A LUCKY MEETING.
It saddened Rupert to think his mother's wedding ring must be
sacrificed, but when they were actually in need of food sentiment must
not be considered. After that, when they had no longer anything to pawn
except articles of clothing, Rupert shuddered to think what might lay
before them.
He entered Simpson's with a slow step. A woman was ahead of him and he
waited for his turn.
"Well," said an attendant, courteously, "what can I do for you?"
"What will you give me on this ring?"
"What do you want on it?"
"Two dollars," answered Rupert.
"No doubt it is worth that, but we have so many rings in stock that we
are not anxious to receive more. We will give you a dollar and a
quarter."
Rupert hesitated, when to his surprise some one tapped him on the
shoulder.
"What brings you here, Rupert?" were the words that reached his ear.
He turned round in surprise.
"Mr. Sylvester!" he exclaimed.
"I see you have not forgotten me. What brings you here?"
"Sad necessity, Mr. Sylvester. But--I didn't expect to find you here.
Surely you----"
"No, I have not come here to pawn anything," said the young man,
smiling. "On the contrary, I want to redeem a watch for an old
schoolmate who was obliged to pawn it. He has a wife and child and was
thrown out of employment four weeks since. Fortunately I ran across him,
and have got him a place."
"I will wait till you have attended to your business."
Soon a gold watch was placed in Mr. Sylvester's hands, and he paid the
pawnbroker twenty dollars and sixty cents. It had been pledged not quite
a month for twenty dollars. The sixty cents represented the three per
cent. a month interest allowed by the laws regulating pawn shops.
"Now, young man," said the attendant, "do you want the dollar and a
quarter I offered you on your ring?"
"Yes," answered Rupert.
"No," interposed Frank Sylvester, quietly. "What ring is this, Rupert?"
"My mother's wedding ring."
"And you are actually reduced to pawning it?"
"Yes, Mr. Sylvester, I can't get anything to do, and we are out of
money."
"You have a mother and sister, I think you told me?"
"Yes, sir."
"I think we can do better than pawn the ring. Where do you live?"
"In Elizabeth Street."
"Does your mother prefer the city to the country?"
"No, sir; but she has no choice."
"Suppose I obtain for her a position as housekeeper in the family of an
elderly gentleman in Rutherford, about ten miles out on the Erie
Railroad, would she accept?"
"She would be glad to do so but for Grace. She could not be separated
from her."
"There would be no occasion. My uncle lives alone in a large house, and
a child would make the house pleasanter."
"Some gentlemen don't like children."
"That is not the case with Uncle Ben. But let us go out. You have no
further business here. We will go into the Astor House reading room and
have a chat."
Rupert followed his friend to the Astor House and they ascended to the
reading room on the second floor. Taking adjoining armchairs, Mr.
Sylvester drew from his pocket the following letter which he showed to
Rupert. It ran thus:
"My housekeeper is about to leave me, to join her married daughter
in Wisconsin. I must supply her place, but I know of no one in
Rutherford who would suit me. Can't you find me some one--a
pleasant, ladylike person, who would make my house homelike and
attractive? I think you know my tastes. Please give this matter
your early attention.
BENJAMIN STRATHMORE."
"Now," continued Mr. Sylvester, "I was quite at a loss whom to
recommend, but I think your mother would suit Uncle Ben."
"Suppose you call and make her acquaintance, Mr. Sylvester. Then you can
tell better. That is, if you don't object to visiting our poor home."
"My dear Rupert, I shall be delighted to meet your mother. One thing I
am sure of in advance, she is a lady."
"She is, Mr. Sylvester," said Rupert, warmly.
Mrs. Rollins was a good deal surprised when Rupert entered the room,
followed by a handsomely-dressed young man, and she rose from her seat
in some trepidation.
"Mother," said Rupert, "this is Mr. Sylvester, who was kind enough to
give us the money and provisions I brought home the other day."
"I am glad to meet so kind a friend," said the widow, with simple
dignity. "Ask him to take a seat."
"I came to make you a business proposal," began Mr. Sylvester, who was
already favorably impressed with Rupert's mother. "Your son thinks you
might be willing to accept the position of housekeeper in my uncle's
family, in Rutherford."
Mrs. Rollins instinctively looked towards Grace.
"I see what you are thinking of," interposed her caller. "There will be
no difficulty about taking your daughter with you."
"Then I shall be glad to accept. And Rupert----"
"Rupert, I am sure, will prefer to remain in the city. I will find him a
place. Till then he can stay with me."
Rupert brightened up at this suggestion. He had no desire to go to the
country, but would like nothing more than a place in some city
establishment.
"How soon could you arrange to go, Mrs. Rollins?"
"Next Monday."
"That will answer. I will apprise my uncle. Now as to the compensation."
"If I have Grace with me I shall hardly feel justified in asking
compensation."
"My uncle would not think of making any account of the little girl's
board. I think he paid your predecessor twenty-five dollars a month.
Will that be satisfactory?"
"It is very liberal, sir."
"You will allow me to offer you a month's salary in advance. I can
settle it with Uncle Ben."
This relieved Mrs. Rollins from a great embarrassment, as she needed to
replenish her wardrobe to some extent.
"I will go out with you on Monday, and take Rupert with me, as he will
wish to see how his mother and sister are situated."
"How kind you are, Mr. Sylvester!" said Rupert, gratefully.
"Don't give me too much credit, Rupert. You have helped me out of an
embarrassment. I expected to have a long hunt for a housekeeper. Thanks
to your mother I have escaped all that."
"You don't know how much it means to us, Mr. Sylvester."
"Well, perhaps, I have some idea. It seems a good arrangement for all of
us. Well, good morning. Oh, by the way, you meet me at the Astor House
to-morrow morning at eleven o'clock."
"Yes, sir, with pleasure."
Mrs. Marlow was a very observing woman. She always kept her door ajar,
and saw every one who went upstairs. Her curiosity was considerably
excited when she saw Rupert's companion.
"My stars!" she said to herself. "What a fine-looking young man! He
looks like a real gentleman--I wonder does he know them Rollinses."
Mrs. Marlow would liked to have listened at the door and heard the
conversation between her neighbors and the distinguished-looking
visitor. But this was not practicable. However, as Mr. Sylvester came
down stairs she ventured out and intercepted him.
"Sure, you've been callin' on my friend, Mrs. Rollins," she said.
"Is she a friend of yours?" asked Sylvester, looking at her curiously.
"Indeed she is, and she's a fine lady. But she's been very unfortunate.
I would like to have helped her, but I am poor myself, and----"
"Won't you accept this?" said Sylvester, offering her a dollar as the
easiest way of getting rid of her.
"Thank you, sir," said Mrs. Marlow, with a profound courtesy. "It's easy
to see you're a kindhearted man."
"What a curious woman! I should hardly think Mrs. Rollins would have
made choice of her as a friend!" soliloquized the young man as he pushed
on to the street.
"I wonder what his name is and where he lives," speculated Mrs. Marlow.
"He must be the young man that gave the Rollinses the purse and the
basket of provisions. If I knew where he lived I'd go and see him
often."
There is very little doubt that Mrs. Marlow would have kept her word,
but unfortunately she had no clew to the residence of her new
acquaintance.
When Rupert came downstairs, she put herself in his way.
"You had a call from a nice gentleman this morning," she said,
insinuatingly.
Rupert felt too happy to slight even Mrs. Marlow, and he answered,
courteously,
"Yes."
"I hope he brought a present for your mother."
"No, Mrs. Marlow, but he brought something better."
"And what can that be?" asked the widow, with intense curiosity.
"He engaged mother to take a place as housekeeper for a gentleman in the
country."
"You don't say! And what'll be done with your sister? I'll board her
cheap, and be like a mother to her."
Rupert could not help smiling at the idea of leaving his sister in such
hands. He explained that Grace would go with her mother.
"Sure your mother's a lucky woman! I'd like to be a housekeeper myself.
Wouldn't you speak to the gentleman for me?"
"I'll mention it if you like."
Rupert could promise this safely, for he would take care that Mr.
Sylvester understood the character of their unscrupulous neighbor.
"If you'll do it, Rupert, dear, I'll pay you back the dollar I borrowed
the other day, when I get my first week's wages."
"Some folks is lucky!" soliloquized Mrs. Marlow. "The young man ought to
have taken me. I'm much stronger than Mrs. Rollins, and I would have
made a better housekeeper, but maybe my turn will come next."