frank did not speak to mr. percival's family of his meeting with pliny. it was not pleasant to him to think that he was valued only for his good fortune. he had seen but little of the tarbox family, but he understood very well what their professions of friendship amounted to, and that they were not to be relied upon in an emergency.
he was not much surprised on monday afternoon to receive the following letter from erastus tarbox:
"my dear young cousin:—we have been wondering what has become of you, and mrs. t. and myself have often wished to invite you to pass a sabbath at our humble home. not knowing your address, i could not write to you, or i should have done so. you can imagine, therefore, the pleasure we felt when pliny told us that he had met you, and gave us tidings of your remarkable success, which i am sure does you great credit.
"he tells me that you fill a very responsible position, and receive a very liberal salary. i could wish that pliny might be equally fortunate, and shall esteem it a great favor if you will mention him to your respected employer, and recommend him for any lucrative position which he may bestow upon him. pliny is a very capable boy, and has been carefully trained to habits of frugality and industry.
"can you not soon come out and pass a sabbath with us? the esteem which we have for your late lamented mother alone would secure you a cordial welcome, not to speak of the friendship for yourself. pliny often says that you seem to him like a brother, and he would truly enjoy your companionship.
"your sincere friend and cousin,
erastus tarbox."
the time was when frank would have put confidence in the friendly expressions used by mr. tarbox, but his eyes had been opened, and he understood that if misfortune should come to him, it would not do to lean upon his cousins at newark.
frank wrote a civil reply to mr. tarbox, thanking him for his invitation, but saying that at present it would not be convenient for him to accept it. he added that should an opportunity offer he would be glad to assist pliny to a better position than he now held.
in spite of his wish to be cordial, his letter was felt by the tarbox family to be cold, and they regretted that they had not treated him better during his brief visit to them.
but then how could they suppose he would be so successful? if the time should ever come when he recovered his property, they would be prepared to make a determined effort to convince him that they had always been his affectionate friends.
about this time frank received another letter, which afforded him greater satisfaction than the one from newark.
this letter was from col. vincent, who, it will be remembered, had purchased ajax when mr. manning persisted in selling him. it was as follows:
"my dear frank: i learned incidentally from one of our townsmen, who recently met you in new york, that you have been very successful in obtaining employment, and that of an honorable and responsible character. it relieved my mind, for, knowing how hard it is for a boy to make his own way in a large city, i feared that you might be suffering privation, or living poorly. i hope, however, you would in that case have applied to me for such help as your father's old friend would have been glad to offer.
"your stepfather has not been heard from directly. i learn, however, from some friends who have met him abroad that he is having trouble with mark, who is proving difficult to manage, and has contracted a dangerous taste for gaming. mr. manning was obliged to leave baden-baden on account of this unfortunate tendency, and is even thinking of returning to the cedars, where his son will be removed from temptation. to this, however, mark will be likely to make strenuous opposition. he will find it dull to settle down here after having tasted the gayety of europe."
here followed a little local gossip, which the writer thought might prove interesting to frank, and the letter concluded with a cordial invitation to our hero to spend a sunday with him, or a longer time, if he could be spared from his duties.
frank was disposed to accept the invitation, but his acceptance was postponed by an unusual service which he was called upon to render to mr. percival.
of this the reader will hear everything in the next chapter.
