Mr. Dick

“ Dick is a tall, manly looking fellow now, the pride of his mother's heart; and prosperity has not changed his genial, straight-forward nature a particle.
One of his best friends is Mr. Cartwright, the old miller, and frequently they sit and chat of the days long since gone by when Dick found his first job in the employ of the other.
Occasionally Dick has found an opportunity, on holidays, to go out to the dear old fishing hole, and interview a few of his friends, the bass ”

“ Morrison followed him as he strode manfully along, with his head held erect and the light of determination in his eyes.
When he drew near the bank he swerved and passed along, but not from timidity; it lacked seven minutes of the time Mr. Gibbs had set, and Dick had learned that a busy man is often almost as much annoyed by a premature caller as by one who keeps him waiting. ”

“ Clara paused. Dick said nothing. He was beginning to think that Mr. Eglinton must be a pretty bad man.
“And yet,” continued Clara, after a moment, “I am afraid my father is not a very good man. Oh, Dick, I hate to say it, but after what you have done for me I ought to tell you—to warn you. Martin Mudd has had dealings with my father. On that very night when he tried to kill you in Washington he had just left our house and—and—Dick, do look out for yourself. Don’t go with me to the Gold Queen mine on any account.”
“I’m not afraid,” replied Dick, “but I am going to do just as you say, Clara.” ”

“ Richard being the eldest, somehow did not regard himself as a boy. He had always taken care upon himself, so as to relieve his mother, and though the merriest fellow alive, singing or whistling at his work, he had never within his recollection spent a whole day in play. "The fact is," said his father watching him as he took the milk pail, the night after his visit to Mr. Jones, and went out to do the barn chores, "the fact is, our Dick makes play of his work."
Mr. Stuart was a scholar, naturally absorbed in the duties of his profession. ”

“ I have come to see him about a position here," said Dick, calmly.
"Then you had better see Mr. Goodwyn, the cashier. He has charge of all the employing; Mr. Gibbs never troubles himself in that line. First window around the corner there."
"But I have an engagement with Mr. Gibbs. He expects me at half-past ten this morning, sir," pursued Dick, beginning to feel a trifle alarmed lest after all something happen to disturb his rosy dreams of the future.
Mr. Winslow opened his eyes and once more condescended to peer out of his little window at the boy who made this astonishing statement. ”

“ But now, after recalling the attitude of Mr. Long when recovering from the effects of the attack made upon him by the three footpads—after recalling the easy tone of his conversation, and the adroitness with which he had obtained from Dick a good deal of information about himself and his prospects, and more particularly his lack of prospects, [Pg 181] Dick came to the conclusion that for the first time in his life he had been speaking to one who was indeed a man of the world—a man who understood his fellow men and who could be humorously tolerant of their weaknesses and their prejudices. ”

“ And they are a horrid rough lot, a deal worse than the fisher-folk. But Dick he don't mind 'em. And he can do anything with 'em too, plays his banjo and sings and makes 'em laugh. The mines belong to the Farringmore family, you know—Lord Wilchester owns 'em. But he never comes near, and a' course the men gets discontented and difficult. And they're a nasty drinking lot too. Why, the manager—that's Mr. Ashcott—he's at his wit's end sometimes. But Dick—oh, Dick can always handle 'em, knows 'em inside and out, and their wives too. Yes, he's very clever is Dick. ”

“ Dick had wrapped up his blacking-brush in a newspaper with which Frank had supplied him, feeling that a guest of the Astor House should hardly be seen coming out of the hotel displaying such a professional sign.
“Uncle, Dick’s ready to go,” said Frank.
“Good-by, my lad,” said Mr. Whitney. “I hope to hear good accounts of you sometime. Don’t forget what I have told you. Remember that your future position depends mainly upon yourself, and that it will be high or low as you choose to make it.”
He held out his hand, in which was a five-dollar bill. Dick shrunk back. ”

“ A few nights later, as Dick sat at his work in Mr. Wicks' office, a rubber-tired buggy drove slowly past close to the curbing. Through the big front window, Dick could be seen plainly as he bent over his desk, just inside an inner room, his back toward the door, which stood open. A burly negro leaped to the sidewalk without stopping the carriage. So absorbed was Dick with the task before him, that he did not hear the outer door of the office open and close again; and so quickly did the negro move that he stood within the room where Dick sat before the latter was aware of his presence. ”

“ Dick was puzzled. At last he stepped to the phone and, still covering the negro with the revolver, he rang up central and called for Mr. Wicks' residence. When the answer came, he said easily, "Excuse me for disturbing you, Mr. Wicks, but I have a man here in the office who wants to get into your safe, and I need you badly. You had better come in the back way."
"I'll be with you in a shake," was the reply; "hold him down till I get there." And a few minutes later the old gentleman knocked at the door. Dick admitted him and then burst into a hearty laugh at his strange appearance ”

“ When Dick was dressed in his new suit, he surveyed his figure with pardonable complacency. It was the best he had ever worn, and fitted him as well as if it had been made expressly for him.
“He’s done the handsome thing,” said Dick to himself; “but there wasn’t no ’casion for his givin’ me these clothes. My lucky stars are shinin’ pretty bright now. Jumpin’ into the water pays better than shinin’ boots; but I don’t think I’d like to try it more’n once a week.”
About eleven o’clock the next morning Dick repaired to Mr. Rockwell’s counting-room on Pearl Street. ”

“ If you’ll come next Sunday, I’ll take you into my class, and do what I can to help you.”
“Thank you,” said Dick, “but p’r’aps you’ll get tired of teaching me. I’m awful ignorant.”
“No, my lad,” said Mr. Greyson, kindly. “You evidently have some good principles to start with, as you have shown by your scorn of dishonesty. I shall hope good things of you in the future.”
“Well, Dick,” said our hero, apostrophizing himself, as he left the office; “you’re gettin’ up in the world. You’ve got money invested, and are goin’ to attend church, by partic’lar invitation, on Fifth Avenue. ”

“ So Dick took her up to the sample room and let her see what was on exhibition in the lines she wanted. The boy had engaging ways that always took with the ladies, so he never had any difficulty in handling them to their own satisfaction and that of his employer. Mr. Bacon had given him a quiet tip that Mrs. Patterson was a special customer who had been recommended to him, so Dick laid himself out to please her. ”

“ Mr. Graylock laughed scornfully, almost triumphantly, Dick thought.
"Let me see that envelope, young man," he snarled, and having fairly snatched it out of Dick's hand he gave one glance and then held it up. [116]
"Just what I thought! Look at that, will you, Mr. Goodwyn; up in the corner is this firm address: 'Cassidy and Prime, Stock Brokers, Boston!'"
The cashier took the envelope, and then said huskily:
"This begins to appear like a serious thing for you, Morrison. I really feel sorry for your mother. Sit down again; I am not yet through with you!" ”

“ Crupp had indignantly assured him that there wasn’t room to swing a cat there; but, as Mr. Dick justly observed to me, sitting down on the foot of the bed, nursing his leg, ‘You know, Trotwood, I don’t want to swing a cat. I never do swing a cat. Therefore, what does that signify to ME!’
I tried to ascertain whether Mr. ”

“ Soon after seven a neighbor came in having driven his horse and sleigh into the barn floor. Dick's eyes twinkled at the introduction he received.
"Mr. Manly, Mr. Stuart; Mr. Stuart's a minister's son, from Massachusetts come to buy a cow. He's a professor,—attends school in New Hampshire,—going to stay with us a spell."
"You must stop with me part of the time," urged Mr. Manly after a searching gaze in Richard's face.
At home and among his mates Dick was always called good company ”

“ Dick now felt that he was a real man, except in years, and during the ensuing two years he deported himself along that line, and was made a clerk before the merchant had expected to raise him to that dignity; but the fact was when the knickerbockers went to the scrap heap Mr. Bacon decided that he looked too old to continue as his office boy, hence his promotion. During these two years Dick visited the Masons several times—spending the Christmas holidays with them twice, the Easter week-end once, and two weeks in each summer. ”

“ He was furious. Since then—oh, Dick, we hardly speak, except about the weather or something like that—unless before the servants! Life can't go on like this! I feel as if I should soon die! It would be the best way out, for both of us.”
“Allow me to differ with you there,” said Dick. “Well, when I promise to do a thing, my motto is 'Do it now.' I'm going to accept an invitation to visit the Jamesons. I expect it will come by long-distance phone to the club this afternoon or evening.”
“How will you manage it without Don thinking——”
“Mr. ”

“ Can you start to work at once, Richard?"
The boy had turned red and then white as he heard these phrases uttered in the loud voice of the magnate. Of course those men at the long desk caught every word, and perhaps half the clerks in the store as well, though no one dared so much as raise their eyes to glance that way.
Indignant at his treatment Dick arose from his seat.
"What wages do you pay, Mr. Graylock?" he asked, though positive that he could never under any [38] circumstances work for this pompous and cruel man. ”

“ The child considered some
time, and then the parson cried twice or thrice, "Le--, Le--." Dick
answered, "Lego."--"Very well;--and then what is the English," says the
parson, "of the verb lego?"--"To read," cried Dick.--"Very well," said
the parson; "a good boy: you can do well if you will take pains.--I
assure your ladyship he is not much above eight years old, and is out of
his Propria quae Maribus already.--Come, Dick, read to her
ladyship;"--which she again desiring, in order to give the beau time and
opportunity with Fanny, Dick began as in the following chapter. ”

“ 'I came here,' said Dick, rather oblivious of the purpose with which he had really come, 'with my bosom expanded, my heart dilated, and my sentiments of a corresponding description. I go away with feelings that may be conceived but cannot be described, feeling within myself that desolating truth that my best affections have experienced this night a stifler!'
'I am sure I don't know what you mean, Mr Swiviller,' said Miss Sophy with downcast eyes. ”

“ I meant to do it myself just as soon as you had gone. Here, Richard, be sure and place this in the vault just where you put that package for me yesterday," and Dick, turning at the door accepted the large buff envelope that had a stout rubber band around it to keep the contents intact.
He was impelled somehow to look quickly up at Mr. Graylock as he turned to pass out of the door. ”

“ We run as hard as we could pelt to Dick's cottage by the [Pg 140] ma'shes, and got inside and stood listenin' to heer if we were bein' follered. Dick says to me, says 'e, 'S'posen it wor the chap who murdered owd Mr. Glenthorpe at the Anchor?' I thowt as much meself, but a' tried to laugh it off, and says to Dick, 'What for should it be him? ”

“ I now felt perfectly satisfied in my own mind that the great cat's-eye had duly left the island in the care of Mr. Ashburton, and that it had been purloined between that time and the date of the arrival of the box in London. By whom I had yet to learn; but it was clear that the thief must have had a knowledge that the gem was on board. How did he get that knowledge? Mr. Ashburton was not the man to openly proclaim his errand to anyone; but then great publicity had been given to the finding of the stone, and its purchase by Lord Middlewick. ”

“ How comes it that this well-nurtured and well-cared-for young lady has fallen under the suspicion of being a thief?"
"Ah! that is where the mystery comes in," exclaimed Mr. Kingsley in great distress. "I ask you now, is it likely that Beryl, who has everything she requires—for her uncle is wealthy—and who would shudder at anything that by any possible means could be construed as wrong-doing, would descend to purloin jewellery from a jeweller's shop?" ”

“ Mr. Coleman was perfectly crestfallen, and freely admitted that a very grave oversight had been committed. Thanking him and Mr. Whitney I withdrew, and it was perfectly clear to me that I left the two gentlemen in a very different frame of mind to what they had been in when I first saw them. In passing all the facts, as I now knew them, under review, I could not deny that circumstances looked dark against Miss Artois; and putting aside the possibility that somebody else might have stolen the pendant, I admitted the strong probability that she was in reality the thief. ”