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Rufus and Rose; or The Fortunes of Rough and Ready, a novel by Horatio Alger |
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Chapter 11. Mr. Martin's Wild-Goose Chase |
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_ CHAPTER XI. MR. MARTIN'S WILD-GOOSE CHASE Probably nothing could have given Martin greater pleasure than this unexpected meeting with his step-children. He did not reflect that the pleasure might not be mutual, but determined to make himself known without delay. Hurrying forward, he placed one hand on the shoulder of Rufus, saying, "Glad to see you, Rufus; what have you been up to lately? Here's Rose too, I expect she's glad to see me." At the first sound of his voice poor Rose began to tremble. Clinging closer to her brother, she said, "Don't let him take me, Rufie." "He shan't touch you, Rose," said Rufus, manfully. "You don't seem very glad to see me," said Martin, smiling maliciously. "That's where you're right," said Rufus, bluntly. "We are not glad to see you. I suppose that don't surprise you much. Come along, Rose." He tried to leave Martin, but Martin did not choose to be left. He shuffled along by the side of our hero, considerably to the disgust of the latter, who was afraid he might fall in with some acquaintance whose attention would be drawn to the not very respectable-looking object who had accosted him, and learn the relationship that existed between them. "You seem to be in a hurry," sneered Martin. "I am in a hurry," said Rufus. "It's late for Rose to be out." "That's what I was thinking," said Martin. "Considerin' that I'm her natural protector, it's my duty to interfere." "A pretty sort of protector you are!" retorted Rufus, scornfully. "You're an undootiful boy," said Martin, "to speak so to your father." "Who do you mean?" "Aint I your father?" "No, you are not. If you were, I'd be ashamed of you. Mr. Martin, we haven't anything to do with each other. You can go your way, and I'll go mine. I shan't interfere with you, and I shan't allow you to interfere with me." "Ho, ho!" said Martin, "when was you twenty-one, I'd like to know?" "It doesn't make any difference when. Good-night." "You don't get rid of me so easy," said Martin. "I'll follow you home." By this time they had reached the corner of Broadway and Union Square. Rufus was placed in an awkward position. He had no authority to order Martin away. He might follow them home, and ascertain where they lived, and probably would do so. Rufus felt that this would never do. Were their home known to Mr. Martin, he would have it in his power to lie in wait for Rose, and kidnap her as he had done once before. He would never feel easy about his little sister under these circumstances. Yet what could he do? If he should quicken his pace, Martin would do the same. "What do you want to follow us for?" he asked. "What good is it going to do you?" "Don't you trouble yourself about that," said Martin, exulting in our hero's evident perplexity. "Considerin' that you two are my children, I may want to come and see you some time." Here Rose began to cry. She had always been very much afraid of Martin, and feared now that she might fall into his hands. "Don't cry, Rose," said Rufus, soothingly. "He shan't do you any harm." "Maybe he won't if you treat him well," said Martin. "Look here, Rufus. I'm hard up--dead broke. Haven't you a dollar to spare?" "Are you going to follow us?" "Maybe I won't if you'll give me the dollar." "I can't trust you," said Rufus, suspiciously. "I'll tell you what," he added, after a little thought; "go up to Madison Park, and sit down on one of the seats, and I'll come up in half an hour, or three quarters at most, and give you the dollar." "Do you think I'm so green?" sneered Martin. "I might stop there all night without seein' you. All you want is a chance to get away without my knowin' where." "No," said Rufus; "I'll do what I promise. But you must go up there now, and not follow us." "That don't go down," said Martin. "You don't ketch a weasel asleep." "Well," said Rufus, coolly, "you can do just as you please. If you accept my offer, you shall have a dollar inside of an hour. If you don't, you won't get a penny." Still Martin was not persuaded. He felt sure that Rufus meant to mislead him, and, being unreliable himself, he put no confidence in the promise made by our hero. He prepared to follow him home, as the knowledge of where Rose lived would probably enable him to extort more than a dollar from the fear and anxiety of Rufus. So he repeated:-- "That don't go down! You aint quite smart enough to take me in. I'm goin' to follow you, and find out where you live." "Better give him the dollar now, Rufus," suggested Miss Manning, who felt nearly as anxious as Rose. "No," said Rufus, decidedly; "I shan't gain anything by it. As soon as he got the money, he'd follow us all the same." "What will you do?" asked Miss Manning, anxiously. "You'll see," said Rufus, composedly. He had been busily thinking, and a plan had suggested itself to his mind, which he thought offered probably the best way out of the difficulty. He reflected that probably Mr. Martin, judging from his appearance, was penniless, or nearly so. He therefore decided to jump on board a horse-car, and thus elude him. When they reached the corner of University Place, a car was seen approaching. Rufus hailed it. "Are we going to ride?" asked Rose. "Yes, Rose; and now, whatever I do, I want you to keep perfectly still and say nothing. Will you promise?" "Yes, Rufie." Rufus exacted this promise, as Rose might unconsciously, by some unguarded exclamation, betray the very knowledge which he was anxious to conceal. Martin fathomed the purpose of our hero, and determined not be balked. He had five cents which had just been given him out of charity at the door of the Academy, and, though the fare on the horse-cars was one cent more, he thought he might make it do. Accordingly he got into the car after Rufus. "I couldn't bear to leave such agreeable company," he said, with a leer. "Horse-cars are free, I believe." "I believe they are," said Rufus. "I wonder how much money he's got," thought our hero. "I guess I can drain him after a while." The conductor came along, and Rufus paid for Miss Manning and Rose, as well as himself. Martin was hanging on a strap near by. "Your fare," said the conductor. Martin plunged his hand into his pocket, and drew out five cents. He plunged his hand in again, and appeared to be hunting about for the extra penny. "I declare," said he, "I believe I've lost the other cent. Won't five cents do?" "Couldn't let you ride under six cents," said the conductor. "It's against the rules." "I can't see where it is," said Martin, hunting again. "I'll pay the other penny," said a gentleman sitting near. "Thank you, sir," said Martin. "Very much obliged to you. I'm a poor man; but it's on account of some undutiful children that I've spent all my money on, and now they begrudge their poor father a few pennies." He looked at Rufus; but our hero did not see fit to apply the remark to himself, nor, considering that he used to help support Martin, did he feel any particular remorse. If Martin had been a more respectable-looking object, if his nose had been a trifle less red, and his whole appearance less suggestive of intemperate habits, the remark he had let fall might have stirred some of his listeners to compassion. But no one, to look at him, would wonder much at a want of filial affection towards such a father. So, though he looked round to notice the effect, hoping that he might elicit some sympathy which should take a pecuniary form, he perceived that his appeal had fallen upon stony ground. Nobody seemed particularly impressed, and the hope of a contribution from some compassionate listener faded out. Rufus was a witness of this scene, and of course it enabled him to fathom Martin's resources. He congratulated himself that they were so speedily exhausted. He did not get out when the car reached Waverley Place, for obvious reasons, but kept on till they came to Bleecker Street. Rose was about to express surprise, but a look from Rufus checked her. At Bleecker Street he signalled to the conductor to stop. The latter obeyed the signal, and our hero got out, followed not only by Rose and Miss Manning, but, as might have been expected, also by Martin. "You don't get rid of me so easy," said the latter, triumphantly. "Don't I?" asked Rufus, coolly. "Are you going to follow me still?" Martin answered in the affirmative, with an oath. "Then," said Rufus, coolly, "I'll give you all the following you want to do." A car bound in the opposite direction was approaching. Rufus hailed it, and it came to a stop. Martin, who had not been anticipating this move, stopped a moment, staring, crestfallen, at Rufus; but, recovering himself quickly, jumped on the platform, resolved to try his luck. Rufus paid his fare. Martin didn't volunteer to pay his, but looked steadily before him, hoping that he might escape the conductor's observation. But the latter was too sharp for that. "Fare?" he said. "All right," said Martin, plunging his hand into his pocket. Of course he drew out nothing, as he anticipated. "I declare," he said; "I believe I haven't any money with me." "Then get off." "Couldn't you let me off this time?" asked Martin, insinuatingly; "I'm a poor man." "So am I," said the conductor, bluntly. "You must get off." "Isn't there any gentleman that'll lend a poor man six cents?" asked Martin, looking round. But nobody seemed disposed to volunteer assistance, and Martin was compelled reluctantly to jump off. But he didn't give up yet. The car didn't go so fast but that he could keep up with it by running. It chafed him that Rufus should get the better of him, and he ran along on the sidewalk, keeping the car continually in sight. "He's running," said Miss Manning, looking out. "What a determined man he is! I'm afraid he'll find us out." "I'm not afraid," said Rufus. "He'll get tired of running by the time we get to Central Park." "Shall you ride as far as that?" "If necessary." For about a mile Martin held out, but by this time he became exhausted, and dropped behind. The distance between him and the car gradually increased, but still Rufus rode on for half a mile further. By this time Martin was no longer in sight. "We'll cross over to Sixth Avenue," he said, "so that Martin may not see us on our return." This suggestion was adopted, luckily, for Martin had posted himself at a favorable place, and was scanning attentively every returning car. But he waited and watched in vain till long after the objects of his pursuit were safe at home and in bed. _ |
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