“That’s jolly!” exclaimed Guy, much pleased. “You’re well rid of him, papa. Let him go away and make a living as he can. He’ll have to turn newsboy, or something of that sort—perhaps he’ll have to be a bootblack. Wouldn’t that be a good come down for a boy like Hector?”
Guy spoke with great glee, but his father did not seem to enjoy his release as well as Guy. He showed that he understood the boy better when he said:
“Hector will not have to resort to any such employment. He has a good education, and he can get some decent position, probably. On the whole, I am sorry he is going to leave my protection, for friends of the family may, perhaps, blame me.”
“But it isn’t your fault, papa. He is taking his own course.”
“To be sure. You are right there!”
Mr. Roscoe thought so much on the subject, however, that the next day he went to Smith Institute to see Hector, without telling Guy where he was going.
Arrived there, he asked to see Mr. Smith.
The latter did not appear to be in a happy frame of mind.
“How do you do, Mr. Roscoe?” he said.
“Very well,” answered Mr. Roscoe, briefly. “Mr. Smith, I wish to see my ward.”