Walter Sherwood's Probation Part 33

"At Miss Longwood's party."

"Why should I be? She invited me."

"No doubt."

"As her brother's friend and cla.s.smate."

"That is all very well, but you don't seem to consider your present position."

"Will you be good enough to tell me what is my present position?"

"You know better than I can tell you. You are the a.s.sistant of a low faker."

"I accompany Professor Robinson as a musical a.s.sistant, if that is what you mean."

"Professor Robinson!" repeated Murdock scornfully. "Where did he get his t.i.tle?"

"You will have to ask him," said Walter, smiling.

"That is not the point, however. You are in his employ?"

"Well?"

"And yet you attend an evening party given by a young lady of high social position."

"Mr. Murdock, you may be surprised to learn that it is by no means the first social party of the kind that I have attended."

"That was before you became a faker."

"You will oblige me by not calling me a faker. I am earning my living honestly. I don't know your business."

"I am a lawyer," said Murdock haughtily.

"I wish you success in your chosen profession."

"You are truly kind!" said Murdock, in an unpleasant tone.

Walter looked at him gravely.

"Mr. Murdock," he said, "you have volunteered to give me advice."

"Which you are not inclined to take."

"Because I consider you officious in offering it. Now let me give you some advice."

"I shall be grateful, I am sure."

"Then let me advise you hereafter to mind your own business!"

"You are impertinent!" said Murdock angrily.

"That is my opinion of you. One thing more; you are quite at liberty to advise Miss Longwood not to take any notice of me."

"I shall do so."

"And you may be sure that I shall not call upon her without an invitation. It is hardly necessary to say this, as I leave town to- morrow, and it may be a long time before I visit Glenwood again."

Murdock heard this with satisfaction, for Walter's good looks and the evident favor with which he was regarded by Laura Longwood had made him jealous. He could not help, however, launching a final sarcasm.

"Don't think me unkind, my good fellow!" he said patronizingly. "I feel kindly disposed and as a proof will ask you to send round a bottle of your balm to my office. Shall I pay for it in advance?"

"No. I will mention your request to the professor, and he will probably be glad to furnish you with his medicine. Goodnight!"

They had reached the hotel, and Walter entered.

"That fellow is a sn.o.b," he said to himself. "He wishes me to feel that one in my position cannot be a gentleman. If he is one, I don't want to be. All his sneers won't make me ashamed of earning my living by an honest use of any gift that G.o.d has given me."

CHAPTER XXII

AN ADVENTURE

Three months pa.s.sed without any incident worth recording. Professor Robinson's success was variable, but upon the whole he had reason to feel encouraged. He was an excellent salesman, and his balm, though it could not perform all the wonderful cures claimed for it, really had merit, and this helped materially.

So far as Walter was concerned, he found the professor an indulgent and honorable employer, whose word was as good as his bond. Every Sat.u.r.day night there was a statement of sales for the week, and Walter was paid his commission of ten per cent. Though he was obliged to make some disburs.e.m.e.nts, the largest being for a suit of clothes, he found himself, at the end of fourteen weeks, possessed of a balance of a hundred dollars. This was a source of great satisfaction to Walter, who had known in Chicago how inconvenient it was to be without money.

One day the professor found himself in a Minnesota village. He had secured a vacant lot on the princ.i.p.al street for the display of his merchandise. He met with rather unusual success, a local celebration having drawn a considerable crowd to the town of Warwick. Walter, after playing on the violin, pa.s.sed among the crowd with a supply of bottles of balm, while the professor was expatiating in an eloquent manner upon its merits. Among the crowd his attention was drawn to a roughly dressed man, in hunting costume, wearing a sombrero with a broad brim. His face was dark and his expression sinister. His eyes were very black and keen. He looked like a Spaniard, and the thought came to Waiter that he would make an ideal highway-man. He was leaning carelessly against the fence that separated the lot from the street.

As Walter approached he moved slightly and accosted him.

"Say, young feller, is it all true that he"--with a jerk of his hand toward the professor--"says about this balm?"

"Yes, sir," answered Walter, in a business-like tone. "It is a very valuable remedy in all cases of bruise, sprain, rheumatism, headache, and other kindred troubles. Can I sell you a bottle?"

"Well, I don't mind," and the stranger drew out a silver quarter and tendered it in payment.

"Do you sell much of this stuff?" he asked carelessly.

"Yes, we have large sales."

"You are making money fast, I reckon?"

"We are doing very well," answered Walter, cautiously.

"It's an easy life to lead."

"Not so very easy. We are on the road early and late."