jed walked around to the office of his friend harry bertram.
the telegraph operator noticed at once that he looked disturbed.
"what has happened, jed?" he asked.
"i am discharged! that is all."
"discharged? who discharged you?"
"miss holbrook."
"what is her reason? what have you done?" asked bertram, much surprised.
"i have done nothing, but she has discovered that i was brought up in the scranton poorhouse," announced jed despondently.
"as if that made you any the worse!" ejaculated bertram indignantly.
"it isn't to my credit, at any rate. i am ashamed of it myself."
"i don't know why you should be ashamed.[pg 173] you have left it, and are now earning your own living."
"i was, but i am out of work now, and i may find it hard to get another position."
"you can perhaps go back to the stage."
"if i can take my part in the 'gold king' i shall be satisfied," said jed hopefully. "when will the season commence?"
"september 7—three weeks from next thursday."
at that moment one of the bell boys came to the telegraph office with a letter in his hand.
"i have a letter for you, mr. bertram," he said.
"ha! this is from mordaunt. now we shall know."
he tore open the envelope hastily. his countenance fell, and he handed it in silence to jed.
this is the letter.
dear bertram:
season of the gold king opens at jersey city on the seventh of september. as we shall have two new actors i shall call rehearsals for the tuesday[pg 174] previous. please report at middleton agency in new york on the first.
john mordaunt, manager.
p. s.—ralph clinton has recovered from his sickness, and will be ready to resume his part.
"that settles it!" said jed soberly, as he handed back the letter. "that opening is closed to me."
"i am awfully sorry, jed," returned bertram in a tone of sympathy. "perhaps if you enroll your name at the agency you can get a chance in some other play. i will speak a good word for you, and so i am sure will mordaunt."
jed shook his head.
"i don't think my chance would be very good," he said, "as i have had so little experience. besides, it is three weeks from now. i must try to get work before then."
"stay here, jed. i will pay your expenses."
"thank you, mr. bertram, but i have more than money enough for that, and you will need all yours. it will be better for me to leave sea spray, and go out in the world in search of work."
[pg 175]
"i hate to have you go, jed. i shall feel lonesome."
"so shall i, mr. bertram, but we are sure to meet again," said jed with forced cheerfulness.
"you must promise if things don't go well with you to write to me. you can learn from the clipper or any of the dramatic papers where we are playing."
"i'll promise that, harry," said jed, pressing the hand of his friend.
"that's right, jed! don't call me mr. bertram again."
"i will remember."
"don't go till to-morrow."
"no, i won't. i shall need a little time to get ready."
at this point a message came for bertram to transmit, and jed walked over to the beach, feeling dull and despondent. as he sauntered on slowly with his eyes on the sand some one called out, "hallo, there!"
looking up, he met the gaze of percy dixon.
"where's chester?" asked percy.
"in the hotel, i suppose."
[pg 176]
"why isn't he with you?"
"because he is no longer under my charge," answered jed eyeing percy fixedly.
"ho, ho! you don't mean to say that you're bounced!" queried percy, with a look of malicious pleasure.
"that is about the size of it."
"well, i am surprised," returned percy cheerfully. "what have you been up to?"
"nothing."
"then why are you discharged?" asked percy with a look of innocent wonder.
"i don't think you need ask, percy dixon," said jed coldly. "if you had not made your appearance at sea spray i should have kept my place."
"ho, ho! what have i been doing, i should like to know?" asked percy smiling.
"i don't need to tell you. you told miss holbrook that i had been brought up in the scranton poorhouse."
"well, it's true, isn't it?"
"yes, it is true, but you understood very well what would be the result of your communication."
[pg 177]
"as she asked me about you, i had to tell."
"you gave her the name of mr. fogson, and led to her writing to him."
"so he's written, has he."
"yes; miss holbrook showed me the letter this morning."
"what did he say?" asked percy, smiling.
"probably miss holbrook will show you the letter if you ask her."
"i will. i should like to see what old fogson says. he don't admire you very much."
"there is no love lost between us."
"well, what are you going to do?" inquired percy, whose weak point was curiosity.
"i shall try to get another position."
"do you expect to go back to the stage?"
"no; my old part in the 'gold king' has been taken by the actor whose place i filled during his sickness."
"then you haven't anything in view."
"nothing particular."
"then i advise you to go back to the poorhouse. fogson will be glad to see you. i will arrange it with father."
"you are very kind, but i have no more[pg 178] idea of returning to the poorhouse than you have of making your home there."
"i'll thank you not to mention my name in connection with the poorhouse," said percy, coloring and speaking angrily.
"i will make the same request of you."
"you are getting on your high horse," remarked percy sarcastically.
"perhaps so. good morning."
"that fellow's the proudest beggar i ever saw," mused percy, as he stood still on the beach and watched jed's receding figure. "it's so ridiculous, too! a boy brought up in a poorhouse! i wonder if he has any idea what a fool he is making of himself."
"why is percy so malicious?" thought jed, as he pursued his way, feeling, if anything, a little more despondent than before. "if our situations were changed i should delight in helping him along. he seems determined to force me back to the poorhouse. but i won't go! i'll starve first."
to one who has been steadily employed enforced idleness is tedious and tiresome. as jed paced the sands his life seemed perfectly[pg 179] aimless, and he wondered how he was going to get through the day.
moreover he missed chester. the boy's warm heart and affectionate ways had endeared him to his young guardian, and jed felt sad to think that in all probability he should never again be on terms of intimacy with the little fellow.
plunged in thought and despondent he sauntered along till suddenly he heard a young fresh voice, that brought a brighter look to his face.
"jed, jed!"
jed turned, and saw only a couple of rods distant the boy of whom he had been thinking, walking beside his tall and stately aunt, who, after discharging jed, had felt obliged to undertake the charge of her young nephew herself.
"why, chester!" said jed with a bright smile.
chester broke away from his aunt, and running up to jed took his hand confidingly.
"aunt maria says you are going away!" he broke out. "what makes you go away?"
[pg 180]
"your aunt has sent me away," announced jed.
"but i won't let you go," said the little boy, taking a firmer grip of jed's hand.
"come back directly, chester!" said miss holbrook frowning.
"i want to stay with jed," said chester rebelliously.
"but i don't want you to stay with him. come back directly, you naughty boy!" exclaimed miss holbrook angrily.
"i'd rather stay with jed!"
"jedediah!" said miss holbrook, turning a look of displeasure upon jed. "i am sorry that you incite chester to acts of disobedience."
"miss holbrook," returned jed independently, "i don't think i have done what you charge me with. i like chester, and i cannot drive him away."
"that is all very well, but i understand your motives. you want to force me to take you back."
"excuse me, i have no such thought. if your brother will take me back i shall be glad to return to him."
[pg 181]
"i will see that he does not recall you. chester, if you don't come back at once i will punish you."
looking at his aunt's angry face, chester very reluctantly felt compelled to obey.
"kiss me, jed!" he said.
jed bent over and kissed the little boy. tears nearly came to his eyes when he felt that it might be for the last time.
"i trust, jedediah," said miss holbrook stiffly, "that your sense of propriety will prevent your speaking to chester again."
"miss holbrook," said jed with a tremor in his voice, "as i am to leave sea spray to-morrow morning i shall hardly meet chester again."
then, as chester walked away unwillingly with his aunt, jed's heart sank within him. in all the world he seemed to be alone, and he cared little at that moment what was to become of him in the future.
