Rupert's Ambition

"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 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 standing at the desk in his store when Giles and John Plympton entered. Eben took no particular notice of the middle-aged and rather rough-looking stranger, whom he did not recognize, but frowned perceptibly when he saw John Plympton.

"You here, Uncle John?" he said, roughly.

"Yes," answered the old man, meekly.

"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.

"And I suppose I ought not to cumber the ground. Is that what you mean, Eben?"

"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?"

"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 annuity. 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 inconvenient for me to take it from my business."

"But, Eben, I need it. At any rate you can let me have the interest that has already accrued."

"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.

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 extravagant 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."

"No, thank you, not just yet."