CHAPTER XXVII. MR. TALBOT RECEIVES ANOTHER SET-BACK.

"He's in a rage, it's easy to see that. I wonder what he will do next?"

Such was the mental question Robert asked when he found himself once more alone.

James Talbot had tried a little plan of his own, and it had failed and left him in a worse position than before.

He had hoped by offering Robert a good salary—to be paid out of Mrs. Talbot's money—to get the youth under his thumb. But our hero had refused to have anything to do with him and had threatened to do all he could to induce Mrs. Talbot to keep her fortune in her own control.

"He's a regular imp," muttered James Talbot, as he hurried down the street, so enraged that he scarcely knew where he was walking. "If he writes home to his mother it will be harder than ever to do anything with her. I wish he was at the bottom of the sea!"

His soliloquy was brought to a sudden and un[Pg 230]expected termination when he passed around a corner and ran full tilt into another individual. Both went sprawling, and both were for the instant deprived of their wind.

"Who—what—?" spluttered James Talbot, as he picked himself up.

"You fool, you!" panted the other individual. "What do you mean by driving into me in this fashion?"

"I—I didn't see you," answered Talbot.

"You must be blind," stormed the party who had been knocked down.

"I'm not blind. I—I—was in a tremendous hurry." James Talbot looked at the other man curiously. "I—er—I—think I've met you before."

"I don't remember you."

"Isn't your name Livingston Palmer?"

"It is."

"I saw you in Granville—at the theater, and later on at the railroad station."

Palmer, for it was really he, flushed up.

"Perhaps you belonged to that mob that assaulted our troupe," he sneered. "Your actions here are in the same line."

"No, I had no fault to find with the theatrical company," returned James Talbot slowly. The[Pg 231] meeting had surprised him greatly, and he began to wonder how he might turn it to account. "I wonder if you know who I am?" he added, after a pause.

"I can't say that I do."

"I am James Talbot, the husband of the lady upon whom you called."

"Oh! Then you are Robert Frost's step-father," exclaimed Livingston Palmer.

"I am. May I ask what induced you to call upon my wife?"

Again Palmer flushed up.

"I think, Mr. Talbot, that that was my affair."

"Do you mean to say you refuse to tell?"

"Well, if you must know, I will tell you—so that Mrs. Talbot may not get into trouble over it. Your townpeople treated me so shabbily that I called upon your wife for a small loan, so that I might get back to Chicago."

"Humph! Then Robert didn't send you to see her?"

"No, Robert knew nothing about my going to Granville."

"I thought you and he were great friends?"

"So we are, but he didn't know where I was going when we separated."

[Pg 232]

"A likely story," sneered James Talbot. "I believe that boy sent you to my wife with a message."

"You can think as you please," cried Palmer hotly. "I have told you the plain truth. But I guess Robert will have to send a private messenger, since his letters don't reach his mother."

The shot told, and James Talbot grew pale for the moment. Then he recovered himself.

"I won't stand any of your slurs, young man. I reckon you are no better than Robert."

"I don't want to be any better than Robert. He's a first-rate fellow."

"He is an impudent cub."

"That is only your opinion."

"I am his step-father, and in the eyes of the law I am as a real father to him. Yet instead of minding me he openly defies me."

"I don't know but what I would do the same," answered Palmer coolly.

"I want to do what is right by him—make something of him—but he won't let me do it."

"He is able to take care of himself."

"No, he is not. Sooner or later he'll be going to the dogs."

"He told me all about how you had treated him. I don't blame him for leaving home, al[Pg 233]though it may be possible that he would have done better by sticking to his mother."

"Do you mean to insinuate that his mother may need him?"

"I don't wonder if she does, Mr. Talbot. As I understand the matter she is rich."

"Well?"

"It would be a great temptation for some husbands to try to get that money in their own hands."

James Talbot grew crimson.

"You insult me!" he ejaculated.

Livingston Palmer shrugged his shoulders.

"You can take it as you please. I didn't stop you. You ran into me and knocked me down."

"Where are you going?"

"That is my affair."

"You are going to call upon Robert."

"Perhaps I am."

"If you do, let me warn you not to talk about me and my wife. Did she send the boy a message?"

"If she did I shan't deliver it to you," answered Livingston Palmer, and proceeded on his way. James Talbot gazed after him in anger and disappointment.

"Another who is against me," he muttered.[Pg 234] "I must hurry my schemes, or it will be too late to put them through."

Livingston Palmer had just reached Mrs. Gibbs' boarding house when he met Robert coming out, on his way to see Herman Wenrich about the map.

"Robert!" cried the former clerk. "I'm glad I caught you."

"Why, Livingston, I thought you were on the road," returned Robert, as he shook hands.

"Not much! No more theatrical life for me," said Palmer.

"What, have you had enough already?"

"Yes, and got it in your native town, too."

"In Granville?"

"Exactly. We opened in Granville and we busted in Granville," said Palmer, and in such a dubious fashion that our hero could scarcely keep from laughing outright.

"What, has the Dixon Combination Comedy Company gone to pieces?"

"It has—at least so far as I am concerned. Dixon isn't going to show again until the performers have rehearsed for another couple of weeks."

Palmer did not wish to go into the details of his bitter experience, so without delay he began[Pg 235] to tell of his visit to Mrs. Talbot and of what she had done and said, and then before Robert could interrupt him he told of the meeting with James Talbot.

"Yes, my step-father was here," said Robert. "I am satisfied that he is not to be trusted. I shall write my mother a long letter about him as soon as I can get the chance. But now I must be off, as I have some important business to attend to for Mr. Marden. What are you going to do?"

"I am going to call upon Mr. Gray and see if he intends to open up again," answered Livingston Palmer. "After this office life will be good enough for me."