CHAPTER IV. MR. TALBOT IS MYSTIFIED.

Robert slept soundly, and didn't wake till near breakfast-time. He jumped out of bed and hastily dressed himself. Then he went to the door of his chamber, and tried to open it. To his surprise, he found himself unable to do so. For the first time he noticed that the key was not in the lock.

"What does this mean?" he asked himself.

He peered through the key-hole and detected the key sticking in from the other side of the door.

"This is Mr. Talbot's work," he decided. "What does he expect to gain by it?"

Robert was quite cool, and upon the whole, rather amused. It seemed to him a childish trick to play upon him.

"What a contemptible fellow he is!" he said to himself. "It mortifies me to think he is my mother's husband."

Robert's room was a large front apartment on the third floor. It was quite as handsome as any[Pg 34] on the second floor. It was directly over the room occupied by his mother. She, however, must already be downstairs.

"I am sure mother can't know of this," he decided.

Just then the breakfast bell rang, and Robert wondered whether anyone would come up to see why he did not come down.

Presently he heard a step on the stairs, and a minute later he heard the voice of his step-father.

"Robert!" he called out, "are you up?"

"Yes, Mr. Talbot. Why did you lock me in?"

"I had my reasons. You were disobedient to me yesterday."

Robert laughed, a little to Mr. Talbot's annoyance. He hoped to find the boy in a state of alarm, ready to submit to his orders.

"About the wood, I suppose you mean."

"Yes."

"Are you going to unlock the door?"

His voice was quite calm, and he showed no nervousness nor excitement.

"I will upon one condition."

"You have no right to lock me up here, and no right to make conditions."

[Pg 35]

"That is for me to say. I will unlock the door on condition that you agree to saw and split the wood, as I required yesterday."

"To-day is Sunday. Do you expect me to work to-day?"

Mr. Talbot was rather taken aback. He had forgotten when the evening before he locked the door of Robert's chamber that the next day would be Sunday.

"No, but next week."

"I don't agree," said Robert firmly.

"All right; I will come up in an hour, and see if you have changed your mind."

With a malicious chuckle James Talbot drew the key from the lock, put it in his pocket, and went downstairs. His wife was already sitting in her place at the breakfast table.

"What makes you so late, James," she asked.

"I have been having a little interview with your son, my dear."

"He is late, too. Is he coming down?"

"No doubt he would like to," said her husband, chuckling.

"I don't understand you, James. If he would like to come, why doesn't he?"

"Because he is locked in his chamber."

"Who locked him there?"

[Pg 36]

"I did."

Mrs. Talbot was a meek woman, but this excited her to anger.

"I will go right up and let him out," she said.

James Talbot laughed, but allowed his wife to leave the room without a word.

She hurried up to Robert's chamber.

"Robert!" she called through the key-hole.

"Is it you, mother?"

"Yes. Are you locked in?"

"Yes."

"Where is the key?"

"In Mr. Talbot's pocket, I presume."

"Why did he lock you in?"

"Because I would not agree to saw and split the wood in place of Mr. Webber next week."

"That is shameful. Poor boy! and you have had no breakfast."

"And am not likely to have, unless you can pass some through the key-hole. You see what sort of a man you have married, mother."

Mrs. Talbot was silent. She began to realize it herself.

"How is this going to end?" she asked, half crying.

[Pg 37]

"Don't mind me, mother. I'll get out some way."

"I will ask James—Mr. Talbot for the key."

"He won't give it to you. Let things take their course. I will consider what is best to be done. But first, is there any other key in the house that will fit this door?"

"No, I don't think so."

When Mrs. Talbot went downstairs her husband was half through breakfast.

"I am afraid your breakfast will be cold, my dear," he said.

"How can you act so meanly, James?"

"It is all for Robert's good. He has been too much indulged. I want to make a man of him. What did he say to you?"

"He told me not to mind—that he would get out some way."

"Perhaps through the key-hole," laughed James Talbot, apparently much amused.

"You are real mean," whimpered his wife. "The poor boy has had no breakfast."

"Don't let that interfere with your breakfasting, Mrs. T."

"How can I eat when he is hungry?"

"You see it doesn't affect my appetite. Really, this steak is unusually good."

[Pg 38]

Meanwhile Robert was considering how he was to escape. It was rather a puzzling question to consider, and he could not think of any way. But as he was looking out of the window he saw Sam Jones, a school friend, pass by. An idea came to him. Sam's father was a carpenter, and the owner of a tall ladder.

"I say, Sam!" he called out.

Sam looked up in the direction of the voice, and to his surprise saw Robert at the window.

"What's up?" he asked.

"I am."

"Why don't you come down?"

"For a very good reason—because I am locked in."

"What's that for?" asked Sam in natural surprise.

Robert explained.

"What are you going to do?"

"Get out, if you will help me."

"What shall I do?"

"Ask your father to bring his tall ladder. I am sure it will reach up to my window. Only be quick about it. I want to get out before Mr. Talbot is through breakfast."

"I'll do it. It will be good fun to circumvent the old rascal."

[Pg 39]

Sam started on a run, and in less than ten minutes came back with his father and the ladder. Mr. Jones was very ready to lend his assistance, for he had taken a dislike to Mr. Talbot, who had beaten him down on the price of some repairs he had made to the barn.

The two together put up the ladder against the window, and Robert stepping through the opening, put his foot on the top rung and quickly descended.

He breathed a sigh of relief and exultation as he set foot on the ground.

"That's the first time I was ever a prisoner, and I don't like it," he said. "I wish I had old Talbot up there. He wouldn't dare to escape as I did, for he is an awful coward."

He told the story of the dog, and how frightened his step-father had been. Sam and his father enjoyed the story.

"Now, take away the ladder quick. I don't want Mr. Talbot to know how I got out. I mustn't forget to thank you for your kindness."

"You can do as much for me if father ever locks me up," said Sam.

"I don't think there's much danger."

Meanwhile, Mr. Talbot having got through[Pg 40] breakfast went upstairs to enjoy the uncomfortable position of his step-son.

"Robert!" he called through the key-hole.

There was no answer.

"You needn't be sullen. It will do you no good."

Still there was no answer.

"I would open the door," thought the man, "but he may be lying in wait for me, and he is very strong for a boy."

A third time he called, but still there was no answer.

"I hope he hasn't done anything desperate," thought James Talbot.

Finally he summoned up courage to unlock the door. Lo, the bird was flown, and the window was open.

"I wonder if he has jumped out!" said Talbot in alarm.

He went to the window and looked out, but could see nothing of Robert.

"It is very strange," he muttered. "If he had broken a limb, he would be lying on the lawn."

He went downstairs considerably perturbed. Hearing noise in the dining-room, he looked in, and saw Robert sitting at the table.

"Good morning, Mr. Talbot," said Robert,[Pg 41] with much politeness. "You will excuse my being late to breakfast, but circumstances prevented my being on time."

James Talbot sank into a chair and stared at Robert open-mouthed.

"Did you get out of the window?" he asked.

"Yes, but next time I'd rather go through the door."

"What a very remarkable boy!" thought his step-father.