ANOTHER TALK ABOUT ROBERT.
Mrs. Talbot saw plainly that Livingston Palmer was suffering, both
from humiliation and from the manner in which he had been treated
physically, and her heart was touched.
"I am very sorry for you, Mr. Palmer," she said. "If there is anything
I can do for you I will do it willingly. But I would first like to hear
something of my son."
"I will tell you all I know," answered the young man quickly. "I was in
hope that Robert's mother might aid me. We have been good friends. He's
a splendid lad."
"Yes, Robert is a good boy and always was. Is he well?"
"Perfectly well, and was, as I said before, doing finely, until the
fire threw us both out."
"How much was he getting a week?"
"Five dollars."
"I do not call that very good," cried Mrs. Talbot. "He cannot live
very well on that in such a city as Chicago."
"He told me he had an allowance besides."
"An allowance?" Mrs. Talbot looked puzzled. "I can't understand that. I
made him no allowance, for he would not permit it. He said he was going
to make his own way in the world."
"Well, I can only tell you what he said," returned Livingston Palmer.
"Will you give me his address, so that I can write to him?"
"Why, haven't you his address? I am sure he wrote to you."
"I never got the letter." And then Mrs. Talbot's face flushed, as she
remembered about the letter her husband had destroyed. Had she been
deceived in the matter, after all?
"Then I will write the address down for you," said Palmer, and did so.
A long talk followed, and the young man told Mrs. Talbot all he knew
about Robert, and also mentioned Dick Marden, but not in such a way
that the lady suspected the allowance Robert received came from the
miner.
Palmer frankly admitted that he was without means of any sort.
"If I were in Chicago, this would not matter so much," he added. "But
in Granville I know nobody but you and the members of our company, or
rather the company to which I belonged. I was discharged, and Dixon
refuses to even give me my carfare back to the city."
"I shall be pleased to give you what you need," replied Mrs. Talbot. "I
am overjoyed to learn that Robert is well. I am going to pay Chicago a
visit soon, and then if he will not come to me I will go to him."
"He will come to you fast enough, madam. It is only his step-father
whom he dreads."
"Yes, yes, I know." Mrs. Talbot thought best to change the subject.
"Will you not have breakfast with me, Mr. Palmer?"
"With pleasure," answered the young man. "But I--er--I would like to
brush and wash up first."
"To be sure." Mrs. Talbot surveyed him critically. "I really believe
some of Robert's clothing would fit you. At least his coat would."
"Yes, his coat would."
"Then I can perhaps replace that torn garment you are wearing."
Mrs. Talbot was as good as her word, and half an hour later Livingston
Palmer came down from the room Robert had occupied, thoroughly brushed
and washed and wearing a coat and vest which had belonged to the
boy. They were rather tight, it is true, but they were almost new,
and a vast improvement over the ragged garments Palmer had worn upon
presenting himself.
A substantial breakfast followed, of fish, omelet, hot rolls, and
coffee, and it is perhaps needless to say that Palmer did full justice
to all that was set before him. And small wonder, for he had eaten
nothing since the afternoon of the day before.
It was nearly noon before the young man prepared to take his departure,
with twenty dollars in his pocket, which he had insisted should be a
loan only, to be paid back as soon as the opportunity afforded.
"I am very grateful to you, Mrs. Talbot," he said, on parting. "You
have treated me like a king. Why Robert should leave such a home and
such a mother I can't understand."
Mrs. Talbot was visibly affected.
"It was entirely on his step-father's account, Mr. Palmer. Robert is
high spirited and would not bend as Mr. Talbot wished."
"Then let me be bold enough to say that I imagine Robert was in the
right."
To this Mrs. Talbot made no reply. But she begged Palmer to keep an
eye on her son, and if anything went wrong to let her know by sending
her a letter in care of the postmaster, and marked for personal
delivery only. Then Palmer hurried away, to catch the first train he
could for the great city by the lakes.
When her visitor was gone Mrs. Talbot sat down to review the situation
in her mind. Her thoughts were not pleasant ones. Her second marriage
was proving to be anything but agreeable. She realized that her husband
was not the man she had imagined him to be.
Dinner was on the table at twelve, for Mr. Talbot insisted on having
his main meal at mid-day. Yet the man did not come in until nearly half
an hour later, and then he appeared to be much put out about something.
"I understand you had a visitor this morning," he began, as he and his
wife sat down to the table, and Jane brought on the food.
"Yes."
"Some friend of that reckless son of yours," went on Mr. Talbot. "What
did Robert send him for, money?"
Mrs. Talbot was surprised.
"How did you learn my visitor was a friend of Robert?" she asked.
"I got it from Sproggens at the depot. He was talking with the fellow
while he was waiting for a train. I hope you didn't encourage him,
Sarah. If the boy sees fit to run away and stay away, let him make his
own way."
"That is just what Robert is doing, James," cried the lady, her face
flushing.
"Then why did Robert send that young man here?"
"He didn't send him here."
"Humph!" James Talbot was on the point of saying that he did not
believe the statement, but cut himself short. If he angered his wife
now he might have trouble in getting the five or ten thousand dollars
she had said she would loan him.
"The young man belonged to that theatrical company we went to see,"
continued Mrs. Talbot. "He knew Robert and so he thought he would call
here and see me."
"What did he have to say about the boy?"
"He said Robert had been doing very well, but a fire burnt out the
office in which he was employed."
"And what is the boy doing now?"
"Nothing, just at present."
"He won't find it easy to get another opening."
"Mr. Palmer said Robert might go up to Michigan in a few days. He had
to do something for a man interested in some timber lands in the upper
part of that State."
"Humph! I shouldn't wonder if the boy came home soon. He'll get tired
of roughing it."
"Robert has a stout heart, Mr. Talbot, and I doubt if he ever comes
home so long as you are here."
And with these words Mrs. Talbot arose and swept from the dining room,
hardly having touched a mouthful of the food Jane had taken so much
pains to prepare.
James Talbot finished his meal in silence, and ate as heartily as ever,
for seldom did anything interfere with his appetite. From the kitchen
Jane eyed him in a manner which was anything but agreeable.
"The old gorilla," she said to herself, as she rattled the pans
angrily. "He ought to be thrown out of the house. If it wasn't for the
poor mistress, sure and I wouldn't stay another minute. I wish the
victuals would choke him." And then she vowed that the next time she
fixed the dessert she would make Mr. Talbot's portion so bad that he
could not eat it.