Mr. Afton's office was of unusual size, and fronted on La Salle Street. As Luke entered he observed that it was furnished better than the ordinary business office. On the floor was a handsome Turkey carpet. The desks were of some rich dark wood, and the chairs were as costly as those in his library. In a closed bookcase at one end of the room, surmounted by bronze statuettes, was a full library of reference.
At one desk stood a tall man, perhaps thirty-five, with red hair and prominent features. At another desk was a young fellow of eighteen, bearing a marked resemblance to the head bookkeeper. There was besides a young man of perhaps twenty-two, sitting at a table, apparently filing bills.
"Mr. Afton must be a rich man to have such an elegant office," thought Luke.
The red-haired bookkeeper did not take the trouble to look up to see who had entered the office.
"Is Mr. Afton in?" Luke asked, in a respectful tone.
The bookkeeper raised his eyes for a moment, glanced at Luke with a supercilious air, and said curtly, "No!"
"Do you know when he will be in?" continued the newsboy.
"Quite indefinite. What is your business, boy?"
"My business is with Mr. Afton," Luke answered.
"Humph! is it of an important nature?"
"It is not very important," he answered, "but I wish to see Mr. Afton personally."
"Whose office are you in?"
"He isn't in any office, Uncle Nathaniel," put in the red-haired boy. "He is a newsboy. I see him every morning round the Sherman House."
"Ha! is that so? Boy, we don't want to buy any papers, nor does Mr. Afton. You can go."
As the bookkeeper spoke he pointed to the door.
"I have no papers to sell," said Luke, "but I come here on business with Mr. Afton, and will take the liberty to wait till he comes."
"Oh, my eyes! Ain't he got cheek?" ejaculated the red-haired boy. "I say, boy, do you black boots as well as sell papers?"
"No, I don't."
"Some of the newsboys do. I thought, perhaps, you had got a job to black Mr. Afton's boots every morning."
Luke who was a spirited boy, was fast getting angry.
"I don't want to interfere with you in any way," he said.
"What do you mean?" demanded the red-haired boy, his cheeks rivaling his hair in color.
"I thought that might be one of your duties."
"Why, you impudent young vagabond! Uncle Nathaniel, did you hear that?"
"Boy, you had better go," said the bookkeeper.
"You can leave your card," added Eustis Clark, the nephew.
A friend of Luke's had printed and given him a dozen cards a few days previous, and he had them in his pocket at that moment.
"Thank you for the suggestion," he said, and walking up to the boy's desk he deposited on it a card bearing this name in neat script:
LUKE WALTON.
"Be kind enough to hand that to Mr. Afton."
Eustis held up the card, and burst into a guffaw.
"Well, I never!" he ejaculated. "Mr. Walton," he concluded, with a ceremonious bow.
"The same to you!" said Luke, with a smile.
"I never saw a newsboy put on such airs before," he said, as Luke left the office. "Did you, Uncle Nathaniel? Do you think he really had any business with the boss?"
"Probably he wanted to supply the office with papers. Now stop fooling, and go to work."
"They didn't seem very glad to see me," thought Luke. "I want to see Mr. Afton this morning, or he may think that I have not kept my word about the money."
Luke stationed himself in the doorway at the entrance to the building, meaning to intercept Mr. Afton as he entered from the street. He had to wait less than ten minutes. Mr. Afton smiled in instant recognition as he saw Luke, and seemed glad to see him.
"I am glad the boy justified my idea of him," he said to himself. "I would have staked a thousand dollars on his honesty. Such a face as that doesn't belong to a rogue."
"I am rather late," he said. "Have you been here long?"
"Not very long, sir; I have been up in your office."
"Why didn't you sit down and wait for me?"
"I don't think the red-haired gentleman cared to have me. The boy asked me to leave my card."
Mr. Afton looked amused.
"And did you?" he asked.
"Yes, sir."
"Do you generally carry visiting cards?"
"Well, I happened to have some with me this morning."
"Please show me one. So your name is Luke Walton?" he added, glancing at the card.
"Yes, sir; office corner Clark and Randolph Streets."
"I will keep the card and bear it in mind."
"I have brought your change, sir," said Luke.
"You can come upstairs and pay it to me in the office. It will be more business-like."
Luke was glad to accept the invitation, for it would prove to the skeptical office clerks that he really had business with their employer.
Eustis Clark and his uncle could not conceal their surprise when they saw Luke follow Mr. Afton into the office.
There was a smaller room inclosed at one corner, which was especially reserved for Mr. Afton.
"Come here, Luke," said he, pleasantly.
Luke followed him inside.
He drew from his pocket four dollars and ninety-eight cents, and laid it on the table behind which his patron had taken a seat.
"Won't you please count it and see if it is right?" he asked.
"I can see that it is, Luke. I am afraid I have put you to more trouble than the profit on the two papers I bought would pay for."
"Not at all, sir. Besides, it's all in the way of business. I thank you for putting confidence in me."
"I thought I was not mistaken in you, and the result shows that I was right. My boy, I saw that you had an honest face. I am sure that the thought of keeping back the money never entered your head."
"No, sir, it did not, though one of the newsboys advised me to keep it."
"It would have been very shortsighted as a matter of policy. I will take this money, but I want to encourage you in the way of well-doing."
He drew from his vest pocket a bill, and extended it to Luke.
"It isn't meant as a reward for honesty, but only as a mark of the interest I have begun to feel in you."
"Thank you, sir," said Luke; and as he took the bill, he started in surprise, for it was ten dollars.
"Did you mean to give as much as this?"
"How much is it?"
"Ten dollars."
"I thought it was five, but I am glad it is more. Yes, Luke, you are welcome to it. Have you anyone dependent upon you?"
"My mother. She will be very much pleased."
"That's right, my lad. Always look out for your mother. You owe her a debt which you can never repay."
"That is true, sir. But I would like to use a part of this money for some one else."
"For yourself?"
"No; for a friend."
Then he told in simple language of Jim Norman, and how seriously his family was affected by his sickness and enforced idleness.
"Jim has no money to buy medicine," he concluded. "If you don't object, Mr. Afton, I will give Jim's mother half this money, after buying some cough medicine out of it."
The merchant listened with approval.
"I am glad, Luke, you feel for others," he said, "but I can better afford to help your friend than you. Here is a five-dollar bill. Tell the boy it is from a friend, and if he should need more let me know."
"Thank you, sir," said Luke, fairly radiant as he thought of Jim's delight. "I won't take up any more of your time, but will bid you good-morning."
Probably Mr. Afton wished to give his clerks a lesson, for he followed Luke to the door of the outer office, and shook hands cordially with him, saying: "I shall be glad to have you call, when you wish to see me, Luke;" adding, "I may possibly have some occasional work for you to do. If so, I know where to find you."
"Thank you, sir."
"What's got into the old man?" thought Eustis Clark.
As Mr. Afton returned to his sanctum, Eustis said with a grin, holding up the card:
"Mr. Walton left his card for you, thinking you might not be in time to see him."
"Give it to me, if you please," and the rich man took the card without a smile, and put it into his vest pocket, not seeming in the least surprised.
"Mr. Walton called to pay me some money," he said, gravely. "Whenever he calls invite him to wait till my return."