The Boy from the Ranch | Page 6

died the property came
to me, and to you. That is, I have a third interest in it, and you have
two-thirds."
"That hardly seems fair. You should have more than I."
"Never mind, Roy. In fact I intend that, in time, you shall have the
whole of the property."
"Where is it located?"

"In New York City."
"New York? That is a long way off."
"Yes, a good many miles. In fact I have never seen the property. It is in
charge of an agent--a real estate man. Every month he sends me the
money received for rent, and, for several years I have put your share
away, at interest in a bank."
"Then I have some money saved up, and did not know it."
"That is right, and it is quite a sum. But, of late, the rents have been
falling off, until they are only about half what they were when your
mother owned the property."
"Why is this?"
"The agent says it is because the property has gone down in value, but I
can not see how that is, as it is in a good part of New York, and that
city is certainly not getting smaller."
"How do you account for the rents being less, then?"
"That is just the point. I can't account for it, and, to tell you the truth, I
am suspicious of this real estate man."
"Who is he?"
"His name is Caleb Annister."
"What do you propose doing, dad? Can't you get a lawyer to see him,
and find out if he is cheating you?"
"I suppose I could, but I have thought of a different plan. It came to me
when I was lying sick here, and I decided to put it into operation, so as
to straighten out my affairs as well as your own."
"What's your plan, dad?"

"I am going to send you to New York, to look up this property and the
matter of rents, and see whether or not Caleb Annister is telling the
truth, when he says that the value has gone down. Roy, I want you to
act as my agent, and start for New York at once!"
CHAPTER III
A FAREWELL RIDE
His father's announcement rather startled Roy. He had never thought
much of business, outside of that connected with the ranch, and now
the idea of endeavoring to ascertain the value of property, and whether
the agent of it was doing his duty, came as a sort of shock. But, more
than this, was the idea of going to a big city.
In all his life, as far as he could remember, Roy had never been in any
town of more than five thousand inhabitants. He had never, so far as he
knew, taken more than a short ride in a railroad train. I say as far as he
knew, for he had been born in Chicago, but when he was an infant, his
parents had gone out west, so while it was true that he had lived in a
big city, and had made quite a railroad journey, he knew nothing about
it, except what his father had told him.
"You want me to go to New York, dad?" he repeated, wondering if he
had heard aright.
"That's it. I want you to find out just exactly what Caleb Annister is
doing."
"But, I have had no experience in those lines."
"I know you have not, but I think you can do what I want. All it needs
is brains and common sense, and you have both."
"But I have never been in a big city."
"No, not since you were old enough to notice anything, but that need
not worry you. If I told you to go back to where the boys were

rounding-up the cattle, you could do it; couldn't you?"
"Sure."
"Well, if you can find your way over the trackless plains I guess you
can manage to get along in a big city, even if it is New York. All you
have to do is to ask when you don't understand. I guess if some of those
city boys came out here, they'd get lost a good deal quicker than you
will in the streets of New York. Now you had better get ready to start.
I'll draw up some papers, and get some instructions ready for you. I
think Annister is trying to swindle you and me out of this property. If I
was well enough I would go myself, but, as it is, I shall send you."
"Do you think you are well enough for me to leave you?" asked Roy
anxiously.
"Oh, yes, there is nothing serious the matter with me. I shall have to be
careful of what I eat, that's all, and if