CHAPTER XXV
BACK TO THE CITY
On the following day Nat arose at five o'clock, and put on an old suitof clothes. Slipping downstairs he hurried to the barn, where he fed thehorses and then milked the cows. He was just finishing up when his uncleappeared.
"Well, I never!" ejaculated Abner Balberry. "Right back into harnessag'in, eh?"
"Yes, Uncle Abner; I thought I'd like a little taste of old times."
"You've done putty good to get through so quick, Nat. I wish Fred wassuch good help."
"Doesn't he help at all?"
"Not unless you drive him all the time. His mother gits after him, an'so do I, but it don't appear to do no good."
"He wants to go to the city and try his luck."
"Humph! He'd starve to death."
"Perhaps it might teach him a lesson."
"Well, he's got to do somethin' putty soon. I ain't goin' to support himif he won't work."
For the balance of the day Nat helped his uncle around the farm. It wasrather hard work, but he did not complain, and Abner was greatlypleased.
"Nat, if you git tired o' the city, you come back here," said his uncle,on parting. "Remember, I'll make it right with you."
"I'll remember, Uncle Abner," responded Nat.
"Somehow, I guess I didn't use to understand you. You're a putty goodboy after all."
"It's kind to say so."
"An' it wasn't right fer me to say you sot the barn afire," added Abner,earnestly.
"We'll let bygones be bygones," answered Nat, and then he shook handswith his uncle.
When Nat started back for New York, his Uncle Abner drove him to therailroad station at Brookville. Fred wanted to go for the ride, but hismother told him he must stay at the farm.
"You go and cut the wood," said she, sharply. "If you don't you'll getno supper to-night."
"I ain't goin' to cut no wood," growled Fred.
"Yes, you are--and do it right now, too."
"Hang the wood," muttered Fred, savagely. "I ain't going to stay on thefarm. I'm going to New York, same as Nat."
At the depot Nat and his uncle parted on the best of terms.
"If you kin git off at Christmas, come an' see us," said Abner Balberry."We'll have a good fat turkey for dinner, with all the fixin's."
"Thank you very much," said Nat. "Perhaps I'll come--if I can get away."
The run to Cleveland was quickly made, and here our hero found that hewould have an hour to wait before the arrival of the train for New York.As his dress-suit case had been checked, he felt at liberty to walkaround, to see the sights.
"How different matters are from when I first struck this city," hethought, as he walked along one of the streets. "Then I was a realgreeny, but I didn't know it."
Nat was returning to the railroad station when he suddenly heard hisname called, and turning, found himself confronted by Paul Hampton.
"Oh, how do you do, Mr. Hampton?" he cried, and shook hands. "I am realglad to see you."
"And I am glad to see you," answered the young man. "But how comes ityou are in Cleveland. I thought you were in New York."
"I've been back to the farm for a couple of days--on business andpleasure combined. Aren't you in Buffalo and Niagara Falls any more?"
"Oh, yes, a law case brought me here. How are you doing?"
"Very well indeed."
"I am glad to hear it."
"You were awfully good to give me that hundred dollars," continued Nat,earnestly, "I never expected it."
"I hope it did you lots of good, Nat."
"It did and it didn't."
"What do you mean?"
"The money was stolen from me--or rather I was swindled out of it. Thatopened my eyes to the fact that I was not as smart as I had imaginedmyself to be." And then our hero related the experience he had had withNick Smithers, alias Hamilton Dart.
"That was too bad," said Paul Hampton. "I trust you locate this Smitherssome day."
"So do I."
"What are you doing?"
"I am with a real estate broker. I am learning shorthand andtypewriting, and I am to become his private secretary."
"Then you are on the right road, and I congratulate you. The real estatebusiness is an excellent one, especially in a large city like New York."
Paul Hampton walked to the depot with Nat and saw him on the cars. Soonour hero was off. The trip back to the metropolis was made withoutanything out of the ordinary happening.
"So you are back," said John Garwell, when our hero presented himself atthe office. "I hope you enjoyed the trip."
"I did, very much, Mr. Garwell."
"How did your uncle treat you?"
"Finely, sir."
"Did you find any papers of value?" went on the real estate broker.
"I found half a dozen which I wish you would look over." And Nat broughtforth the documents.
"I am anxious to close that real estate deal," went on John Garwell."Others are getting wind of it, including that fellow Shanley fromBrooklyn. He is doing his best to make me lose on the deal."
"Is Rufus Cameron in with him?"
"I believe he is. Both of them are very bitter."
"I suppose they are bitter against me too," observed Nat soberly.
"It is more than likely. But that can't be helped, Nat. In business aman is bound to make more or less of enemies."
John Garwell was very busy, and said he would look over the documentsthe next day. But on the following morning he was called out of town,so the documents were not examined until some days later.
As soon as he returned to the office, Nat went to work with vigor forover a week, to make up for the lost time. He had a great deal ofwriting on hand, and one evening he remained at the place until afternine o'clock.
As Nat had been indoors nearly all day, he resolved to walk home, justfor the physical exercise and to get the fresh air. He started upBroadway, and was soon as far as Tenth Street. Here he attempted tocross the thoroughfare, but was stopped by a jam of cars and othervehicles.
"Let me alone!" he heard a boy not far off say. "Let me alone! I won'tgive you my money!"
"You've got to pay for the papers, country!" cried another boy. "Come,fork over the fifteen cents."
"It's all I've got."
"I don't care. Fork over, or I'll--I'll mash you!"
The voice of one of the boys sounded familiar, and stepping to a darkdoorway, from whence the voices proceeded, Nat was amazed to find FredGuff, and a New York newsboy who was a stranger.
"Fred!"
"Why, if it ain't Nat!" cried the farm boy. "Where did you spring from?"
"I think I had better ask you that question."
"I want me money!" came from the newsboy.
"Help me, Nat. He wants to get my money from me. It's the last fifteencents I've got!" pleaded Fred.
"What do you want of the money?" demanded Nat, of the newsboy.
"Oh, it ain't none o' your business."
"I tried to help him sell papers," said Fred. "But I couldn't sell thosehe gave me, and now he wants me to pay for them, anyway."
"Did you agree to pay for them?"
"I said I'd pay for them if I sold them."
"Then you don't get any money," said Nat, sharply, to the newsboy. "Nowlet this boy alone, do you hear?"
"Ah! wait till I catch him alone," muttered the newsboy, and ran offaround the corner.