"You don't appear to get along very well without my guardianship, Tom," he said.
"No, sir," answered Tom. "The trouble is, some of my other friends can't let me alone."
"Was it in a fit of emotional insanity that you relieved the lady of her pocketbook?" asked Mr. Waterbury, bent on keeping up the joke.
"If I ever do such a thing, you may be sure it is because I am insane," answered Tom positively.
"I shall," said Mr. Waterbury seriously.[141] "Now, where is this precious acquaintance of ours who got you into this scrape?"
"He has escaped."
"Escaped!" exclaimed the alderman hastily. "How is that?"
Here the policeman took up the story, and explained that Vincent had taken advantage of his double charge to effect his escape.
"I suppose, officer," said Mr. Waterbury, "that you were unwilling to leave Tom in order to pursue him."
"I did leave him, sir, and didn't expect to find him when I got back. But there he was, waiting for me as quietly as—anything."
"Didn't you feel tempted to escape, too, my boy?"
"Why should I, sir? I had done nothing; I had nothing to fear."
"Innocence is not always a protection, for justice is sometimes far from clear-sighted. In the present case, however, I think you will not suffer for your confidence."
Tom was not brought to trial. Mr. Waterbury's statement of what had passed on the voyage of the River Belle was held to be sufficient to establish Tom's innocence, and he[142] was allowed to walk out with Mr. Waterbury.
"Have you anything to do this morning, Tom?" asked his friend.
"No, sir."
"Then come around and dine with me at the Burnet House. Afterward we will call upon your friends, the Watsons."
Mrs. Watson and Jennie had altered their plans and gone to a boarding-house, preferring that to a hotel.
"That will be agreeable to me, sir."
The dinner was excellent, and Tom did full justice to it.
"At one time this morning, Tom, it looked as if you would dine at quite a different place," said Mr. Waterbury, when they were eating the dessert.
"Yes, sir."
"You won't think much of Cincinnati's hospitality, eh, Tom?"
"Any place would be the same, where Vincent was," returned Tom.
"Very true; he and Graham will bring discredit on any city which they adopt as a home. How long shall you remain here?"
"I should like to stay long enough to see[143] something of the city, but I cannot afford it. I must reach California as soon as possible."
"No doubt you are right, in your circumstances. I have been inquiring for you, and find that St. Joseph, in Missouri, is the usual starting-point for travelers across the plains. I find an acquaintance here in the hotel, who will start to-morrow for that place. I have mentioned you to him, and he says he shall be glad to have your company so far. Whether you keep together afterward will depend upon yourselves."
"I shall be glad to have company, sir," said Tom. Though manly and self-reliant, he realized that it was quite a serious undertaking for a boy of his age to make the trip alone. He was not sure of meeting with another friend like Mr. Waterbury, and there might be danger of falling in with another brace of worthies like Graham and Vincent.
"My friend's name is Ferguson—a Scotchman, rather sedate, but entirely trustworthy. I will introduce you this evening."
"Thank you, sir."
After dinner they walked to Mrs. Watson's boarding-house. Somewhere on Vine Street,[144] Mr. Waterbury paused in front of a jewelry store.
"I want to step in here a minute, Tom," he said.
"Certainly, sir."
Tom remained near the door, while Mr. Waterbury went into the back part of the store, where he was occupied for a few minutes with one of the proprietors. When he came back he held a small box in his hand.
"Please carry this for me, Tom," he said.
"With pleasure, sir."
They went out into the street together.
"Do you know what is in the box, Tom?" asked Mr. Waterbury.
"No, sir," answered our hero, a little surprised at the question.
"You didn't see what I was buying, then?" continued Mr. Waterbury.
"No, sir; I was watching the crowds on the sidewalk."
"If you have any curiosity, you may open the box."
Previously Tom had felt no curiosity. Now he did feel a little.[145]
Opening the box, his eye rested on a neat silver watch, with a chain attached. The case was a pretty one, and Tom glanced at it with approval.
"It is very pretty, sir," he said; "but I thought you had a watch already."
"I didn't buy it for myself."
"For your son?" asked Tom innocently.
Mr. Waterbury smiled.
"I thought of asking your acceptance of it," he said.
"You don't mean that you are going to give it to me, sir?" said Tom eagerly.
"If you will accept it."
"How kind you are, Mr. Waterbury!" exclaimed Tom gratefully. "There is nothing in the world that I should like so much. How can I thank you?"
"By considering it a proof of my interest in you. I was sure you would like it. Before I had reached your age the great object of my ambition was a watch. I received one from my uncle, as a gift, on my seventeenth birthday. I believe I looked at it once in five minutes on an average during the first day."
"I dare say it will be so with me, sir," said[146] Tom, who, at the moment, had the watch in his hand, examining it.
"As you are to rough it, I thought it best to get you a hunting-case watch, because it will be less liable to injury. When you become a man I hope you will be prosperous enough to buy a gold watch and chain, if you prefer them. While you are a boy silver will be good enough."
"Gold wouldn't correspond very well with my circumstances," said Tom. "I didn't dream of even having a silver watch and chain for years to come. I shall write home this evening, and tell mother of my good luck."
"Will you mention that you have already been under arrest?" asked Mr. Waterbury, smiling.
Tom shook his head.
"I am not proud of that," he answered; "and it would only trouble them at home to have an account of it. When I get home, I may mention it sometime."
"Better put on your watch and chain, Tom, before we reach Mrs. Watson's."
Tom needed no second invitation.
"It's lucky mother put a watch-pocket in[147] my vest," he said. "We didn't either of us suppose there would be any occasion for it; but I asked her to do it."
In a nice-looking brick boarding-house—for brown-stone houses were not then often to be found—Tom and his friend found Mrs. Watson and Jennie.
"I'm so glad to see you, Tom," said Jennie. "I've missed you awfully."
"Thank you," said Tom. "I've come to bid you good-by."
"Good-by! You don't mean that?"
"I expect to start for St. Joseph to-morrow. I am in a hurry to get to California."
"That's real mean. I don't see why you can't stay in Cincinnati a week."
"I should like to."
"Then why don't you?" persisted the young girl.
"Jennie," said her mother, "we must remember that Thomas is not traveling for pleasure. He is going to California to seek his fortune. It won't do for him to linger on his way."
"A week won't make much difference; will it, Tom?"[148]
"I am afraid it will, Jennie. Besides, a friend of Mr. Waterbury will start to-morrow, and has agreed to take me with him."
"I suppose you've got to go, then," said Jennie regretfully. "Oh, where did you get that watch, Tom?"
"A kind friend gave it to me."
"Who do you mean—Mr. Graham?" she asked archly.
"He would be more likely to relieve me of it. No, it is Mr. Waterbury."
"I am going to kiss you for that, Mr. Waterbury," said Jennie impulsively; and she suited the action to the word.
"What will Mr. Waterbury think, Jennie?" said her mother.
"He thinks himself well repaid for his gift," answered that gentleman, smiling; "and half inclined to give Tom another watch."
"Isn't it my turn, now?" asked Tom, with a courage at which he afterward rather wondered; but he was fast getting rid of his country bashfulness.
"I never kiss boys," said Jennie demurely.
"Then I will grow into a man as fast as I can," said Tom, "and give somebody a watch,[149] and then—— But that will be a good while to wait."
"I may kiss you good-by," said Jennie, "if I feel like it."
She did feel like it, and Tom received the kiss.
"It strikes me, Tom," said Mr. Waterbury, as they were walking home, "that you and Jennie are getting along fast."
"She kissed you first," said Tom, blushing.
"But the kiss she gave me was wholly on your account."
"She seems just like a sister," said Tom. "She's a tip-top girl."