"I shall stop on the way at Rochester and see if I can collect Uncle John's note," he said. "Perhaps I may be more successful than he."
"If you don't mind, Mr. Packard," said Rupert, "I will go on at once to New York, as I feel anxious about my mother."
"Very well. Go to the Somerset Hotel, and put up as a guest. I shall follow you soon."
Leaving Rupert to pursue his journey, we will detail the experiences of Giles and his uncle at Rochester.
"We will put up at a cheap hotel, Uncle[Pg 337] John," he said. "I don't want Eben to suspect that I am well off."
"He wouldn't judge so from your dress, Giles," remarked the old man, with a humorous glance at his nephew's well-worn suit.
"That is true, Uncle John. I don't look very much like a dude, I admit. However, I will go to a first-class tailor in New York and get myself rigged out. While I am about it I will get a new suit for you."
"I need it badly enough, Giles, but having given all my money to Eben Jackson, I did not feel able to buy new clothes."
"You won't have occasion to complain of being without money long."
"Thank you, Giles. It has been a great relief to me, your purchasing the note, but I don't want you to lose money."
"I don't intend to. Eben Jackson may swindle you. He will find it harder to get the advantage of me."
Eben Jackson was standing2 at the desk in his store when Giles and John Plympton entered. Eben took no particular notice of the middle-aged3 and rather rough-looking [Pg 338]stranger, whom he did not recognize, but frowned perceptibly when he saw John Plympton.
"You here, Uncle John?" he said, roughly.
"Where have you been?"
"I went to Chicago."
"Didn't you find anything to do there?"
"No."
"Probably you didn't try very hard."
"It wasn't that. They all said I was too old. Chicago is a city of young men."
"Yes, you have seen your best days," said his nephew, unfeelingly.
"Well, not exactly, but you can't expect that you can find employment as you used to do."
"Isn't that pretty hard? I am only sixty-five."
"That's old for a man seeking employment."
"What will you do when you are sixty-five?"
[Pg 339]
"It will be different with me. I have a business of my own."
"I hope you'll be better off than I am at that age."
"I shall. You never had much business capacity."
"I've been thinking, Eben, I'd better take that three thousand dollars of mine and buy an annuity6. At my age I ought to get enough to take care of me economically."
"I don't see how you're going to do that. I've got your money."
"True, but I should like to have it back."
"You can't have it at present. It would be inconvenient7 for me to take it from my business."
"I'll see about it."
"But I want money at once."
"Then you can't get it," said the nephew, rudely. "Where are you staying?"
John Plympton mentioned the name of the hotel.
[Pg 340]
Eben Jackson turned up his nose. This was distinctly a third-class house, charging one dollar and a quarter a day.
"You'd better go to a cheap boarding-house. You needn't expect me to pay your hotel bill."
"I have a right to expect you will give me enough of my own money to pay the bill."
"I won't encourage you in any such ridiculous extravagance, Uncle John."
"Perhaps you think it is extravagant9 in me to eat at all."
"I think it is extravagant to pay a dollar and a quarter a day for board. Who is that man with you?"
On hearing this, Giles Packard came forward.
"You ought to know me, Eben," he said.
Eben Jackson took stock of the cattleman's shabby clothes, and answered, coldly, "You have the advantage of me, sir."
"Then you don't remember your cousin, Giles Packard?"
"Are you Giles Packard? I didn't know but you were dead."
[Pg 341]
"No, thank you, not just yet."
"Where have you been living?"
"In Colorado."
"Have you met with any success? What business have you followed?"
"I have been in the cattle business."
"If you choose to call me so."
"Why didn't you stay in Colorado? Why have you come East?"
"I thought I should enjoy a vacation."
"But traveling costs money."
"So it does. Uncle John tells me you have three thousand dollars of his."
Eben Jackson frowned.
"Yes," he said, "I am taking care of his money for him."
"As he can't find employment, he will need to have it returned."
"That can't be done. He has my note for it."
"Yes. I have seen the note. I observe that it is made out 'On demand.'"
"Well?"
"That means that he can call for it at any time."
[Pg 342]
"It may be wise for you to get ready very soon."
"Oh, you threaten, do you? That is all the good it will do you."
To Eben Jackson's surprise Giles Packard took the matter very coolly. He even smiled.
"I suspect you will change your mind," he said.
"I understand your drift. You want to get hold of Uncle John's money yourself."
"Perhaps so. Uncle John, are you willing that I should take charge of your money?"
"Yes, Giles."
"Ah, a very nice conspiracy12. Uncle John, you are a fool."
"Why?" asked the old man, mildly.
"This man has made a failure of his life, and is as poor as poverty, judging from his appearance. He has got up a nice scheme for depriving you of your money. If he got hold of it you would never see a cent of it. He is evidently an adventurer."
"Then you won't give me my money?"
[Pg 343]
"No. I shall keep it in your own interest. Why, if you gave it to him you would be a pauper13 in less than a year."
Giles Packard did not seem in the least irritated by his cousin's uncomplimentary remarks.
Turning to John Plympton, he said: "I think we may as well go, Uncle John."
"I am glad you realize that," observed Jackson. "Before you go, let me say that your scheme has utterly14 failed."
"My scheme of getting you to return Uncle John his money?"
"Your plan of getting his money into your own possession."
"Call it as you like. You will hear from us very soon."
"Is that meant as a threat?"
"Well, perhaps so."
"Go ahead. Take what measures you choose. It is immaterial to me."
"What did I tell you, Giles?" said John Plympton, as they left the store.
"Eben Jackson is meaner than I supposed. We will give him a little surprise."
[Pg 344]
"Before night Eben Jackson received the following letter from the leading lawyer in Rochester:
"Sir—
"My client, Mr. Giles Packard, has placed in my hands for collection a demand note for three thousand dollars, signed by yourself, transferred to him by John Plympton. Will you arrange to pay it? If not, I am instructed by my client to sue.
"Yours respectfully,
"Edward Nettleton, Att'y."
This was like a bomb in the camp of the enemy. Mr. Nettleton was a sharp and successful lawyer, and to be feared. He was steep in his charges, and Eben felt that his cousin was a fool to employ so high-priced an attorney.
"What does all this mean?" he demanded, angrily.
"What do you refer to?"
"To Mr. Nettleton's letter."
"It means that I am going to have my uncle's money," said Giles, firmly.
[Pg 345]
"Your lawyer will charge you an immense fee. Better let the matter drop."
"Eben Jackson, I'll make you pay that money if it costs me five thousand dollars for expenses."
"Ridiculous! Why, you are almost a pauper."
"I hope not. When I left Colorado I was worth nearly a hundred thousand dollars. I don't think I have lost any money since."
"It is. You thought me poor, because I was poorly dressed. You were mistaken. I am what is called a rich man. I am unmarried, but after the way you have treated me, you can judge what chances you have of being remembered in my will."
"It is all a mistake, Cousin Giles," said Eben, in a conciliatory tone. "I'll pay the money, and I hope you and Uncle John will do me the favor of staying at my house while you are in Rochester."
Giles Packard smiled grimly.
"We shall start for New York to-morrow," he said, "and it won't be advisable for us to[Pg 346] leave the hotel. I shall leave the note in Mr. Nettleton's hands, and I will give you a month in which to pay it."
"Thank you. Won't you call at the house? Mary will be glad to see you, and I want to show you the children."
"Yes, we will call."
Giles Packard smiled when his cousin left the hotel.
"Eben seems to have changed," he said. "I think we shan't have any more trouble with him."
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1
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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2
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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3
middle-aged
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| adj.中年的 | |
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4
meekly
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| adv.温顺地，逆来顺受地 | |
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5
cumber
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| v.拖累，妨碍；n.妨害；拖累 | |
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6
annuity
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| n.年金；养老金 | |
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7
inconvenient
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| adj.不方便的，令人感到麻烦的 | |
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8
accrued
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| adj.权责已发生的v.增加( accrue的过去式和过去分词 )；（通过自然增长）产生；获得；（使钱款、债务）积累 | |
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9
extravagant
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| adj.奢侈的；过分的；(言行等)放肆的 | |
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10
sneered
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| 讥笑，冷笑( sneer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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11
haughtily
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| adv. 傲慢地, 高傲地 | |
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12
conspiracy
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| n.阴谋，密谋，共谋 | |
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13
pauper
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| n.贫民，被救济者，穷人 | |
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14
utterly
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| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
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15
humble
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| adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低 | |
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16
gasped
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| v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要 | |
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