Dan The Newsboy 21

Dan The Newsboy 21

"Snug little home!" repeated the young lady, scornfully. "Thank you; I'd

rather not. I know just what that means. It means that I am to be a

household drudge, afraid to spend an extra sixpence--perhaps obliged to

take lodgers, like my aunt."

 

"Not so bad as that, Virginia."

 

"It would come to that in time."

 

"I am sure you cannot love me when you so coolly give me up for money."

 

"I haven't given you up, but I want you to get money."

 

"Would to Heaven I could!"

 

"You could if you were in earnest."

 

"Do you doubt that?"

 

"Where there's a will, there's a way, Mr. Talbot. If you really care so

much for me, you will try to support me as I want to live."

 

"Tell me, in a word, what you want."

 

"Well," said Virginia, slowly, "I want to go to Europe for my

honey-moon. I've heard so much of Paris, I know I should like it ever

so much. Then I want to live _respectably_ when I get back."

 

"What do you call living respectably?" asked Talbot.

 

"Well, we must have a nice little house to ourselves, and I think, just

at first, I could get along with three servants; and I should want to go

to the opera, and the theater, and to concerts."

 

"You have not been accustomed to live in that way, Virginia."

 

"No; and that's why I have made up my mind not to marry unless my

husband can gratify me."

 

"Suppose this is impossible?"

 

"Impossible for you!" said Miss Conway, significantly.

 

"You mean you will look elsewhere?" said Talbot, hastily.

 

"Yes, I think so," said Virginia, coolly.

 

"And you would desert me for a richer suitor?" he demanded, quickly.

 

"Of course I would rather marry you--you know that," said Virginia, with

perfect self-possession; "but if you can't meet my conditions, perhaps

it is better that we should part."

 

"You are cruel--heartless!" exclaimed Talbot, angrily.

 

"No; only sensible," she returned, calmly. "I don't mean to marry you

and be unhappy all my life; and I can't be happy living in the stuffy

way my aunt does. We should both be sorry for such a marriage when it

was too late."

 

"I will take the risk, Virginia," said Talbot, fixing his eyes with

passionate love on the cold-hearted girl.

 

"But I will not," said Virginia, decidedly. "I am sure you needn't take

it to heart, Mr. Talbot. Why don't you exert yourself and win a fortune,

as other people do? I am sure plenty of money is made in Wall street."

 

"And lost."

 

"Not if you are smart. Come now, smooth your face, and tell me you will

try," she said, coaxingly.

 

"Yes, Virginia, I will try," he answered, his face clearing. "And if I

try----"

 

"You will succeed," she said, smiling.

 

"Well, I hope I may."

 

"And now don't let us talk about disagreeable things. Do you know, sir,

it is a week since you took me to any place of amusement? And here I

have been moping at home every evening with my aunt, who is terribly

tiresome, poor old soul!"

 

"I would rather spend the evening here with you, Virginia, than go to

any place of amusement."

 

"Then I can't agree with you. One gets tired of spooning."

 

"I don't--if you call by that name being in the company of one you

love."

 

"You would, if you had as little variety as I have."

 

"Tell me one thing, Virginia--you love me, don't you?" asked Talbot, in

whose mind sometimes there rose an unpleasant suspicion that his love

was not returned.

 

"Why, of course I do, you foolish man," she said, carelessly. "And now,

where are you going to take me?"

 

"Where do you want to go, my darling?"

 

"To the Italian opera. To-morrow they play 'The Huguenots.'"

 

"I thought you didn't care for music, Virginia?"

 

"I don't go for that. I want to go because it's fashionable, and I want

to be seen. So, be a good boy, and get some nice seats for to-morrow

evening."

 

"Very well, my darling."

 

"And you'll try to get rich, for my sake?"

 

"Yes, Virginia. How rich must I be?"

 

"As soon as you can tell me you have ten thousand dollars, and will

spend half of it on a trip to Europe, I will marry you."

 

"Is that a bargain?"

 

"Yes."

 

"Then I hope to tell you so soon."

 

"The sooner the better."

 

When Talbot left the house it was with the determination to secure the

sum required by any means, however objectionable. His great love had

made him reckless.

 

Virginia Conway followed his retreating form with her cool, calculating

glance.

 

"Poor man! he is awfully in love!" she said to herself. "I'll give him

two months to raise the money, and if he fails, I think I can captivate

Mr. Cross, though he's horrid."

 

Mr. Cross was a middle-aged grocer, a widower, without children, and

reputed moderately wealthy.

 

When Mr. Talbot had entered the house, Dan was not far off. Later, he

saw him at the window with Virginia.

 

"I suppose that's his young lady," thought Dan. "All right! I guess he's

safe for this evening."

 

 

 

 

CHAPTER XVIII.

 

TWO KNIGHTS OF THE HIGHWAY.

 

 

Stocks took an upward turn, so that Talbot's brokers were willing to

carry them for him longer without an increase of margin. The market

looked so uncertain, however, that he decided to sell, though he only

made himself whole. To escape loss hardly satisfied him, when it was so

essential to make money.

 

He was deeply in love with Virginia Conway, but there was no hope of

obtaining her consent to a marriage unless he could raise money enough

to gratify her desires.

 

How should he do it?

 

He was returning to his boarding-house at a late hour one night, when,

in an unfrequented street, two figures advanced upon him from the

darkness, and, while one seized him by the throat, the other rifled his

pockets.

 

Talbot was not a coward, and having only a few dollars in his

pocket-book, while his watch, luckily, was under repair at Tiffany's, he

submitted quietly to the examination.

 

The pocket-book was opened and its contents eagerly scanned.

 

An exclamation of disgust mingled with profanity followed.

 

"Only five dollars, Mike!" muttered one of the ruffians.

 

"Why don't you carry money, like a gentleman?" demanded the man called

Mike. "Ain't you ashamed to carry such a lean wallet as that there?"

 

"Really, gentlemen, if I had expected to meet you, I would have provided

myself better," said Talbot, not without a gleam of humor.

 

"He's chaffing us Bill," said Mike.

 

"You'd better not, if you know what's best for yourself," growled Bill.

"Where's your ticker?"

 

"My watch is at Tiffany's."

 

"That's too thin."

 

"It's the truth. You ought to have waited till next week, when I'd have

had it for you."

 

"You're a cool customer."

 

"Why not?"

 

"We might hurt you."

 

"You have already. Don't squeeze my throat so next time."

 

"Have you any jewelry about you?"

 

"Only a pair of sleeve buttons."

 

"Gold?"

 

"Yes; but they are small, and not worth much."