Alger Horatio Jr.
Frank and Fearless; or, The Fortunes of Jasper Kent
CHAPTER XIII.
MRS. KENT IS FOILED
Breakfast was a quiet meal. Mrs. Kent preserved a frigid silence toward Jasper, interrupted only by necessary questions. Nicholas, who understood that there was a row in prospect, occasionally smiled as he looked across the table at Jasper, but he, too, was silent.
When breakfast was over, and the three arose from the table, Mrs. Kent said, in a cold voice:
"Jasper Kent, I have something to say to you."
"Very well," said Jasper, taking a seat and looking expectant.
"Yesterday you conducted yourself in a most improper manner."
"Please explain," said Jasper, quietly.
"You ought not to require any explanation. You made an assault upon Nicholas."
"I beg pardon, Mrs. Kent, but he made an assault upon me."
"You knocked him down."
"Not until he attacked me."
"He did so by my direction."
"Did you expect me to make no resistance?" asked Jasper.
"You had insulted me, and it was his duty, as my son, to resent it."
"I don't think you have any right to say that I insulted you, and you would not have any reason to complain of me if you would treat me with ordinary justice and politeness."
"You are insulting me now," said Mrs. Kent, angrily.
"I am telling the truth. I am sorry that it is the truth. I would prefer to live on good terms with you."
"And have your own way!" said his step-mother, sarcastically. "I understand you, but I will have you know that I am mistress in this house. Are you ready to apologize for having attacked Nicholas?"
"I did not wish to do it, especially as he didn't attack me of his own accord, but if he should do so again I should act in the same manner."
"Insolent!" exclaimed his step-mother, reddening.
"You have peculiar ideas of insolence," said Jasper, quietly. "I believe in defending myself, but I shouldn't like to harm Nicholas."
"You have undertaken to rebel against my authority," said Mrs. Kent, "but you don't understand me. I am not to be bullied or overcome by a boy."
"You are in no danger of either from me, madam."
"I shall take care not to give you the power. Nicholas, call Tom."
Jasper looked at his step-mother in amazement. What had Tom Forbes to do with their colloquy.
Nicholas opened the door of the adjoining room, the kitchen, and summoned the hired man.
Ignorant of why he was wanted, for Mrs. Kent had not informed him, he came into the room, and looked about with a perplexed expression.
He was a tall, strong-looking fellow, country-bred, of about twenty-five or six.
"Where is your whip, Tom?" demanded Mrs. Kent.
"My whip?" repeated Tom.
"Yes; didn't I tell you I wanted you to have it?"
"Yes, ma'am; it's in the kitchen."
"Bring it."
Tom went into the kitchen, and returned bringing the whip.
"What am I to do with it?" he asked.
"I will tell you in a moment. Jasper Kent," said his step-mother, turning to him, "you have rebelled against my just authority, you have insulted me in my own house, you have made a brutal attack upon my son in my presence, and now I am going to have you punished. Tom, I order you to give Jasper half a dozen lashes with your whip."
It is hard to tell which looked the more surprised at this brutal command, Jasper or the hired man. They looked at each other in amazement, but Tom did not stir.
"Did you hear me?" asked Mrs. Kent, sharply, impatient of the delay.
"Yes, ma'am, I heard you," answered Tom, slowly.
"Why don't you obey, then?" she continued, in the same tone.
"Because," said Tom, with manly independence, "I didn't hire out to do anything of the kind."
"Do you refuse?"
"Yes, I do. You may do your own dirty work."
"It seems you are not only disobedient, but insolent," said Mrs. Kent, angrily.
"You must be crazy, ma'am!" said the hired man, bluntly.
"No more of this. I discharge you from my employment."
"What! for not flogging Master Jasper?"
"For not obeying me."
"I'll follow your directions, ma'am, so far as they are in the line of duty, but I won't do that."
"I discharge you."
"As to that, ma'am, if I go, I'll let everybody in the village know why you sent me away."
For this Mrs. Kent was not altogether prepared. She knew that it was not prudent to defy public opinion. Perhaps she had already gone too far. She put a great constraint upon herself, and said:
"Go back to your work. I will speak of this matter hereafter."
Tom withdrew at once, glad of the opportunity. Thus far Mrs. Kent had been foiled, and she knew it. She could scarcely conceal her mortification.
Jasper, who had been passive thus far, now spoke. He felt outraged and disgusted by his step-mother's brutal purpose, though it had failed.
"Mrs. Kent," he said with quiet resolution, "after the scene of this morning I cannot remain in the same house with you. My father has not been dead a week, yet you have treated me in a manner which, though I never liked you, I could not have thought possible. You are left my guardian. I do not wish to remain another day in this house. Have I your permission to return to school?"
"No," said his step-mother.
"Why not?"
"Because you wish it. I do not mean to let you have your own way."
"I am willing to go to another school, if you insist upon it."
"You will go to no school. You will stay here."
"In this house?"
"Yes."
"With the opinion which you have of me, Mrs. Kent, I should hardly think this would be very agreeable to you."
"It will not. I hate the sight of you!" said his step-mother, with energy.
"I am sorry for that, but I am not surprised. From the way you have treated me, I should think so. Won't it be better for as both to be separated?"
"It will gratify your wishes, and therefore I order you to remain here."
"That we may have more such scenes as yesterday and to-day?"
"No; I am determined to break your rebellious will, and teach you to obey me implicitly."
"I have only to ask if you have fully made up your mind," said Jasper, quietly, but with suppressed excitement.
"I mean precisely what I say."
"Then, madam, I shall have to leave this house and go out into the world. I shall find more kindness among strangers than here."
"I have heard boys talk like this before," said Mrs. Kent, with contemptuous incredulity.
"Boys sometimes mean what they say," retorted Jasper.
He took his hat and left the room without another word.
"I say, mother," said Nicholas, "suppose he don't come back?"
"There's no fear of that," said Mrs. Kent, coldly.
"But I say, mother, he's pretty plucky, Jasper is."
"He won't run away from me as long as I have charge of his property, you may be sure of that. He'll be coming back and apologizing pretty soon."
"Suppose he doesn't?"
"Then it'll be his own fault."
"You may as well let him go back to school, mother. He'll be out of our way, and we can enjoy ourselves."
"I am not going to gratify him so far. He has defied me and insulted me, and he must take the consequences," said Mrs. Kent, with a compression of her thin lips.
On the whole, Jasper's prospects could not be said to be very flattering.
CHAPTER XIV.
MEDIATION
When Jasper left the house he bent his steps to the dwelling of a friend of his father, Otis Miller, a man of considerable property and good position. He found Mr. Miller at home.
"I am glad to see you, Jasper," said he, cordially.
"Thank you, sir."
"You have met with a great loss," said Mr. Miller, attributing Jasper's serious expression to his father's death.
"Yes, sir; I am only just beginning to understand how much."
"A father's place cannot be supplied."
"No, sir; but this is not the extent of my trouble."
"Can I do anything to help you?"
"Yes, sir. I am very much in need of advice."
"I shall be glad to give you the best I can, Jasper. I was your father's friend, and I shall be glad to be yours also."
"Thank you, sir. My troubles are connected with my step-mother, who treats me like an enemy."
"Can this be so?" asked Mr. Miller, in surprise.
"I will tell you all, and then ask your advice."
"Do so."
Jasper told the story briefly and without excitement. It was only in his step-mother's presence that he felt disturbed.
"I have met your step-mother, but I know very little of her," said Mr. Miller. "She never impressed me very favorably, but I never dreamed that she would act in such an unreasonable manner. Perhaps even now matters are not as bad as you think. Sometimes people say things in anger which they repent of in their cooler moments."
"I don't think it is the case with Mrs. Kent."
"It is unfortunate, since she is your guardian."
"I wish you were my guardian, Mr. Miller."
"For your sake, Jasper, I wish I were. I don't think we should quarrel."
"I know we should not."
"You wish to know what to do?"
"Yes."
"You are quite sure you cannot stay at home?"
"I should be subject to constant persecution from Mrs. Kent."
"You think she would not allow you to go back to school?"
"She has refused to do so."
"There is one thing she cannot do, and that is, keep your portion of the estate from you when you become of age."
"No, I suppose not."
"You will then be rich."
"But the money won't do me any good now, will it?"
"In this way it will. Suppose I agree to pay your expenses at school—that is to say, advancing the money, to be repaid when you obtain yours?"
"That would be very kind, Mr. Miller; but I shouldn't like to subject you to that risk."
"You mean that a minor's promise would be invalid? Well, Jasper, I have too much confidence in you to have any doubt of your integrity."
"Thank you, Mr. Miller; but suppose I should die before attaining my majority?"
"Then I should probably lose the money."
"That is what I thought of. I should not like to have you run the risk."
"But I am willing to do so. However, it may be as well to ascertain definitely your step-mother's intentions first. I will call upon her in your interest and find out."
"Thank you, sir. I should like to have you do so, as I don't want to act too hastily."
"I will go at once. Will you remain here till I return?"
"Yes, sir."
When Mrs. Kent was told that Mr. Miller had called to see her she went down to meet him, not surmising his errand.
"Mrs. Kent," said he, after the ordinary greetings were over, "I have called with reference to your relations to your late husband's son, Jasper."
"Did he ask you to come?" demanded Mrs. Kent, frowning.
"No; but he came to ask my advice as to what he ought to do. I am sorry to hear that you are unfriendly."
"He has treated me with intolerable insolence," said Mrs. Kent, hotly.
"That surprises me. It is wholly contrary to his reputation with those who have known him from his infancy," said Mr. Miller, quietly.
"Then you don't know him as he is."
"He tells me you have accorded your own son superior privileges."
"My son treats me with respect."
"Probably you treat him differently from Jasper."
"I have reasons to."
"You will admit that it is aggravating to see a stranger—an intruder, I may say—preferred to him in his own home?"
"Who calls my son an intruder?" asked Mrs. Kent, hastily.
"Let us call him a stranger, then. Was Mr. Kent aware that you had a son?"
"I decline to answer your question," answered Mrs. Kent, with asperity.
"To pass on, then. Have you refused Jasper permission to return to the school at which his father placed him?"
"I have."
"May I ask why?"
"I don't know that I am responsible to you."
"Mrs. Kent," said Mr. Miller, gravely, "I was the friend of your late husband. I am the friend of his son, Jasper. As the friend of both, I ask you your reason."
"I will answer you, though I do not acknowledge your right to ask. I refuse to let Jasper go back to school, because I wish to punish him for his insolence and disobedience."
"It cannot be any satisfaction to you to have him at home, I should think."
"It is not. I have no reason to like his society."
"Then it appears that you punish yourself in keeping him here."
"Yes."
"Do you think, Mrs. Kent, that you have any right to deprive him of the opportunity to obtain an education?"
"He can attend school in this village," said Mrs. Kent.
"You know as well as I that there is neither a classical nor a high school here. He would be compelled to give up the course of study upon which he has commenced."
"That is his own fault," returned Mrs. Kent, doggedly.
"This, then, is your unalterable determination?"
"For the present, yes. If Jasper repents his ill-conduct, and makes up his mind to yield me that implicit obedience which is my due, I may hereafter consent to return him to school. But he must turn over a new leaf."
"Madam," said Mr. Miller, disgusted at the woman's manner, "do you consider that you are carrying out his father's wishes in reference to his son?"
"That is a question for me to decide," said Mrs. Kent, coldly. "I have undertaken the responsibility, and I have no fears about carrying out his wishes. I must trust my own judgment, not that of others."
"Madam," said Mr. Miller, after a pause, "there is one other question which I should like to put to you."
"Very well, sir."
"This guardianship imposed upon you is a certain amount of care. Are you willing to relinquish it to another?"
"To you, perhaps?" suggested Mrs. Kent, with a sneer.
"I should be willing to undertake it for Jasper's sake."
"I have no doubt you would, and I presume Jasper would be very glad to have you do so."
"I think he would, though he didn't authorize me to speak to you about it," said Mr. Miller.
"Then, sir, I refuse in the most emphatic terms. I shall not relinquish the power which his father's will gives me over him. He shall yet repent his insolence."
"I regret your animosity, Mrs. Kent," said Mr. Miller, with dignity, rising as he spoke. "I was inclined to think that Jasper had exaggerated his account of the difficulties. I see now that he was correct. I have only, in wishing you good-morning, to predict that you will yet regret the manner in which you have treated your step-son."
"I will take my chance of that," said Mrs. Kent. "You may report to Jasper that my only terms are unconditional submission."
"I will do so, madam; but you know, as well as I, what his answer will be. His nature is too manly to submit to tyranny, even from his step-mother."
"You are not over-polite, sir," said Mrs. Kent, angrily.
"I am truthful, madam," was the grave reply.
CHAPTER XV.
GOOD-BYE
"Without exception, Jasper," said Mr. Miller, on his return, "I consider your step-mother the most disagreeble woman I ever met."
Jasper could not help smiling at the look of disgust upon the features of his father's friend.
"Then, sir, I infer that you did not succeed in your mission," he said.
"Succeed? No. She will offer no terms except unconditional submission on your part."
"That I won't agree to." said Jasper, promptly.
"I don't blame you—not a particle," said Mr. Miller.
"So much is settled, then," said Jasper. "Now the question comes up—what am I to do?"
"How old are you?"
"Nearly sixteen."
"Then five years must elapse before you come into possession of your property?"
"Yes, sir."
"And for that length of time you are to be under the guardianship of Mrs. Kent?"
"Yes, sir."
"It is unfortunate," said the old gentleman, shrugging his shoulders. "I took the liberty to suggest to your step-mother that if the cares of a guardian should prove burdensome to her I would assume them."
"What did she say?"
"She replied in a sarcastic manner, and avowed her determination to remain your guardian."
"What would you advise me to do, then, Mr. Miller?"
"Before answering, Jasper, I will tell you a secret."
Jasper looked curious.
"Your father left in my hands a paper to be opened two years after his death. It undoubtedly relates to you."
"What do you think it is?"
"It may relate to the guardianship, but that is only conjecture."
"Does my step-mother know of this?"
"Neither she nor anyone else, save you and myself."
"It will do us no good at present?"
"No; but it influences my advice. Go to school for the next two years. I will advance the money to pay your bills. If at the end of that time the paper is what I hope it is, you will then be able to pay me, and for the balance of your minority I can become your guardian."
"I wish you might, Mr. Miller; but I don't think, under the circumstances, I want to go back to school."
"What do you wish to do, Jasper?"
"I am young, and I would like to see something of the world. I would like to imagine myself a poor boy, as I really am just now, and see if I cannot make my own way."
"I hardly know what to say to that, Jasper. I am afraid you do not appreciate the difficulties in your way."
"To battle against them will make me strong."
"Suppose you get in a tight place?"
"Then I will write to you for help."
"That's better. On this condition I will make no further opposition to your wishes. But have you any money?"
"Ten dollars."
"Rather a small sum to begin the world with."
"Yes, sir. If you are willing to lend me fifty more I think I can get along till I can earn some."
"Willingly. Where do you propose to go?"
"To the West. My father has a cousin, a lady, married, and living in a small town on the banks of the Mississippi. I have never been to the West. I should like to go out there and see if I can't find some employment in that neighborhood."
"I suppose I must not object, but your plan appears to me rather quixotic."
"You might not have thought so at my age, Mr. Miller."
"No; we look upon such things differently as we grow older. When do you want to start?"
"To-morrow."
"Stay at my house till then."
"Thank you, sir. I will go home this afternoon and get my carpet-bag and a few underclothes, and then I shall be ready to start to-morrow morning."
Jasper did as proposed. He would gladly have dispensed with this call at the house which had once been a home to him, but was so no longer; but it was necessary to make it.
He caught sight of Tom Forbes near the house.
"Tom," he called out, "do you know if Mrs. Kent is at home?"
"No, Master Jasper, she went out riding, and her cub went with her."
"I am afraid you're not respectful, Tom," said Jasper, laughing.
"He don't deserve respect. He puts on as many airs as a prince. I warrant he was poor enough before his mother took him home. What do you think he said to me?"
"What was it?"
"'Look here, Tom, you harness the horse right up, do you hear? Don't stand dawdling there, for I and mother are going out to ride.'"
"That sounds like Nicholas."
"You may be sure he ain't used to prosperity, or he wouldn't put on so many airs!"
"Well, Tom, I'm glad Mrs. Kent is out. I don't want to meet her, nor Nicholas, either."
"You'll see 'em at supper, won't you?"
"No; I shall not be here to supper."
"When are you coming back?"
"Not at all."
"You don't mean that, Master Jasper?"
"Yes, I do."
"Are you going to school?"
"No; I'm going out West."
"Out West?" exclaimed Tom Forbes, stopping work in surprise.
"Yes, Tom, I'm going out there to seek my fortune."
"But there ain't any need of that, Master Jasper. Didn't your father leave you a fortune?"
"I'm not to have it till I'm twenty-one, and till then my step-mother is my guardian. Now, I put it to you, Tom, can I stay at home to be treated as you saw me treated this morning?"
"No, you can't, that's a fact. Master Jasper, I wish you'd take me with you as your servant."
"As to that, Tom, I am in no position to have a servant; I've got to work for my own living."
"And she here living on the fat of the land!" exclaimed Tom, indignantly. "It's an outrageous shame!"
"Strong language, Tom," said Jasper, smiling. "Mind my amiable step-mother doesn't hear you."
"I don't care if she does."
"Thank you for your offer, Tom, but I must go alone. Perhaps I shall prosper out there. I hope so, at any rate."
"Have you got any money, Master Jasper? I've got a few dollars laid by. If they'll do you any good you're welcome to take 'em. I shan't need 'em."
"Thank you, Tom," said Jasper, cordially grasping his toil-embrowned hand, "but I am well provided for. Mr. Miller, my father's friend, is mine, too. He has lent me some money, and will lend me more if I need it."
"I'm glad of that. You'll always find friends."
Half an hour later, as Jasper was going up the street, with his carpet-bag in one hand, he saw the open carriage approaching in which Mrs. Kent and Nicholas were seated. He would liked to have escaped observation, but there was no chance.
"Why, there's Jasper!" said Nicholas, "and he's got a carpet-bag in his hand."
"Stop the carriage!" said Mrs. Kent, peremptorily.
Nicholas, who was driving, obeyed.
"Have you been to the house?" asked the step-mother.
"Yes," said Jasper.
"What does that carpet-bag mean?"
"It means that I am going away."
"Where? As your guardian, I demand to know!"
"As my guardian, will you provide for my expenses?"
"No."
"Then I don't feel called upon to tell you."
"You will repent this insubordination," said Mrs. Kent, angrily. "You will yet return home in rags."
"Never!" answered Jasper, with emphasis. "Good-afternoon, Mrs. Kent."
"Drive on, Nicholas!" said Mrs. Kent, angrily. "How I hate that boy!" she ejaculated.
"It strikes me, mother, you've got the best of it," said Nicholas. "You've got his property, and as to his company, we can do without that."
