Dick the Bank Boy | Page 3

he continued on after leaving Ferd
he endeavored to forget the unpleasant incident, and resume his
planning.
Chances for work were not very abundant in and around Riverview.
Dick knew little about farming, and besides, even though he should
secure a job in that line he was aware that most farmers insisted upon
their help being on the ground all the time, as they had to get out long
before daylight to feed the stock, and since he could not leave his
mother alone he had to pass any such opportunity by.
There was the bank of which Mr. Gibbs was president; he had always
yearned to do something along that line; but having no experience he
had never dared apply for a position there, though envying Charles
Doty, who ran messages and made himself generally useful in the bank,
"learning the ropes, so that in time he could step into Mr. Gibbs' shoes,"
as he used often to say with pride.
For a lad with business ambitions there remained only the two grocery
stores, and the grand emporium conducted by Mr. Graylock, an
institution he chose to call a department store, and which covered quite
a large space of ground.
Strange to say Dick had just been making up his mind to call on this
latter enterprising merchant and solicit an opening, at the time he met
the hopeful son on the road, and had another disagreeable experience
with Ferd; indeed, it seemed as though they could never come together
without some trouble arising, though Dick had resolved time and again
that he would not be the first to pick a quarrel.

Now he reflected that it was almost useless approaching Mr. Graylock,
for he felt sure that the gentleman must have heard about the time when
he and Ferd engaged in a rough and tumble fight on the baseball field,
after the other had deliberately struck him, and called him a coward
because he was so slow to take off his coat and engage in a combat that
proved to be rather gory for Ferd--yes, he knew this must be the case,
for his mother had looked serious for some little time, and he heard that
the rich man was seen leaving their humble cottage one afternoon while
he was away.
So he felt undecided as to what he should attempt, and all the way
home he pondered over the situation, determined to do something to
chase away the look of concern which every now and then he saw
gathering on his mother's gentle face, when she did not dream that he
was observing her.
"She doesn't want me to know how hard things are growing," he mused.
"She thinks of me all the time, and is the dearest little mother in the
world. I'd give up anything for her, and I'm going to find a position
somewhere, somehow. That's settled. There's got to be more money
coming in through the door of the Morrisons, and it's up to Richard to
set the stream in motion."
His resolution was all very well, but it was not so easy to decide where
this fountain could be tapped that was to pour its tiny golden stream
into their almost empty reservoir.
Again and again he shook his head resolutely as he trudged along, and
the expression on his face was that of one who has made up his mind
and will not allow himself to be turned aside by any obstacle; it was the
look of a winner, and when his mates saw Dick Morrison set his teeth
in that determined way they knew he was bound to lead his side to
victory, no matter what the opposition.
Dick presently drew near the little cottage in which he and his mother
had lived ever since he could remember, and which, with its flower
garden, was as pretty a spot as one could find along the river road just
outside the town.

Thinking only of showing a cheery face to the one who had ever been
his best friend and counsellor on earth he tried to forget his worries,
and starting to whistle merrily opened the gate and passed up the walk.

CHAPTER II
A MOTHER WORTH FIGHTING FOR
Perhaps had Dick been less noisy as he came up the walk he might
have caught his mother in tears; for he felt sure he detected the signs of
recent weeping upon her thin face as he entered and threw the package
he was carrying on the table.
"I'm glad you found Mrs. Oliver at home," said Mrs. Morrison, "and
she had the work ready. I can start on it to-night, and perhaps finish the
whole thing this week," and she opened the package, and examined the
goods that had been in the