A DISAGREEABLE SURPRISE.
Mr. Davis was seated in his office, but it was his own personal affairs
rather than the business of the factory that engaged his attention. He
was just in receipt of a letter from his broker in New York, stating
that there were but slender chances of a rise in the price of some
securities in which he had invested heavily. He was advised to sell out
at once, in order to guard against a probable further depreciation. This
was far from satisfactory, since an immediate sale would involve a loss
of nearly a thousand dollars. Mr. Davis felt despondent, and, in
consequence, irritable. It was at this moment that one of the factory
hands came in and told him that Robert Rushton wished to see him.
The superintendent would have refused an interview but for one
consideration. He thought that our hero was about to beg to be taken
back into his employ. This request he intended to refuse, and enjoyed in
advance the humiliation of young Rushton.
"Good-morning, sir," said Robert, removing his hat on entering.
"I suppose you want to be taken back," said the superintendent,
abruptly.
"No, sir," said Robert. "I have come on quite a different errand."
Mr. Davis was disappointed. He was cheated of his expected triumph.
Moreover, looking into our young hero's face, he saw that he was
entirely self-possessed, and had by no means the air of one about to ask
a favor.
"Then state your business at once," he said, roughly. "My time is too
valuable to be taken up by trifles."
"My business is important to both of us," said Robert. "We have just
received a letter from my father."
The superintendent started and turned pale. This was the most unwelcome
intelligence he could have received. He supposed, of course, that
Captain Rushton was alive, and likely to reclaim the sum, which he was
in no position to surrender.
"Your father!" he stammered. "Where is he? I thought he was dead."
"I am afraid he is," said Robert, soberly.
"Then how can you just have received a letter from him?" demanded Mr.
Davis, recovering from his momentary dismay.
"The letter was inclosed in a bottle, which was picked up in the South
Pacific, and brought to the owners of the vessel. My father's ship was
burned to the water's edge, and at the time of writing the letter he was
afloat on the ocean with five of his sailors in a small boat."
"How long ago was this? I mean when was the letter dated."
"Nearly two years ago--in the November after he sailed."
"Then, of course, he must have perished," said the superintendent, with
a feeling of satisfaction. "However, I suppose your mother is glad to
have heard from him. Is that all you have to tell me?"
"No, sir," said Robert, looking boldly in the face of his former
employer. "My father added in his letter, that just before sailing he
deposited with you the sum of five thousand dollars, to be given to my
mother in case he never returned."
So the worst had come! The dead had revealed the secret which the
superintendent hoped would never be known. He was threatened with ruin.
He had no means of paying the deposit unless by sacrificing all his
property, and it was doubtful whether even then he would be able wholly
to make it up. If Robert possessed his acknowledgment he would have no
defense to make. This he must ascertain before committing himself.
"Supposing this story to be true," he said, in a half-sneering tone,
"you are, of course, prepared to show me my receipt for the money?"
"That my father carried away with him. He did not send it with the
letter."
All the superintendent's confidence returned. He no longer felt afraid,
since all evidence of the deposit was doubtless at the bottom of the sea
with the ill-fated captain. He resolved to deny the trust altogether.
"Rushton," he said, "I have listened patiently to what you had to say,
and in return I answer that in the whole course of my life I have never
known of a more barefaced attempt at fraud. In this case you have
selected the wrong customer."
"What!" exclaimed Robert, hardly crediting the testimony of his ears;
"do you mean to deny that my father deposited five thousand dollars with
you just before sailing on his last voyage?"
"I certainly do, and in the most unqualified terms. Had such been the
case, do you think I would have kept the knowledge of it from your
mother so long after your father's supposed death?"
"There might be reasons for that," said Robert, significantly.
"None of your impertinent insinuations, you young rascal," said Mr.
Davis, hotly. "The best advice I can give you is, to say nothing to any
one about this extraordinary claim. It will only injure you, and I shall
be compelled to resort to legal measures to punish you for circulating
stories calculated to injure my reputation."
If the superintendent expected to intimidate Robert by this menace he
was entirely mistaken in the character of our young hero. He bore the
angry words and threatening glances of his enemy without quailing, as
resolute and determined as ever.
"Mr. Davis," he said, "if there is no truth in this story, do you think
my father, with death before his eyes, would have written it to my
mother?"
"I have no evidence, except your word, that any such letter has been
received."
"I can show it to you, if you desire it, in my father's handwriting."
"We will suppose, then, for a moment, that such a letter has been
received, and was written by your father. I can understand how, being
about to die, and feeling that his family were without provision, he
should have written such a letter with the intention of giving you a
claim upon me, whom he no doubt selected supposing me to be a rich man.
It was not justifiable, but something can be excused to a man finding
himself in such a position."
Robert was filled with indignation as he listened to this aspersion upon
his father's memory. He would not have cared half so much for any insult
to himself.
"Mr. Davis," he said, boldly, "it is enough for you to cheat my mother
out of the money which my father left her, but when you accuse my father
of fraud you go too far. You know better than any one that everything
which he wrote is true."
The superintendent flushed under the boy's honest scorn, and, unable to
defend himself truthfully, he worked himself into a rage.
"What! do you dare insult me in my own office?" he exclaimed, half
rising from his desk, and glaring at our hero. "Out of my sight at once,
or I may be tempted to strike you!"
"Before I leave you, Mr. Davis," said Robert, undauntedly, "I wish you
to tell me finally whether you deny the deposit referred to in my
father's letter?"
"And I tell you, once for all," exclaimed the superintendent, angrily,
"if you don't get out of my office I will kick you out."
"I will leave you now," said our hero, not intimidated; "but you have
not heard the last of me. I will not rest until I see justice done to my
mother."
So saying, he walked deliberately from the office, leaving Mr. Davis in
a state of mind no means comfortable. True, the receipt had doubtless
gone to the bottom of the sea with the ill-fated captain, and, as no one
was cognizant of the transaction, probably no claim could be enforced
against his denial. But if the letter should be shown, as Robert would
doubtless be inclined to do, he was aware that, however the law might
decide, popular opinion would be against him, and his reputation would
be ruined. This was an unpleasant prospect, as the superintendent valued
his character. Besides, the five thousand dollars were gone and not
likely to be recovered. Had they still been in his possession, that
would have been some compensation.