THE CONTEST BETWEEN HERBERT AND FELIX.
Presently the inner doors of the banking house were thrown open, and a
gentleman of perhaps a little more than middle age stepped lightly into
the corridor, where the boys awaited his arrival. He had a kindly face,
and a sharp but pleasant blue eye.
All seemed to know intuitively that he was Richard Goldwin, the banker,
and consequently each one made a dashing, but somewhat comical effort to
appear to good advantage.
"Good morning, boys," said the banker, pleasantly, "I am glad to see
so many of you here, and I wish I was able to give each one of you a
position. I see, however, that many of you are too young for my purpose;
therefore it would be useless to waste your time and mine by further
examination."
In a little time the contest had narrowed down to but two, and they were
Herbert Randolph, and the boy who had so ineffectually attempted to
drive him away.
"What is your name?" asked the banker of the city lad.
"My name is Felix Mortimer."
"Felix Mortimer?"
"Yes, sir."
"Mortimer, Mortimer," repeated Mr. Goldwin. "The name sounds familiar,
but I can't place it. Do you live in New York?"
"Yes, sir."
"In what part of the city?"
"In Eleventh Street, sir--on the East Side."
"Well, you appear like a bright boy. Are you ambitious to work your way
up in a solid, reliable business?"
"Yes, sir, I am; and banking is just what I would like."
"And you are willing to work hard?"
"Yes, sir, I think I could satisfy you that I am."
"What is your age?"
"I am seventeen years old."
"Have you ever worked in any business house?"
"Yes, I have had two years' experience in business."
"You commenced rather young--so young that I am afraid your education
was neglected."
"Well, I was a good scholar in school; here is a recommendation from my
teacher."
Richard Goldwin read the letter, which purported to be signed by the
principal of a well known school.
"This speaks well of you," said the banker.
Felix looked pleased, and cast a triumphant glance at Herbert, who sat
at a little distance off, anxiously awaiting his turn to be examined. He
was afraid the banker might settle upon young Mortimer without even
investigating his own fitness for the position.
"For what firm did you work?" asked Richard Goldwin.
"For Wormley & Jollup," replied Felix, firmly.
"The large trunk manufacturers up Broadway?"
"Yes, sir."
"Why didn't you remain with them?"
This question would have confused some boys, had they been in the place
of Felix; but it did not affect him in the slightest degree, though the
keen and practiced eye of the banker watched him closely.
"Why, don't you remember that Wormley & Jollup had a big strike in their
factory?"
"Yes, the papers printed a great deal about it."
"Well, you see, they couldn't get any trunks made; so business got dull
in the store."
"They wouldn't give in to the strikers, I believe?"
"No; and the result was they had to let a lot of us go."
"It was an unfortunate affair. But I suppose you got a recommendation
from Wormley & Jollup?"
"Yes, sir," said Felix, with all the assurance of one who was telling
the truth; "there it is--signed by Mr. Jollup himself."
The letter was highly complimentary to Felix Mortimer.
"No one could ask for a better recommendation than this," said the
banker, looking as if he thought he had found a prize in the boy before
him.
Had he suspected that this very recommendation was forged, he would have
been angry. Now, however, he felt quite the reverse; and decided to give
Herbert a hearing more as a matter of courtesy than otherwise, for he
had practically settled upon young Mortimer for the position in his
banking house.
Felix saw this and could hardly restrain his happiness, as he saw
pictured on the young Vermonter's face unmistakable discomfiture.
"Well, you may be seated," said Mr. Goldwin; "I wish to see what this
young man has to say for himself before engaging any one."
"So you came from Vermont, right from the farm?" said the banker to
Herbert, after a few minutes' conversation.
"Yes, sir," returned young Randolph.
"And I suppose you expect to make your fortune in this city?"
"I have not got so far along as that yet, sir. I hope, however, that I
shall do well here."
"You look like a plucky lad, and those red cheeks of yours are worth a
fortune. I remember well when mine were as full of rich young blood as
yours are now. I was a country lad myself."
"Then your career shows that a boy from the country may make a success."
"Yes, that is very true. Many of our most successful men came from the
farm; but I assure you, my boy, that success is not an easy thing to
pick up in a big city. The chances are a hundred to one against any boy
who comes here from the country. If, however, he does not succumb to
temptation, and has sufficient pluck and perseverance, he can do well in
this city."
"I am quite ready to take that hundredth chance," said Herbert, in a way
that pleased the banker.
"Well, I admire your courage, young man, but now to return to business.
Suppose I were to give you a situation, how could you live on three
dollars a week? You say you have no means, and must earn your own
living. I cannot pay a larger salary at first."
"I am sure I can manage that all right, sir; one can do what he must
do."
"That is true; your ideas are sound there, surely. What is your age?"
"I am nearly seventeen, sir."
"You are so strongly built, perhaps you could get a place where more
money could be paid for your services; some place where heavy work is to
be done."
"I am not afraid of hard work, for I have always been accustomed to it;
but I would much rather have a chance where there are good prospects
ahead."
"Again you are right," said the banker, now becoming interested in the
young Vermonter. "What is your education?"
"I passed through our district school, and went for several terms to the
Green Mountain Academy. I have taught three terms of school."
"Three terms! You certainly must have commenced young."
"Yes; I was not very old. I got my first school when I was fifteen."
"Do you write a good hand? Please come to this desk, and show me what
you can do."
Herbert complied readily with the request, and was most happy to do so,
for he had spent many hours in practicing penmanship, and now wrote a
beautiful hand.
Richard Goldwin was surprised when he took up the sheet of paper and ran
his eye over the well formed letters.
"Mr. Mortimer, will you please show me what you can do with the pen?"
said the banker.
Felix rose to his feet, and the color rose to his face. He wasn't very
powerful with the pen, and he knew it; but another matter disconcerted
him. He feared, and well he might, that his writing would resemble,
only too closely, that in the recommendation which he had shown to Mr.
Goldwin. But he was equal to the emergency, and, to make the disguise
perfect, he gave to his writing the left hand or backhand stroke. This
was done at the expense of his penmanship, which, however, would not
have been considered absolutely bad, had it not been compared with the
gracefully and perfectly cut letters of Herbert Randolph.
The banker looked at both critically for a moment, and then, after a
pause, said:
"Mr. Mortimer, I would like to speak with you alone."
The latter followed him to the outer office.
"Your manner pleases me, young man," said Mr. Goldwin, pleasantly, "and
with one exception I see but little choice between you two boys, but
that little is in your competitor's favor."
The color left Felix Mortimer's face.
"I refer," continued the banker, "to his penmanship, which you must
acknowledge is far superior to your own; and a good handwriting
adds much to one's value in an office of this sort. I see you are
disappointed, and I knew you would be. Do not, however, feel
discouraged, as it is possible I may do something for you yet. If Mr.
Randolph should prove unsatisfactory in any respect, he will not be
retained permanently. You may, therefore, if you choose, run in here
again in a day or two."
Young Mortimer was greatly disappointed and even deeply chagrined, for
he had supposed himself more than capable of holding his own against
this unsophisticated country lad. Had he not attempted to bully him
while waiting for the banker and failed, thus arousing a spirit of
rivalry and hostility between young Randolph and himself, he would of
course have felt differently, but now an intense hatred was kindled
within him, and with burning passion he determined upon revenge.
Felix Mortimer went direct from Richard Goldwin's banking house to
the Bowery, and from there he soon found his way to a side street,
which contained many old buildings of unattractive appearance. The
neighborhood was a disreputable one. Squalor was on every hand, and
many individuals of unsavory reputations made this locality their
headquarters. One of these was Christopher Gunwagner, a repulsive
specimen of humanity, who had been in business here for several years
as a "fence," or receiver of stolen goods.
To this fence Felix directed his steps.
"Good morning, Mr. Gunwagner," said young Mortimer, briskly.
The former eyed him sharply for a moment.
"What do you want now?" growled the fence by way of reply. "Why don't
you bring me something, as you ought to?"
Felix cut him short, and at once proceeded to business.
"I came," said he, "to get you to help me and thereby help yourself.
I've got a chance to get into a bank----"
"Into a bank?" interrupted Gunwagner, now interested.
"Yes."
"Where?"
"On Wall Street, in Richard Goldwin's banking house."
"If you don't take it, you're a fool. Goldwin's, hey?" he went on; "we
can make it pay us; yes, yes, we are in luck." And he rubbed his thin
hands together greedily.
"I expect to take it as soon as I can get it," said Felix; and then he
described the competitive examination between himself and the young
Vermonter.
"So you want to get him out of the way, eh?"
"You have struck it right this time. That's just what I want, and
propose to do."
"And you expect me to help you?"
"Certainly I do. To whom else should I go?"
"What do you want me to do?"
"I haven't quite got the plan yet, and want your advice. You see if I
can get him out of the way for a few days, so he won't show up, why old
Goldwin will take me in his place. If I can once get in there, and
remain till I get the run of things, we can have it our own way."
[Illustration: GUNWAGNER AND FELIX AGREE UPON A PLAN.]
Gunwagner's face grew more and more avaricious. The plan looked well to
him, and he felt it would be a great thing to have Mortimer in a rich
banking house. The possibilities of bold pilferings from the heaps of
gold were most tempting to him, and he was now quite ready to commit
himself to any feasible scheme to carry out Mortimer's evil design. The
old fence was an unscrupulous man, and he was ready to go to almost any
length in crime to avail himself of an opportunity so tempting to his
greed of gain.
The two confederates discussed the matter for some time, and at length
they agreed upon a plan of action, which boded ill for our hero.