - -He was about to explain why, when it occurred to him that it would not -be prudent in a crowded car, which might contain suspicious and -unprincipled persons, to draw attention to the nature of his packet. - -"I can't explain why just at present," he said; "but if any one would -lend me money to keep on my journey I would willingly repay the loan two -for one." - -At this point the train came to a stop, and the conductor, passing -through the car, addressed Grit: - -"Young man, you must get out at this station." - -"No, he needn't," said the stout lady decidedly. "Here, my young friend, -pay your fare out of this," and she drew from a pearl portemonnaie a -ten-dollar bill. - -Grit's heart leaped for joy. It was such an intense relief. - -"How can I ever thank you?" he said gratefully, as he offered the change -to his new friend. - -"No," she said; "keep the whole. You will need it, and you can repay me -whenever you find it convenient." - -"That will be as soon as I get home," said Grit promptly. "I have the -money there." - -"That will be entirely satisfactory." - -"Let me know your name and address, madam," said Grit, taking out a -small memorandum-book, "so that I may know where to send." - -"Mrs. Jane Bancroft, No. 37 Mount Vernon Street," said the lady. - -Grit noted it down. - -"Let me tell you mine," he said. "My name is Harry Morris, and I live in -the town of Chester, in Maine." - -"Chester? I know that place. I have a cousin living there, or, rather, I -should say, a cousin of my late husband." - -"Who is it, Mrs. Bancroft?" asked Grit. "I know almost everybody in the -village." - -"Mr. Courtney. I believe he has something to do with the bank." - -"Yes, he is a director. He was once president." - -"Exactly. Do you know him?" - -"Yes, ma'am. I saw him only a day or two before I left." - -"I presume you know his son Philip, also." - -"Oh, yes, I know Phil," said Grit. - -"Is he a friend of yours?" asked the lady curiously. - -"No, I can't say that. We don't care much for each other." - -"And whose fault is that?" asked the lady, smiling. - -"I don't think it is mine. I have always treated Phil well enough, but -he doesn't think me a suitable associate for him." - -"Why?" - -"Because I am poor, while he is the son of a rich man." - -"That is as it may be," said the lady, shrugging her shoulders. "Money -sometimes has wings. So you are not rich?" - -"I have to work for a living." - -"What do you do?" - -"I ferry passengers across the Kennebec, and in that way earn a living -for my mother and myself." - -"Do you make it pay?" - -"I earn from seven to ten dollars a week." - -"That is doing very well for a boy of your age. What sort of a boy is -Phil? Is he popular?" - -"I don't think he is." - -"Why?" - -"He is your nephew, Mrs. Bancroft, and I don't like to criticize him." - -"Never mind that. Speak freely." - -"He puts on too many airs to be popular. If he would just forget that -his father is a rich man, and meet the rest of the boys on an equality, -I think we should like him well enough." - -"That is just the opinion I have formed of him. Last winter he came to -make me a visit, but I found him hard to please. He wanted a great deal -of attention, and seemed disposed to order my servants about, till I was -obliged to check him." - -"I remember hearing him say he was going to visit a rich relative in -Boston," said Grit. - -Mrs. Bancroft smiled. - -"It was all for his own gratification, no doubt," she said. "So your -name is Harry Morris?" - -"Yes, but I am usually called Grit." - -"A good omen. It is a good thing for any boy--especially a poor boy--to -possess grit. Most of our successful men were poor boys, and most of -them possessed this quality." - -"You encourage me, Mrs. Bancroft," said our hero. "I want to succeed in -life, for my mother's sake especially." - -"I think you will; I have little knowledge of you, but you seem like one -born to prosper. How long are you going to stay in Boston?" - -"Till to-morrow, at any rate." - -"You will be in the city overnight, then. Where did you think of -staying?" - -"At the Parker House." - -"It is an expensive hotel. You had better stay at my house." - -"At your house?" exclaimed Grit, surprised. - -"Yes; I may want to ask more questions about Chester. We have tea at -half-past six. That will give you plenty of time to attend to your -business. I shall be at home any time after half-past five. Will you -come?" - -"With pleasure," said Grit politely. - -"Then I will expect you." - -Mrs. Bancroft returned to her seat. Our hero mentally congratulated -himself on making so agreeable and serviceable a friend. - -"What will Phil say when he learns that I have been the guest of his -fashionable relatives in Boston?" thought he. - -In due time the train reached Boston, and Grit lost no time in repairing -to the bank. - - - - -CHAPTER XXVIII. - -THE TRAIN ROBBERY. - - -When Grit had delivered the bonds at the bank, a great load seemed to be -lifted from his shoulders. Especially after he had been robbed on the -train, he realized the degree of risk and responsibility involved in the -custody of so valuable a packet. - -The officials at the bank seemed surprised at the youth of the -messenger, but Grit felt at liberty to explain why he was selected as a -substitute for the regular messenger. - -Leaving our hero for a time, we go back to Chester to speak of other -characters in our story. - -Ephraim Carver, the bank messenger, went to the bank at the hour of -opening to receive the package of bonds which he expected to convey to -Boston. He had no suspicion that his negotiations of a previous evening -had been overheard and reported to the president. He felt somewhat -nervous, it is true, for he felt that a few hours would make him a rich -man. Then the risk involved, though he did not consider it to be great, -was yet sufficient to excite him. - -He was admitted into the president's room, as usual. - -Mr. Graves was already in his office, but his manner was his ordinary -one, and the messenger did not dream that the quiet official read him -through and through and understood him thoroughly. - -"You know, I suppose, Mr. Carver," said President Graves, "that you are -to go to Boston by the next train." - -"Yes, sir." - -"The packet you will carry is of unusual value, and requires an unusual -degree of care and caution." - -"Yes, sir." - -"It contains thirty thousand dollars in government bonds," said the -president, laying his hand on the prepared packet, which was in the -usual form. "That is a fortune in itself," he added, closely -scrutinizing the face of the messenger. He thought he detected a -transient gleam of exultation in the eyes of the bank messenger. - -"Of course," he proceeded, "if it were known that you carried a packet -of such value, there would be great danger of your being robbed. -Indeed, you might be in some personal danger." - -"Yes, sir." - -"But as it is only known to you and the officers of the bank, there is -no special danger. Still, I advise you to be more than usually vigilant, -on account of the value of your charge." - -"Oh, yes, sir, I shall take good care of it," answered Carver, reaching -out his hand for the packet. - -"Let me see, how long have you been in the employ of the bank?" asked -the president. - -"Nearly three years, sir." - -"You have found it a light, easy position, have you not?" - -"Yes, sir, though, if you will allow me to say so, the salary is small." - -"True; but the expenses of living in Chester are small, also. However, -we will not discuss that question now. Possibly at the end of the year, -if they continue satisfied with you, the directors may increase your -salary slightly. There cannot be a large increase." - -"I may not need an increase then," thought Carver. "With five thousand -dollars to fall back upon, I shall feel independent." - -"You will report to me when you return," said Mr. Graves, as the -messenger left the bank parlor. - -"Yes, sir, directly." - -The president fixed his eyes upon the vanishing figure of the messenger, -and said to himself: - -"My friend, you have deliberately planned your own downfall. Greed of -money has made you dishonest, but your plans are destined to miscarry, -as this time to-morrow you and your confederates will be made aware." - -"Now," thought the bank messenger, as he bent his steps toward the -railway station, "the path is clear. Here is what will completely change -my fortunes, and lift me from an humble dependent to a comfortable -position in life." - -Then he thought, with some dissatisfaction, that he was to receive but -one-sixth of the value of the bonds, and that the man who employed him -to betray his trust would be much more richly paid. However, in his -case, there would be no risk of being personally implicated. No one -could prove that he had allowed himself to be robbed. Even if suspicion -fastened upon him, nothing could be proved. So, on the whole, perhaps it -was better to be content with one-sixth than to incur greater risk, and -the dread penalty of imprisonment for a term of years. - -On the railroad platform Carver glanced furtively about him. He easily -recognized Brandon and Travers, who stood side by side, each having -provided himself with a ticket. They on their side also glanced swiftly -at him, and then turned away with a look of indifference. But they had -not failed to notice the important packet which the bank messenger -carried in his hand. - -"It is all right!" was the thought that passed through their minds. - -There was another passenger waiting for the train, whom they did not -notice. He was a small, quiet, unpretentious-looking man, attired in a -suit of pepper and salt, and looked like a retail merchant in a small -way, going to Portland or Boston, to order goods. They would have been -very much startled had they known that it was a Boston detective, who -had been telegraphed for by Mr. Graves, and that his special business -was to follow them and observe their actions. - -When the train reached the station Carver got in, and took a seat by -himself in the second car. Just behind him sat the two confederates, -Brandon and Travers, and in line with them, on the opposite side of the -car, sat the quiet man, whom we will call Denton. - -Ten minutes before the train reached Portland Ephraim Carver left his -seat, and very singularly forgot to take the parcel, of which he had -special custody, with him. It was a remarkable piece of forgetfulness, -truly. - -But his oversight was not unobserved. Travers sprang from his seat, took -the parcel, and following the messenger overtook him at the door of the -car. - -He tapped Carver on the shoulder, and the latter turned round. - -"I beg pardon," said Travers, "but you left this on the seat." - -As he spoke he handed a packet to Carver. - -"A thousand thanks!" said the messenger hurriedly. "I was very careless. -I am very much indebted to you." - -"I thought the packet might contain something valuable," said Travers. - -"At any rate, I should not like to lose it," said the messenger, who -appeared to be properly on his guard. - -"Oh, don't mention it," said Travers politely, and he walked back and -resumed his seat beside Brandon. - -The quiet man, to whom we have already referred, noted this little piece -of acting with a smile of enjoyment. - -"Very well done, good people," he said to himself. "It ought to -succeed, but it won't." - -His sharp eyes had detected what the other passengers had not--that -Travers had skilfully substituted another package for the one he had -picked up from the seat vacated by Carver. - -Carver passed on into the next car, and Denton now concentrated his -attention upon Brandon and Travers. - -He noticed in both traces of joyful excitement, for which he could -easily account. They thought they had succeeded, and each mentally -congratulated himself on the acquisition of a neat little fortune. - -"They will get out at Portland," thought Denton, "and take account of -their booty. I should like to be there to see, but I am instructed to -follow my friend the bank messenger to Boston, and must, therefore, -forego the pleasure." - -At Portland, Brandon and Travers got out of the cars, and took a hack to -the Falmouth Hotel. - -They went to the office, and, calling for the hotel register, carefully -scanned the list of arrivals. - -The afternoon previous they found entered the name of Colonel Johnson. - -"Is Colonel Johnson in?" asked Brandon. - -"We will ascertain," was the reply. - -The bell-boy who was despatched to inquire returned with the message -that Colonel Johnson would see the gentlemen. - -They followed the attendant to a room on the third floor, where they -found their employer pacing the room in visible excitement. - -"Give me the parcel," he said, in a peremptory tone. - -He cut the strings, and hastily opened the coveted prize. - -But his eager look was succeeded by black disappointment, as, instead of -the bonds, he saw a package of blank paper of about the same shape and -size. - -"Confusion!" he ejaculated; "what does all this mean? What devil's mess -have you made of the business?" - - - - -CHAPTER XXIX. - -THE CONSPIRATORS ARE PERPLEXED. - - -Johnson's hasty exclamation was heard with blank amazement by his two -confederates. - -"What do you mean, Colonel? Ain't the bonds there?" asked Travers. - -"Do you call these bonds?" demanded Johnson savagely, as he pointed to -the neatly folded brown paper. "You must have brought back your own -parcel, and left the genuine one with the bank messenger." - -"No," said Travers, shaking his head; "our package was filled with old -newspapers. This is different." - -"It is evidently only a dummy. Was it the only parcel Carver had?" - -"Yes, it was the only one." - -"Is it possible the villain has fooled us?" said Johnson, frowning -ominously. "If he has, we'll get even with him--I swear it!" - -"I don't know what to think, colonel," said Travers. "You can tell -better than I, for you saw him about this business." - -"He didn't seem like it, for he caught at my suggestion greedily. -There's another possibility," added Johnson, after a pause, with a -searching glance at his two confederates. "How do I know but you two -have secured the bonds, and palmed off this dummy upon me?" - -Both men hastily disclaimed doing anything of the kind, and Johnson was -forced to believe them, not from any confidence he felt in them, but -from his conviction that they were not astute enough to think of any -such treachery. - -"This must be looked into," he said slowly. "There has been treachery -somewhere. It lies between you and the messenger, though I did not dream -that either would be up to such a thing." - -"You don't think the bank people did it, do you?" suggested Brandon. - -"I don't know," said Johnson slowly. "I can't understand how they could -learn what was in the wind, unless one of you three blabbed." - -Of course, Travers and Brandon asseverated stoutly that they had not -breathed a word to any third party. - -Johnson was deeply perplexed, and remained silent for five minutes. - -At length he announced his decision. - -"We can do nothing, and decide upon nothing," he said, "till we see -Carver. He went on to Boston, I conclude?" - -"Yes, sir." - -"He will be back to-morrow. We must watch the trains, and intercept -him." - -Leaving this worthy trio in Portland, we follow Ephraim Carver to -Boston. As the cars sped on their way, he felt an uneasy excitement as -he thought of his treachery, and he feared he should look embarrassed -when he was called to account by the Boston bank officials. But there -was a balm in the thought of the substantial sum he was to receive as -the reward of his wrongdoing. That, he thought, would well repay him for -the bad quarter of an hour he would pass in Boston. - -"Five thousand dollars! Five thousand dollars!" This was the burden of -his thoughts as he considered the matter. "It will make me independent. -If I can keep my post, I will, and I can then afford to be faithful to -the bank. If they discharge me, I will move away, for my living without -work, and having money to spend, would attract suspicion if I continued -to live in Chester. Somewhere else I can go into business for myself. I -might stock a small dry-goods store, for instance. I must inquire into -the chances of making a living at that business." - -So, in spite of his treachery, Ephraim Carver, on the whole, indulged in -pleasing reflections, so that the railroad journey seemed short. - -Arrived in Boston, he found that he had just time to go to the bank and -deliver his parcel within banking hours. - -"I may as well do it, and have it over with," he said to himself. - -So, with a return of nervousness, which he tried to conceal by outward -indifference, he made his way to the bank to which he was commissioned. - -He had been there before, and was recognized when he entered. - -He was at once conducted into the presence of the president. - -To him he delivered the parcel of bonds. - -"That will do, Mr. Carver," said the president. "You may go outside -while I examine them." - -He was ushered into the ordinary room, and waited five minutes. He was -trying to brace himself for an outburst of surprise, perhaps of stormy -indignation, and searching cross-examination, when the president -presented himself at the door of his private office. - -"That will do," he said. "You can go, Mr. Carver." - -Carver stared at him in blank amazement. This was precisely what he did -not expect. - -"Have you examined the bonds?" he asked. - -"Of course," answered the president. - -"And you find them all right?" continued the messenger, with -irrepressible surprise. - -"I suppose so," answered the president. "I will examine more carefully -presently." - -"Then you don't wish me to stay?" inquired Carver. - -"No; there is no occasion to do so." - -Ephraim Carver left the bank in a state of stupefaction. - -"What can it all mean?" he asked himself. "The man must be blind as a -bat if he didn't discover that the package contained no bonds. I don't -believe he opened it at all." - -So Carver was left in a state of uncertainty. On the whole he wished -that the substitution had been discovered, so that the president could -have had it out with him. Now he felt that a sword was impending over -his head, which might fall at any time. This was unpleasant, for he did -not know what to expect. - -He went back to Portland by a late train, however, as he had arranged to -do. - -At the depot he met Colonel Johnson. He was puzzled to find that Johnson -did not look as jubilant as he anticipated, now that their plot had -succeeded. On the other hand, he looked grave and stern. - -"Well, colonel, how goes it?" he asked. - -"That is for you to say," returned Johnson. "You have seen Brandon and -Travers, I suppose?" - -"Yes, I have seen them." - -"Then it's all right, and the parcel is in your hands." - -"He takes it pretty coolly," thought Johnson. "I can't understand what -it means. I must get to the bottom of this thing. Well, how did they -take it at the bank?" he added, aloud. "Did they make any fuss?" - -"No," answered the bank messenger. Johnson was surprised. - -"They didn't question you about the parcel you brought them?" - -"No; they told me it was all right, and let me go." - -"Then they must have got the bonds," said Johnson hastily. - -"What! haven't you got them?" asked the messenger, in genuine surprise. - -"No," said Johnson bitterly. "The fools brought me a package stuffed -with sheets of brown paper." - -Carver stared at him in open-mouthed amazement. - -"I don't understand it," he said. "I can't account for any parcel of the -kind." - -"They couldn't have made the exchange at all. This must have been their -own parcel." - -"No," said Carver; "theirs was stuffed with old newspapers." - -"That was what they said." - -"They told the truth. I helped them make up the parcel myself." - -"Then it must have been their parcel that is now in the hands of the -bank." - -"It seems likely." - -"Then where are the bonds?" demanded Johnson sternly. - -"That is more than I can tell," said the bank messenger, in evident -perplexity. - -"It's enough to make a man tear his hair to have such a promising scheme -miscarry," said Johnson gloomily. "I wish I could lay my finger on the -man that's responsible for it." - -"I can't understand it at all, colonel. We followed out your -instructions to the letter. Everything went off smoothly." - -"Can you tell me where are the bonds?" interrupted Johnson harshly. - -"No, I can't." - -"Then you may as well be silent." - -"I will follow your directions," said Carver submissively. "What do you -wish me to do?" - -Johnson reflected a moment. Finally he said: - -"Take the earliest morning train to Chester. I will stay here. So will -the other two men." - -"Anything further?" - -"Only this: Keep your eyes and ears open when you get home. If you hear -anything that will throw light on this affair, write or telegraph, or -send a special messenger, so that I may act promptly on your -information. Do you understand?" - -"Yes, sir. Your directions shall be followed. I am as anxious as you are -to find out why we failed." - - - - -CHAPTER XXX. - -GRIT IS BETRAYED. - - -In sending Grit to Boston instead of the regular messenger, President -Graves had acted on his own responsibility, as he had a right to do, -since it was a matter to be decided by the executive. He might, indeed, -have consulted the directors, but that would have created delay, and -might have endangered the needful secrecy. When, however, Grit returned -and reported to him that his mission had been satisfactorily -accomplished, he informed the directors of what had been done at a -special meeting summoned at his own house. All approved the action -except Mr. Courtney, who was prejudiced against Grit, and, moreover, -felt offended because his own counsel had not been asked or regarded. - -"It seems to me," he said, with some heat, "that our president has acted -in a very rash manner." - -"How do you make that out, Mr. Courtney?" interrogated that official. - -"It was actually foolhardy to trust a boy like Grit Morris with a -package of such value." - -"Why?" inquired Graves. - -"Why? He is only a common boy, who makes a living by ferrying passengers -across the river." - -"Does that prevent his being honest?" - -"A valuable package like that would be a powerful temptation to a boy -like that," asserted Courtney. - -"The package was promptly delivered," said Mr. Graves dryly. - -"He says so," sneered Courtney. - -"Pardon me, Mr. Courtney, I have had advice to that effect from the -Boston bank," said the president blandly. - -"Well, I'm glad the danger has been averted," said Courtney, rather -discomfited. "All the same, I blame your course as hazardous and -injudicious. I suppose the boy was afraid to appropriate property of so -much value." - -"I think, Mr. Courtney, you do injustice to Grit," said Mr. Saunders, -another director. "I am satisfied that he is strictly honest." - -"Perhaps you'd be in favor of appointing him regular bank messenger," -said Courtney, with a sneer. - -"I should certainly prefer him to Ephraim Carver." - -"I consider Carver an honest man." - -"And I have positive proof that he is not honest," said the president. -"I have proof, moreover, that he was actually in league with the man who -plotted to rob the bank." - -This statement made a sensation, and the president proceeded: - -"Indeed, I have called this extra meeting partly to suggest the -necessity of appointing in Carver's place a man in whom we can repose -confidence." - -Here he detailed briefly the conversation which Grit overheard between -the bank messenger and Colonel Johnson. It impressed all, except Mr. -Courtney. - -"All a fabrication of that boy, I'll be bound," he declared. "I am -surprised, Mr. Graves, that you should have been humbugged by such a -palpable invention." - -"What could have been the boy's object in inventing such a story, allow -me to ask, Mr. Courtney?" - -"Oh, he wanted to worm himself into our confidence," said Courtney. -"Very likely he wished to be appointed bank messenger, though that -would, of course, be preposterous." - -"Gentlemen," said President Graves, "as my course does not seem to -command entire approval, I will ask those of you who think I acted with -discretion to signify it." - -All voted in the affirmative except Mr. Courtney. - -"I regret, Mr. Courtney, that you disapprove my course," said the -president; "but I continue to think it wise, and am glad that your -fellow directors side with me." - -Soon after the meeting dissolved, and Mr. Courtney went home very much -dissatisfied. - -Nothing was done about the appointment of a new messenger, the matter -being postponed for three days. - -When Mr. Courtney went home he did a very unwise thing. He inveighed in -the presence of his family against the course of President Graves, -though it was a matter that should have been kept secret. He found one -to sympathize with him--his son Phil. - -"You don't mean to say," exclaimed that young man, "that Grit Morris -was sent to Boston in charge of thirty thousand dollars in bonds?" - -"Yes, I do. That is just what was done." - -"It's a wonder he didn't steal them and make himself scarce." - -"That is in substance what I said at the meeting of the directors, my -son." - -"I wish they'd sent me," said Phil. "I should have enjoyed the trip." - -"It would certainly have been more appropriate," said Mr. Courtney, "as -you are the son of one of the directors, and not the least influential -or prominent, I flatter myself." - -"To take a common boatman!" said Phil scornfully. "Why, Mr. Graves must -be crazy!" - -"He is certainly a very injudicious man," said his father. - -"Do you believe Carver to be dishonest, father?" - -"No, I don't, though Graves does, on some evidence trumped up by the boy -Grit. He wants to supersede him, and it would not at all surprise me if -he should be in favor of appointing Grit." - -"How ridiculous! What is the pay?" asked Phil. - -"Six hundred dollars a year, I believe," said Courtney. - -"Can't you get it for me?" asked Phil eagerly. - -"I don't think it would be suitable to appoint a boy," returned -Courtney. "That is my objection to Grit." - -"Surely I would be a better messenger than a common boy like that." - -"Of course, you come of a very different family. Still, I prefer a man, -and indeed I am in favor of retaining Ephraim Carver." - -Phil would really have liked the office of bank messenger. He was tired -of studying, and would have found it very agreeable to have an income of -his own. He got considerable sums from his father, but not sufficient -for his needs, or, rather, his wishes. Besides, like most boys of his -age, he enjoyed traveling about, and considered the office a light and -pleasant one. - -"What a fool Graves must be," he said to himself, "to think of a common -boatman for such a place! He'd better stick to his boat, it's all he's -qualified for. I'd like to put a spoke in his wheel." - -He left the house, and a short distance up the street he met Ephraim -Carver, who had come back to town in obedience to Colonel Johnson's -suggestion, to learn what he could about the mysterious package. - -"I'll see what I can learn from him," thought Phil. - -"Good morning, Mr. Carver," he said. - -"Good morning, Philip." - -"You've been to Boston lately, haven't you?" - -"I wonder whether he has heard anything about the matter from his -father," thought Carver. - -"Yes," he answered. - -"You didn't happen to meet Grit Morris there, did you?" asked Phil. - -"Grit Morris!" exclaimed Carver, in genuine surprise. - -"Yes, didn't you know he had been to Boston?" - -"No; what business had he in Boston?" asked the messenger. - -"None of his own," answered Phil significantly. - -"Did any one send him?" - -"You had better ask Mr. Graves," said Phil, telling more than he -intended to. - -"Why didn't Mr. Graves get me to attend to his business?" asked Carver, -still in the dark. - -"I didn't say Graves had any business of his own. He is president of the -bank, you know." - -"But I attend to the bank business. I am the messenger." - -"Perhaps you don't attend to all of it," said Phil, telling considerably -more than he intended when the conversation commenced. - -"Tell me what you know, Phil, about this matter. It is important for me -to know," said Carver coaxingly. "I know you don't like Grit, neither do -I. If he is trying to curry favor with Mr. Graves, I want to know it, so -as to circumvent him." - -Before Phil quite knew what he was saying, he had revealed everything to -Carver, adding that Grit was after his place. - -The bank messenger now understood why the package entrusted to him was a -dummy, and who carried the real package. He lost no time in sending -information to Colonel Johnson, in Portland. - -The gentleman was very much excited when he learned in what way he had -been circumvented. - -"So it was a boy, was it?" he said savagely. "That boy must be looked -after. He may find that he has made a mistake in meddling with affairs -that don't concern him." - - - - -CHAPTER XXXI. - -NEW PLANS. - - -When Grit returned he found his mother naturally curious to know where -he had been and on what errand. - -"I should like to tell you everything, mother," he said, "but it may not -be prudent just yet." - -"It's nothing wrong, I hope, Grit?" - -"You may be sure of that, mother; I wouldn't engage in anything that I -thought wrong. I feel justified in telling you confidentially that I was -sent by Mr. Graves." - -"What! the president of the bank?" - -"Yes." - -"Then it's all right," said Mrs. Brandon, with an air of relief. - -"My time wasn't wasted, mother," said Grit cheerfully, as he displayed a -ten-dollar note, new and crisp, which Mr. Graves had given him, besides -paying the expenses of his trip. "I've only been gone two days, and ten -dollars will pay me very well. It's better than boating, at any rate." - -"Yes, but it isn't a steady employment." - -"No; don't suppose I have any idea of giving up boating, because I have -been paid five dollars a day for my trip. It's a help, though." - -"Did you see anything of Mr. Brandon while you were gone?" asked his -mother apprehensively. - -"No, mother. I can't say I was disappointed, either." - -"When he went away he spoke mysteriously of some good fortune that was -coming to him. He expected to earn a large sum of money, and talked of -going to Europe." - -"He is welcome to do so," said Grit, smiling. "I hope he will, and then -we can resume our old life. I tell you, mother, I feel more sure than -ever of getting along. I am certain I can earn considerably more next -year than I have ever done before," and the boy's cheeks glowed and his -eyes sparkled with cheerful hope. - -"I am sure you deserve to, Grit, for you've always been a good son." - -"I ought to be, for I've got a good mother," said the boy, with a glance -of affection at his mother. - -"He pays me for all," thought Mrs. Brandon, as she watched with pride -and a mother's love the form of her boy as he walked down to the river. -"As long as he lives, I have reason to be grateful to God. Mr. Brandon -is a heavy cross to me, but I can bear it while I have Grit." - -Mr. Brandon, however, did not show himself. He was at Portland, subject -to the orders of Colonel Johnson, who thought it not prudent that he or -Travers should return just at present, lest, under the influence of -liquor, they might become talkative and betray more than he desired. - -It was at this point that he learned from Ephraim Carver that Grit had -been sent to Boston in the place of the regular bank messenger. - -"It looks as if somebody suspected something," he reflected anxiously. -"Is it possible that any part of our plan has leaked out? And if so, -how? Then why should a boy like that be selected for so responsible a -duty? He must have had some agency in the discovery. Ha! I have it! He -is the stepson of this Brandon. I must question Brandon." - -"Brandon," he said abruptly, summoning that worthy to his presence, "you -have a son named Grit, have you not?" - -"Yes--curse the brat!" answered Brandon, in a tone by no means paternal. - -"What kind of a boy is he?" - -"Impudent and undutiful," said Brandon. "He doesn't treat me with any -kind of respect." - -"I don't blame him for that," thought Johnson, surveying his instrument -with a glance that did not indicate the highest esteem. - -"Did you tell him anything of our plans?" he asked searchingly. - -"Tell him! He's the last person I'd tell!" returned Brandon, with -emphasis. - -"He didn't overhear you and Travers speaking of the matter, did he?" - -"Certainly not. What makes you ask me that, colonel?" - -"Because it was he who carried the genuine package of bonds to -Boston--that's all." - -"Grit--carried--the bonds!" Brandon ejaculated, in amazement. - -"Yes." - -"How did you find out?" - -"Carver found out. I have just had a despatch from him." - -"Well, that beats me!" muttered Brandon. "I can't understand it at all." - -"It looks as if Carver were distrusted. I shall find out presently. In -the meanwhile, I must see that boy of yours." - -"I'll go and bring him here," said Brandon. - -"Don't trouble yourself. I can manage the matter better by myself. I -shall go to Boston this afternoon." - -"Are Travers and I to go, too?" - -"No; you can stay here. I'll direct you to a cheap boarding-house, where -you can await my orders. I may take Travers with me." - -This arrangement did not suit Brandon very well, though it might had he -been entrusted with a liberal sum of money. But Colonel Johnson, having -lost the valuable prize for which he had striven, was in no mood to be -generous. He agreed to be responsible for Brandon's board, but only gave -him two dollars for outside expenses, thus enforcing a degree of -temperance which was very disagreeable to Brandon. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXII. - -GRIT RECEIVES A BUSINESS LETTER. - - -Grit returned to his old business, but I am obliged to confess that he -was not as well contented with it as he had been a week previous. The -incidents of the past four days had broadened his views, and given him -thoughts of a career which would suit him better. He earned a dollar and -a quarter during the day, and this made a very good average. Multiply it -by six, and it stood for an income of seven dollars and a half per -week. This, to be sure, was not a large sum, but it was quite sufficient -to maintain the little household in a degree of comfort which left -nothing to be desired. - -"It's all very well now," thought Grit, "but it won't lead to anything. -I'm so old now"--he was not quite sixteen--"that I ought to be getting -hold of some business that I can follow when I am a man. I don't mean to -be a boatman when I am twenty-five years old." - -There was something in this, no doubt. Still Grit need not have felt in -such a hurry. He was young enough to wait. Waiting, however, is a very -bad thing for boys of his age. I only want to show how his mind was -affected, in order that the reader may understand how it happened that -he fell unsuspiciously into a trap which Colonel Johnson prepared for -him. - -After supper--it was two days later--Grit prepared to go to the village. -He had a little errand of his own, and besides, his mother wanted a few -articles at the grocery-store. Our hero, unlike some boys that I know, -was always ready to do any errands for his mother, so that she was -spared the trouble of exacting unwilling service. - -Grit had done all his business, when he chanced to meet his friend -Jesse Burns, who, as I have already said, was the son of the postmaster. - -"How are you, Jesse?" said Grit. - -"All right, Grit. Have you got your letter?" - -"My letter!" returned Grit, in surprise. - -"Yes; there's a letter for you in the post-office." - -"I wonder who it can be from?" - -"Perhaps it's from your affectionate stepfather," suggested Jesse, -smiling. - -"I hope not, I don't want to see or hear from him." - -"Well, you can easily solve the problem. You have only to take the -letter out." - -"That's good advice, Jesse. I'll follow it." - -Grit called for his letter, and noticed, with some surprise, that it was -addressed to him, not under his real name, but under that familiar name -by which we know him. - -"Grit Morris," said Jesse, scanning the envelope. "Who can it be from?" - -The letter was postmarked Boston, and was addressed in a bold, business -hand. - -Grit opened the envelope, read it through hastily, and with a look of -evident pleasure. - -"What's it all about, Grit?" asked Jesse. - -"Read it for yourself, Jesse," said the young boatman, handing the -letter to his friend. - -This was the letter: - - - "DEAR SIR: I need a young person on whom I can rely to travel for - me at the West. I don't know you personally, but you have been - recommended to me as likely to suit my purpose. I am willing to pay - twelve dollars per week and traveling expenses. If this will suit - your views, come to Boston at once, and call upon me at my private - residence, No. ----, Essex Street. - - "Yours truly, - "SOLOMON WEAVER." - - -"What are you going to do about it, Grit?" asked Jesse, when he had -finished reading the letter. - -"I shall go to Boston to-morrow morning," answered Grit promptly. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXIII. - -GRIT LEAVES PINE POINT. - - -"It does seem to be a good offer," said Jesse thoughtfully. - -"I should think it was--twelve dollars a week and traveling expenses," -said Grit enthusiastically. - -"I wonder how this Mr. Weaver came to hear of you?" - -"I can't think. That's what puzzles me," said Grit. - -"He says that you have been recommended to him, I see." - -"Yes. At any rate, I am very much obliged to the one who recommended -me." - -"What will your mother say?" - -"She won't want to part with me; but when I tell her how good the offer -is, she will get reconciled to it." - -When Grit went home and read the letter to his mother, it was a shock to -the good woman. - -"How can I part from you, Grit?" she said, with a troubled look. - -"It won't be for long, mother," said Grit hopefully. "I shall soon be -able to send for you, and we can settle down somewhere near Boston. I've -got tired of this place, haven't you?" - -"No, Grit. I think Pine Point is very pleasant, as long as I can keep -you with me. When you are gone, of course, it will seem very different. -I don't see how I am going to stand it." - -"It won't be for long, mother; and you'll know I am doing well." - -"You can make a living with your boat, Grit." - -"Yes, mother; but it isn't going to lead to anything. It's all very well -now, but half a dozen years from now I ought to be established in some -good business." - -"Can't you put off going for a year, Grit?" - -"A year hence there may be no such chance as this, mother." - -"That is true." - -"You'll give your consent, then, mother?" - -"If you really think it is best, Grit--that is, if you've set your heart -on it." - -"I have, mother," said Grit earnestly. "I was getting tired of boating -before this letter came, but I kept at it because there didn't seem to -be anything else. Now it would seem worse than ever, and I'm afraid I -should be very discontented." - -"I wish you would call on your friend Mr. Jackson, at the hotel, and see -what he thinks of it," said Mrs. Brandon. "He is an experienced man of -business, and his judgment will be better than ours." - -"I will do as you say, mother. I am sure he will recommend me to go." - -Grit went to the hotel, arriving there about eight o'clock, and inquired -for Mr. Jackson. He was told that that gentleman had started in the -morning for Augusta, and would not return for a day or two. The young -boatman was not, on the whole, sorry to hear this, for it was possible -that the broker might not think favorably of the plan proposed, and he -felt unwilling, even in that case, to give it up. He returned, and -acquainted his mother with the result of his visit. - -"Can't you wait till Mr. Jackson returns?" asked his mother. - -"No, mother; I should run the risk of losing the chance." - -The evening was spent in getting ready to go. Grit left in his mother's -hands all the money he had, except the ten dollars he had last received, -and gave an order for the sixty dollars in the hands of Mr. Lawrence, -the lawyer, so that even if this Western journey were prolonged for -three months, his mother would have enough to provide for her wants. - -"Now, mother, I can leave home without any anxiety," he said. - -"You will write me often, Grit?" said Mrs. Brandon anxiously. - -"Oh, yes, mother; there is no danger I shall forget that." - -"Your letters will be all I shall have to think of, you know, Grit." - -"I won't forget it, mother." - -Grit kissed his mother good-by, and bent his steps toward the railway -station. - -On the way he met Ephraim Carver. - -"Where are you going, Grit?" asked the bank messenger. - -"I am going to Boston." - -"It seems to me you have a good deal of business in Boston." - -"I hope to have." - -"You ain't going to stay, are you?" - -"I expect to stay. I've got an offer from a party there." - -"Of what sort?" - -"That letter will tell you." - -Ephraim Carver looked over the letter, and he smiled to himself, for he -recognized the handwriting of Colonel Johnson, though the letter was -signed by another name. - -"You're walking into the lion's den, young man," he thought; but he only -said: "It seems to be a good offer. Why, you will be paid as much as I -get. How old are you?" - -"Almost sixteen." - -"Boys get on more rapidly now than they did when I was of your age. Why, -I'm more'n twenty years older than you are, and I haven't got any higher -than twelve dollars a week yet." - -Mr. Carver laughed in what seemed to be an entirely uncalled-for -manner. - -"I don't believe you'll keep your place long," thought the young -boatman; but he, too, was not disposed to tell all he knew. So the two -parted, each possessed of a secret in regard to the other. - -Mr. Carver, however, was destined to receive the first disagreeable -surprise. After parting from Grit he met Mr. Graves in the street. - -"Good morning, Mr. Graves," he said, in his usual deferential manner, -for he was a worldly-wise man, though he had committed one fatal -mistake. - -"Good morning, Mr. Carver," said the president of the bank gravely. - -"Shall you have any errand for me this week?" - -"I have something to say to you, Mr. Carver," said Mr. Graves, "and I -may as well take the present opportunity to do so. We have concluded to -dispense with your services, and you are at liberty to look elsewhere -for employment." - -"You are going to dispense with my services!" repeated Carver, in -dismay. - -"Such is the determination of the directors, Mr. Carver." - -"But, sir, that is very hard on me. How am I to get along?" - -"I hope you may find something else to do. We shall pay you a month's -salary in advance, to give you an opportunity of looking about." - -"But, Mr. Graves, why am I treated so harshly? Can't you intercede for -me? I am a poor man." - -"I feel for your situation, Mr. Carver, but I am compelled to say that I -do not feel disposed to intercede for you." - -"Haven't I always served the bank faithfully?" - -"I advise you to ask yourself that question, Mr. Carver," said the -president significantly. "You can answer it to your own conscience -better than I or any one else can do for you." - -"What does he mean?" thought Carver, startled. - -Then it occurred to the messenger that nothing had been discovered, but -that Mr. Graves, who had recently shown such partiality to Grit, wished -to create a vacancy for him. - -"Are you going to put Grit Morris in my place?" he asked angrily. - -"What makes you think so?" asked Mr. Graves keenly. - -"I knew you were partial to him," answered Carver, who reflected that -it would not do to give the source of his information. - -"I will at any rate answer your question, Mr. Carver. There is no -intention of putting Grit in your place. We have every confidence in his -fidelity and capacity, but consider him too young for the position." - -"I was only going to say that Grit has another chance in Boston, so that -there will be no need to provide for him." - -"Grit has a chance in Boston!" said Mr. Graves, in surprise. - -"Yes; he has just started for the city." - -"What sort of a chance is it?" - -"He has received an offer to travel at the West, with a salary of twelve -dollars a week and expenses." - -"That is strange." - -"It is true. He showed me the letter." - -"From whom did it come?" - -"I don't remember." - -Carver did remember, but for obvious reasons did not think it best to -acquaint Mr. Graves. - -"That is remarkable," thought Mr. Graves, as he walked home. "Grit is a -smart boy, but such offers are not often made by strangers to a boy of -fifteen. I must speak to Clark about it." - -He found Mr. Clark at his house. He was the quiet man who had been -employed by the bank as a detective, and who had come to report to the -president. - -There was a look of intelligence as he listened to the news about Grit. - -"I tell you what I think of it," he said. "The rascals have found out -the part which Grit took in circumventing them, and this letter is part -of a plot. They mean the boy mischief." - -"I hope not," said Mr. Graves anxiously. "I am attached to Grit, and I -wouldn't have harm come to him for a good deal." - -"Leave the matter in my hands. I will take the next train for Boston, -and follow this clue. It may enable me to get hold of this Johnson, who -is a dangerous rascal, because he has brains." - -"Do so, and I will see you paid, if necessary, out of my own pocket." - - - - -CHAPTER XXXIV. - -GRIT REACHES BOSTON. - - -Full of hope and joyful anticipation, Grit left home and pursued his -journey to Boston. He had occasion to stop a couple of hours at -Portland, and improved it by strolling down to the pier of the little -steamers that make periodical trips to the islands in the harbor. Just -outside a low saloon he unexpectedly ran across his stepfather. - -"How are you, Grit?" said Brandon affably. - -There was a flush on Brandon's face, and an unsteadiness of gait which -indicated that he had succeeded in evading what is known as the Maine -law. To Grit it was not a welcome apparition. Still, he felt it due to -himself to be ordinarily polite. - -"I am well," he answered briefly. - -"And how's your mother?" asked Brandon. - -"Quite well, thank you," Grit answered, as formally as if the question -had been asked by a stranger. - -"Does she miss me much?" asked his stepfather, with a smile. - -"She has not mentioned it," responded our hero coldly. - -"I am sorry that circumstances compel me to be absent from her for a -time," continued Brandon. - -"Oh, don't disturb yourself," said Grit. "She is quite used to being -alone. I think she mentioned that you talked of going to Europe." - -Brandon frowned, and his bitter disappointment was thus recalled to his -mind. - -"I don't know whether I shall or not," he answered. "It depends upon -whether my--speculation turns out well. Where are you going?" - -Grit hesitated as to whether he should answer correctly. He was not -anxious to have Brandon looking him up in Boston, but it occurred to him -that he should be traveling at the West, and, therefore, he answered: - -"I have heard of a chance in Boston, and am going to see about it." - -"All right, Grit!" said Brandon. "You have my consent." - -It occurred to Grit that he did not stand in need of his stepfather's -approval, but he did not say so. - -"Yes, Grit, I send you forth with a father's blessing," said Brandon -paternally. "By the way, have you a quarter about you?" - -Grit thought that a quarter was rather a high price to pay for Brandon's -blessing, but he was in good spirits, and this made him good-natured. -Accordingly, he drew a quarter from his pocket and handed it to his -stepfather. - -"Thank you, Grit," said Brandon briskly, for he had felt uncertain as to -the success of his application. "I like to see you respectful and -dutiful. I will drink your good health, and success to your plans." - -"You had better drink it in cold water, Mr. Brandon." - -"That's all right," said Brandon. "Good-by!" - -He disappeared in the direction of the nearest saloon, and Grit returned -to the depot to take the train for Boston. - -"I don't know that I ought to have given him any money," thought Grit, -"but I was so glad to get rid of him that I couldn't refuse." - -He reached Boston without further adventure, arriving at the Boston and -Maine depot in Haymarket Square about four o'clock. - -"I wonder whether it is too late to call on Mr. Weaver to-night," -thought Grit. - -He decided that it was not. Even if it were too late for an interview, -he thought it would be wise to let his prospective employer understand -that he had met his appointment punctually. - -"Carriage, sir?" asked a hackman. - -Grit answered in the negative, feeling that to one in his circumstances -it would be foolish extravagance to spend money for a carriage. But this -was succeeded by the thought that time was valuable, and as he did not -know where Essex Street was, it might consume so much to find out the -place indicated in the letter that he might miss the opportunity of -seeing Mr. Weaver. - -"How far is Essex Street from here?" he asked. - -"Three or four miles," promptly answered the hackman. - -"Is there any street-car line that goes there?" - -"Oh, bless you, no." - -Neither of these answers was correct, but Grit did not know this. - -"How much will you charge to take me to No. ---- Essex Street?" - -"Seein' it's you, I'll take you for a dollar and a quarter." - -Grit was about to accept this offer, when a quiet-looking man beside him -said: - -"The regular fare is fifty cents." - -"Is it any of your business?" demanded the hackman angrily. "Do you want -to take the bread out of a poor man's mouth?" - -"Yes, if the poor man undertakes to cheat a boy!" answered the quiet man -keenly. - -"It's ridiculous expectin' to pay fifty cents for a ride of three or -four miles," grumbled the hackman. - -"The distance isn't over a mile and a quarter, and you are not allowed -to ask over fifty cents. My boy, I advise you to call another hack." - -"Jump in," said the hackman, fearful of losing his fare. - -"I think I will get in, too, as I am going to that part of the city," -said the small man, in whom my readers will probably recognize the -detective already referred to. - -"That'll be extra." - -"Of course," said the detective. "I understand that, and I understand -how much extra," said the stranger significantly. - -As the man and boy rattled through the streets, they fell into a -conversation, and Grit, feeling that he was with a friend, told his -plan. - -"Humph!" said the detective. "May I see this letter?" - -"Certainly, sir." - -"Do you know who recommended you to Mr. Weaver?" asked Grit's new -friend. - -"No, sir." - -"And can't guess?" - -"No, sir." - -"Doesn't it strike you as a little singular that such an offer should -come from a stranger?" - -"Yes, sir; that did occur to me. Don't you think it genuine?" asked -Grit anxiously. - -"I don't know. I could tell better if I should see this Mr. Weaver." - -"Won't you go in with me?" - -"No; it might seem odd, and the proposal may be genuine. I'll tell you -what to do, my boy. That is, if you feel confidence in me." - -"I do, and shall be glad of your advice." - -"Come to the Parker House after your interview, and inquire for Benjamin -Baker." - -"I will, sir, and thank you." - -When the hack drew up in front of No. ---- Essex Street, the stranger -got out with Grit. - -"I am calling close by," he said, "and won't ride any farther. Here is -the fare for both." - -"But, sir," said Grit, "it is not right that you should pay my fare for -me." - -"It is all right," said Mr. Baker. "I have more money than you, -probably, my young friend. Besides, meeting with you has saved me some -trouble." - -This speech puzzled Grit, but he did not feel like asking any -explanation. - -He glanced with some interest at the house where he was to meet Mr. -Weaver. It was a three-story brick house, with a swell front, such as -used to be very popular in Boston thirty or forty years since. It was -very quiet in appearance, and there was nothing to distinguish it from -its neighbors on either side. - -"Good afternoon, Mr. Baker," said Grit, as he ascended the steps to -ring the bell. - -"Good afternoon. Remember to call upon me at the Parker House." - -"Thank you, sir." - -Benjamin Baker turned down a side street, and Grit rang the bell. - -It was opened by a tall, gaunt woman, with a cast in her eye. - -"What's wanted?" she asked abruptly. - -"I called to see Mr. Weaver--Mr. Solomon Weaver," said Grit. - -"Oh, yes," said the woman, with a curious smile. "Come in." - -The hall which Grit entered was dark and shabby in its general -appearance. Our hero followed his guide to a rear room, the door of -which was thrown open, revealing a small apartment, with a shabby -collection of furniture. There was no carpet on the floor, but one or -two rugs relieved the large expanse of floor. - -"Take a seat, and I'll call Mr. Weaver," said the woman. - -Somehow Grit's courage was dampened by the unpromising look of the house -and its interior. - -He had pictured to himself Mr. Weaver as a pleasant, prosperous-looking -man, who lived in good style, and was liberally disposed. - -He sat down in an armchair in the center of the room. - -He had but five minutes to wait. - -Then the door opened, and to Grit's amazement the man whom he had known -as Colonel Johnson entered the room, and coolly locked the door after -him. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXV. - -CROSS-EXAMINED. - - -Grit's face showed the astonishment he felt at the unexpected appearance -of a man whom he knew to be the prime instigator of the attempt to rob -the bank at Chester. - -Colonel Johnson smiled grimly as he saw the effect produced by his -presence. - -"You didn't expect to see me?" he said. - -"No, sir," answered Grit. - -"I flatter myself you had done me the honor to call upon me," said -Johnson, seating himself at a little distance from our hero. - -"I came to see Mr. Solomon Weaver, from whom I received a letter," -explained Grit. "If this is your house I may have made a mistake in the -number." - -"Not at all," answered Johnson. "Mr. Weaver is a friend of mine." - -"Does he live here?" - -"Oh, yes," said Johnson, smiling. - -"He wrote me that he wished to send me on a Western trip." - -"That's all right." - -"Then the letter was genuine," said Grit, hoping that things might turn -out right after all. - -Could it be possible, he thought, that Colonel Johnson was the friend -who had recommended him? It did not seem at all probable, but in his -bewilderment he did not know what to think. - -"Can I see Mr. Weaver?" asked Grit, desirous of putting an end to his -uncertainty. - -"Presently," answered Colonel Johnson. "He is busy just at present, but -he deputed me to speak with you." - -This was all very surprising, but would probably soon be explained. - -"I shall be glad to answer any questions," said Grit. - -"I suppose you can present good recommendations, as the position is a -responsible one," said Johnson, with a half smile. - -"Yes, sir." - -"Whom, for instance?" - -"Mr. Graves, president of the Chester Bank," said Grit. - -Knowing what he did of Colonel Johnson's attempt upon the bank, it was -perhaps a rather odd choice to make, but the young boatman thought it -might help him to discover whether Johnson knew anything of his recent -employment by the bank. - -"I have heard of Mr. Graves," said Johnson. "Has he ever employed you?" - -"Yes, sir." - -"In what capacity?" demanded Johnson searchingly. - -"He sent me to this city with a package." - -"What did the package contain?" - -"I think it contained bonds." - -"Haven't they a regular bank messenger?" - -"Yes, sir." - -"What's his name?" - -"Ephraim Carver." - -"Why was he not employed? Why should you be sent in his place?" - -"I think you had better ask Mr. Graves," said Grit independently. - -"Why? Don't you know?" - -"Even if I did I should consider that I had no right to tell." - -"You are a very conscientious and honorable young man," said Johnson -sneeringly. - -"Thank you, sir," returned Grit, choosing not to show that he -understood the sneer. - -"Where is your stepfather?" inquired Johnson, changing the subject -abruptly. - -"In Portland." - -"How do you know?" - -"I met him in the street while on my way through the city." - -"Did you speak with him?" - -"Yes, sir." - -"What did he say?" asked Johnson suspiciously. - -"He wished to borrow twenty-five cents," answered Grit, with a smile. - -"Did you lend it to him?" - -"Yes." - -"Very dutiful, on my word!" - -"I have no feeling of that sort for Mr. Brandon," said Grit frankly. "I -thought it the easiest way to get rid of him." - -Johnson changed the subject again. - -"Is Ephraim Carver likely to lose his situation as bank messenger?" he -asked. - -"I think you had better ask Mr. Graves," said Grit, on his guard. - -Johnson frowned, for he did not like Grit's independence. - -"It is reported that you are intriguing for his position," he continued. - -"That is not true." - -"Do you think there is any likelihood of your being appointed in his -place?" - -"No, sir; I never dreamed of it." - -"Yet there is a possibility of it. Don't suppose that I am particularly -interested in this Carver. So far as I am concerned, I should not object -to your succeeding him." - -"What does all this mean?" thought Grit. - -"If you should do so, I might have a proposal to make to you that would -be to your advantage." - -Knowing what he did, Grit very well understood what was meant. Johnson, -no doubt, wished to hire him to betray the confidence reposed in him by -the bank, and deliver up any valuable package entrusted to him for a -money consideration. Like any right-minded and honorable boy, Grit felt -that the very hint of such a thing was an insult to him, and his face -flushed with indignation. For the moment he forgot his prudence. - -"I don't think there is the least chance of my getting such a position," -he said; "but even if I did, it would not do you any good to make me a -proposal." - -"How do you know what sort of a proposal I should make?" demanded -Johnson keenly. - -"I don't know," answered Grit, emphasizing the last word. - -"It appears to me, young man, that you are a little ahead of time," said -Johnson. "You shouldn't crow too soon." - -"I think I will bid you good evening," said Grit, rising. - -"Why so soon? You haven't seen Mr. Weaver." - -"On the whole, I don't think I should wish to engage with him." - -Our hero felt that if Mr. Weaver were a friend of the man before him, it -would be safest to have nothing to do with him. On the principle that a -man is known by the company he keeps, the friend of Colonel Johnson -could hardly be a desirable person to serve. - -"You seem to be in a hurry, especially as you have not seen my friend -Weaver." - -"You will be kind enough to explain to him that I have changed my -plans," said Grit. - -"Resume your seat for five minutes," said Johnson, "and I will call -Weaver. You had better see him for yourself." - -"Very well, sir." - -He reflected that merely seeing Mr. Weaver would not commit him to -anything. - -Colonel Johnson rose to his feet, and placed his foot firmly on a -particular spot in the floor. - -To Grit's dismay, the floor seemed to sink beneath him, and chair and -all were lowered a dozen feet into a subterranean cavity, too quickly -for him to help himself. - -He realized that the chair so conveniently placed in the center of the -apartment rested on a trap-door. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXVI. - -THE BOY DANIEL. - - -Though Grit was not hurt by his sudden descent into the dark cavity -under the room in which he had been seated, he was, nevertheless, -somewhat startled. Indeed, it was enough to startle a person much older. -For the first time it dawned upon him that he was the victim of a -conspiracy, and Mr. Weaver was either an imaginary person, or his offer -was not genuine. It was clear, also, from the tenor of Johnson's -questions that he fully understood, or at least suspected, that his plan -had been known in advance to the bank officials. - -The young boatman understood how to manage a boat, but in the present -case he found that he was out of his element. The tricks, traps, and -devices of a great city he knew very little about. He had, indeed, read -about trap-doors and subterranean chambers in certain sensational -stories which had come into his possession, but he looked upon them as -mere figments of the imagination, and did not believe they really -existed. Now, here was he himself made an unexpected victim by a -conspiracy of the same class familiar to him in novels. - -Naturally, the first thing to do was to take a survey of his new -quarters, and obtain some idea of his position. At first everything -seemed involved in thick darkness, but as his eye became accustomed to -it, he could see that he was in a cellar of about the same size as the -room above, though there was a door leading into another. He felt his -way to it, and tried to open it, but found that it was fastened, -probably by a bolt on the other side. There was no other door. - -"I am like a rat in a trap," thought Grit. "What are they going to do -with me, I wonder?" - -While it was unpleasant enough to be where he was, he did not allow -himself to despond or give way to unmanly fears. There was no reason, he -thought, to apprehend serious peril or physical violence. Colonel -Johnson probably intended to frighten him, with a view of securing his -compliance with the demands of the conspirators. - -"He will find he has made a mistake," thought Grit. "I am not a baby, -and don't mean to act like one." - -He heard a noise, and, looking round, discovered the armchair in which -he had descended being drawn up toward the trap-door. The door was -opened by some agency, the chair disappeared, and again he was in -darkness. - -"They don't mean to keep me here in luxury," thought Grit. "If I sit -down anywhere, it will have to be on the floor." - -It was late in the afternoon, as we know, and it seemed likely that our -hero would have to remain in the subterranean chamber all night. As -there was no bed, he would have to lie down on the ground. Grit kneeled -down, and ascertained that the floor was cemented, and not a damp -earthen flooring as he had feared. He congratulated himself, for he was -bound to make the best of the situation. - -There was another source of discomfort, however. It was already past -Grit's ordinary supper hour, and, except a very slight lunch, consisting -of a sandwich bought in the cars, our hero had had nothing to eat since -breakfast, and an early breakfast at that. Now, Grit was not one of -those delicate boys who are satisfied with a few mouthfuls, but he had -what is called a "healthy appetite," such as belongs to most boys who -have good stomachs and spend considerable time in the open air. He began -to feel an aching void in the region of his stomach, and thought, with a -sigh, of the plain but hearty supper he should have had at home. - -"I hope Colonel Johnson isn't going to starve me," he thought. "That is -carrying the joke too far. It seems to me I never felt so hungry in all -my life before." - -Half an hour passed, and poor Grit's reflections became decidedly gloomy -as his stomach became more and more troublesome. However, he was -perfectly helpless, and must wait till the man, or men, who had him in -their clutches, saw fit to provide for him. - -Under these circumstances it may well be imagined that his heart leaped -for joy when he heard the bolt of the only door, already referred to, -slowly withdrawn with a rasping sound, as if it did not slide easily in -its socket. - -He turned his eyes eagerly toward the door. - -It was opened, and a tall, overgrown youth entered with a small basket -in his hand, which he set down on the floor while he carefully closed -the door. - -"Hello, there! Where are you?" he asked, for his eyes were not used to -the darkness. - -"Here I am," answered Grit. "I hope you've brought me some supper." - -"Right you are!" said the youth. "Oh, now I see you." - -The speaker was tall and overgrown, as I have said. He was also -painfully thin, and his clothes were two or three sizes too small for -him, so that his long, bony arms protruded from his coat-sleeves, and -his legs appeared to have outgrown his pants. His face was long, and his -cheeky were hollow. - -"He reminds me of Smike, in 'Nicholas Nickleby,'" thought Grit. - -"Take your supper, young one, and eat it quick," said the youth, for he -was not more than eighteen. - -Grit needed no second invitation. He quickly explored the contents of -the basket. The supper consisted of cold meat and slices of bread and -butter, with a mug of tea. To Grit everything tasted delicious, and he -did not leave a crumb. - -"My! haven't you got an appetite?" said the youth. - -"I haven't had anything to eat since morning," said Grit -apologetically--"that is, only a sandwich." - -"Say, what are you here for?" asked the youth curiously. - -"I don't know," answered Grit. - -"Honor bright?" - -"Yes, honor bright. Do you live here?" - -"Yes," answered the youth soberly. - -"Is this man--Colonel Johnson--any relation of yours?" - -"No." - -"Where are your folks?" - -"Haven't got any. Never had any as I know of." - -"Have you always lived here?" - -"Always lived with him," answered the boy, jerking his thumb in an -upward direction. "Sometimes here, sometimes in New York." - -"Do you like to be with--him?" - -"No." - -"Why don't you run away?" - -"Run away!" repeated the other, looking around him nervously. "He'd get -me back, and half kill me." - -"There's some mystery about this boy," thought Grit. "Do you think he -will keep me here long?" he asked, in some anxiety. - -"Can't say--maybe." - -"What's your name?" - -"Daniel." - -"What's your other name?" - -"Haven't got any." - -"Daniel," said Grit, a thought striking him. "Do you ever go out--about -the city, I mean?" - -"Oh, yes; I go to the post-office and other places." - -"Will you carry a message for me to the Parker House?" - -"I darsn't," said Daniel, trembling. - -"No one will know it," pleaded Grit. "Besides, I'll give you--five -dollars," he added, after a pause. - -"Have you got so much?" asked Daniel eagerly. - -"Yes." - -"Show it to me." - -Grit did so. - -"Yes, I'll do it," said the youth, after a pause; "but I must be careful -so he won't know." - -"All right. When can you leave the house?" - -"In the morning." - -"That will suit me very well. Now, shall I see you again to-morrow -morning?" - -"Yes, I shall bring you your breakfast." - -"Very well; I will write a note, and will describe the gentleman you -are to hand it to." - -"You'll be sure to give me the money?" - -"Yes, I will give it to you before you go, if you will promise to do my -errand faithfully." - -"I'll promise. I never had five dollars," continued Daniel. "There's -many things I can buy for five dollars." - -"So you can," answered Grit, who began to perceive that this overgrown -youth was rather deficient mentally. - -"You mustn't tell anybody that you are going to carry a message for me," -said Grit, thinking the caution might be necessary. - -"Oh, no, I darsn't," said Daniel quickly, and Grit was satisfied. - -Our hero felt much more comfortable after he was left alone, partly in -consequence of the plain supper he had eaten, partly because he thought -he saw his way out of the trap into which he had been inveigled. - -"To-morrow I hope to be free," he said to himself, as he lay down on the -floor and sought the refreshment of sleep. - -Fortunately for him, he was feeling pretty well fatigued, and though it -was but eight o'clock, he soon lost consciousness of all that was -disagreeable in his situation under the benignant influence of sleep. - -When Grit awoke, he had no idea what time it was, for there was no way -for light to enter the dark chamber. - -"I hope it is almost breakfast-time," thought our hero, for he already -felt the stirrings of appetite, and besides, all his hope centered in -Daniel, whom he was then to see. - -After awhile he heard the welcome sound of the bolt drawn back. Then a -sudden fear assailed him. It might be some one else, not Daniel, who -would bring his breakfast. If so, all his hopes would be dashed to the -ground, and he could fix no limit to his captivity. But his fears were -dissipated when he saw the long, lank youth, with the same basket which -he had brought the night before. - -"Good morning, Daniel," said Grit joyfully. "I am glad to see you." - -"You're hungry, I reckon," said the youth practically. - -"Yes; but I wanted to see you, so as to give you my message. Are you -going out this morning?" - -"Yes; I'm goin' to market." - -"Can you go to the Parker House? You know where it is, don't you?" - -"Yes; it is on School Street." - -Grit was glad that Daniel knew, for he could not have told him. - -Grit had written a note in pencil on a sheet of paper which he -fortunately had in his pocket. This he handed to Daniel, with full -instructions as to the outward appearance of Mr. Benjamin Baker, to whom -it was to be handed. - -"Now give me the money," said Daniel. - -"Here it is. Mind, Daniel, I expect you to serve me faithfully." - -"All right!" said, the lank youth, as he disappeared through the door, -once more leaving Grit alone. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXVII. - -DANIEL CALLS AT THE PARKER HOUSE. - - -It was half-past nine o'clock in the forenoon, and Mr. Benjamin Baker, -detective, sat smoking a cigar in the famous hotel on School Street, -known as "Parker's." - -"I hope nothing has happened to the boy," he said to himself, uneasily, -as he drew out his watch. "It is time he was here. Have I done rightly -in leaving him in the clutches of a company of unprincipled men? Yet I -don't know what else I could do. If I had accompanied him to the door, -my appearance would have awakened suspicion. If through his means I can -get authentic information as to the interior of this house, which I -strongly suspect to be the headquarters of the gang, I shall have done a -good thing. Yet perhaps I did wrong in not giving the boy a word of -warning." - -Mr. Baker took the cigar from his mouth and strolled into the opposite -room, where several of the hotel guests were either reading the morning -papers or writing letters. He glanced quickly about him, but saw no one -that resembled Grit. - -"Not here yet?" he said to himself, "perhaps he can't find the hotel. -But he looks too smart to have any difficulty about that. Ha! whom have -we here?" - -This question was elicited by a singular figure upon the sidewalk. It -was a tall, overgrown boy, whose well-worn suit appeared to have been -first put on when he was several years younger, and several inches -shorter. The boy was standing still, with mouth and eyes wide open, -staring in a bewildered way at the entrance of the hotel, as if he had -some business therein, but did not know how to go about it. - -"That's an odd-looking boy," he thought. "Looks like one of Dickens' -characters." - -Finally the boy, in an uncertain, puzzled way, ascended the steps into -the main vestibule, and again began to stare helplessly in different -directions. - -One of the employees of the hotel went up to him. - -"What do you want?" he demanded, rather roughly. - -"Be you Mr. Baker?" asked the boy. - -"No; I am not Mr. Baker." - -"Where is Mr. Baker?" - -"I don't know anything about Mr. Baker," answered the attendant -impatiently. - -"The boy told me I would find him here," said Daniel, for of course my -reader recognizes him. - -"Then the boy was playing a trick on you, most likely." - -By this time Mr. Baker thought it advisable to make himself known. - -"I am Mr. Benjamin Baker," he said, advancing. "Do you want to see me?" - -Daniel looked very much relieved. - -"I've got a note for you," he said. - -"Give it to me." - -Daniel did so, and was about to go out. - -"Wait a minute, my young friend, there may be an answer," said the -detective. - -Mr. Baker read rapidly the following note: - - - "I am in trouble. I think the letter I received was only meant to - entrap me. I have not seen Mr. Weaver, but I have had an interview - with Colonel Johnson, who planned the robbery of the bank at - Chester. He seems to know that I had something to do with defeating - his plans, and has sounded me as to whether I will help him in case - I act again as bank messenger. On my refusing, he touched a spring, - and let me down through a trap-door in the floor of the rear room - to a cellar beneath, where I am kept in darkness. The boy who gives - you this brings me my meals. He doesn't seem very bright, but I - have agreed to pay him well if he will hand you this, and I hope he - will succeed. I don't know what Colonel Johnson proposes to do with - me, but I hope you will be able to help me. - - GRIT." - - -Benjamin Baker nodded to himself while he was reading this note. - -"This confirms my suspicions," he said to himself. "If I am lucky I -shall succeed in trapping the trappers. Hark you, my boy, when are you -going back?" - -"As soon as I have been to the market." - -"Very well; what did the boy agree to give you for bringing this note?" - -"Five dollars," answered Daniel, his dull face lighting up, for he knew -the power of money. - -"Would you like five dollars more?" - -"Wouldn't I?" was the eager response. - -"Then don't say a word to anybody about bringing this note." - -"No, I won't. He'd strap me if I did." - -"Shall you see the boy?" - -"Yes, at twelve o'clock, when I carry his dinner." - -"When you see him, tell him you've seen me, and it's all right. Do you -understand?" - -Daniel nodded. - -"I may call up there some time this morning. If I do I want you to open -the door and let me in." - -Daniel nodded again. - -"That will do. You can go." - -Mr. Baker left the hotel with a preoccupied air. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXVIII. - -GRIT MAKES A DISCOVERY. - - -Grit, left to himself, was subjected to the hardest trial, that of -waiting for deliverance, and not knowing whether the expected help would -come. - -"At any rate I have done the best I could," he said to himself. "Daniel -is the best messenger I could obtain. He doesn't seem to be more than -half-witted, but he ought to be intelligent enough to find Mr. Baker and -deliver my note." - -The subterranean apartment, with its utter destitution of furniture, -furnished absolutely no resources against ennui. Grit was fond of -reading, and in spite of his anxiety might in an interesting paper or -book have forgotten his captivity, but there was nothing to read, and -even if there had been, it was too dark to avail himself of it. - -"I suppose I sha'n't see Daniel till noon," he reflected. "Till then I -am left in suspense." - -He sat down in a corner and began to think over his position and future -prospects. He was not wholly cast down, for he refused to believe that -he was in any real peril. In fact, though a captive, he had never felt -more hopeful, or more self-reliant than now. But he was an active boy, -and accustomed to exercise, and he grew tired of sitting down. - -"I will walk a little," he decided, and proceeded to pace up and down -his limited apartment. - -Then it occurred to him to ascertain the dimensions of the room, by -pacing. - -As he did so, he ran his hand along the side wall. A most remarkable -thing occurred. A door flew open, which had appeared like the rest of -the wall, and a narrow passageway was revealed, leading Grit could not -tell where. - -"I must have touched some spring," he thought. "This house is a regular -trap. I wonder where this passageway leads?" - -Grit stooped down, for the passage was but about four feet in height, -and tried to peer through the darkness. But he could see nothing. - -"Shall I explore it?" he thought. - -He hesitated a moment, not knowing whether it would be prudent, but -finally curiosity overruled prudence, and he decided to do so. - -Stooping over, he felt his way for possibly fifty feet, when he came to -a solid wall. Here seemed to be the end of the passage. - -He began to feel slowly with his hand, when another small door, only -about twelve inches square, flew open, and he looked through it into -another subterranean apartment. It did not appear to be occupied, but on -a small wooden table was a candle, and by the light of the candle Grit -could see a variety of articles, including several trunks, one open, -revealing its contents to be plate. - -"What does it mean?" thought Grit. - -Then the thought came to him, for, though he was a country boy, his wits -had been sharpened by his recent experiences. "It must be a storehouse -of stolen goods." - -This supposition seemed in harmony with the character of the man who had -lured him here, and now held him captive. - -"If I were only outside," thought Grit, "I would tell Mr. Baker of this. -The police ought to know it." - -Just then he heard his name called, and, turning suddenly, distinguished -by the faint light which the candle threw into the passage the stern and -menacing countenance of Colonel Johnson. - -"Come out here, boy!" he called, in an angry tone. "I have an account to -settle with you." - - - - -CHAPTER XXXIX. - -AN UNPLEASANT INTERVIEW. - - -There was nothing to do but to obey. Judging by his own interpretation -of the discovery our hero was not surprised that his captor should be -incensed. He retraced his steps, and found himself once more in the -subterranean chamber facing an angry man. - -"What took you in there?" demanded Colonel Johnson. - -"Curiosity, I suppose," answered Grit composedly. He felt that he was in -a scrape, but he was not a boy to show fear or confusion. - -"How did you happen to discover the entrance?" - -"It was quite accidental. I was pacing the floor to see how wide the -room was, when my hand touched the spring." - -"Why did you want to know the width of the room?" asked Johnson -suspiciously. - -"I didn't care much to know, but the time hung heavily on my hands, and -that was one way of filling it up." - -Colonel Johnson eyed the boy attentively. He was at a loss to know -whether Grit really suspected the nature and meaning of his discovery, -or not. If not, he didn't wish to excite suspicion in the boy's mind. He -decided to insinuate an explanation. - -"I suppose you were surprised to find the passageway," he remarked. - -"Yes, sir." - -"As you have always lived in the country, that is natural. Such -arrangements are common enough in the city." - -"I wonder whether trap doors are common," thought Grit, but he did not -give expression to his thought. - -"The room into which you looked is under the house of my brother-in-law, -and the passage affords an easy mode of entrance." - -"I should think it would be easier going into the street," thought Grit. - -"Still I am annoyed at your meddlesome curiosity, and shall take -measures to prevent your gratifying it again. I had a great mind when I -first saw you to shut you up in the passage. I fancy you wouldn't enjoy -that." - -"I certainly shouldn't," said Grit, smiling. - -"I will have some consideration for you, and put a stop to your -wanderings in another way." - -As he spoke he drew from his pocket a thick, stout cord, and directing -Grit to hold his hands together, proceeded to tie his wrists. This our -hero naturally regarded as distasteful. - -"You need not do this," he said. "I will promise not to go into the -passage." - -"Humph! Will you promise not to attempt to escape?" - -"No, sir, I can't promise that." - -"Ha! you mean, then, to attempt to escape?" - -"Of course!" answered Grit. "I should be a fool to stay here if any -chance offered of getting away." - -"You are candid, young man," returned Johnson. "There is no earthly -chance of your escaping. Still, I may as well make sure. Put out your -feet." - -"You are not going to tie my feet, too, are you?" asked Grit, in some -dismay. - -"To be sure I am. I can't trust you after what you have done this -morning." - -It was of no use to resist, for Colonel Johnson was a powerful man, and -Grit, though strong, only a boy of sixteen. - -"This doesn't look much like escaping," thought Grit. "I hope he won't -search my pockets and discover my knife. If I can get hold of that, I -may be able to release myself." - -Colonel Johnson had just completed tying the last knot when the door, -which had been left unbolted, was seen to open, and the half-witted -boy, Daniel, entered hastily. - -"How now, idiot!" said Johnson harshly. "What brings you here?" - -"There's a gentleman up-stairs wants to see you, master," said Daniel, -with the scared look with which he always regarded his tyrant. - -"A gentleman!" repeated Johnson hastily. "Who let him in?" - -"I did, sir." - -"You did!" thundered Johnson. "How often have I told you to let in -nobody? Do you want me to choke you?" - -"I--forgot," faltered the boy. "Besides, he said he wanted to see you -particular." - -"All the more reason why I don't want to see him. What does he look -like?" - -"He's a small man, sir." - -"Humph! Where did you leave him?" - -"Room above, sir." - -"I'll go up and see him. If it's somebody I don't want to see, I'll -choke you." - -"Yes, sir," said Daniel humbly. - -As Johnson went out, Daniel lingered a moment, and, in a hoarse whisper, -said to Grit: "It's him." - -"Who is it?" asked Grit puzzled. - -"It's the man you sent me to." - -"Good! You're a trump, Daniel," said Grit joyfully. - -A minute after a confused noise was heard in the room above. Daniel -turned pale. - -"Tell him where I am, Daniel," said Grit, as the boy timidly left the -room. - - - - -CHAPTER XL. - -COLONEL JOHNSON COMES TO GRIEF. - - -We must now follow Johnson up-stairs. - -In the room above, sitting down tranquilly in an arm-chair, but not in -that in the center of the room, was a small, wiry man of unpretending -exterior. - -"What is your business here, sir?" demanded Johnson rudely. - -"Are you the owner of this house?" asked Benjamin Baker coolly. - -"Yes. That does not explain your presence here, however." - -"I am in search of a quiet home, and it struck me that this was about -the sort of a house I would like," answered Baker. - -"Then, sir, you have wasted your time in coming here. This house is not -for sale." - -"Indeed! Perhaps I may offer you enough to make it worth your while to -sell it to me." - -"Quite impossible, sir. This is my house, and I don't want to sell." - -"I am sorry to hear it. Perhaps you would be kind enough to show me over -the house to let me see its arrangements, as I may wish to copy them if -I build." - -"It strikes me, sir, you are very curious, whoever you are," said -Johnson angrily. "You intrude yourself into the house of a quiet -citizen, and wish to pry into his private arrangements." - -"I really beg your pardon, Mr. ---- I really forget your name." - -"Because you never heard it. The name is of no consequence." - -"I was about to say, if you have anything to conceal, I won't press my -request." - -"Who told you I had anything to conceal?" said Johnson suspiciously. - -"I inferred it from your evident reluctance to let me go over your -house." - -"Then, sir, I have only to say that you are mistaken. Because I resent -your impertinent intrusion, you jump to the conclusion that I have -something to conceal." - -"Just so. There might, for example, be a trap-door in this very -room----" - -Colonel Johnson sprang to his feet and advanced toward his unwelcome -guest. - -"Tell me what you mean," he said savagely. "I am not the man to be -bearded in my own house. You will yet repent your temerity in thrusting -yourself here." - -Benjamin Baker also rose to his feet, and, putting a whistle to his -mouth, whistled shrilly. - -Instantly two stalwart policemen sprang into the apartment from the hall -outside. - -"Seize that man!" said the detective. - -"What does this mean?" asked Johnson, struggling, but ineffectually. - -"It means, Colonel Johnson, alias Robert Kidd, that you are arrested on -a charge of being implicated in the attempt to steal a parcel of bonds -belonging to the National Bank of Chester, Maine." - -"I don't know anything about it," said Johnson sullenly. "You've got the -wrong man." - -"Possibly. If so, you'll be released, especially as there are other -charges against you. Guard him, men, while I search the house." - -"Here, boy, show me where my young friend is concealed," said Baker to -Daniel, who was timidly peeping in at the door. - -A minute later and Baker cut the cords that confined the hands and feet -of Grit. - -"Now," said he quickly, "have you discovered anything that will be of -service to me?" - -Grit opened for him the dark passage. The detective walked to the end, -and saw the room into which it opened. - -"Do you know, Grit," he said, on his return, "you have done a splendid -day's work? With your help I have discovered the headquarters of a bold -and desperate gang of thieves, which has long baffled the efforts of the -Boston police. There is a standing reward of two thousand dollars for -their discovery, to which you will be entitled." - -"No, sir; it belongs to you," said Grit modestly. "I could have done -nothing without you." - -"Nor I without your information. But we can discuss this hereafter." - -Johnson ground his teeth when Grit was brought upstairs, free, to see -him handcuffed and helpless. - -"I believe you are at the bottom of this, you young rascal!" he said. - -"You are right," said the detective. "We have received very valuable -information from this boy, whom you supposed to be in your power." - -"I wish I had killed him!" said Johnson furiously. - -"Fortunately, you were saved that crime, and need expect nothing worse -than a long term of imprisonment. Officers, take him along." - - - - -CHAPTER XLI. - -CONCLUSION. - - -The Boston and Portland papers of the next morning contained full -accounts of the discovery of the rendezvous of a gang of robbers whose -operations had been extensive in and near Boston, together with the -arrest of their chief. - -In the account full credit was given to our young hero, Grit, for his -agency in the affair, and it was announced that the prize offered would -be divided between Grit and the famous detective, Benjamin Baker. - -It may readily be supposed that this account created great excitement in -Chester. Most of the villagers were heartily pleased by the good fortune -and sudden renown of the young boatman; but there was at least one -household to which the news brought no satisfaction. This was the home -of Phil Courtney. - -"What a fuss the papers make about that boy!" exclaimed Phil, in -disgust. "I suppose he will put on no end of airs when he gets home." - -"Very likely," said Mr. Courtney. "He seems to have had good luck, -that's all." - -"It's pretty good luck to get a thousand dollars," said Phil enviously. -"Papa, will you do me a favor?" - -"What is it?" - -"Can't you put a thousand dollars in the bank for me, so that the -boatman can't crow over me?" - -"Money is very scarce with me just now, Philip," said his father. "It -will do just as well to tell him you have a thousand dollars in my -hands." - -"I would rather have it in a bank," said Philip. - -"Then you'll have to wait till it is convenient for me," said his father -shortly. - -It was true that money was scarce with Mr. Courtney. I have already -stated that he had been speculating in Wall Street heavily, and with by -no means unvarying success. In fact, the same evening he received a -letter from his brother, stating that the market was so heavily against -him that he must at once forward five thousand dollars to protect his -margin, or the stocks carried on his account must be sold. - -As Mr. Courtney was unable to meet this demand, the stocks were sold, -involving a loss of ten thousand dollars. - -This, in addition to previous losses, so far crippled Mr. Courtney that -he was compelled materially to change his way of living, and Phil had to -come down in the social scale, much to his mortification. - -But the star of the young boatman was in the ascendant. - -On his return to Pine Point he found Mr. Jackson, the New York broker, -about to leave the hotel for a return to the city. He congratulated Grit -on his success as an amateur detective, and then asked: - -"What are your plans, Grit? Probably you won't care to remain a -boatman?" - -"No, sir; I have decided to give up that business, at any rate." - -"Have you anything in view?" - -"I thought I might get a situation of some kind in Boston. The -prize-money will keep us going till I can earn a good salary." - -"Will your mother move from Pine Point?" - -"Yes, sir; she would be lonely here without me." - -"I have an amendment to offer to your plans, Grit." - -"What is that, sir?" - -"Come to New York instead of Boston." - -"I have no objection, sir, if there is any opening there for me." - -"There is, and in my office. Do you think you would like to enter my -office?" - -"I should like it very much," said Grit eagerly. - -"Then I will engage you at a salary of twelve dollars per week--for the -first year." - -"Twelve dollars!" exclaimed Grit, overwhelmed. "I had no idea a green -hand could get such pay." - -"Nor can they," answered Mr. Jackson, smiling; "but you remember that -there is an unsettled account between us. I have not forgotten that you -saved the life of my boy." - -"I don't want any reward for that, sir." - -"I appreciate your delicacy, but I shall feel better satisfied to -recognize it in my own way. I have another proposal to make to you. It -is this: Place in my hands as much of your thousand dollars as you can -spare, and I will invest it carefully for your advantage in stock -operations, and hope materially to increase it." - -"I shall be delighted if you will do so, Mr. Jackson, and think myself -very fortunate that you take this trouble for me." - -"Now, how soon can you go to New York?" - -"When you think best, sir?" - -"I advise you to go on with me, and select a home for your mother. Then -you can come back for her, and settle yourself down to work." - - * * * * * * * * - -A year later, in a pleasant cottage on Staten Island, Grit and his -mother sat in a neatly furnished sitting-room. Our young hero was -taller, as befitted his increased age, but there was the same pleasant, -frank expression which had characterized him as a boy. - -"Mother," said he, "I have some news for you." - -"What is it, Grit?" - -"Mr. Jackson has raised my pay to twenty dollars a week." - -"That is excellent news, Grit." - -"He has besides rendered an account of the eight hundred dollars he took -from me to operate with. How much do you think it amounts to now?" - -"Perhaps a thousand." - -"Between four and five thousand!" answered Grit, in exultation. - -"How can that be possible?" exclaimed Mrs. Morris, in astonishment. - -"He used it as a margin to buy stocks which advanced greatly in a short -time. This being repeated once or twice, has made me almost rich." - -"I can hardly believe it, Grit. It is too good to be true." - -"But it is true, mother. Now we can change our mode of living." - -"Wait till you are worth ten thousand dollars, Grit--then I will -consent. But, I, too, have some news for you." - -"What is it?" - -"I had a letter from Chester to-day. Our old neighbor, Mr. Courtney, has -lost everything--or almost everything--and has been compelled to accept -the post of bank messenger, at a salary of fifty dollars per month." - -"That is indeed a change," said Grit. "What will Phil do?" - -"He has gone into a store in Chester, on a salary of three dollars a -week." - -"Poor fellow!" said Grit. "I pity him. It must be hard for a boy with -his high notions to come down in the world so. I would rather begin -small and rise, than be reared in affluence only to sink into poverty -afterward." - -It was quite true. The result of his rash speculations was to reduce Mr. -Courtney to poverty, and make him for the balance of his life a soured, -discontented man. - -As for Phil, he is still young, and adversity may teach him a valuable -lesson. Still, I hardly think he will ever look with satisfaction upon -the growing success and prosperity of the young boatman. - -I must note another change. It will be observed that I have referred to -Grit's mother as Mrs. Morris. Mr. Brandon was accidentally drowned in -Portland Harbor, having undertaken, while under the influence of liquor, -to row to Peake's Island, some two miles distant. His wife and Grit were -shocked by his sudden death, but they could hardly be expected to mourn -for him. His widow resumed the name of her former husband, and could now -lay aside all anxiety as to the quiet tenor of her life being broken in -upon by her ill-chosen second husband. - -It looks as if Grit's prosperity had come to stay. I am privately -informed that Mr. Jackson intends next year to make him junior partner, -and this will give him a high position in business circles. I am sure my -young readers will feel that his prosperity has been well earned, and -will rejoice heartily in the brilliant success of the young boatman of -Pine Point. - - -THE END. - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Grit, by Horatio Alger Jr. - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK GRIT *** - -***** This file should be named 54195.txt or 54195.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/5/4/1/9/54195/ - -Produced by David Edwards, Martin Pettit and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This -book was produced from scanned images of public domain -material from the Google Books project.) - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions -will be renamed. - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no -one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation -(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without -permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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