Matthew White

“ To become acquainted with this splendid youth now grew to be Reginald Pell’s one absorbing ambition. He had always preferred to associate with boys older than himself; to be on terms of intimacy with a young man out of his teens, and who sported a mustache that was far advanced in the budding stage—that would be a triumph indeed.
But would he be able to accomplish his purpose? Although he was tall for his age, Rex could not hope that the object of his admiration would look upon him as anything else than a schoolboy. ”

“ Rex told the terrible tale of the robbery, of the awful night he had passed riding back and forth across the river, and had got as far as his falling asleep on the train when Mrs. Raynor appeared and smilingly announced that time was up.
“Miles will tell you the rest, Roy,” said Rex. “He’s the best fellow. I don’t know what would have become of me if it hadn’t been for him. And Mrs. Raynor, too. When I get well they must all come to Philadelphia and we’ll give them the very best time.” ”

“ Miles’s train was on time. Rex saw Miles standing on the step of the forward car, ready to spring off at the first opportunity. His face lighted up to a still greater radiance at sight of Rex waiting for him.
“I didn’t think you’d come to meet me,” he said, as he shook hands. “It is awfully good of you. I’m so glad to see you.”
There was no doubt of this. One could read it at once in the way he looked at his companion.
“I suppose you were surprised to get Syd’s telegram,” remarked Rex. “What did he say in it?”
“Come and spend Sunday with Rex,” answered the other. ”

“ He was noted for his suave manners and the facility with which he imposed on strangers.
“That’s the man,” murmured Jess. “What are we going to do?”
Eva stepped back to the sofa and sank down upon it as if every bit of strength had gone away from her.
“It doesn’t seem possible,” was all Roy could say for the moment.
Then he turned back to the picture and studied it long and intently. Meanwhile the steady murmur of voices could be heard from above. Rex was showing Mr. Keeler the treasures in their room.
“I had better go up and ask him to leave,” then said Roy suddenly. ”

“ The miser said nothing in reply for a minute or two. He kept interlocking his wasted fingers with one another, glancing now and then out of the window, where he could see Roy pacing back and forth in front of the cottage. Finally he murmured so low that Sydney was obliged to bend forward to catch the words:
“Would you be surprised to hear that I had a vast amount of money in the deposit companies in Philadelphia?”
“No, Mr. Tyler,” replied Sydney. “It has always been supposed that you were a man of wealth.”
“I am, I am,” muttered the miser. “I have something like half a million. ”

“ From a railroad time table Roy ascertained where he must go, and by the first train he could get in the morning he set out.
“Be very gentle with him, Roy,” his mother said at parting. “By his sending to you he evidently thinks I am greatly displeased with him.”
“Trust me, mother,” Roy assured her with a smile.
He felt very happy this morning, happier than he had, it seemed to him, since they had come into their fortune. Of such worth is sorrow sometimes, to make a contrast by which to intensify joy. ”

“ It was Harrington. He had circled about and caught up with him.
Rex was so overwhelmed that he nearly lost his balance. But he recovered himself in an instant, and his natural repose of manner asserted itself.
“Yes, indeed,” he answered. “I was wondering if you had a wheel. Most fellows have one nowadays.”
“Oh, this isn’t mine. It’s one I hired. I keep mine at New Haven.”
“Oh, you’re a Yale man then,” exclaimed Rex, prouder than ever at having formed this acquaintance. ”

“ It is summer again, but in Batemans the town in which we now find our friends, the Pells, this banner season of the year, does not deck itself with all the attractions that caused it to be eagerly looked forward to in Marley.
There are no creek, no hills, no trees, nothing but board walks, board houses, board fences, and the “boarders we take,” as Rex would conclude the sentence. And these are the same in summer as they are in winter, except that they are all hotter and more unpleasant than ordinary. ”

“ Because you’ve got up some scheme between you that you’d rather do than go with us, you just won’t go.”
“Ah, Jess, it isn’t that. It’s—but I can’t tell you now. Come, Rex, we’d better go after all. One day won’t make any difference.”
Rex objected a little longer, but was at last won over.
“I don’t suppose we could tell them without Syd’s consent,” he said when he and Roy had gone up stairs to get their coats. “But it’ll seem exactly like dancing on our own graves.”
“Oh, not so bad as that, Reggie,” returned Roy. ”

“ Roy couldn’t resist adding.
“Come,” interposed Eva, “stop quarreling over what is past and decide what we must do in the present. For my part I can’t think we are in any personal danger. If the man up stairs is the same one described in the book he has evidently reformed.”
“But remember what it says about his smooth ways,” interjected Jess. “That is just where he has made his reputation, by his easy way of crawling into people’s confidence.”
“I tell you what to do,” said Roy. “You and Rex, Eva, go up to bed. Jess and I will stay up all night and stand watch.” ”

“ Roy did not answer for a minute. He had plainly not thought of this side of the matter.
“Ugh! it makes me creep,” went on Jess, “to feel that a man who has been in state’s prison twice is in this very house and going to stay here all night. I’m going to stay up until morning. I think I’ll sit down here and read the lives of these criminals. It will be an appropriate occupation.”
“You girls needn’t stay up at all,” said Rex. “Roy and I will stand guard.”
“Oh, I couldn’t sleep if I went to bed,” declared Jess. “I don’t know as I can ever sleep again so long as we are in this house. ”

“ I can go to some hotel. You can send my things to me and I will stay there till—till this is settled up and they put me away.”
Roy stepped into the carriage and put his face so close to Sydney’s that the latter felt the smooth flesh against his day’s growth of beard.
“Dear old fellow,” whispered Roy, “you must come. We haven’t cast you off. And—and besides, we want you with us to help us decide what to do.” ”

“ It was Ashby Stout.
“Great Scott, it’s little Pell,” exclaimed Stout. Then he added quickly: “Look here, youngster, what right have you to send that girl away from here?”
“A brother’s right,” replied Rex promptly.
“Whew!” whistled Stout under his breath, and he turned to Driscoll, the friend with whom he had come in. “Say, Sammy,” he whispered, “what position does this chap hold in the place?”
“He’s the manager’s son,” was the reply.
Having accomplished his purpose Rex went on, took up his tray and carried it into the pantry. His eyes still flashed from anger. ”

“ Rex told Miles at parting.
Miles had begun to attend school. He had not had an opportunity to study since leaving the Morriseys. He was naturally quick, and made good progress.
“He’ll know too much by spring to be put to garden work again,” Mrs. Raynor had said when she was in. “I hardly know what to do with him then.”
“Oh, don’t worry about that,” laughed Jess. “By that time he may have found his parents and be a millionaire.”
“How you talk, Jess,” interposed her sister. “If he ever does find his people, it doesn’t follow that they will be wealthy. ”

“ At that moment Harrington came up and put his arm around Rex’s neck.
“I always said that Reggie Pell was a gentleman,” he mumbled. “Now you can see it for yourselves.”
“And his clothes fit him,” added Dan Tilford, as a special mark of approval.
“Oh, they imagine they’re having no end of sport,” whispered Atkins. “Look at Harrington. He’s half seas over, too.”
He was so far over, indeed, that he was very ill for a time. It was a fearful scene.
“Here, Pell,” Atkins called to him from the bed where he had gone to look after Cheever. “See what you can do for your friend.” ”

“ I am not leaving money to a family of whom I know nothing. Have you got that: all my fortune unreservedly to Jessica Fillmore Pell?”
“Yes, Mr. Tyler.”
“Roy knows something of this, and if people think it strange or hint that I am out of my head to leave my money in this way, you can tell them what he did for me this afternoon. That ought to satisfy them. Now I want to tell you where my money is invested so that you can get at it easily, for I want you, Sydney, to be one of my executors, and I will take Dr. Martin for the other. Here he comes now. We will continue this business presently.” ”

“ It was physically impossible for Miles Harding to carry Rex very far without stopping to rest. The life of a tramp, with insufficient nourishment, was not calculated to strengthen the long arms which could easily wrap themselves about the other boy, but had little power to retain him in their embrace. ”

“ Roy took Rex’s dinner up to him, and the twins had an hour to themselves, during which Rex went more into detail concerning his experiences with Harrington and his crowd. They compared notes on Harry Atkins, and then fell to talking of Miles Harding.
“He’s something more than a common tramp,” Rex insisted. “He can read a little and write some. Isn’t it funny how much he thinks of me, when I haven’t done a thing for him? Mrs. Raynor lets him come up and sit with me every evening when his work is done. ”