FRANK AS PRIVATE SECRETARY
The next day Frank transferred his residence to Madison Avenue. He was
assigned to a pleasant room, decidedly superior, it need hardly be said,
to his room at Clinton Place. It seemed agreeable to him once more to
enjoy the comforts of a liberal home.
Frank had had some doubts as to how he would satisfy Mr. Percival in his
capacity of private secretary.
He was determined to do his best, but thought it possible that the old
gentleman might require more than he could do well. He looked forward,
therefore, with some apprehension to his first morning's work.
Mr. Percival, though not engaged in active business, was a wealthy man,
and his capital was invested in a great variety of enterprises.
Naturally, therefore, he received a large number of business letters,
which required to be answered.
The first day he dictated several replies, which Frank put upon paper.
He wished, however, to put Frank's ability to a severe test.
"Here are two letters," he said, "which you may answer. I have noted on
each instructions which you will follow. The wording of the letters I
leave to you."
"I will try to satisfy you sir," said Frank.
Our hero was a good writer for his age. Moreover, he had been well
trained at school and did not shrink from the task assigned him.
He read carefully the instruction of his employer, and composed the
letters in strict accordance with them.
Mr. Percival awaited with some interest the result of his experiment. If
Frank proved competent to the task assigned him, his own daily labor
would be considerably abridged.
"Here are the letters, sir," said our hero, passing the drafts to Mr.
Percival.
The old gentleman examined them carefully. As he did so, his face
expressed his satisfaction.
"Upon my word, Frank," he said, familiarly, "you have done your work
exceedingly well. They are brief, concise and yet comprehensive. I
feared that you would use too many words."
"I am glad you are pleased, sir. Dr. Brush trained us to write letters,
and he cut down our essays when they were too diffuse."
"Then I feel indebted to Dr. Brush for providing me with so competent a
young secretary. You will be able to assist me even more than I
anticipated. I shall, of course, read over your letters before they are
sent, to make sure that you have fully comprehended and carried out my
instructions, but I don't expect they will need much correction."
Frank was much gratified by these words. This was the only point on
which he had felt at all doubtful as to his ability to please his
employer.
Sometimes, when his eyes pained him more than usual, Mr. Percival also
employed him to read to him from the daily papers, or from some book in
which he was interested, but this did not occur regularly.
Every day, however, Frank was occupied with Freddie. The little boy knew
his alphabet, but nothing more, so that his young teacher had to begin
with him at the beginning of the primer.
He succeeded in interesting his little pupil, and did not protract his
term of study so as to weary him.
Finding that the little fellow was fond of hearing stories, he read to
him every day a story or two from Hans Christian Andersen, or from a
collection of German fairy stories, and sometimes went out to walk with
him.
Freddie was delighted with his teacher, and freely expressed his
approval to his mother and grandfather.
"Really, Frank," said Mrs. Gordon, "I shall begin to be jealous of your
hold upon Freddie. I am not sure but he likes your company better than
mine."
"I don't think Freddie will prefer anyone to his mother," said Frank;
"but I am glad he likes to be with me."
"You have certainly proved very successful as a private tutor, Frank,"
said Mrs. Gordon, "and my father tells me you succeeded equally well as
a secretary."
"It is partly because you both treat me so indulgently," answered Frank,
gracefully.
This answer pleased Mr. Percival and Mrs. Gordon, who more than ever
congratulated themselves upon the lucky chance that had thrown Frank in
their way.
Assuredly he made himself very useful in the small household,
contributing to the comfort and pleasure of Freddie, his mother and
grandfather in nearly equal measure.
While Frank's monthly salary was of great value and importance to him,
it was nothing to Mr. Percival in comparison with the pleasure and
relief afforded by his presence in the house.
It must not be supposed, however, that Frank's time was wholly occupied
by the duties of his two positions. Usually he had several hours daily
at his disposal, and these he was allowed to spend as he pleased.
Part of this he occupied in visiting different localities of the city
and points of interest in the neighborhood, and part in reading and
study.
Mr. Percival had a large and well-selected library, which, to a boy of
Frank's studious tastes, was a great attraction.
He entered upon a course of solid reading, embracing some of the
standard histories, and devoted some hours every week to keeping up his
acquaintance with the Greek and Latin authors which he had read at
school.
In this way his time was well and usefully employed, and the weeks
slipped by till almost before he was aware six months had passed.
One afternoon Frank walked down Broadway enjoying the bright sunshine.
Just in front of the St. Nicholas Hotel he heard his name called and
looking up he recognized with some surprise, Pliny Tarbox, his cousin
from Newark.
Pliny asked many questions as to what Frank was doing and how much money
he was making. Frank told him of his good fortune in obtaining the
position he held with Mr. Percival and the two parted--Frank the much
happier of the two.
Pliny urgently invited Frank to visit them but Frank would rather remain
in New York.
"I hope I shall never think so much of money as Pliny and his father,"
thought Frank. "Money is a good thing to have but there are some things
that are better."