Tom Temple's Career Author:Horatio Alger Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER IV. A TROUBLESOME BOAEDEE. OM RE-ENTERED his new boarding-place as the clock struck eight. Mr. and Mrs. Middleton were discussing him, but sto... more »pped short as he came in. They foresaw that he would be troublesome, but there is great power in money, and they had just a thousand reasons for keeping on good terms with him. "Have you been taking a walk, Mr. Temple?" said Nathan blandly. " Yes, sir." " I hope you like our village," chimed in the lady. "I don't know," said Tom. "I don't like the people much." '' Indeed! May I ask why ?" " They stared at me as if they had never seen a gentleman before, and one old woman stopped and wanted to know all about me." "It must have been Prudence Peabody," said Mr. Middleton. " How did she look?" "She was born at a time when it wasn't fashionable to be good-looking," answered Tom. " She is short, wrinkled, and walks a little lame." "That's she." " I told her I was the grandson of General "Washington's first cousin," said Tom, "and the old fright believed it." " I fear, my young friend, that you are not sufficiently regardful of the truth," expostulated Mr. Middleton, with mild censure. " Oh, I was only chaffing. If she believes it, it wont io her any harm." " I had a fight besides," continued Tom. "A fight! Not with Miss Peabody?" asked Mrs. Middleton, horror-stricken. " Not much. I don't fight with women," said Tom. " It was with two boys. One said his father was a lawyer." " It must be James Davenport," said Nathan, disturbed. "How came you to fight with him?" "He and another fellow were pitching ball, and wouldn't let me into the game, so I grabbed the ball, and they went for me." "Were you much hurt?" " I wasn't the one that was hurt," said Tom significantly. " I laid t...« less