Up the stairs of the hotel, two steps at a time, ran a boy with a big, black dog at his heels. "Come on, Prince; soft, now," as they neared a door at the end of the corridors It opened into a corner room overlooking "the Park," as the small open space in front of the hotel was called. Within the room there was sunshine and comfort, it being the most luxurious one in the house, which the proprietor bad placed at the disposal of thi5 most exacting guest. He didn't look very happy, however--the gentleman who sat in an easy chair by the window; a large, handsome old gentleman, whose whole bearing showed plainly that personal comfort had always been his, and was, therefore, neither a matter of surprise nor thankfulness.
"Where have you been?" he asked, turning around to greet the boy who came in, followed by Prince.
"Oh, such a long story, father!" he cried, flushed; his eyes sparkling as he flung back the dark hair from his forehead. "You can't even guess!""Never mind now," said the old gentleman, testily; "your stories are always long; the paper hasn't come--strange, indeed, that one must needs be so annoyed! do ring that bell again.
So the bell was pulled; and a porter popped in his head.
"What is it, sir?"
"The paper," said the old gentleman, irritably; "hasn't it come yet?""No, sir," said the man; and then he repeated, "taint in yet, please, sir.""Very well--you said so once; that's all," waving his hand; then as the door closed, he said to his son, "That pays one for coming to such an out-of-the-way country place as this, away from papers--Inever will do it again."
As the old gentleman, against the advice of many friends who knew his dependence on externals, had determined to come to this very place, the boy was not much startled at the decisive words. He stood very quietly, however, until his father finished. Then he said:
"It's too bad, father! supposing I tell you my story? Perhaps you'll enjoy hearing it while you wait--it's really quite newspaperish.""Well, you might as well tell it now, I suppose," said the old gentleman; "but it is a great shame about that paper! to advertise that morning papers are to be obtained--it's a swindle, Jasper! a complete swindle!" and the old gentleman looked so very irate that the boy exerted himself to soothe him.
"I know," he said; "but they can't help the trains being late.""They shouldn't have the trains late," said his father, unreasounbly.
"There's no necessity for all this prating about 'trains late.' I'm convinced it's because they forgot to send down for the papers till they were all sold.""I don't believe that's it, father," said the boy, trying to change the subject; "but you don't know how splendid Frince has been, nor"--"And then such a breakfast!" continued the old gentleman.
"My liver certainly will be in a dreadful state if these things continue!" And he got up, and going to the corner of the room, opened his medicine chest, and taking a box of pills therefrom, he swallowed two, which done, he came back with a somewhat easier expression to his favorite chair.
"He was just splendid, father," began the boy; "he went for him, Itell you!"
"I hope, Jasper, your dog has not been doing anything violent,"said the old gentleman. "I must caution you; he'll get you into trouble some day; and then there'll be a heavy bill to pay; he grows more irritable every day.""Irritable!" cried the boy, flinging his arms around the dog's neck, who was looking up at the old gentleman in high disdain. "He's done the most splendid thing you ever saw! Why, he saved a little girl, father, from a cross old organ-man, and he drove that man--oh! you ought to have seen him run!"And now that it was over, Jasper put back his head and laughed long and loud as he remembered the rapid transit of the musical pair.
"Well, how do you know she wasn't the man's daughter?" asked his father, determined to find fault someway. "You haven't any business to go around the country setting your dog on people. Ishall have an awful bill to pay some day, Jasper--an awful bill!" he continued, getting up and commencing to pace up and down the floor in extreme irritation.
