Try and Trust; Or, Abner Holden's Bound Boy. Alger Horatio Jr.
money in any way that may be most serviceable to you. You must write to me often. Be a good boy, as you always have been; let your aims be noble; try to do right at all hazards, and may God bless your efforts, and make you a good and true man. Such is the prayer of your affectionate friend, GEORGE KENT.”
Herbert read these lines with emotion, and inwardly resolved that he would try to carry out the recommendations laid down. His thoughts were broken in upon by Mr. Holden, whose sharp eyes detected the bank-note.
“There’s money in the letter, isn’t there?”
“Yes.”
“How much?”
“Five dollars.”
“Five dollars, hey?” he said. “You’d better give it to me to keep for you.”
“Thank you, Mr. Holden; I can take care of it, myself.”
“It isn’t a good plan for boys to have so large a sum of money in their possession,” said Abner Holden, who was anxious to secure it himself.
“Why not?” asked Herbert.
“Because they are likely to spend it improperly.”
“Dr. Kent didn’t seem to think I was likely to do that.”
“No; he trusted you too much.”
“I hope it won’t prove so.”
“You’d better keep out of the way of temptation. You might lose it, besides.”
“I don’t often lose things.”
“Come, boy,” said Mr. Holden, getting impatient; “Dr. Kent, no doubt, intended that I should take care of the money for you. You’d better give it up without further trouble.”
“Why didn’t he give it to you, then?” demanded Herbert.
“He supposed you would give it to me.”
Mr. Holden’s motive for getting the money into his own hands was twofold. First, he knew that without money Herbert would be more helpless and more in his power. Secondly, as he had agreed to supply Herbert with clothing, he thought he might appropriate the money towards this purpose, and it would be so much of a saving to his own pocket. Perhaps Herbert suspected some such design. At any rate, he had no intention of gratifying Mr. Holden by giving up the money.
“Well, are you going to give me the money?” blustered Abner Holden, taking out his pocketbook, ready to receive it.
“No,” said Herbert.
“You’ll repent this conduct, young man,” said Holden, scowling.
“I don’t think I shall,” said our hero. “I don’t understand why you are so anxious to get hold of the money.”
“It is for your good,” said Abner.
“I’d rather keep it,” said Herbert.
Abner Holden hardly knew what to do. The money was by this time safely stowed away in Herbert’s pocket, where he could not very well get at it. However, he had a plan for getting it which he resolved to put into practice when they stopped for dinner.
CHAPTER VI
ON THE WAY
By the time they had ridden twenty miles both Herbert and Mr. Holden felt hungry. The fresh air had produced a similar effect upon both. They approached a broad, low building with a swinging sign and a long piazza in front, which it was easy to see was a country tavern.
“Do you feel hungry, boy?” inquired Abner Holden.
“Yes, sir,” returned our hero.
“So do I. I think I shall get some dinner here. You can get some, too, if you like.”
“Thank you, sir.”
“Oh, there’s no occasion to thank me,” said Mr. Holden, dryly. “I shall pay for my dinner, and if you want any, you can pay for yours.”
Herbert looked surprised. As he had entered Mr. Holden’s employ, he supposed of course that the latter would feel bound to provide for him, and it certainly seemed mean that he should be compelled to pay for his own dinner. However, he was beginning to suspect that his new employer was essentially a mean man.
“How much will it cost?” asked Herbert, at length.
“Thirty-seven cents,” was the reply.
It must be remembered that this was in the day of low prices, when gold was at par, and board could be obtained at first-class city hotels for two dollars and a half a day, and in country villages at that amount by the week.
“Thirty-seven cents!” Herbert hardly liked to break in upon his scanty hoard, but the morning air had sharpened his appetite, and he felt that he must have something to eat. Besides, he remembered one thing which fortunately Mr. Holden did not know, that in addition to the five dollars which Dr. Kent had given him he had the ten dollars sent him by his uncle, and not only that, but a little loose change which he had earned.
“Well, are you going to get out?” asked Abner Holden. “It’s nothing to me whether you take dinner or not.”
“Yes, I guess I will.”
“Very well,” said Holden, who had a reason for being pleased with his decision.
Both went into the tavern. There were two or three loungers on a settle, who gazed at them curiously. One of them at once appeared to recognize Abner Holden.
“How dy do, Holden?” he said. “Who’ve you got with you?”
“A boy I’ve taken,” said Holden, shortly.
“A pretty smart-looking boy. Where’d you pick him up?”
“Over in Waverley. He’s got some pretty high notions, but I guess I’ll take ‘em out of him in time.”
“Yes,” chuckled the other; “I warrant you will.”
While this conversation was going on Herbert had entered the tavern, but he could not avoid hearing what was said, including Mr. Holden’s reply. He was not frightened, but inwardly determined that he would do his duty, and then if Mr. Holden saw fit to impose upon him, he would make what resistance he was able.
“I wonder what high notions he means,” thought our hero. “If he expects to make a slave of me, he will be mistaken, that’s all.”
“Sit down there, and I’ll go and order dinner,” said Mr. Holden, entering.
Just then, however, the landlord came in and greeted Abner Holden, whom he appeared to know.
“I want dinner for two, Mr. Robinson,” he said.
“For two! You haven’t brought your wife along with you, Holden?” he said, jocosely.
“No, I haven’t come across any such lady yet. I’ve got a boy here who is bound to me. And hark you, landlord,” he added, in a lower voice, that Herbert might not hear, “he will pay you for his dinner out of a five-dollar bill which he has with him. YOU NEEDN’T GIVE BACK THE CHANGE TO HIM, BUT TO ME.”
“Yes, I understand,” said the landlord, winking.
“I prefer to keep the money for him. He has refused to give it up and this will give me a chance to get hold of it without any fuss.”
“All right.”
“If he kept it himself he’d spend it in some improper way.”
“Just so. I’ll attend to it.”
Now our hero was gifted with pretty sharp ears, and he caught enough of this conversation to understand Mr. Holden’s plot, which he straightway determined should not succeed.
“You shan’t take me in this time, Mr. Holden,” he thought.
He opened his pocketbook to see if he had enough small change to pay for his dinner without intrenching upon his bill. There proved to be a quarter and two half-dimes, amounting, of course, to thirty-five