Strong and Steady. Alger Horatio Jr.

father will forget me."

      "Can't you guess what you are likely to get?"

      "I can guess, but I may not be right. Father promised to give me a gold watch-chain some time. You know I have a gold watch already."

      "Yes, and a regular little beauty."

      "So it wouldn't surprise me much to get a chain for a present."

      "You're a lucky boy. My watch is silver, and only cost twenty dollars."

      "I dare say I should be just as happy with a silver watch, Lem."

      "I suppose you wouldn't like to buy, would you? If so, I'll give you the chance. A fair exchange is no robbery."

      "No, I suppose not; but it wouldn't do to exchange a gift."

      "Perhaps, if my watch were gold and yours silver, you wouldn't have any objections."

      "I don't think that would alter the case with me. A gift is a gift, whether it is more or less valuable."

      "How long have you had your watch, Walter?"

      "Ever since my thirteenth birthday."

      "I have had mine a year. I broke the crystal and one of the hands the very first day."

      "That was pretty hard usage, Lem."

      "The watch had a pretty good constitution, so it has survived to the present day. But I'm getting sleepy, Walter. It's the hard study, I suppose, that's done it. I must be getting back to Ma'am Glenn's. Good-night."

      "Good-night, Lem."

      Lemuel Warner gathered up his books, and left the room. Walter poked the fire, putting some ashes on, so that it would keep till the next morning, and commenced undressing. He had scarcely commenced, however, when a heavy step was heard on the stairs, and directly afterwards a knock resounded upon his door.

      Wondering who his late visitor could be, Walter stepped to the door, and opened it.

      CHAPTER II.

      IN THE CARS

      If Walter was surprised at receiving a visit at so late an hour, he was still more surprised to recognize in the visitor Dr. Porter, the principal of the Institute.

      "Good-evening, Conrad," said the doctor. "I am rather a late visitor. I was not sure but you might be in bed."

      "I was just getting ready to go to bed, sir. Won't you walk in?"

      "I will come in for five minutes only."

      "Take the rocking-chair, sir."

      All the while Walter was wondering what could be the doctor's object in calling. He was not conscious of having violated any of the regulations of the Institute, and even had he done so, it would be unusual for the principal to call upon him at such an hour. So he watched the doctor with a puzzled glance, and waited to hear him state his errand.

      "Have you heard from home lately, Conrad?" asked the doctor.

      "Yes, sir, I received a letter a few days since."

      "Did your father speak of being unwell?"

      "No, sir," said Walter, taking instant alarm. "Have—have you heard anything?"

      "Yes, my boy; and that is my reason for calling upon you at this unusual hour. I received this telegram twenty minutes since."

      Walter took the telegram, with trembling fingers, and read the following message:—

      "Dr. Porter:—Please send Walter Conrad home by the first train. His father is very sick.

"Nancy Forbes."

      "Do you think there is any danger, Dr. Porter?" asked Walter, with a pale face.

      "I cannot tell, my boy; this telegram furnishes all the information I possess. Who is Nancy Forbes?"

      "She is the house-keeper. I can't realize that father is so sick. He did not say anything about it when he wrote."

      "Let us hope it is only a brief sickness. I think you had better go home by the first train to-morrow morning."

      "Yes, sir."

      "I believe it starts at half-past seven."

      "I shall be ready, sir."

      "By the way, are you provided with sufficient money to pay your railway fare? If not, I will advance you the necessary sum."

      "Thank you, sir, I have five dollars by me, and that will be more than sufficient."

      "Then I believe I need not stay any longer," and the doctor rose.

      "Don't think too much of your father's sickness, but try to get a good night's sleep. I hope we shall soon have you coming back with good news."

      The principal shook hands with Walter and withdrew.

      When his tall form had vanished, Walter sat down and tried to realize the fact of his father's sickness; but this he found difficult.

      Mr. Conrad had never been sick within his remembrance, and the thought that he might become so had never occurred to Walter. Besides, the telegram spoke of him as very sick. Could there be danger?

      That was a point which he could not decide, and all that remained was to go to bed. It was a long time before he got to sleep, but at length he did sleep, waking in time only for a hasty preparation for the homeward journey. He was so occupied with thoughts of his father that it was not till the journey was half finished, that it occurred to him that this was his fifteenth birthday, to which he had been looking forward for some time.

      The seat in front of our hero was for some time vacant; but at the Woodville station two gentlemen got in who commenced an animated conversation. Walter did not at first pay any attention to it. He was looking out of the window listlessly, unable to fix his mind upon anything except his father's sickness. But at length his attention was caught by some remarks, made by one of the gentlemen in front, and from this point he listened languidly.

      "I suspected him to be a swindler when he first came to me," said the gentleman sitting next the window. "He hadn't an honest look, and I was determined not to have anything to do with his scheme."

      "He was very plausible."

      "Yes, he made everything look right on paper. That is easy enough. But mining companies are risky things always. I once got taken in to the tune of five thousand dollars, but it taught me a lesson. So I was not particularly impressed with the brilliant prospectus of the Great Metropolitan Mining Company, in spite of its high-sounding name, and its promised dividend of thirty per cent. Depend upon it, James Wall and his confederates will pocket all the dividends that are made."

      "Very likely you are right. But it may be that Wall really believed there is a good chance of making money."

      "Of course he did, but he was determined to make the money for himself, and not for the stockholders."

      "I might have been tempted to invest, but all my money was locked up at the time, and I could not have done so without borrowing the money, and that I was resolved not to do."

      "It was fortunate for you that you didn't, for the bubble has already burst."

      "Is it possible? I was not aware of that."

      "I thought you knew it. The news is in this morning's paper. There will be many losers. By the way, I hear that Mr. Conrad, of Willoughby, was largely interested."

      "Then, of course, he is a heavy loser. Can he stand it?"

      "I am in doubt on that point. He is a rich man, but for all that he may have gone in beyond his means."

      "I am sorry for him, but that was reckless."

      "Yes, he was completely taken in by Wall. He's a smooth fellow."

      Walter had listened with languid attention; still, however, gathering the meaning of what was said until the mention of his father's name roused him, and then he listened eagerly, and with a sudden quickening of the pulse. He instantly connected the idea of what he had heard with his father's sudden illness, and naturally associated the two together.

      "My father has heard of