Part 8 (1/2)
”Mr. Goldwin is very busy,” replied the man at the counter.
”Very well, I will wait,” said Felix; and he seated himself in a chair in the outer office.
In a little while Mr. Goldwin came out of his private room, and, seeing young Mortimer there, recognized him.
”Good morning, young man,” said he, kindly.
”Good morning,” returned Felix, deferentially.
”Have you come to tell us what has become of young Randolph?” asked the banker.
”I don't understand you,” said Felix, innocently. ”I came because you asked me to do so.”
”Yes, yes, I remember; but I referred to the disappearance of the boy I engaged at the time you applied for the position.”
”Why, isn't he here?” asked Mortimer, feigning surprise.
”No, he hasn't been here today.”
”What do you imagine is the trouble?”
”I do not know, unless, like so many other boys, he has got tired of the work, and has left it for some other position.”
”That may be, and now you speak of it, I remember he said, the morning we were all waiting to see you, that if he failed to get this place he had another position in view that he could get, and that it would pay him five dollars a week.”
Young Mortimer told this falsehood with the ease of a veteran. His manner could not have been more impressive had he been telling the truth.
”Five dollars a week!” exclaimed Mr. Goldwin. ”And he came here for three. I don't see what his motive was.”
”Perhaps he had a motive,” suggested Mortimer.
”I don't understand you,” replied the banker.
Felix shrugged his shoulders.
”What do you mean? Do you know anything about him?” pursued Mr. Goldwin, his suspicions aroused.
”No, sir--er--not much.”
”Speak up, young man. Tell me what you know about this young Vermonter.”
”Vermonter?” repeated Felix, with a rising inflection; and he smiled suggestively.
”Yes, Vermonter. Do you know anything to the contrary?”
”You know I was an applicant for this position, Mr. Goldwin, so I do not like to answer your question. I hope you will excuse me.”
”I appreciate your sense of honor, young man,” said Mr. Goldwin; ”but it is to my interest to know the facts. If there is anything against him, I should be informed of it. Tell me what you know, and you will lose nothing by doing so.”
With apparent reluctance, Felix yielded to the persuasion, and said:
”I was on Broadway with a friend of mine, at the close of business hours, the day that you hired this young fellow. We were walking along by the Herald building when he came up Broadway and stopped to read the news on the _Telegram_ bulletin board. I said to my friend, with surprise, 'There is the fellow I told you about--the one that beat me this morning in getting the position at Goldwin's.' He looked at me incredulously and said: 'Why, you told me he was a country boy--from Vermont.'