Driven from Home; Or, Carl Crawford's Experience by Jr. Horatio Alger (book club books .txt) ๐
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- Author: Jr. Horatio Alger
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โNo. I have just returned from Chicago.โ
His stepmother looked surprised.
โWe have had a quiet time since you left us,โ she said. โIf you value your fatherโs health and peace of mind, you will not remain here.โ
โIs my presence also unwelcome?โ asked Ashcroft.
โYou have not treated me with respect,โ replied Mrs. Crawford. โIf you are a gentleman, you will understand that under the circumstances it will be wise for you to take your departure.โ
โLeaving my old friend to your care?โ
โYes, that will be best.โ
โMr. Ashcroft, can I have a few minutesโ conversation with you?โ asked Carl.
โCertainly.โ
They left the room together, followed by an uneasy and suspicious glance from Mrs. Crawford.
Carl hurriedly communicated to his fatherโs friend what he had learned about his stepmother.
โMr. Cook, Peterโs father, is just outside,โ he said. โShall I call him in?โ
โI think we had better do so, but arrange that the interview shall take place without your fatherโs knowledge. He must not be excited. Call him in, and then summon your stepmother.โ
โMrs. Crawford,โ said Carl, re-entering his fatherโs room, โMr. Ashcroft would like to have a few words with you. Can you come out?โ
She followed Carl uneasily.
โWhat is it you want with me, sir?โ she asked, frigidly.
โLet me introduce an old acquaintance of yours.โ
Mr. Cook, whom Mrs. Crawford had not at first observed, came forward. She drew back in dismay.
โIt is some time since we met, Lucy,โ said Cook, quietly.
โDo you come here to make trouble?โ she muttered, hoarsely.
โI come to ask for the property you took during my absence in California,โ he said. โI donโt care to have you return to meโโโ
โI obtained a divorce.โ
โPrecisely; I donโt care to annul it. I am thankful that you are no longer my wife.โ
โIโI will see what I can do for you. Donโt go near my present husband. He is in poor health, and cannot bear a shock.โ
โMrs. Crawford,โ said Ashcroft, gravely, โif you have any idea of remaining here, in this house, give it up. I shall see that your husbandโs eyes are opened to your real character.โ
โSir, you heard this man say that he has no claim upon me.โ
โThat may be, but I cannot permit my friend to harbor a woman whose record is as bad as yours.โ
โWhat do you mean?โ she demanded, defiantly.
โI mean that you have served a term in prison for larceny.โ
โIt is false,โ she said, with trembling lips.
โIt is true. I visited the prison during your term of confinement, and saw you there.โ
โI, too, can certify to it,โ said Cook. โI learned it two years after my marriage. You will understand why I am glad of the divorce.โ
Mrs. Crawford was silent for a moment. She realized that the battle was lost.
โWell,โ she said, after a pause, โI am defeated. I thought my secret was safe, but I was mistaken. What do you propose to do with me?โ
โI will tell you this evening,โ said Ashcroft. โOne thing I can say nowโyou must not expect to remain in this house.โ
โI no longer care to do so.โ
A conference was held during the afternoon, Dr Crawford being told as much as was essential. It was arranged that Mrs. Crawford should have an allowance of four hundred dollars for herself and Peter if she would leave the house quietly, and never again annoy her husband. Mr. Cook offered to take Peter, but the latter preferred to remain with his mother. A private arrangement was made by which Dr. Crawford made up to Mr. Cook one-half of the sum stolen from him by his wife, and through the influence of Ashcroft, employment was found for him. He is no longer a tramp, but a man held in respect, and moderately prosperous.
Carl is still in the employ of Mr. Jennings, and his father has removed to Milford, where he and his son can live together. Next September, on his twenty-first birthday, Carl will be admitted to a junior partnership in the business, his father furnishing the necessary capital. Carlโs stepmother is in Chicago, and her allowance is paid to her quarterly through a Chicago bank. She has considerable trouble with Peter, who has become less submissive as he grows older, and is unwilling to settle down to steady work. His prospects do not look very bright.
Mr. Jennings and Hannah are as much attached as ever to Carl, and it is quite likely the manufacturer will make him his heir. Happy in the society of his son, Dr. Crawford is likely to live to a good old age, in spite of his weakness and tendency to heart disease, for happiness is a great aid to longevity.
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