jed was not long in finding that chester's aunt looked upon him, if not with hostility, at least with distrust. this was an unpleasant discovery. mr. holbrook had always appeared to have confidence in him, and approved his management of his son.
while chester and jed were walking on the beach miss holbrook took a seat upon the bluff and watched them through her spectacles, as jed could not help seeing.
"i say, jed," asked the little boy, "how do you like aunt maria?"
"i don't feel very well acquainted with her yet," answered jed cautiously.
"i don't like her!" said chester emphatically.
"why not?"
"oh, she's always scolding and finding[pg 154] fault. papa says it's because she's an old maid."
jed smiled.
"i wish papa had not sent for her," went on chester. "we could get along well enough without her."
"i think we should get along very well together, chester."
"i am sure we should. have you got any old maid aunts?"
"not that i know of," replied jed soberly, as he had forced upon him the thought of his solitary condition.
"then you are lucky. i'll give you aunt maria if you want her."
"perhaps she might not consent to be given away, chester."
half an hour later jed met with a surprise, and one not altogether agreeable.
"hello! you here!" exclaimed an amazed voice that sounded familiar to jed.
he looked up and saw percy dixon approaching.
"oh, it's you, percy?" he said. "when did you arrive?"
[pg 155]
"this morning. father and i are staying at the spray house." this was the largest hotel, and percy mentioned the name with evident pride.
"it is a nice hotel," responded jed.
"i should say so. why, it's the most expensive one here. but you haven't told me how you came here."
"i have been here for some weeks."
"where do you live?"
"i have a room in the village, but i take my meals at the spray house."
"you take your meals at the spray house?" ejaculated percy.
"yes."
"how can you afford it?"
"this boy's father pays my board. i look after chester."
"what's your name?" asked chester, who was by no means bashful.
"percy dixon," answered percy politely, for he judged that chester belonged to a rich family.
"so you know jed?"
"yes. i have that honor," returned percy[pg 156] with a curl of the lip. "when did you leave off acting?" he asked, turning to jed.
"at the end of the season. few dramatic companies play during the summer."
"are you going to play with them again?"
"i don't know yet. the boy whose place i took may be ready to take his own part in the fall."
"i saw your old friends mr. and mrs. fogson just before i came away," said percy significantly. "wouldn't you like to know how they are?"
"no; i feel no particular interest in them."
"they are interested in you. fogson says he's bound to get you back some time."
"i don't care to talk of them," said jed coldly.
"are you going in bathing?" asked chester.
"yes, i think so. do you go in?"
"shall we go in, jed?" asked the little boy.
"yes, if you like, chester."
the three boys repaired to the bathing-houses and prepared for their bath.
[pg 157]
as they walked up to the hotel together afterwards, percy remarked: "it seems strange to see you in such a place as this."
"i suppose so."
"it's funny how you get on. how did you get the chance to take care of the little boy?"
jed explained.
"is chester's father rich?"
"i presume so, from what i hear."
"is he here now?"
"no; he is in chicago for a week or ten days."
"and is there no one except you to take care of the boy?"
"there is an aunt of chester's in the hotel—his father's sister. there she is now!" and jed pointed out miss maria holbrook.
percy noticed her attentively, and was observed in turn by the spinster, who privately resolved to seek some information about jed from one who appeared to know him.
after dinner, while on the piazza, miss holbrook noticed percy sitting but a few feet distant.
"ahem!" she began. "young man, will[pg 158] you do me the favor to move your chair a little nearer?"
percy did so gladly. he wished for a chance to become acquainted with jed's employers.
"thank you. may i ask your name?"
"percy dixon."
"i noticed that you seemed to be acquainted with the boy who is in charge of my young nephew chester."
"yes, ma'am, i know him."
"have you known him long?"
"as far back as i can remember."
"did you live in the same town?"
"yes, ma'am."
"where?"
"scranton."
"you must pardon my curiosity, but my brother—chester's father—engaged this boy without apparently knowing much about him, except that he had been on the stage."
"he wasn't on the stage long."
"perhaps not, but probably he didn't get any good from it. what is your opinion of him. though, as you are his friend——"
[pg 159]
"i am not his friend!" said percy bluntly.
"then you haven't a high opinion of him?" said miss holbrook eagerly.
"no; i never liked him."
"i don't like him myself, though i can't tell exactly why not, and i am bound to say that chester and his father seem infatuated with him."
"i think you are quite right, miss holbrook."
"i can't help thinking there is some mystery about him."
"you are right, miss holbrook. there is a mystery about him."
"i was sure of it," exclaimed the spinster. "what is the character of his relations?"
"he has none that i know of."
"i believe he told me his parents were dead, and that he was brought up by a mr. and mrs. avery."
"ho, ho!" laughed percy.
"why do you laugh?"
"at his being brought up by mr. and mrs. avery."
"isn't it true, then?"
[pg 160]
"yes; but he probably didn't tell you that mr. and mrs. avery had charge of the scranton poorhouse."
"what!" ejaculated the spinster.
"it is as i say. until a few weeks since jed was an inmate of the scranton poorhouse."
"and this boy is actually in charge of my nephew!" exclaimed miss holbrook, overwhelmed with horror.
"yes; i was very much surprised to see jed in such company."
"my poor brother must be quite unaware of this astounding fact!"
"no doubt, miss holbrook. jed is cunning. he wouldn't be very apt to tell your brother that he is a pauper."
"a pauper! what a horrid thought! and that boy has actually the effrontery to push himself in among people of position. i can hardly believe it."
"if you have any doubt about it, miss holbrook, just write a note to mr. simeon fogson, and ask him what he thinks of jed gilman."
"but i thought it was mr. avery who kept the poorhouse."
[pg 161]
"he did; but when my father became overseer of the poor," said percy with conscious pride, "he removed the averys and put in mr. and mrs. fogson, whom he considered more fit for the office. the averys were weak people and pampered the paupers."
"mr. simeon fogson, scranton," miss holbrook entered on her tablets.
"really, mr. dixon, i am very much obliged to you for the important information you have given me, and so ought my brother to be. he has been very careless and indiscreet in engaging a boy of unknown antecedents, but it is fortunate that chester has an aunt who is keenly alive to his interests."
as she rose to go to her room to write to mr. fogson, percy smiled.
"jed gilman will find that his goose is cooked," he said to himself. "won't he be astonished when the thunderbolt falls?"
