CHAPTER XIX.
MR. FAIRCHILD LEAVES THE CITY.
About ten days later, Chester found himself alone in the office withhis employer, the bookkeeper having gone out to call upon a man who hadcommissioned the broker to buy him a house.
"Chester," said Mr. Fairchild, "has Mr. Mullins mentioned to you that Istart next Monday on a Western trip?"
"I heard him say so to a gentleman in here on business."
"I shall have to leave Mr. Mullins to take charge of the office and runthe business. The time was when I would have done so with confidence,but the affair of James Long has made me distrustful. He thoroughlyunderstands my business, and it would be difficult for me to supply hisplace. For the present, therefore, I feel obliged to retain him. Duringmy absence, however, I wish, if you see anything wrong, that you wouldapprise me of it by letter. You may direct letters to Palmer's Hotel,Chicago, and they will be forwarded to me from there. What is youraddress?"
Chester gave it, and Mr. Fairchild wrote it down.
"It is rather unusual," continued Mr. Fairchild, "for a man in myposition to make a confidant of his office boy, but I have observed youcarefully, and I believe that you are not only intelligent, but arefaithful to my interests."
"Thank you, sir," said Chester, with genuine gratification. "I think Ican promise you that you will not be disappointed in me."
"Of course Mr. Mullins must not know of the understanding between us.Don't breathe a hint of what I have said."
"No, sir, I will not."
"In case you think it necessary you may telegraph to me. I hope,however, that no such emergency will arise."
Chester asked himself whether it was his duty to apprise Mr. Fairchildof his seeing Mullins in intimate companionship with a gambler, but, onthe whole, decided not to do so. He did not wish needlessly toprejudice his employer against the bookkeeper.
On Monday morning Mr. Fairchild left the office and took the SixthAvenue Elevated train to Cortlandt Street station, from which it isonly five minutes' walk to the ferry connecting with the train on thePennsylvania Railroad.
"How long shall you be away, Mr. Fairchild?" asked the bookkeeper.
"I cannot yet tell. It will depend on the success I meet with in mybusiness. I am afraid I may be absent four weeks."
"Don't hurry back," said Mullins. "I will keep things running."
"I rely upon your fidelity," said the broker, not without significance.
"You may be assured of that. I have been in your employ for over fiveyears."
"And of course understand all the details of my business. That is true.Continue faithful to me and you will have no cause to repent it."
"Thank you, sir. You need have no anxiety."
"Chester," said Mr. Fairchild, "you may go with me as far as thestation and carry my grip."
When they were outside, the broker said:
"I could have carried the grip myself, but I wished to have a partingword with you. Mr. Mullins is thoroughly acquainted with my business,but within the last six months I found myself distrusting him. In fourweeks, for I shall be likely to be away that length of time, somethingmay occur detrimental to my interests, and I heartily wish I had someone else in charge. I may rely upon you bearing in mind what I told youthe other day?"
"Yes, sir; I won't forget."
"I know that you are faithful, and I only wish you understood thebusiness well enough to be placed in charge."
"I wish so, too," said Chester, frankly.
"I think, however," Mr. Fairchild added, with a smile, "that it wouldbe hardly prudent to trust my business to an office boy."
"You are already trusting me very much, Mr. Fairchild."
"Yes; I feel safe in doing so."
Chester took the grip up the Elevated stairway and parted with Mr.Fairchild at the ticket office.
As he went down to the street he reflected that his own position duringthe broker's absence might not be very comfortable. Still he had hisemployer's confidence, and that gave him much pleasure.
He had reached Harris' large store on his way home when arakish-looking figure, springing from he knew not where, overtook andtouched him on the arm. Chester immediately recognized him as thegambler with whom he had seen the bookkeeper walking on the evening ofhis first visit to the house of Prof. Hazlitt.
"I say, boy," said Ralston, "you're employed by Fairchild, the realestate man, ain't you?"
"Yes, sir," answered Chester, coldly.
"Didn't I see him going to the Elevated station with you just now?"
"Yes, sir."
"With a grip in his hand?"
"Yes."
"Is he off for a journey?"
"He has started for the West."
"So? I had business with him, but I suppose I can transact it withMullins just as well."
"You will find him in the office."
"All right! I'll go there."
Chester turned his glance upon Dick Ralston and rapidly took note ofhis appearance. He was rather a stocky man, with a red, pimpled face, abroad nose, small, twinkling eyes and intensely black hair. He wore a"loud," striped sack suit, and on one of his pudgy fingers was adiamond ring. It was really a diamond, and he had often found itserviceable. When he was in very bad luck he pawned it for acomfortable sum, but invariably redeemed it when fortune smiled uponhim again.
He followed Chester into the broker's office. Mullins sat on a stool atthe desk, picking his teeth. He looked like a man of leisure, withlittle upon his mind.
"Hello, Mullins, old boy!" said Dick, pushing forward with extendedhand. "So you're promoted to boss?"
"Yes," answered the bookkeeper, showing his teeth in a complacentsmile. "Can I sell you a house this morning?"
"Well, not exactly. I'm not quite up to that in the present state of myfunds. If you have on your list a one-story shanty on the rocks nearCentral Park I may invest."
"Cash down, or do you want to have part of the purchase money onmortgage?"
Then both laughed, and Ralston made a playful dig at Mullins' ribs.
Chester could not help hearing the conversation. He saw in it a proofof the friendly relations between the two. This, so far as he knew, wasthe first visit made by Ralston to Mr. Mullins. It was clear that thebookkeeper felt that such a caller would injure him in the eyes of Mr.Fairchild.
"I am glad old Fairchild is gone," said Dick Ralston, lowering histone. "Now I can come in freely."
"Don't come in too often," replied Mullins, with a cautioning look atChester. "It might----"
Chester lost the rest of the sentence.
"Send him out!" suggested Dick, in a still lower tone, but Chestercaught the words.
"Chester," said the bookkeeper, "you may go up to the Fifth AvenueHotel and ask at the office if Mr. Paul Perkins, of Minneapolis, hasarrived?"
"Yes, sir."
After Chester went out, Ralston inquired, "Is there a man named PaulPerkins?"
"Not that I know of," answered Mullins, with a laugh.
"I see. You're a sharp fellow. You only wanted to get rid of the kid."
"Exactly. Now we can talk freely."
"That's what I came about. Do you know, Mullins, you are owing me sevenhundred and fifty dollars?"
"Is it so much as that?" asked the bookkeeper, anxiously.
"Yes; I can show you the account. Now, to tell you the truth, Mullins,I'm in a tight fix, and my bank account needs replenishing."
"So does mine," returned Mullins, with a sickly smile.
Dick Ralston frowned slightly.
"No joking, please!" he said, roughly. "I'm in earnest."
"I don't see what I am going to do about it," muttered Mullins,defiantly.
"Don't you. Then perhaps I can help you by a suggestion."
"I wish you would."
"You are left in charge here during Mr. Fairchild's absence?"
"Well, suppose I am."
"And you handle the funds?"
"Yes."
"Then," and Dick
Ralston bent over and whispered something in thebookkeeper's ear.
Mullins started, and looked agitated.
"What would you have me do?" he inquired.
"Borrow a little money from the office," answered Dick, coolly.
"But, good heavens, man, it would ruin me. Must you have me riskprison?"
"Don't be alarmed! I only want you to borrow two or three hundreddollars. You can return it before Fairchild gets back."
"How am I to return it?"
"You can win it back in one evening at the gaming table."
"Or lose more."
There was considerable further conversation, Dick Ralston urging, andMullins feebly opposing something which the gambler proposed. Then acustomer came in, who had to receive attention. Inside of an hourChester re-entered the office, accompanied by a sandy-complexionedstranger, his head covered with a broad, flapping, Western sombrero,and wearing a long, brown beard descending at least eighteen inches.
"I hear you want to see me," he said to Mullins.
"Who are you?" asked the astonished bookkeeper.
"I am Paul Perkins, of Minneapolis," was the surprising reply.