Facing the World

MR. FOX LEARNS HARRY’S SECRET

Harry had acted none too soon.  It happened that his secret had been discovered not only by Joel, but by Joel’s father, that very morning.

About ten o’clock Mr. Fox had occasion to go to the village.  In the post office he met an acquaintance from a neighboring town, with whom he passed the usual compliments.

“By the way, Fox,” said his friend, “I had a narrow escape the other day.”

“What was it, Pearson?”

“Came near being smashed up on the railroad.  There would have been an end to us, but for a brave boy, who signaled the train in time.”

“That boy was my ward,” said John Fox, complacently.

“You don’t say so!  Well, he was a lucky chap.”

“I don’t think so.  He didn’t get much for his bravery.”

“I don’t see how you can say that.  How much money did he get?”

“Twenty-five dollars, and of that he gave ten to the woman whose tablecloth he borrowed.”

“There’s some mistake about that.  There must have been forty or fifty bills put into his hands.”

“Is this true?” ejaculated Fox, in amazement.

“Just as true as I’m standing here.  If there wasn’t two or three hundred dollars I’ll eat my head.”

“The artful young rascal!” exclaimed Fox, in virtuous indignation.

“Perhaps he thought you would take it from him.  The boy was smart,” said Pearson, laughing.

“You call it smart!  I call it base and treacherous!”

Mr. Fox walked thoughtfully away.  He was considering how he should get hold of his ward’s money.  It was not a question easy to answer.  Evidently Harry was a boy who kept his own counsel, and knew how to take care of himself.

“Joel seems to have a great partiality for my society,” thought Harry, when, after dinner, his guardian’s son continued to follow him about.

Our hero would have been quite willing to dispense with Joel’s companionship, but, being good-natured, he did not feel like dismissing him, as he would have done had he suspected that the boy was acting as a spy upon him, at his father’s request.

Mr. Fox said very little to his ward at the table, but Harry felt that he was eyeing him intently.

After supper Harry was about to leave the room when Mr. Fox stopped him.

“Wait a moment, young man,” he said, in a commanding tone.

“Very well, sir,” returned Harry, quietly.

“How much money did the passengers give you?”

“Almost three hundred dollars,” answered Harry, composedly.

“Did you ever hear the like?” exclaimed Mrs. Fox, in amazement.  “If it had only been Joel.”

“Thunder!” exclaimed that young gentleman.  “Well, you was lucky.  No such luck for me!”

“It is well you have told me,” said John Fox; “not but I knew before.  I met one of the passengers to-day, and he gave me an idea how much it was.  You will please hand it over to me, and I will take care of it.”

“I shall not be able to comply with your request, Mr. Fox,” said Harry.  “I have not the money with me.”

“I don’t believe it.  You had it this morning.  And Joel has been with you ever since; so you haven’t had time to hide it.”

“So that was the reason you favored me with your company, Joel,” said Harry, with a glance at his guardian’s son.

“All you’ve got to do is to hand over that money now, Harry Vane.  Mind, I intend to have it.”

“I assure you, Mr. Fox, that I haven’t the money with me.”

“Where is it, then?” asked Mr. Fox, incredulous.

“I have put it into the hands of a gentleman in whom I have confidence, who will take care of it for me.”

“What’s the man’s name?” demanded John Fox.

“That is my secret.”

“You have rebelled against my lawful authority.  Maria, what is it my duty to do with this boy?”

“Lock him up!” answered Mrs. Fox, grimly.

“A good suggestion, Mrs. F. Imprisonment may change the boy’s ideas.  He may repent his base conduct.”

“Now, young man,” said Fox, in a tone of authority, “go up to your chamber, and stay there till you’re ready to obey orders.”

Harry hesitated a moment, then quietly went upstairs.  Mr. Fox was relieved, for he was a little apprehensive that his ward would prove rebellious and decline to obey.

John Fox stole up after his ward, and Harry heard the door bolted on the outside.

He was a prisoner.

When he heard the bolt slide in the lock, he said to himself:  “Mr. Fox and I can never agree.  He has not yet been appointed my guardian, and he never will receive the appointment.  I have the right to choose for myself, as Mr. Howard told me, and I mean to exercise it.”

Some of my readers may, perhaps, picture Harry as forcing open the door of his chamber and rushing from the house, breathing loud defiance as he went.  But he was a sensible boy, and meditated nothing of the kind.

“I can wait till morning,” he reflected.  “I don’t think I shall be here twenty hours hence, but I mean to get a good night’s sleep.  It will be time enough to decide in the morning what I will do.”

So, in spite of his imprisonment, Harry enjoyed a comfortable night’s sleep, and was awakened in the morning by hearing his door opened.

Mr. Fox entered, and sat down on a chair by the bed.

“Good-morning, sir,” said Harry, composedly.

“What I want to know is, have you made up your mind to do as I told you last night?”

“I prefer to keep it in my possession.”

“I guess I’ll have to keep you here a little longer.”

“Then be kind enough to send me up some breakfast.  I am paying my board.  I shall object to paying unless I get my meals regularly.”

This consideration weighed with John Fox, and he sent Joel up with a cup of coffee and some dry bread, five minutes later.

“By the way, Joel, come up here about the middle of the forenoon; I want to say a few words to you in private.”

“All right, I’ll come.  I must go downstairs now.”

“I wonder what he wants to see me about?” said Joel, to himself.

Joel made a pretty shrewd guess, and resolved, by all means, to keep the appointment.

He was anxious to get his father out of the way, but John Fox was unusually deliberate in his motions.  Finally, about half-past nine, he left the house for the village.

Presently his mother said:  “Joel, if you’ll stay and mind the house, I’ll run over to Mrs. Bean’s and borrow some sugar.”

His mother put on her bonnet, and started across a field to her nearest neighbor’s.

“Now’s my time,” thought Joel.  “Mam’s sure to get talkin’ with Mrs. Bean and stay half an hour or more.”

He ran up the garret stairs, and drew the bolt that held Harry captive.

“Joel, I want you to let me out of this place.”

“Oh, gracious!” exclaimed Joel, in apparent dismay.  “Dad would give me the wu’st kind of a lickin’.”

“Would he know how I got out?” asked Harry.

“I don’t know.  What are you willing to give?”

Harry saw that it was merely a matter of bargaining, and finally prevailed upon Joel to release him for a five-dollar bill.

“I want the money now,” said Joel.

“How do I know that you will do as you have agreed?”

“Give me the money, and I’ll tell you.”

Harry passed over the bank bill, and Joel said: 

“Dad’s gone to the village, and mam’s gone over to Mrs. Bean’s.  All you’ve got to do is to go downstairs, and walk out.”

Harry was by no means slow to take the hint.

“Good-by, Joel,” he said, extending his hand; “I won’t forget the favor you’ve done me.”

“I don’t know what dad’ll say.  There’ll be an awful fuss.  Just give me a box on the ear, won’t you?”

“What for?”

“I’ll tell dad you gave me an awful clip on the side of the head, and ran off, though I tried to stop you.”

“All right,” said Harry, laughing.

He gave Joel the required box on the ear, tripped him up, laying him gently on his back on the landing, and then, with a friendly “good-by,” he ran down the stairs, and before Mrs. Fox returned from her call was a mile away.

She found Joel wiping his eyes.

“What’s the matter, Joel?” she asked.

“That boy, Harry, called me upstairs, and got me to open the door.  Then he gave me an almighty clip on the side of my head that almost stunned me, then he knocked me over, and ran out of the house as fast as he could run—­my head aches awful!”

“The owdacious young ruffian!” ejaculated Mrs. Fox.  “To beat my poor, dear Joel so!  Never mind.  Joel, dear, I’ll give you a piece of pie and some cake.  As for that boy, he’ll be hung some day, I reckon!”

After eating the cake and pie, which were luxuries in that frugal household, Joel said he felt better.  He went out behind the house, and taking out the five-dollar note, surveyed it with great satisfaction.