CHAPTER IV.
A NIGHT AT DALY'S.
"I WILL read this letter to see if it is of any importance," said Mark."In that case I will forward it to Syracuse."
He read as follows:
* * * * *
"WALL STREET EXCHANGE.
"DEAR SIR: In reference to the mining stock about which you inquire, ourinformation is that the mine is a valuable one, and very productive. Thestock is held in few hands, and it is difficult to obtain it. You tellme that it belongs to an estate of which you are the administrator. Iadvise you to hold it awhile longer before you seek to dispose of it. Weare about to send an agent to Nevada to look after some mining interestsof our own, and will authorize him also to look up the Golden Hope mine.
"Yours truly,
"CRANE & LAWTON,
"STOCK AND MINING BROKERS."
* * * * *
Mother and son looked at each other significantly.
Finally Mark said, "This mining stock must have belonged tograndfather."
"Yes; I remember now his alluding to having purchased a hundred sharesof some mine."
"The brokers say they are valuable. Yet Uncle Solon has never saidanything about them. Mother, he means to defraud us of our share in thisproperty, supposing that we will hear nothing about it."
"How shameful!" exclaimed Mrs. Mason indignantly. "I will sit right downand write him a letter taxing him with his treachery."
"No, mother; I don't want you to do anything of the kind."
"You don't want us to submit to imposition? That don't sound like you,Mark."
"I mean that he shall give us whatever is our due, but I don't want himto suspect that we know anything of his underhand schemes. He hasn'tsold the mining stock yet."
"What do you want me to do?"
"Leave the matter in my hands, mother. I will keep the letter, and itwill always be evidence against him. He is shrewd, and will get fullvalue for the stock. Then we can make him hand you your share."
"If you think that is best, Mark," said Mrs. Mason doubtfully. "Ihaven't much of a head for business."
"I think I have, mother. There is nothing I like better."
"Did you see Mrs. Mack about a loan? I didn't think to ask you, as youruncle came in with you when you returned from up-stairs."
"Yes, I saw her, but it was of no use."
"Then she won't lend us the money?"
"No, she is afraid to, though I offered her twenty-five cents interest.I told her that I should have nine dollars coming in on Saturday, butshe thought something might prevent my getting it."
"Then I had better pawn my ring. The landlord won't wait even a day forhis money."
"Don't be in a hurry, mother. The rent is not due till day afterto-morrow, and something may happen between now and then to put me infunds."
"Perhaps you are right, Mark."
Five minutes later there was a knock at the door. Opening it, Mark sawanother telegraph boy in the entrance. He had a paper in his hand.
"You're to go there," he said, handing Mark a card. "Put on your bestclothes. It's a lady to take to the theater."
"All right, Jimmy. I'll be ready in a jiffy. Do you know what theater?"
"No, I don't. The lady will tell you."
"Mother, I'll be home late," said Mark. "I must put on some cleanclothes. Is my collar dirty?"
"Yes, you had better put on a clean one. I don't like your being out solate. I thought you were through for the day."
"I'll get extra pay, mother, and every little helps."
"I say, Mark," said Jimmy, "you'd better wear your dress suit anddiamond scarf-pin."
"I would, Jimmy, only I lent 'em both to a bootblack of my acquaintancewho's going to attend a ball on Fifth Avenue to-night."
Jimmy laughed.
"You've always got an answer ready, Mark," he said. "Well, so long! Hopeyou'll have a good time."
"Where does the lady live, Mark?" asked Mrs. Mason.
"At No. 90 West Forty-Fifth Street. I haven't much time to spare. I mustgo as soon as I can get ready."
It was half-past seven o'clock before Mark rang the bell at a fine brownstone house on West Forty-Fifth Street. The door was opened by a coloredservant, who, without speaking to Mark, turned his head, and called out:"The messenger's come, Miss Maud."
"I'm _so_ glad," said a silvery voice, as a young lady of twenty,already dressed for the street, came out of a room on the left of thehall. Mark took off his hat politely.
"So you are the messenger boy?" she said. "You are to take me to Daly'sTheater."
"Yes, miss. So I heard."
"Let us go at once. We will take the horse cars at Sixth Avenue, and getout at Thirtieth Street."
Before she had finished they were already in the street.
"I must explain," she said, "that my uncle bought two tickets thismorning and expected to accompany me, but an important engagement hasprevented. I was resolved to go, and so I sent for a messenger. Perhapsyou had better take the tickets."
"All right, Miss----."
"Gilbert. As you are to be my escort I will ask your name."
"Mark Mason."
"Shall I call you Mark, or Mr. Mason?" she asked with a roguish smile.
"I would rather you would call me Mark."
"Perhaps, as you are taking the place of my uncle, it would be proper tocall you Uncle Mark," she laughed.
"All right, if you prefer it," said Mark.
"On the whole I won't. I am afraid you don't look the character. Are youquite sure you can protect me?"
"I'll try to, Miss Gilbert."
"Then I won't borrow any trouble."
Maud Gilbert had carefully observed Mark, and as he was anattractive-looking boy she felt satisfied with the selection made forher.
"I am glad you didn't wear your uniform," she said. "I forgot to speakabout that."
"When I heard what I was wanted for I thought it would be better toleave off the uniform," said Mark.
"That was right. Now I can pass you off as a young friend. If I meet anyyoung lady friend, don't call me Miss Gilbert, but call me Maud. Perhapsyou had better call me that at any rate."
"I will--Maud."
"That's right, and I will call you--let me see, Cousin Mark. I don'twant my friends to think I had to send for an escort to a telegraphoffice."
When they entered Daly's Miss Gilbert met an old school friend--LouisaMorton.
"Why, Maud, are you here?" said her friend. "How delightful! And who isthis young gentleman?"
"My cousin, Mark Mason."
"Indeed! Well, I congratulate you on having such a nice escort. If hewere a few years older I might try to make you jealous."
Maud laughed gaily.
"Oh, you can't get him away. He is devoted to me. Aren't you, CousinMark?"
Mark was about to say "You bet," but it occurred to him that this wouldnot be _comme il faut_, so he only said, "You are right, Maud."
"Where are your seats? I hope they are near ours."
They proved to be in the same row, but on the other side of the centeraisle.
As Mark and the young lady took seats two pairs of astonished eyes notedtheir entrance. These belonged to Edgar and his father, who sat two rowsbehind. Edgar was the first to catch sight of them.
"Look, father!" he said, clutching his father's arm. "There is MarkMason and a beautiful girl just taking their seats. What does it mean?"
"I don't know," returned Mr. Talbot. "She seems to be a fashionableyoung lady."
"How in the world did he get acquainted with such people? She treats himas familiarly as if he were a brother or cousin."
"It is very strange."
"Please take the opera-glass, Mark," Edgar heard Miss Gilbert say. "Youknow I must make you useful."
For the rest of the evening the attention of Edgar and his father wasdivided between the play and Miss Gilbert and Mark. For the benefitchiefly of her friend, Maud tre
ated her young escort with the utmostfamiliarity, and quite misled Solon Talbot and Edgar.
When the play was over Mark carefully adjusted Miss Gilbert's wraps. Ashe passed through the aisle he saw for the first time Edgar and hisfather looking at him with astonished eyes.
"Good evening," he said with a smile. "I hope you enjoyed the play."
"Come, Mark, it is growing late," said Maud.
Mark bowed and passed on.
"Well, if that doesn't beat all!" ejaculated Edgar. "They seemed veryintimate."
When Mark bade Miss Gilbert good night after ringing the bell at herhome, she pressed a bank note into his hand.
"Thank you so much," she said. "Keep the change, and when I want anotherescort I will send for you."
By the light of the street lamp Mark inspected the bill and found it wasa five.
"That will give me over three dollars for myself," he said joyfully. "Sothe rent is secure."
The next day about two o'clock he was in the office of a prominentbanker to whom he had carried a message, when a wild-looking man withlight brown hair and wearing glasses, rushed in, and exclaimeddramatically to the astonished banker, "I want a hundred thousanddollars! Give it to me at once, or I will blow your office to atoms."
He pointed significantly to a small carpet bag which he carried in hisleft hand.
The broker turned pale, and half rose from his chair. He was toofrightened to speak, while two clerks writing in another part of theoffice seemed ready to faint.