“Is your mother at home, Katy?” asked Squire Turner, as the child opened the outer door.

“Yes, sir,” said Katy. “She’s upstairs.”

“Will you tell her I wish to see her?”

“Yes, sir.”

Squire Turner walked in, and took a seat without ceremony, as was natural, considering that it was the house of his future wife. Katy went upstairs, and presently Mrs. Raymond, who had changed her dress, came down.

“I thought you were out of town,” she said, trying to speak in her usual manner, but succeeding with difficulty, for she could not help thinking of the squire’s agency in driving Harry from home.

“I returned sooner than I anticipated. By the way, I think I have found a tenant for this cottage.”

“I don’t think that will be necessary, Squire Turner. I shall probably continue to occupy it myself.”

“How can that be?” demanded the squire, surprised. “As my wife, you will, of course, live in my house.”

“I shall not become your wife. I have changed my mind.”

“What does this mean?” he demanded, angrily. “Why do you trifle with me thus?”

“I am afraid, Squire Turner, you have not been so much my friend as I supposed.”

“In what respect have I failed to act as your friend?”

“O Squire Turner!” exclaimed the widow, impulsively, “how could you contrive such a wicked plot against my poor boy? How could you send him to sea, and not tell me, when you saw I was breaking my heart at his absence?”

The squire flushed at this unexpected accusation. How in the world, he thought, could Mrs. Raymond have heard of his agency in the abduction of Harry?

“I don’t know what you mean,” he said; but his face belied his words.

“It was wicked,” said Mrs. Raymond, “to endanger his life and rob me of happiness!”

“Who makes this absurd charge against me?” demanded the squire.

The door opened, and Harry entered.

“Squire Turner,” he said, “I don’t suppose you are very glad to see me. Probably you did not expect me home so soon; perhaps not at all.”

“Where did you come from?” stammered the squire.

“From Australia.”

“From Australia—I thought—”

“Yes, you thought I was bound to China,” said Harry, coolly. “But I left the Sea Eagle, not liking Captain Hartley Brandon very much, and went to Australia instead.”

This was a surprise to the squire, who answered, doggedly, however, “You seem to be laboring under a strange mistake, Harry. What possible motive could I have for sending you away?”

“I can think of one,” said Harry, significantly; “but perhaps you would not like to have me mention it.”

Again the squire’s face flushed, for he comprehended the allusion very well. He turned to Mrs. Raymond.

“Am I to understand, Mrs. Raymond,” he said, “that you break your engagement to me?”

“I should hardly expect to marry you now, after all that has happened.”

“Then,” said the squire, angrily, “I may as well go; but, before going,” he added, with a sneer, “I congratulate you on securing a new dress at my expense.”

“How is this, mother?” asked Harry.

“Squire Turner gave me my wedding outfit,” said the widow, embarrassed.

“Don’t let that trouble you, mother,” said Harry. “Squire Turner, if you will let me know the expense which you have incurred, I shall have pleasure in paying the bill.”

“I think you will have a little difficulty in paying a hundred and twenty dollars,” sneered the squire.

In reply, Harry drew out his pocket-book and took therefrom a hundred-dollar bill and a twenty, and laid them on the table.

“I think you will find that correct,” he said.

“Where did you get all this money?” the squire asked, in astonishment.

“My voyage turned out better than you anticipated,” said Harry. “If you still hold a mortgage on this house, I will take it up whenever you desire.”

It is hard to say whether Squire Turner was more pleased at getting back his money, or disappointed at the intelligence of Harry’s good fortune; but, on the whole, it is safe to say that the latter feeling predominated.

He took the bills, and again took his hat to go, when he was stopped by Harry.

“If you will stay five minutes longer,” he said, “I should like to ask you one or two questions. My mother tells me that you have been trying to obtain money for the land warrant I placed in your hands.”

“Yes,” said the squire.

“May I ask what success you have met with?”

“Probably she will realize a hundred dollars from it.”

“On the whole, Squire Turner, we will not trouble you to do anything more about it. I think I can do better than that.”

“I have your mother’s authority to act as her agent. You are a boy, and not competent to manage it.”

“My mother recalls her authority.”

“Is this true?” demanded the squire, hotly.

“Yes,” said the widow. “Now that Harry is at home, I think he can attend to it.”

“Then you won’t realize a cent,” snapped the squire. “But you can’t blame me. I have been doing my best for you, and that is all the thanks I get. I shall now charge you with the expenses I have incurred in the matter, though I did not intend to do so.”

“If the bill is a fair one it shall be paid,” said Harry.

He went to the door and called “Mr. Robinson!” That gentleman entered. Squire Turner looked at him as if he could not believe the testimony of his eyes.

“Mr. Robinson!” he ejaculated.

“Yes,” said the lawyer; “I was called East, unexpectedly, and thought I would make a call on you to report progress. Not finding you at home, I inquired out Mrs. Raymond, who, by the way, I found had an entirely erroneous idea of the value of the warrant. You will be glad to know that I have succeeded in obtaining an offer of ten thousand dollars, which will be paid over within a month.”

This last blow was too much for Squire Turner. Foiled at all points, he dashed his hat angrily upon his head, and rushed from the house in undignified haste. In this connection, it may be added that Harry, finding he had collected the two thousand dollars from the insurance company, forced him to return it. Squire Turner saved his reputation by stating that the man who set the house on fire had voluntarily come forward and paid the money, which enabled him to return the sum collected of the company. For this act Squire Turner was made the subject of a complimentary paragraph in the county paper; but it is doubtful if he enjoyed reading it much.

Great was Mrs. Raymond’s joy over the lucky turn in her affairs. Between nine and ten thousand dollars were paid her as the proceeds of the land warrant, and this made her quite comfortable. When it was ascertained that Harry had brought a still larger sum from Australia, he became quite a great man in Vernon, and, if he had not been so young, I verily believe he would have been elected to some responsible town office.

But it was not Harry’s intention to live in Vernon. He wanted a larger field for his efforts. The next summer he made a visit to England, and was cordially received by Mr. Lindsay, who wished him to remain; but Harry was unwilling to be separated from his mother. Mr. Lindsay then proposed to Harry on his return to enter a counting-room in New York, to learn business, with a view of establishing a branch of his own house in that city, at a later day, to be under Harry’s charge. This proposal was accepted by our hero, who felt that it would be advantageous to him. He removed his mother and sister to New York, as they were unwilling to be separated from him.

It is enough to say that in business Harry exhibited the same qualities which we have already seen in him, and that his mastery of the details was surprisingly rapid. As I write, Harry, who is now twenty-one, is about to undertake the charge of the New York branch of Lindsay & Co., which will give him a commanding business position. There are rumors that Maud, whose early preference for him still continues, will, before very long, become the wife of her father’s young American representative, and I am inclined to think the report is a true one.

My readers may like to hear how James Turner made out in life. A year since he obtained the situation of teller in a bank, his father standing surety for him. He soon developed expensive tastes, and finally disappeared, carrying away thirty thousand dollars of the funds of the bank. This loss his father has had to make good, and, in consequence, he has become a comparatively poor man, and a very sour, morose man at that. He was compelled to give up his imposing house, and he now lives in the humble cottage formerly occupied by Mrs. Raymond. So the wheel of fortune has turned, and those who were once at the top are now at the bottom. But, for Harry and his mother, we hope many years of happiness are in store. But, if ever reverses should come, we are sure that Harry, keeping in mind his old motto, “Sink or Swim,” would bear up bravely, and turn defeat into victory.

The next volume of this series will be

Strong and Steady;
or,
Paddle your own Canoe.