CHAPTER XXV. ANOTHER TALK ABOUT ROBERT.

Mrs. Talbot saw plainly that Livingston Palmer was suffering, both from humiliation and from the manner in which he had been treated physically, and her heart was touched.

"I am very sorry for you, Mr. Palmer," she said. "If there is anything I can do for you I will do it willingly. But I would first like to hear something of my son."

"I will tell you all I know," answered the young man quickly. "I was in hope that Robert's mother might aid me. We have been good friends. He's a splendid lad."

"Yes, Robert is a good boy and always was. Is he well?"

"Perfectly well, and was, as I said before, doing finely, until the fire threw us both out."

"How much was he getting a week?"

"Five dollars."

"I do not call that very good," cried Mrs. Tal[Pg 216]bot. "He cannot live very well on that in such a city as Chicago."

"He told me he had an allowance besides."

"An allowance?" Mrs. Talbot looked puzzled. "I can't understand that. I made him no allowance, for he would not permit it. He said he was going to make his own way in the world."

"Well, I can only tell you what he said," returned Livingston Palmer.

"Will you give me his address, so that I can write to him?"

"Why, haven't you his address? I am sure he wrote to you."

"I never got the letter." And then Mrs. Talbot's face flushed, as she remembered about the letter her husband had destroyed. Had she been deceived in the matter, after all?

"Then I will write the address down for you," said Palmer, and did so.

A long talk followed, and the young man told Mrs. Talbot all he knew about Robert, and also mentioned Dick Marden, but not in such a way that the lady suspected the allowance Robert received came from the miner.

Palmer frankly admitted that he was without means of any sort.

"If I were in Chicago, this would not matter[Pg 217] so much," he added. "But in Granville I know nobody but you and the members of our company, or rather the company to which I belonged. I was discharged, and Dixon refuses to even give me my carfare back to the city."

"I shall be pleased to give you what you need," replied Mrs. Talbot. "I am overjoyed to learn that Robert is well. I am going to pay Chicago a visit soon, and then if he will not come to me I will go to him."

"He will come to you fast enough, madam. It is only his step-father whom he dreads."

"Yes, yes, I know." Mrs. Talbot thought best to change the subject. "Will you not have breakfast with me, Mr. Palmer?"

"With pleasure," answered the young man. "But I—er—I would like to brush and wash up first."

"To be sure." Mrs. Talbot surveyed him critically. "I really believe some of Robert's clothing would fit you. At least his coat would."

"Yes, his coat would."

"Then I can perhaps replace that torn garment you are wearing."

Mrs. Talbot was as good as her word, and half an hour later Livingston Palmer came down from the room Robert had occupied, thoroughly[Pg 218] brushed and washed and wearing a coat and vest which had belonged to the boy. They were rather tight, it is true, but they were almost new, and a vast improvement over the ragged garments Palmer had worn upon presenting himself.

A substantial breakfast followed, of fish, omelet, hot rolls, and coffee, and it is perhaps needless to say that Palmer did full justice to all that was set before him. And small wonder, for he had eaten nothing since the afternoon of the day before.

It was nearly noon before the young man prepared to take his departure, with twenty dollars in his pocket, which he had insisted should be a loan only, to be paid back as soon as the opportunity afforded.

"I am very grateful to you, Mrs. Talbot," he said, on parting. "You have treated me like a king. Why Robert should leave such a home and such a mother I can't understand."

Mrs. Talbot was visibly affected.

"It was entirely on his step-father's account, Mr. Palmer. Robert is high spirited and would not bend as Mr. Talbot wished."

"Then let me be bold enough to say that I imagine Robert was in the right."

To this Mrs. Talbot made no reply. But she[Pg 219] begged Palmer to keep an eye on her son, and if anything went wrong to let her know by sending her a letter in care of the postmaster, and marked for personal delivery only. Then Palmer hurried away, to catch the first train he could for the great city by the lakes.

When her visitor was gone Mrs. Talbot sat down to review the situation in her mind. Her thoughts were not pleasant ones. Her second marriage was proving to be anything but agreeable. She realized that her husband was not the man she had imagined him to be.

Dinner was on the table at twelve, for Mr. Talbot insisted on having his main meal at mid-day. Yet the man did not come in until nearly half an hour later, and then he appeared to be much put out about something.

"I understand you had a visitor this morning," he began, as he and his wife sat down to the table, and Jane brought on the food.

"Yes."

"Some friend of that reckless son of yours," went on Mr. Talbot. "What did Robert send him for, money?"

Mrs. Talbot was surprised.

"How did you learn my visitor was a friend of Robert?" she asked.

[Pg 220]

"I got it from Sproggens at the depot. He was talking with the fellow while he was waiting for a train. I hope you didn't encourage him, Sarah. If the boy sees fit to run away and stay away, let him make his own way."

"That is just what Robert is doing, James," cried the lady, her face flushing.

"Then why did Robert send that young man here?"

"He didn't send him here."

"Humph!" James Talbot was on the point of saying that he did not believe the statement, but cut himself short. If he angered his wife now he might have trouble in getting the five or ten thousand dollars she had said she would loan him.

"The young man belonged to that theatrical company we went to see," continued Mrs. Talbot. "He knew Robert and so he thought he would call here and see me."

"What did he have to say about the boy?"

"He said Robert had been doing very well, but a fire burnt out the office in which he was employed."

"And what is the boy doing now?"

"Nothing, just at present."

"He won't find it easy to get another opening."

[Pg 221]

"Mr. Palmer said Robert might go up to Michigan in a few days. He had to do something for a man interested in some timber lands in the upper part of that State."

"Humph! I shouldn't wonder if the boy came home soon. He'll get tired of roughing it."

"Robert has a stout heart, Mr. Talbot, and I doubt if he ever comes home so long as you are here."

And with these words Mrs. Talbot arose and swept from the dining room, hardly having touched a mouthful of the food Jane had taken so much pains to prepare.

James Talbot finished his meal in silence, and ate as heartily as ever, for seldom did anything interfere with his appetite. From the kitchen Jane eyed him in a manner which was anything but agreeable.

"The old gorilla," she said to herself, as she rattled the pans angrily. "He ought to be thrown out of the house. If it wasn't for the poor mistress, sure and I wouldn't stay another minute. I wish the victuals would choke him." And then she vowed that the next time she fixed the dessert she would make Mr. Talbot's portion so bad that he could not eat it.