CHAPTER IV.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 208, 25 June 1887, Page 6

CHAPTER IV.

"I WILL MAKK TJIR MOST OF MY OPI'ORTUSITY." Walter learned, upon his return to Foresta ale, that Edmund had crone to Now York, and y ould not be back for a week. He was not at all disturbed by this intelligence, however ; indeed ho was ratheA-elieved than otherwise, for it would gi\o him an opportunity to maturo his plans without any fear of interference on hit, part. At the appointed hour, the next day, ho went nguin to Mr Conant's office with the determination to be guided by his advice, evun though it .should not be exactly in accordanee'with his ta>te or inclination. He found him in, and was instantly encouragtd by the genial manner with which he welcomed him. " "Well, my young friend," he cried, as he cordially shook him by the hand ; your promptness speaks well for your intentions. 1 trust you l^ne considered well Avhat I said to a on yesterday." "I think I have, sir," Walter replied gravely. "lias your courage been daunted by theadvice which I gave you ?" "No, sir. If I can earn an honourable living, and at the same time have a fair prospect? of realising my aspiration by-and-by, I am willing to adopt whatevermeasuresmay seembestfor fitting myself for my business " " That's the way to talk ; and now for the result of my deliberations and investigations," returned Mr Conant. " I have an extensive contract on hand that will take nearly a year to complote. 1 have an excellent master-builder in charge, who has consented to take you under his especial supervision and teach you all that you are willing to learn. It will be hard, up-hill work,° my friend— l will not attempt to conceal the fact— harder for you than for many others, because you have never done any work ; but I know that it will pay in the end, if you will stick to it and do your best.'' " I shall do that, sir, for I have made up my mind, and will not turn back now," said Walter, resolutely. "That is well. And now about the terms. I can't promise you very much to begin with — not even as much as Mr Ecfmund Carpenter offered you. The first three months you will receive a dollar and a half a day and your board. Mr Way laud will take you into his family, if that will be agreeable'to you. The next three months you will receive more, if you earn it, and so on ; your wages will be gauged according to "our ability. How do these arrangements strike yO u • . t < "Walter in earnest tnoiigDV i or » tew minutes. The outlook was certainly not a very tempting one. Seven dollars and a half a week seemed very little to him. How often he had spent double that to gratify a mere whim, or uptn some pleasure ! But he was no longer the protege of a rich man; he hod nothing now in the world but his own energy and hands to depend upon, and he had no right to be dissatisfied with what he felt sure must be a fair offer to one who knew absolutely nothing regarding the business he was about to attempt. At last he looked up and met Mr Conant's eye with a resolute expression. " I cannot say that the work is exactly to my taste,"' he said, " but I shall do as you recommend, and I wiil endeavour to make the most of my opportunity ; but „ " Well, speak out, my young friend," said Mr Conant, encouragingly. "Could l not study and do a little office work for you evenings, so as to get on a triflo faster ?" . Mr Conant threw back his head, ;i; in d laughed heartily, "Well, you are plucky, and your ambition doeß you credit ; but \et me tell you that, for the first three liionths at least, you will not care for miifch but rest and sleep after your regular day's work is done. However," he added, seeing the disappointed look on the young man's face, " if you find yourself equal to it, I can give you work and study enough. I should really like to Bee some of the work you have already done in my line." "Should you ?" asked Walter, starting up, eagerly. " I brought down a roll of drawings to show you j they are outside. I will get them." He disappeared from the room, but soon returned with a roll of plans under his arm. Mr Conant examined them with interest. He made no comment until he had looked at them all. Then he remarked ; " Mr Richardson, you just do your level best at carpentering for the coming year, and there will be no trouble about your going ahead as fast as you like after that, and I will give you all the help I can." "You are very kind, sir," Walter responded, much gratified at the high praise implied in Mr Conant's words and manner, "and I toill do my 'best.' When can 1 begin?" ' The architect was much pleased at this question. It had the ring _of business, of energy and purpose that suited him exactly. "Monday morning, if you like. That will give you three days to wind up any little personal affairs that you my have on hand. You can come to me here at seven o'clock. I will then introduce you to Mr Wayland, and then you may consider yourself as fairly launched upon your ne*y career. Shall 1 tell him that you will board with him?" " Yes, sir, If you think it will be a suitable place." . " I should not recommend it if it were not. You could not get into better hands. And now," conoluded the architect, glancing at his watch, " I have an engagement, but I shall look for you on Monday, at seven Bharp." ,

Walter assured him that he would be on hand, and then took his leave with a feeling of responsibility and independence that he°had never before experienced. " Smart fellow ; keen, intelligent, and with lots of talent and grit. He'll mako his mark yet, and sharae that unfeeling scamp, who, I beliove, if the truth were known, has cheated him out of a fortune." This was the mental comment of M Conant as the door closed on Walter The previous day, immediately ,10 young man had left him, the noted architect had xmid Mr Carpenter's old lawyer, Mr Fairbanks, a call, and questioned him about the boy the rich man had reared. He learned his whole history, and became deeply interested in him, while a .suspicion came into his mind that there had been foul play or else culpable negligence on the part of some one, or he would never ! have been left to shift for himself after ! having been reared in luxury and affluence. He could not help believing, with Mr Fairbanks and good old Mrs Coxon that Ralph Carpenter must have made a will caring for tho son of the woman whom he had so fondly lovod ; but what had become of it was a sealed mystery, although it was possible that Mr Simons, one of the witnesses, might be able to throw some light upon it when he should return from abroad. Walter went directly home after leaving Mr Conant's office, and informed Mr-3 Coxon of the change that he was contemplating. The boy had always been a favourite with her, and she had been greatly disturbed upon discovering there was no will, and ho had been left penniless, while she had stormed and raved inwardly over Edmund Carpenter's treatment of him since his father's death. She threw up her hands with horror when Walter told her that he was going to be a carpenter. " What ! and leave college, Master Walter ?'' she cried, aghast. " Yes, and ' leave college.' I have nothing to pay college bills with now," lie an-swexed, a trifle bitterly. '• Mr Edmund ought to pay them,*' <?aid the woman, tartly. " Edmund thinks I have received education enough, and that I ought to earn my \vn living now." '" Perhaps he didn't think lie had learning enough when he was only half through college. It's a burning shame ! What would poor dear Mr Carpenter have said if he could have known that this was going to happen? "and tears of mingled anger and regret rolled over her cheeks. " Uncle Ralph knew that I wanted to be an ni-chitect,<Mrs Coxon, and he was willing I should study for it," Walter said tv comfort her. " Of course : but he would have helped you to it in a decent manner. He never would have thrust you out of the house thai has been your home for so many yeais." " I know : but really I prefer to go away, Mrs Coxon." " I can't blame you, after the way you have been treated ; buc you wouldn't Invo preferred to go if the master was alive.'' "No, there would have been no need,'" the young man said sadly. " There should be no need now," was tholndignant retort. " I tell you, Walter,'' drop]) ing her voice, and glancingaroundto see that no one could overhear, " I am almost sure that a good big slice of the old gentleman's property rightly belongs to you. If ever I saw anything that looked like a will, that document that I signed for him looked liko one.*' " I am afraid you were mistaken, Mrs Coxon,'' Walter answered, thoughtfully, " and it does no good to get excited over the matter. No will could be found, you know ; but oven if Uncle Ralph did make one, he might have destroyed it afterward, thinking it would be wronging Edmund to will hi* property away to a strangei*.'' " Stranger, indeed ! Why, Mr Carpenter just set his eyes by you." '• Yes, I think he was fond of me, and I am sure 1 could not have loved him better if I had been his own son." " And you ought to have a son's portion. There \s money enough, goodness knows, for you to have a handsome slice, and wrong nobody. " " Well, regrets are useless. The fact remains, I have nothing. lam only a poof tellow, wn .° will henceforth have to look out for number- fine," gaid Wnl^ ( trying to smile, but feeling heavy afc heart, 1 nevertheless. " I can't bear to have you give Up college," replied Mrs Coxon, stifling a sob. Then, looking up suddenly, she added ; " I've saved up something, Master Walter. If you will only take it, and kc^ep on, I'd be prouder than I can tell you." " I couldn't," ho answered) flushing, but deeply touched by tho auction that had prompted the offex\ " I should not feel right to take your Mrs Coxon, though I thank yo' a for your kind interest in me. It would put me back in my profession, too, if I should spend two years more at co ll^™ I mus t get at the real business o f fife as soon as possible. I moan t0 t^ 0 the very best that I can, and *f there is any talent in me, I intend to make it count for something." "Of course you will. I am not a bit afraid but that you'll come out at the ' top of a heap ' yet," said the good woxnan, with an affectionate glance into the earnest face before her ; " and if you ever want any help, or ever get into any trouble, come to me. I'll always be a friend to you. And mind, you are to bring me all your mending. I'll look out for your clothes— that's the very least that I can do —and 'twouldn't seem natural not to have the handling of them after I'd done it for so many years. " " You are very good to me, Mrs Coxon, and I know I shall miss you and your many favours every day," said Walter, a tear starting to his eye. " It breaks my old heart to have you leave the house," moaned the housekeeper, with a sudden burst of tears ; " but ypu'll come and see me, won't you, once in a while ?" " Yes, of course I will. I have too few friends to be willing to deserfc the very best one that I have left," the young man answered, heartily, though his lip quivered suspiciously over the words. It was very hard to go out for ever from that elegant home, where he had been so happy— where every wish had been gratified—and spend his future among strangers, who had no interest in him, no affection for him. But almost anything would be preferable to the treatment he had received since Mr Carpenter's death, by which he had been made to feel that he was an alien and intruder ; and the memory of this event went far towards arming him. with courage and energy for the hard life which he knew Avas before him.