The Errand Boy [43]
yours will injure me with the gentleman I have the good fortune to work for."
"Don't you be too sure! If you think he wouldn't mind a boy, I'll refer him to pa and ma. They'll give you a good setting out."
"I don't doubt it," said Phil indifferently, and turned to go away.
He was called back by Alonzo, who had not quite satisfied his curiosity.
"Say, are you boarding with that woman who came to see ma the same day you were at the house?" he asked.
"No; I have left her."
Alonzo looked well pleased. He knew that his mother felt rather uneasy at the two being together, dreading lest they should make a concerted attempt to ingratiate themselves with her rich uncle.
"Ma says she behaved very badly," Alonzo could not help adding.
"Mrs. Forbush is an excellent Lady," said Phil warmly, for he could not hear one of his friends spoken against.
"Lady! She's as poor as poverty," sneered Alonzo.
"She is none the worse for that."
"Uncle Oliver can't bear her!"
"Indeed!" said Phil; pausing to see what else Alonzo would say.
"Ma says she disgraced herself, and all her relations gave her up. When you see her tell her she had better not come sneaking round the house again."
"If you will write a letter to that effect, I will see that she gets it," said Phil. "That letter won't miscarry."
"I don't care to take any notice of her," said Alonzo loftily.
"You are very kind to have wasted so much notice upon me," said Phil, amused.
Alonzo did not see fit to answer this, but walked away with his head in the air. He was, however, not quite easy in mind.
"How in the world," he asked himself, "could that boy have found out that Uncle Oliver gave me a letter to post? If he should learn that I opened it and took the money, there'd be a big fuss. I guess I'd better not meet him again. If I see him any day I'll go in a different direction. He's so artful he may get me into trouble."
It is needless to say that neither Mr. or Mrs. Pitkin knew of Alonzo's tampering with the letter. Much as they would have been opposed to Phil's receiving such a letter, they would have been too wise to sanction such a bold step.
"Well," said Mr. Carter, when Phil returned, "did you see Rebecca--Mrs. Forbush?"
"Yes, sir, and handed her the money. She was overjoyed; not so much at receiving so generous a sum as at learning that you were reconciled to her."
"Poor girl!" said the old man, forgetting that she was now a worn woman. "I am afraid that she must have suffered much."
"She has met with many hardships, sir, but she won't mind them now."
"If I live her future shall be brighter than her past. I will call to-morrow. You, Philip, shall go with me."
"I should like to do so, sir. By the way, I met Alonzo on Broadway."
He detailed the conversation that had taken place between them.
"I am afraid he took the money," said Mr. Carter. "I am sorry any relative of mine should have acted in that way. Let him keep it. Any benefit he may derive from it will prove to have been dearly purchased."
CHAPTER XXVI.
A WONDERFUL CHANGE.
"You may order a carriage, Philip," said Mr. Carter the next morning. "Pick out a handsome one with seats for four."
"Yes, sir."
In five minutes the carriage was at the door.
"Now, Philip, we will go to see my long-neglected niece, Mrs. Forbush. Give the driver the necessary directions."
"Mrs. Forbush does not have many carriage-callers," said Philip, smiling.
"Perhaps she will have more hereafter," said Mr. Carter, "I ought not so long to have lost sight of her. I always liked Rebecca better than Lavinia, yet I let the latter prejudice me against her cousin, who is in disposition, education and sincerity her superior. You see, Philip, there are old fools in the world as well as young ones."
"It is never too late to mend, Mr. Carter," said Phil, smiling.
"That's very true, even if it is a young philosopher who says it."
"I don't claim any originality for it, Mr. Carter."
"By the way, Philip, I have noticed that you always
"Don't you be too sure! If you think he wouldn't mind a boy, I'll refer him to pa and ma. They'll give you a good setting out."
"I don't doubt it," said Phil indifferently, and turned to go away.
He was called back by Alonzo, who had not quite satisfied his curiosity.
"Say, are you boarding with that woman who came to see ma the same day you were at the house?" he asked.
"No; I have left her."
Alonzo looked well pleased. He knew that his mother felt rather uneasy at the two being together, dreading lest they should make a concerted attempt to ingratiate themselves with her rich uncle.
"Ma says she behaved very badly," Alonzo could not help adding.
"Mrs. Forbush is an excellent Lady," said Phil warmly, for he could not hear one of his friends spoken against.
"Lady! She's as poor as poverty," sneered Alonzo.
"She is none the worse for that."
"Uncle Oliver can't bear her!"
"Indeed!" said Phil; pausing to see what else Alonzo would say.
"Ma says she disgraced herself, and all her relations gave her up. When you see her tell her she had better not come sneaking round the house again."
"If you will write a letter to that effect, I will see that she gets it," said Phil. "That letter won't miscarry."
"I don't care to take any notice of her," said Alonzo loftily.
"You are very kind to have wasted so much notice upon me," said Phil, amused.
Alonzo did not see fit to answer this, but walked away with his head in the air. He was, however, not quite easy in mind.
"How in the world," he asked himself, "could that boy have found out that Uncle Oliver gave me a letter to post? If he should learn that I opened it and took the money, there'd be a big fuss. I guess I'd better not meet him again. If I see him any day I'll go in a different direction. He's so artful he may get me into trouble."
It is needless to say that neither Mr. or Mrs. Pitkin knew of Alonzo's tampering with the letter. Much as they would have been opposed to Phil's receiving such a letter, they would have been too wise to sanction such a bold step.
"Well," said Mr. Carter, when Phil returned, "did you see Rebecca--Mrs. Forbush?"
"Yes, sir, and handed her the money. She was overjoyed; not so much at receiving so generous a sum as at learning that you were reconciled to her."
"Poor girl!" said the old man, forgetting that she was now a worn woman. "I am afraid that she must have suffered much."
"She has met with many hardships, sir, but she won't mind them now."
"If I live her future shall be brighter than her past. I will call to-morrow. You, Philip, shall go with me."
"I should like to do so, sir. By the way, I met Alonzo on Broadway."
He detailed the conversation that had taken place between them.
"I am afraid he took the money," said Mr. Carter. "I am sorry any relative of mine should have acted in that way. Let him keep it. Any benefit he may derive from it will prove to have been dearly purchased."
CHAPTER XXVI.
A WONDERFUL CHANGE.
"You may order a carriage, Philip," said Mr. Carter the next morning. "Pick out a handsome one with seats for four."
"Yes, sir."
In five minutes the carriage was at the door.
"Now, Philip, we will go to see my long-neglected niece, Mrs. Forbush. Give the driver the necessary directions."
"Mrs. Forbush does not have many carriage-callers," said Philip, smiling.
"Perhaps she will have more hereafter," said Mr. Carter, "I ought not so long to have lost sight of her. I always liked Rebecca better than Lavinia, yet I let the latter prejudice me against her cousin, who is in disposition, education and sincerity her superior. You see, Philip, there are old fools in the world as well as young ones."
"It is never too late to mend, Mr. Carter," said Phil, smiling.
"That's very true, even if it is a young philosopher who says it."
"I don't claim any originality for it, Mr. Carter."
"By the way, Philip, I have noticed that you always