The Store Boy eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 191 pages of information about The Store Boy.

The Store Boy eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 191 pages of information about The Store Boy.

When asked if she wished to speak, Mrs. Hill coughed.

“There’s a matter I think I ought to speak of,” she said, “but it is painful for me to do so.”

“Why is it painful?” asked Mrs. Hamilton, eyeing her steadily.

“Because my motives may be misconstrued.  Then, I fear it will give you pain.”

“Pain is sometimes salutary.  Has Conrad displeased you?”

“No, indeed!” answered Mrs. Hill, half indignantly.  “My boy is a great comfort to me.”

“I am glad to hear it,” said Mrs. Hamilton dryly.

For her own part, Mrs. Hamilton thought her cousin’s son one of the least attractive young people she had ever met, and save for a feeling of pity, and the slight claims of relationship, would not have been willing to keep him in the house.

“I don’t see why you should have judged so ill of my poor Conrad,” complained Mrs. Hill.

“I am glad you are so well pleased with him.  Let me know what you have to communicate.”

“It is something about the new boy—­Benjamin.”

Mrs. Hamilton lifted her eyebrows slightly.

“Speak without hesitation,” she said.

“You will be sure not to misjudge me?”

“Why should I?”

“You might think I was jealous on account of my own boy.”

“There is no occasion for you to be jealous.”

“No, of course not.  I am sure Conrad and I have abundant cause to be grateful to you.”

“That is not telling me what you came to tell,” said Mrs. Hamilton impatiently.

“I am afraid you are deceived in the boy, Cousin Hamilton.”

“In what respect?”

“I am almost sorry I had not kept the matter secret.  If I did not consider it my duty to you, I would have done so.”

“Be kind enough to speak at once.  You need not apologize, nor hesitate on my account.  What has Ben been doing?”

“On Tuesday evening he was seen coming out of a well-known gambling house.”

“Who saw him?”

“Conrad.”

“How did Conrad know that it was a gambling house?”

“He had had it pointed out to him as such,” Mrs. Hill answered, with some hesitation.

“About what time was this?”

“A little after nine in the evening.”

“And where was the gambling house situated?”

“On Thirty-first Street.”

A peculiar look came over Mrs. Hamilton’s face.

“And Conrad reported this to you?”

“The same evening.”

“That was Tuesday?”

“Yes; I could not make up my mind to tell you immediately, because I did not want to injure the boy.”

“You are more considerate than I should have expected.”

“I hope I am.  I don’t pretend to like the boy.  He seems to have something sly and underhand about him.  Still, he needs to be employed, and that made me pause.”

“Till your sense of duty to me overcame your reluctance?”

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Project Gutenberg
The Store Boy from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.