However, as he now fancied, it was because he lacked an education that he had done so poorly. Because of thosevarious moves from city to city in his early youth, he had never been permitted to collect such a sum of practical training in any field as would permit him, so he thought, to aspire to the great worlds of which these menappeared to be a part. Yet his soul now yearned for this. The people who lived in fine houses, who stopped atgreat hotels, and had men like Mr. Squires, and the manager of the bell-hops here, to wait on them and arrangefor their comfort. And he was still a bell-hop. And close to twenty-one. At times it made him very sad. Hewished and wished that he could get into some work where he could rise and be somebody--not always remain abell- hop, as at times he feared he might.
About the time that he reached this conclusion in regard to himself and was meditating on some way to improveand safeguard his future, his uncle, Samuel Griffiths, arrived in Chicago. And having connections here whichmade a card to this club an obvious civility, he came directly to it and for several days was about the placeconferring with individuals who came to see him, or hurrying to and fro to meet people and visit concerns whomhe deemed it important to see.
And it was not an hour after he arrived before Ratterer, who had charge of the pegboard at the door by day andwho had but a moment before finished posting the name of this uncle on the board, signaled to Clyde, who cameover.
"Didn't you say you had an uncle or something by the name of Griffiths in the collar business somewhere in NewYork State?""Sure," replied Clyde. "Samuel Griffiths. He has a big collar factory in Lycurgus. That's his ad you see in all thepapers and that's his fire sign over there on Michigan Avenue.""Would you know him if you saw him?""No," replied Clyde. "I never saw him in all my life.""I'll bet anything it's the same fellow," commented Ratterer, consulting a small registry slip that had been handedhim. "Looka here--Samuel Griffiths, Lycurgus, N. Y. That's probably the same guy, eh?""Surest thing you know," added Clyde, very much interested and even excited, for this was the identical uncleabout whom he had been thinking so long.
"He just went through here a few minutes ago," went on Ratterer. "Devoy took his bags up to K. Swell-lookingman, too. You better keep your eye open and take a look at him when he comes down again. Maybe it's youruncle. He's only medium tall and kinda thin. Wears a small gray mustache and a pearl gray hat. Good-lookin'. I'llpoint him out to you. If it is your uncle you better shine up to him. Maybe he'll do somepin' for you--give you acollar or two," he added, laughing.
Clyde laughed too as though he very much appreciated this joke, although in reality he was flustered. His uncleSamuel! And in this club! Well, then this was his opportunity to introduce himself to his uncle. He had intendedwriting him before ever he secured this place, but now he was here in this club and might speak to him if hechose.
But hold! What would his uncle think of him, supposing he chose to introduce himself? For he was a bell-boyagain and acting in that capacity in this club. What, for instance, might be his uncle's attitude toward boys whoworked as bell-boys, particularly at his-- Clyde's--years. For he was over twenty now, and getting to be pretty oldfor a bell-boy, that is, if one ever intended to be anything else. A man of his wealth and high position might lookon bell-hopping as menial, particularly bell-boys who chanced to be related to him. He might not wish to haveanything to do with him--might not even wish him to address him in any way. It was in this state that heremained for fully twenty-four hours after he knew that his uncle had arrived at this club.
The following afternoon, however, after he had seen him at least half a dozen times and had been able toformulate the most agreeable impressions of him, since his uncle appeared to be so very quick, alert, incisive--sovery different from his father in every way, and so rich and respected by every one here--he began to wonder, tofear even at times, whether he was going to let this remarkable opportunity slip. For after all, his uncle did notlook to him to be at all unkindly--quite the reverse--very pleasant. And when, at the suggestion of Ratterer, hehad gone to his uncle's room to secure a letter which was to be sent by special messenger, his uncle had scarcelylooked at him, but instead had handed him the letter and half a dollar. "See that a boy takes that right away andkeep the money for yourself," he had remarked.
Clyde's excitement was so great at the moment that he wondered that his uncle did not guess that he was hisnephew. But plainly he did not. And he went away a little crest-fallen.
Later some half dozen letters for his uncle having been put in the key-box, Ratterer called Clyde's attention tothem. "If you want to run in on him again, here's your chance. Take those up to him. He's in his room, I think."And Clyde, after some hesitation, had finally taken the letters and gone to his uncle's suite once more.
His uncle was writing at the time and merely called: "Come!" Then Clyde, entering and smiling ratherenigmatically, observed: "Here's some mail for you, Mr. Griffiths.""Thank you very much, my son," replied his uncle and proceeded to finger his vest pocket for change. but Clyde,seizing this opportunity, exclaimed: "Oh, no, I don't want anything for that." And then before his uncle could sayanything more, although he proceeded to hold out some silver to him, he added: "I believe I'm related to you, Mr.
Griffiths. You're Mr. Samuel Griffiths of the Griffiths Collar Company of Lycurgus, aren't you?""Yes, I have a little something to do with it, I believe. Who are you?" returned his uncle, looking at him sharply.
"My name's Clyde Griffiths. My father, Asa Griffiths, is your brother, I believe."At the mention of this particular brother, who, to the knowledge of all the members of this family, was distinctlynot a success materially, the face of Samuel Griffiths clouded the least trifle. For the mention of Asa broughtrather unpleasingly before him the stocky and decidedly not well-groomed figure of his younger brother, whomhe had not seen in so many years. His most recent distinct picture of him was as a young man of about Clyde'sage about his father's house near Bertwick, Vermont. But how different! Clyde's father was then short, fat andpoorly knit mentally as well as physically--oleaginous and a bit mushy, as it were. His chin was not firm, hiseyes a pale watery blue, and his hair frizzled. Whereas this son of his was neat, alert, good-looking andseemingly well-mannered and intelligent, as most bell- hops were inclined to be as he noted. And he liked him.
However, Samuel Griffiths, who along with his elder brother Allen had inherited the bulk of his father'smoderate property, and this because of Joseph Griffiths' prejudice against his youngest son, had always felt thatperhaps an injustice had been done Asa. For Asa, not having proved very practical or intelligent, his father hadfirst attempted to drive and then later ignore him, and finally had turned him out at about Clyde's age, and hadafterward left the bulk of his property, some thirty thousand dollars, to these two elder brothers, share and sharealike--willing Asa but a petty thousand.
It was this thought in connection with this younger brother that now caused him to stare at Clyde rathercuriously. For Clyde, as he could see, was in no way like the younger brother who had been harried from hisfather's home so many years before. Rather he was more like his own son, Gilbert, whom, as he now saw heresembled. Also in spite of all of Clyde's fears he was obviously impressed by the fact that he should have anykind of place in this interesting club. For to Samuel Griffiths, who was more than less confined to the limitedactivities and environment of Lycurgus, the character and standing of this particular club was to be respected.
And those young men who served the guests of such an institution as this, were, in the main, possessed ofefficient and unobtrusive manners. Therefore to see Clyde standing before him in his neat gray and blackuniform and with the air of one whose social manners at least were excellent, caused him to think favorably ofhim.
"You don't tell me!" he exclaimed interestedly. "So you're Asa's son. I do declare! Well, now, this is a surprise.
You see I haven't seen or heard from your father in at least--well, say, twenty-five or six years, anyhow. The lasttime I did hear from him he was living in Grand Rapids, Michigan, I think, or here. He isn't here now, Ipresume.""Oh, no, sir," replied Clyde, who was glad to be able to say this. "The family live in Denver. I'm here all alone.""Your father and mother are living, I presume.""Yes, sir. They're both alive.""Still connected with religious work, is he--your fat............