"Alger Jr, Horatio - The Young Explorer" - читать интересную книгу автора (Alger Horatio Jr)

"Two days ago my son, James Cameron, entered your service."
"Yes, sir."
"Where is he now?"
"We have sent him to Brooklyn to collect a bill."
"He paid you a deposit of fifty dollars?"
"Certainly. We require it as a guarantee of honesty and fidelity."
"Well, I want you to pay it back."
"I don't understand you, sir," said Mr. Fitch, looking very much disturbed. "It
will be given up when your son leaves our employment."
"Well, he's going to leave it to-day," said the other.
"Can you get him another place as good? Ten dollars a week are not often paid to
boys."
"No, sir; it's that that makes me suspicious. Give me back the fifty dollars,
and James shall leave your employment."
"That is entirely irregular, sir," said Fitch. "Your son has been only two days
in the office. At the end of the week he can leave us, and receive back his
money."
"That won't do," said the angry father.
"It will have to do," said Fitch. "You are doing a very foolish thing, Mr.
Cameron."
"I'll risk that."
"When your son returns from Brooklyn we will consider what can be done."
"When will that be?"
"In a couple of hours."
"I will come in then."
Cameron went out, and Ben followed him, the discomfited Fitch making no effort
to detain the lad.
"I was thinking of engaging myself to Mr. Fitch," said Ben to his companion. "Do
you know anything against him?"
"I hear that he's a swindler," said Cameron. "I was a fool to fall into his
snare. Keep your money and you'll be better off."
"Thank you, sir."
Fifteen minutes afterward Mr. Fitch left his office, and when Mr. Cameron came
back, the door was locked. He found his son waiting in the entry.
"Did you collect any money in Brooklyn?" asked his father.
"No; I guess Mr. Fitch gave me the wrong number. There was no such man living at
the house he sent me to."
"We've been fooled!" said the father bitterly. "Come home, James. I doubt we've
seen the last of our money. If I ever set eyes on that man Pitch again I'll give
him in charge for swindling."
The senior partner of Pitch Ferguson was at that moment on his way to
Philadelphia with the remains of the fifty dollars in his pocket. But for Ben's
caution he would have had another fifty dollars in his possession.
CHAPTER VII. BEN'S DINNER-GUEST.
Ben slowly retraced his steps to where he had left his friend, Tom Cooper.
"Well," said the bootblack, "did you see Fitch and Ferguson?"
"Yes," answered Ben soberly; "that is, I saw one of them."
"Did you take the place?"
"No; I found he was too anxious for my fifty dollars, though he offered after a
while to take me for thirty."