Herbert Carter's Legacy; Or, the Inventor's Son by Jr. Horatio Alger (top reads .TXT) 📕

He met Cameron on the steps of the hotel.

“I thought I'd come and walk with you,” he said.

“Very well,” said Cameron. “Do you know the way to Mr. Crane's?”

“The carpenter's?”

“Yes.”

“There's nothing to see there,” said James.

“I beg your pardon. I want to see Herbert at his work.”

“Oh, well, I'll show you the way,” said James.

Herbert was hard at work when the two came up.

“How are you, professor?” asked Cameron.

“Very well, Mr. Cameron. How are you, James?”

“I'm well enough,” answered James, who always found it hard to be decently civil to our hero. “Don't you get tired working?”

“I haven't worked long enough this morning for that. I dare say I shall be tired before noon.”

“Then your other work will begin,” said Cameron.

“That kind of work will be a rest to me, it's so different.”

“If you had an extra hoe I would help you a little. It would be as good as exercise in the gymnasium.”

“Perhaps I could borrow two and so employ both of you,” remarked Herbert, with a glance at James, who was sprucely dressed and wore a flower in his buttonhole.

“None for me, thank you,” said James, with a look of disgust. “I don't intend to become a laborer.”

“You'll have to labor if you study law,” said Cameron.

“That's genteel; besides I don't call it labor. Shall we go on, Mr. Cameron?”

“Not just yet. I want to watch Herbert a little longer.”

So he lingered, much to the dissatisfaction of James.

“Won't you go out rowing?” he asked, when they were walking away.

“I have no objection,” said Cameron; and they spent an hour on the pond.

“Do you think I can get into the crew if I go to Yale?” asked James, complacently.

“I should say not, unless you improve in rowing.”

“Don't I row well?”

“There is considerable room for improvement. However, you have time enough for that.”

They were cruising near the shore when a boy of ten came down to the bank and called out to them.

“James,” he said, “will you let me go across in the boat with you?”

“Why should I?” demanded James, not very amicably, for the boy belonged to what he termed the lower classes.

“Do let me,” urged the boy. “I left mother very sick and went for the doctor. She was all alone and I want to get back as soon as I can.”

By the road the boy would have to walk about a mile and a quarter, while he could be rowed across the pond in six or seven minutes.

“I can't take anybody and everybody in my boat,” said James, disagreeably. “Go ahead and walk.”

“How can you refuse the boy, when he wants to get home to his sick mother?” said Cameron, indignantly. “Jump in, my boy, and we'll take you over.”

“I don't know about that,” said James, sullenly.

“Look here!” said Cameron, shortly. “Refuse this boy and I shall get out of the boat immediately and refuse hereafter to be seen in your company.”

James was disagreeably surprised.

“Jump in, my boy,” said Cameron, kindly.

“Thank you, sir,” said the boy, gratefully. James was not a little mortified at the snubbing he had received, but he did not venture to expostulate.

Cameron was fond of boating, but did not care to be indebted to James for the loan of his boat.

“I'll have a boat sent on to me,” he secretly determined, “and when I leave Wrayburn I'll give it to Herbert.”