The Envelope
"What train?" asked the gentleman.
"The five-o'clock train to Milltown."
"Is that the last train?"
"Yes, sir."
"You will have to wait till to-morrow. Will it make much
difference?"
Ben blushed.
"I shall have to stay at a hotel," he said uncomfortably,
"and I don't think I have money enough. I did not expect
to have that expense."
"I can relieve you on that score," said the gentleman. "I
live in Charleston, not far away. You shall stay at my house
to-night, and go home by the morning train. There is a
morning train, isn't there?"
"Yes, sir, at half-past ten."
"You will accept my invitation?"
"Yes, sir, and thank you," said Ben gratefully. "I don't know
what I should have done if you had not invited me."
"I am glad to have the opportunity of doing you a kindness. I
want to send you away with a good impression of Charleston."
It was a handsome house to which Ben was led by his new
friend. His wife received the two children with unaffected
kindness, and soon made them feel at home. During the evening
Mr. Somerby, for this was his name, drew out of Ben the
particulars of his history and present position. Ben seemed so
frank and manly that he was quite pleased with him.
Mr. Somerby was not in business, unless he may be called a
capitalist. He was the possessor of a large fortune, and the care
of his property required a considerable share of his time. When
Ben was ready to go the next morning, Mr. Somerby put an
envelope into his hand.
"Don't open this till you get home," he said.
"No, sir."
"Now, good-by, and good luck to you."
"Thank you, sir."
Meanwhile Mrs. Bradford at home was feeling anxious. Old Mrs.
Perkins had dropped in to make a call, and her conversation wasn't
reassuring.
"Hasn't Ben got back?" she asked.
"Not yet."
"There's a great risk in sendin' a boy so fur," said the old lady.
"Do you think so?" asked Mrs. Bradford uneasily.
"To be sure I do. He's too young."
"That's what I thought; but Ben was very sure he could get along."
"Boys is allus confident," said Mrs. Perkins, whose knowledge of
grammar was not very profound; "but I never knew one that you
could rely on."
"Benjamin is a good boy."
"Yes, he's a good boy as boys go; but don't you trust him too fur.
When did you expect him back?"
"I expected him last night."
"And he didn't come? Just as I thought."
Mrs. Perkins nodded her head vigorously, and looked unutterably wise.
"Maybe the cars is gone off the track," said the old lady.
"Oh, don't say such things, Mrs. Perkins," said Mrs. Bradford uneasily.
"I didn't say they had, but we're havin' a dreffle number of accidents
nowadays."
"Ben is all right," said Tony, thinking he ought to defend his cousin.
"He said when he went away, he'd come home right side up with care."
"Little boys should be seen and not heard," said Mrs. Perkins.
"'Always be prepared for the worst.' That's my motto."
"And my motto is 'Wait and Hope!'" said a familiar voice outside the
door.
"It's Ben!" exclaimed Tony joyfully.
The door was thrown open and there stood Ben, with little Emma's
hand in his.
"Aunt Jane," he said, "here's little Emma, come to live with you."
"My dear, I am very glad to see you," said Mrs. Bradford.
Emma looked in her gentle face, and liked her at once.
"Will you be my aunt, too?" she asked.
"Yes, my dear."
"Tony, come here and be introduced," said Ben.
Tony was bashful at first, but it was not very long before he and
Emma were merrily playing together.
"So you're railly back, Benjamin?" said old Mrs. Perkins, rather
disappointed.
"Yes, ma'am. How's James?"
"Loafin' round, as usual," said his affectionate relative. "Boys are so
shiftless."
"They may be," admitted Ben good-naturedly, "but they get hungry
sometimes. Aunt Jane, is there anything to eat in the house?"
"I will set the table at once," said his aunt. "The little girl must be
hungry, too."
"You're undertakin' a great responsibility, Mrs. Bradford," said
Mrs. Perkins. "The little girl will be a great care to you."
"I don't look upon it in that light," said Mrs. Bradford. "I am glad
to have her here."
"Humph! You will talk different a month from now. But I must be
goin'."
After dinner Ben bethought himself of the envelope which Mr.
Somerby had given him.
He opened it, when a bank-note dropped to the floor. Picking it
up, he saw, to his amazement, that it was a fifty-dollar bill. With
sparkling eyes he read the letter, or rather these few lines which
were penciled on a half-sheet of note paper:
"I have been interested in your story, and beg your acceptance
of the enclosed as a slight help and encouragement. Should you ever
need advice or assistance, I shall be glad to have you call upon me."
"Frederic Somerby"
"What do you think of that, Aunt Jane?" said Ben in a tone of
exultation. "Hasn't my motto worked pretty well, after all? Isn't
it better to 'Wait and Hope' than to give up and get discouraged?"
"Yes, Ben, I begin to think you are right."
"We are better off than when I was at work in the factory."
"Yes, Ben; we can get along very comfortably."
"I have been thinking, aunt, that while business continues dull I will
go to school. This money I will put in a savings-bank, and we shall
have it to fall back upon if we need it."
This plan met with Mrs. Bradford's approval, and was carried out
by Ben. When he returned from the savings-bank, with his book in
his hand, he felt like a capitalist. In fact, he was so cheerful that his
aunt caught the infection, and looked brighter than she had for years.
"It is pleasant to have money in the bank," she said to old Mrs. Perkins.
"Like as not the bank will break," said the old lady.
"I see an account last week of a savin's-bank that failed. I wouldn't
trust any of 'em."
"Mrs. Perkins," said Ben, with mock gravity, "I heard last week of
a man who died in his bed. I'd never go to bed if I were you."
"It aint' well to joke," said the old lady. "Always be prepared for the
worst."
"That isn't my motto," said Ben. "As long as I live I mean to 'Wait
and Hope'!"