A DIAMOND SCARFPIN.
Robert found Mrs. Vernon resting comfortably on the garden bench. She
smiled broadly when he came up.
"Robert, you are a regular hero," she observed. "Nobody could have
done a braver deed."
"It was not so very much to do," he answered, with a blush. "I simply
saw how the girl might be saved, and I set to work to do it."
"But it was no easy matter to catch the girl," went on the lady
warmly. "You ran a big risk."
The firemen were now hard at work, and a steady stream of water was
being poured on the conflagration. But the wind had caught the house
fairly, and but little could be saved. Soon the men directed their
efforts toward saving the adjoining property, and fortunately nothing
but the boarding house was consumed.
As soon as the fire was over Mrs. Vernon and our hero set about
finding another boarding place. This was an easy matter, for Mrs.
Barlow's sister also took boarders. To Mrs. Cabe, therefore, they
went, and procured rooms which were just as desirable as those which
they had formerly occupied.
"It's too bad we couldn't save your trunks, Mrs. Vernon," observed
Robert, after the boarding place question had been settled. "You've
got only what you have on."
"Well, I am no worse off than you, Robert," she answered, with a
peculiar smile.
"Oh, it doesn't matter so much for a boy."
"I suppose not. Still we both need outfits, and I shall see to it that
we get them as soon as possible."
"There are not many stores in this town--I mean stores of any
importance."
"We will take a journey to Oxford. We can get about all we want there,
and it will give you a chance to look at the most celebrated English
institutions of learning."
"I shall like that."
"You ought to have a college education, Robert. It would prove very
useful to you. Not but what I am satisfied with you, however," added
the lady hastily.
"I would like to go to Yale or Harvard first-rate."
"Perhaps we will be able to arrange that later." Mrs. Vernon paused
for a moment. "Robert, I feel that I owe you a good deal for saving my
life."
"You don't owe me anything, Mrs. Vernon. I did no more than my duty."
"I think otherwise. To free myself from pain I took a double dose of
my medicine, and I was in an extra heavy sleep when you aroused me. If
you had not come I would have slept on until it was too late."
And the lady closed her eyes for a moment and shuddered.
Taking her jewel case from her bureau drawer, Mrs. Vernon opened it
and brought forth a neat but costly diamond scarf-pin.
"I am going to make you a present of this, Robert," she went on. "It
will look very well on the new scarf I am going to purchase you."
"Oh, Mrs. Vernon, it is a diamond pin!"
"So it is, Robert."
"It must be worth a good deal of money."
"It cost me two hundred dollars at one of the leading Chicago
jewelers. I don't mind telling you that I got the pin to give to
Frederic on his birthday. But I have changed my mind about giving him
a present."
"It's too valuable a gift for me to wear, Mrs. Vernon."
"Let me be the judge of that, Robert. Of course, you will be careful
and not lose it."
"I'll take the best possible care of it," he answered, and then she
gave it to him, and he thanked her heartily.
That evening after supper Mrs. Cabe came to Robert and told him that a
boy was downstairs and wanted to see him very much. Robert went down
and found Sammy Gump, who stood there hat in hand, and with a face
full of shame.
"Excuse me for troubling you, Robert Frost," said the bully humbly.
"But--but I wanted to thank you for saving Norah's life, and mother
and father want me to thank you, too. They can't come themselves,
because father's a stoker on the railway, and mother has got to stay
home and take care of Norah."
"You are welcome to whatever I did, Gump," answered Robert. "I am glad
I was of service."
"Did you know she was my sister?" asked Sammy curiously.
"No, I confess I did not."
"Oh!"
"But I would have saved her anyhow," added Robert hastily.
"Honest?"
"Yes, Gump, honest."
The bully of the town looked sharply into our hero's honest eyes, and
his face grew redder than ever.
"I believe you; yes, I do," he observed, in a choking voice. "Say, do
you know what? I'm awfully sorry I pitched into you. I was a big fool
to do it. You're the right sort, and you'll never find me standing in
your way again."
"I am glad to hear you talk so, Gump," answered Robert.
There was an awkward pause, and then our hero put out his hand. Sammy
Gump clutched it eagerly and gave it a tight squeeze. From that
instant the two boys were firm friends.
Nor was this all. Robert's generous action set Sammy Gump to thinking
how mean and overbearing he had been, and the bully ended up by giving
up all his overbearing manners, and treating everybody as he himself
wished to be treated. He soon made a score of friends, and was as well
liked as anybody in the town.
Two days later Robert and Mrs. Vernon set out for Oxford. The journey
was a delightful one, and nightfall found them located at one of the
principal hotels.
On the day following they went shopping, and Mrs. Vernon insisted upon
having her young secretary measured for two business suits, a
traveling suit, and also a dress suit, and likewise bought him a
generous supply of other things to wear.
"As my private secretary, you must dress well," she said. "And I owe
it to you to foot the bills myself."
"My old friends will hardly know me when they see me," said Robert, as
he surveyed himself in one of his new suits. "I wonder what your
nephew would say if he heard of this."
To this Mrs. Vernon did not reply, and quickly changed the subject.
Little did they dream that Frederic Vernon was already on his way to
see them.
Two more days were spent in Oxford, and Robert visited many places of
interest, including several famous colleges, the cathedral, and the
great library. Then Mrs. Vernon and our hero returned to Chishing.
"I am feeling ever so much better," she declared. "I believe the
excitement of the fire and the traveling to Oxford helped me."
"I am glad of it," answered Robert. "But to have a fire to help a sick
person is rather costly medicine."
At this Mrs. Vernon laughed outright. "Quite true, Robert, and I want
no more fires. But we can travel. How would you like to go to Paris?"
"I will go anywhere you say, Mrs. Vernon."
"Paris is one of the most beautiful cities in the whole world. Perhaps
we will go there before long."
"I am afraid my knowledge of French is rather limited," said our hero,
with a faint smile.
"That will not matter much, since we can stop at an English hotel. I
can speak French fluently."
"Have you any idea how long you will remain in Europe?"
"No, Robert. It will depend somewhat upon what Frederic does."
"It is queer that you do not get some word back from Mr. Farley."
"We may get a letter to-day."
Mrs. Vernon was right,--a letter came in the evening mail. In this the
lawyer stated that he had investigated the charges brought against the
Great Lakes Lumber Company, and found them to be utterly without
foundation.
Mrs. Vernon grew very sober when she read the communication.
"What do you think of this?" she asked, after letting Robert read the
letter.
"It is as I thought," answered the young secretary. "It was a ruse to
get you back to the United States."
"Do you know what I feel like doing? I feel like writing to Mr. Farley
to tell Frederic that he may expect no more remittances from me."
"If you cut him off entirely what will he do?"
"He will have to do as thousands of others do, go to work for a
living."
"Does he know anything--I mean anything special?"
"He is an expert bookkeeper, and could get a position at that, if he
would only apply himself."
On the day following Mrs. Vernon had some special business to be
transacted in London, and sent Robert down to the metropolis to attend
to it.
It was a fine day, and, left to herself, the lady prepared to go out
for a short walk when a visitor was announced.
She went down to the parlor to see who it was, and was nearly struck
dumb to behold Frederic Vernon.