Only an Irish Boy Part 39

"How soon will that be?"

"I can't tell yet."

"Humph! I shouldn't wonder if you were running away."

"Don't you tell anybody," said Andy, in a bantering tone.

"Where did you get the money to pay for your ticket?"

"What would you give to know?"

"You are impudent," said G.o.dfrey, his cheek flushing.

"So are your questions," said Andy.

"I dare say you stole it."

"Look here, G.o.dfrey Preston," said Andy, roused to indignation by this insinuation, "you'd better not say that again, if you know what's best for yourself."

He advanced a step with a threatening look, and G.o.dfrey instinctively receded.

"That comes of my speaking to my inferior," he said.

"You can't do that."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know anybody that's inferior to you."

G.o.dfrey turned on his heel wrathfully, muttering something about a "low beggar," which Andy, not hearing, did not resent.

The whistle of the locomotive was heard, and the cars came along.

With high antic.i.p.ation of pleasure, Andy got aboard. He had before him a journey of close upon a hundred miles, and he wished it had been longer. He had never been much of a traveler, and the scenes which were to greet his eyes were all novel. He had heard a good deal of Boston also, and he wanted to see it.

Besides the money which Miss Grant had given him to defray his expenses, he had with him ten dollars of his own. Since his mother had received the two donations from Colonel Preston she made Andy keep half his wages for his own use. These were now seven dollars a week, so he kept three and a half, and of this sum was able to lay up about half. So he had a supply of money in his trunk, of which he had taken with him ten dollars.

"Maybe I'll see something I want to buy in the city," he said to himself.

I don't mean to dwell upon the journey. There is nothing very exciting in a railway trip, even of a hundred miles, nowadays, unless, indeed, the cars run off the track, or over the embankment, and then it is altogether too exciting to be agreeable. For the sake of my young hero, whom I really begin to like, though he was "only an Irish boy,"

I am glad to say that nothing of that sort took place; but in good time--about the time when the clock on the Old South steeple indicated noon--Andy's train drove into the Boston & Maine Railway depot, fronting on Haymarket Square.

"Inquire your way to Washington Street."

That was the first direction that Andy had received from Miss Priscilla, and that was what our hero did first.

The question was addressed to a very civil young man, who politely gave Andy the necessary directions. So, in a short time, he reached Washington Street by way of Court Street.

The next thing was to inquire the way to the Merchants' Bank, that being the one in which the ladies owned the largest amount of stock.

"Where is the Merchants' Bank?" asked Andy of a boy, whose blacking-box denoted his occupation.

"I'll show you, mister," said the boy. "Come along." His young guide, instead of taking him to the bank, took him to the side door of the court-house, and said:

"Go in there."

It was a ma.s.sive stone building, and Andy, not suspecting that he was being fooled, went in. Wandering at random, he found his way into a room, where a trial was going on. That opened his eyes.

"He cheated me," thought Andy. "Maybe I'll get even with him."

He retraced his steps, and again found himself in the street. His fraudulent young guide, with a grin on a face not over clean, was awaiting his appearance.

CHAPTER XXV THE MERCHANT FROM PORTLAND

"Look here, young chap," said Andy, "what made you tell me that was the Merchants' Bank?"

"Isn't it?" asked the bootblack, with a grin.

"It's the bank where you'll be wanted some time. Shouldn't wonder if they'd make a mistake and lock you up instead of your money."

"Have you got any money in the Merchants' Bank?" asked the other.

"I'm goin' to see if they won't give me some. If you hadn't cheated me, maybe I'd have invited you to dine with me at my hotel."

"Where are you stoppin'?" asked the street boy, not quite knowing how much of Andy's story to believe.

"At the most fashionable hotel."

"Parker's?"

"You're good at guessin'. Perhaps you'd like to dine there?"

"I don't know as they'd let me in," said the boy, doubtfully; "but I'll show you where there's a nice eatin' house, where they don't charge half so much."

"'Twouldn't be fashionable enough for me. I shall have to dine alone.

See what comes of tryin' to fool your grandfather."

Andy went on, leaving the boy in doubt whether his jest had really lost him a dinner.

Andy didn't go to the Parker House, however. His expenses were to be paid by the Misses Grant, and he felt that it wouldn't be right to be extravagant at their expense.

"I shall come across an eatin' house presently," he said to himself.

Not far off he found one with the bill of fare exposed outside, with the prices. Andy examined it, and found that it was not an expensive place. He really felt hungry after his morning's ride, and determined, before he attended to his business, to get dinner. He accordingly entered, and seated himself at one of the tables. A waiter came up and awaited his commands.