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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6833f05 --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,3 @@ +* text=auto +*.txt text +*.md text diff --git a/15906-h.zip b/15906-h.zip Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..cd1b955 --- /dev/null +++ b/15906-h.zip diff --git a/15906-h/15906-h.htm b/15906-h/15906-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..5d18d0e --- /dev/null +++ b/15906-h/15906-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,1836 @@ +<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" + "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> +<html> +<head> +<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1" /> +<title>The Project Gutenberg eBook of A Good Samaritan, by Mary Raymond Shipman Andrews</title> + <style type="text/css"> +/*<![CDATA[ XML blockout */ +<!-- + p { margin-top: .75em; + text-align: justify; + margin-bottom: .75em; + } + h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6 { + text-align: center; /* all headings centered */ + clear: both; + } + hr { width: 33%; + margin-top: 2em; + margin-bottom: 2em; + margin-left: auto; + margin-right: auto; + clear: both; + } + + table {margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;} + + img {border: 0;} + + body{margin-left: 10%; + margin-right: 10%; + } + + .linenum {position: absolute; top: auto; left: 4%;} /* poetry number */ + .blockquot{margin-left: 5%; margin-right: 10%;} + .pagenum {position: absolute; left: 92%; font-size: smaller; text-align: right;} /* page numbers */ + .sidenote {width: 20%; padding-bottom: .5em; padding-top: .5em; + padding-left: .5em; padding-right: .5em; margin-left: 1em; + float: right; clear: right; margin-top: 1em; + font-size: smaller; background: #eeeeee; border: dashed 1px;} + + .bb {border-bottom: solid 2px;} + .bl {border-left: solid 2px;} + .bt {border-top: solid 2px;} + .br {border-right: solid 2px;} + .bbox {border: solid 2px;} + + .center {text-align: center;} + .smcap {font-variant: small-caps;} + .u {text-decoration: underline;} + + .caption {font-weight: bold;} + + .figcenter {margin: auto; text-align: center;} + + .figleft {float: left; clear: left; margin-left: 0; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: + 1em; margin-right: 1em; padding: 0; text-align: center;} + + .figright {float: right; clear: right; margin-left: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em; + margin-top: 1em; margin-right: 0; padding: 0; text-align: center;} + + .footnotes {border: dashed 1px;} + .footnote {margin-left: 10%; margin-right: 10%; font-size: 0.9em;} + .footnote .label {position: absolute; right: 84%; text-align: right;} + .fnanchor {vertical-align: super; font-size: .8em; text-decoration: none;} + + .poem {margin-left:10%; margin-right:10%; text-align: left;} + .poem br {display: none;} + .poem .stanza {margin: 1em 0em 1em 0em;} + .poem span.i0 {display: block; margin-left: 0em;} + .poem span.i2 {display: block; margin-left: 2em;} + .poem span.i4 {display: block; margin-left: 4em;} + hr.full { width: 100%; } + pre {font-size: 8pt;} + // --> + /* XML end ]]>*/ + </style> +</head> +<body> +<h1>The Project Gutenberg eBook, A Good Samaritan, by Mary Raymond Shipman +Andrews, Illustrated by Charlotte Harding</h1> +<pre> +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at <a href = "https://www.gutenberg.org">www.gutenberg.org</a></pre> +<p>Title: A Good Samaritan</p> +<p>Author: Mary Raymond Shipman Andrews</p> +<p>Release Date: May 26, 2005 [eBook #15906]</p> +<p>Language: English</p> +<p>Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1</p> +<p>***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A GOOD SAMARITAN***</p> +<p> </p> +<h3>E-text prepared by Juliet Sutherland, Bruce Albrecht,<br /> + and the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team</h3> +<p> </p> +<hr class="full" /> +<p class="figcenter"> +<a name="p01" id="p01"></a><span class="pagenum">Frontispiece</span> +<a href="./images/p01.png"> +<img src="./images/tp01.png" alt=""That'll get even Webster's Union for chargin' me two cents for 'soon,'" he chuckled" title=""That'll get even Webster's Union for chargin' me two cents for 'soon,'" he chuckled" /></a></p> +<p class="figcenter"> +<i>That'll get even Webster's Union for chargin' me two cents for 'soon,'" he chuckled</i> +(<i>See</i> <a href="#Page_39"><b><i>page 39</i></b></a>)</p> +<p> </p> +<p> </p> + +<p><a name='Page_I' id='Page_I'><span class="pagenum">Title Page</span></a></p> +<h1>A GOOD SAMARITAN</h1> + +<h3>BY</h3> + +<h2>MARY RAYMOND SHIPMAN ANDREWS</h2> + +<h3>Illustrated by Charlotte Harding</h3> +<p> </p> +<p class="figcenter"><img src="./images/pm.png" alt="printer's mark" /></p> +<p> </p> +<p class="center">NEW YORK</p> +<p class="center">McCLURE, PHILLIPS & CO.</p> +<p class="center">Second Impression<br /> +MCMVI</p> +<p> </p> +<p> </p> +<p> </p> + +<p> +<a name='Page_III' id='Page_III'><span class="pagenum">Table of Illustrations</span></a></p> +<h2>LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS</h2> + + +<table border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" summary="Illustrations"> +<tr><td align="left"></td><td align="right"><i>Facing page</i></td></tr> +<tr><td align="left"><i>"That'll get even Webster's Union for +chargin' me two cents for 'soon,'" +he chuckled</i></td> +<td align="right"><a href="#p01"><i>Frontispiece</i></a></td></tr> +<tr><td align="left"><i>"Recky," he bubbled, "good old Recky—bes' +fren' ev' had"</i></td><td align="right"><a href="#p02">8</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align="left"><i>"Who's your friend, Billy?"</i></td><td align="right"><a href="#p03">10</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align="left"><i>"Thank you—thank you very much—very, +very much—old rhinoceros"</i></td><td align="right"><a href="#p04">18</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align="left"><i>"So tired," he remarked. "Go'n have +good nap now"</i></td><td align="right"><a href="#p05">20</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align="left"><i>"Could he—couldn't he?"</i></td><td align="right"><a href="#p06">28</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align="left"><i>At every station the conductor and Rex +had to reason with him</i></td><td align="right"><a href="#p07">32</a></td></tr> +</table> + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<p><a name='Page_3' id='Page_3'><span class="pagenum">Page 3</span></a></p> +<h2><a name="A_GOOD_SAMARITAN" id="A_GOOD_SAMARITAN"></a>A GOOD SAMARITAN</h2> + + +<p>The little District Telegraph boy, with a dirty +face, stood at the edge of the desk, and, rubbing +his sleeve across his cheek, made it unnecessarily +dirtier.</p> + +<p>"Answer, sir?"</p> + +<p>"No—yes—wait a minute." Reed tore +the yellow envelope and spread the telegram. +It read:</p> + +<p>"Do I meet you at your office or at Martin's +and what time?"</p> + +<p>"The devil!" Reed commented, and the +boy blinked indifferently. He was used to +stronger. "The casual Rex all over! Yes, +boy, there's an answer." He scribbled rapidly, +and the two lines of writing said this:</p> + +<p>"Waiting for you at office now. Hurry up. +C. Reed."</p> + +<p>He fumbled in his pocket and gave the +youngster a coin. "See that it's sent instantly—<a name='Page_4' id='Page_4'><span class="pagenum">Page 4</span></a>like +lightning. Run!" and the sharp little +son of New York was off before the last word +was well out.</p> + +<p>Half an hour later, to Reed waiting at his +office in Broadway impatiently, there strolled +in a good-looking and leisurely young man +with black clothes on his back and peace and +good-will on his face. "Hope I haven't kept +you waiting, Carty," he remarked in friendly +tones. "Plenty of time, isn't there?"</p> + +<p>"No, there isn't," his cousin answered, and +there was a touch of snap in the accent. +"Really, Rex, you ought to grow up and be +responsible. It was distinctly arranged that +you should call here for me at six, and now +it's a quarter before seven."</p> + +<p>"Couldn't remember the hour or the place +to save my life," the younger man asserted +earnestly. "I'm just as sorry as I can be, +Carty. You see I did remember we were to +dine at Martin's. So much I got all right—and +that was something, wasn't it, Carty?" +he inquired with an air of wistful pride, and +<a name='Page_5' id='Page_5'><span class="pagenum">Page 5</span></a>the frown on the face of the other dissolved +in laughter.</p> + +<p>"Rex, there's no making you over—worse +luck. Come along. I've got to go home to +dress after dinner you see, before we make our +call. You'll do, on the strength of being a +theological student."</p> + +<p>The situation was this: Reginald Fairfax, +in his last year at the Theological Seminary, +in this month of May, and lately ordained, had +been seriously spoken of as assistant to the +Rector of the great church of St. Eric's. It +was a remarkable position to come the way of +an undergraduate, and his brilliant record at +the seminary was one of the two things which +made it possible. The other was the friendship +and interest of his cousin, Carter Reed, +head clerk in the law firm of Rush, Walden, +Lee and Lee, whose leading member, Judge +Rush, was also senior warden at St. Eric's. +Reed had called Judge Rush's attention to +his young cousin's career, and, after some inquiry, +the vestryman had asked that the +<a name='Page_6' id='Page_6'><span class="pagenum">Page 6</span></a>young man should be brought to see him, to +discuss certain questions bearing on the work. +It was almost equivalent to a call coming from +such a man, and Reed was delighted; but +here his troubles began. In vain did he hopefully +fix date after date with the slippery Rex—something +always interfered. Twice, to +his knowledge, it had been the chance of seeing +a girl from Orange which had thrown over +the chance of seeing the man of influence and +power. Once the evening had been definitely +arranged with Judge Rush himself, and Reed +was obliged to go alone and report that the +candidate had disappeared into a tenement +district and no one knew where to find him. +The effect of that was fortunately good—Judge +Rush was rather pleased than otherwise +that a young clergyman should be so taken +up with his work as to forget his interests. +But Reed was most anxious that this evening's +appointment should go off successfully, +while Rex was as light-hearted as a +bird. Any one would have thought it was +<a name='Page_7' id='Page_7'><span class="pagenum">Page 7</span></a>Reed's own future he was laboring over instead +of that of the youngster who had a gift +of making men care for him and work for him +without effort on his own part.</p> + +<p>The two walked down Broadway toward +the elevated road, Rex's dark eyes gathering +amusement here and there in the crowded +way as they went.</p> + +<p>"Look at Billy Strong—why there's Billy +Strong across the street. Come over and +I'll present you, Carty. Just the chap you +want to meet. He's a great athlete—on the +water-polo team of the New York Athletic +Club, you know—as much of an old sport +as you are." And Reed found himself swung +across and standing before a powerful, big +figure of a man, almost before he could answer. +There was another man with the distinguished +Billy, and Reed had not regarded the two for +more than one second before he discovered +that they were both in a distinct state of intoxication. +In fact, Strong proclaimed the +truth at once, false shame cast to the winds. +<a name='Page_8' id='Page_8'><span class="pagenum">Page 8</span></a>He threw his arm about Rex's neck with a +force of affection which almost knocked down +the quartette.</p> + +<p class="figcenter"><a name="p02" id="p02"></a><a href="./images/p02.png"><img src="./images/tp02.png" alt=""Recky," he bubbled, "good old Recky—bes' fren' ev' had"" title=""Recky," he bubbled, "good old Recky—bes' fren' ev' had"" /></a></p><p class="figcenter"><i>"Recky," he bubbled, "good old Recky—bes' fren' ev' had"</i></p> + +<p>"Recky," he bubbled, "good old Recky—bes' +fren' ev' had—I'm drunk, Recky—too +bad. We're both drunk. Take's home." +Rex glanced at his cousin in dismay, and +Strong repeated his invitation cordially. +"Take's home, Recky," he insisted, with the +easy air of a man who confers an honor. "'S up +to you, Recky."</p> + +<p>Rex looked at his frowning cousin doubtfully, +pleadingly.</p> + +<p>"It almost seems as if it was, doesn't it, +Carty?" he said. "We can't leave them like +this."</p> + +<p>"I don't see why we can't—I can," Reed +asserted. "It's none of our business, Rex, +and we really haven't time to palaver. Come +along."</p> + +<p>The gentle soul of Rex Fairfax was surprisingly +firm. "Carty, they'd be arrested +in five minutes," he reasoned. "It's a wonder +<a name='Page_9' id='Page_9'><span class="pagenum">Page 9</span></a>they haven't been already. And Billy's +people—it would break their hearts. I +know some of them well, you see. I was +with him only last week over in Orange."</p> + +<p>"Oh!" Reed groaned. "That Girl from +Orange again." He opened his lips once +more to launch nervous English against this +quixotism, but Strong interposed.</p> + +<p>"'S all true," he solemnly stated, fixing +his eyes rollingly on Reed. "Got Orange-colored +cousin what break Recky's heart +if don't take's home. Y'see—y'see—" +The President of these United States in a +cabinet council would have stopped to listen +to him, so freighted with great facts coming +was his confidential manner. "Y'see—wouldn't +tell ev'body—only you," and he +laid a mighty hand on Reed's shoulder. "I'm +so drunk. Awful pity—too bad," and he +sighed deeply. "Now, Recky, ol' man, take's +home."</p> + +<p class="figcenter"><a name="p03" id="p03"></a><a href="./images/p03.png"><img src="./images/tp03.png" alt=""Who's your friend, Billy?"" title=""Who's your friend, Billy?"" /></a></p><p class="figcenter"><i>"Who's your friend, Billy?"</i></p> + +<p>"Who's your friend, Billy?" Rex inquired, +disregarding this appeal.</p> +<p><a name='Page_10' id='Page_10'><span class="pagenum">Page 10</span></a></p> +<p>Billy burst into a shout of laughter which +Fairfax promptly clipped by putting his +hand over the big man's mouth. "He's +bes' joke yet," Strong remarked through +Rex's fingers. "He's go'n' kill himself," +and he kissed the restraining hand gallantly.</p> + +<p>The two sober citizens turned and stared +at the gentlemen. He looked it. He looked +as if there could be no step deeper into the +gloom which enveloped him, except suicide. +He nodded darkly as the two regarded him.</p> + +<p>"Uh-huh. Life's failure. Lost cuff-button. +Won't live to be indecent. Go'n' kill m'self +soon's this dizhiness goesh pasht. Billy's +drunk, but I'm subject to—to dizhiness."</p> + +<p>Rex turned to his cousin with a gesture. +"You see, Carty, we can't leave them. I'm +just as disappointed as you are, but it would +be a beastly thing to do, to let them get pulled +in as common drunks. What's your friend's +name?" he demanded again of Strong.</p> + +<p>"Got lovely name," he averred eagerly. +"Good ol' moth-eaten name. Name's Schuyler +<a name='Page_11' id='Page_11'><span class="pagenum">Page 11</span></a>VanCourtlandt Van de Water—ain't it +Schuylie—ain't that your name—or's that +mine? I—I f'rget lil' things," he said in an +explanatory manner.</p> + +<p>But the suicide spoke up for himself. +"Tha's my name," he said aggressively. +"Knew it in a minute. Tha's my father's +name and my grandfath's name, and +my great grandfath's name and my great-great——"</p> + +<p>"Stop," said Rex tersely, and the man +stopped. "Now tell me where you live."</p> + +<p>Billy Strong leaned over and punched the +man in the ribs. "You lemme tell 'em. Lives +nine-thous-n sixt'-four East West Street," he +addressed Rex, and chuckled.</p> + +<p>"Don't be a donkey, Billy—tell me his +right address." Rex spoke with annoyance—this +scene was getting tiresome, and although +Reed was laughing hopelessly, he was +on his mind.</p> + +<p>"Oh! F'got!" Billy's tipsy coyness was +elephantine. "Lives <i>six</i> thous'n <i>sev</i>'nty four +<a name='Page_12' id='Page_12'><span class="pagenum">Page 12</span></a>North S—South Street," and he roared with +laughter.</p> + +<p>Rex was about to learn how to manage +Billy Strong. "Bill," he said, "be decent. +You're making me lots of trouble," and Billy +burst into tears and sobbed out:</p> + +<p>"Wouldn' make Recky trouble for worlds—good +ol' Recky—half-witted ol' goat, but +bes' fren' ev' had," and the address was captured.</p> + +<p>Rex turned to his cousin, his winning, deprecating +manner warning Reed but softening +him against his will. "Carty," he said, +"there's nothing for it, but for you to take +one chap and I the other and see 'em home. +It's only a little after seven and we ought to +be able to meet by half-past eight—at the +Hotel Netherland, say—that's near the +Rush's. We'll have to give up dinner, but +we'll get a sandwich somewhere, and we'll +do. I'll take Strong because he's more troublesome—I +think I can manage him. It's +awfully good of you, and I can tell you +<a name='Page_13' id='Page_13'><span class="pagenum">Page 13</span></a>I appreciate it. But it wouldn't be civilized +to do less, old Carty, would it?" +And Reed found himself, grumbling but +docile, linked to the suicide's arm, and +guiding his shuffling foot-steps in the way +they should go.</p> + +<p>"Now, we'll both kill ourselves, old Carty, +won't we?" Rex heard his cousin's charge +mumble cheerfully as they started off, with a +visible lengthening of his gloom at the thought +of companionship at death.</p> + +<p>Strong was marching along with an unearthly +decorum that should have made Fairfax +suspicious. But instead it cheered his +optimistic soul immensely. "Good for you +old man," he said encouragingly. "At this +rate we'll get you home in no time." And +Billy, at that second, thrust out his great shoulder +into the crowd, and almost knocked a man +down. The man, whirled sidewise in front of +them, glared savagely.</p> + +<p>"What do you mean by that?" he demanded. +Strong, to whom nothing would +<a name='Page_14' id='Page_14'><span class="pagenum">Page 14</span></a>have given more joy than a tussle, bent down +and peered into the other's face.</p> + +<p>"Is it a man or a monkey?" he piped, and +shrieked with laughter.</p> + +<p>The man's strained temper broke suddenly +and Rex caught him by the arm as he was +about to spring for Strong, and promptly threw +himself between the two.</p> + +<p>"Look here, Billy," he remonstrated, "if +you fight anybody it's got to be me," and he +spoke over his shoulder to the stranger. "You +see what I'm up against. I'm getting him +home—do just go on," and the man went.</p> + +<p>But Billy's head was in his guardian's neck +and he was spluttering and sobbing. "Fight +you? Nev'—s' help me—nev'—Fight poor, +ole fool Recky—bes' fren' ev' had? No sir. +I wouldn' fight you Recky," and he raised a +tear-stained face and gazed mournfully into +his eyes. "D'ye think I'd——"</p> + +<p>"Oh, shut up!" Rex ejaculated, "and hold +your head up, Billy. You make me sick."</p> + +<p>The intoxicated heavy freight being under +<a name='Page_15' id='Page_15'><span class="pagenum">Page 15</span></a>way again, Rex looked about for the rest of +the train, but in vain. After a halt of a minute +or so he decided that they were lost and +would have to stay lost, the situation being +too precarious, in this land of policemen, +with one hundred and ninety pounds of noisy +uncertainty on his hands, to risk any unnecessary +movement. Billy kept every breath +of time alive and varied. Within two minutes +of the first adventure he managed to put +his elbow clearly and forcibly into a small man's +mouth, and before the other could resent it:</p> + +<p>"'S my elbow, sir," he said, haughtily, +stopping and staring down.</p> + +<p>"Well, why in thunder don't you keep it +where it belongs?" snapped the man, and +Billy caught him by the sleeve.</p> + +<p>"Lil' sir," he said impressively, "if you +should bite off my elbow, you saucy baggage"—and +the thought was too much for him. +Tears filling his eyes he turned to Rex. "Recky, +you spank that lil' sir," he pleaded brokenly. +"He's too lil' for me—I'd hurt him"—<a name='Page_16' id='Page_16'><span class="pagenum">Page 16</span></a>and +Rex meditated again. A shock came +when they reached the corner of Broadway +and Chambers Street. "Up's' daisy," crowed +Billy Strong, and swung Fairfax facing uptown +with a mighty heave.</p> + +<p>"The Elevated station's down a block, old +chap," explained the sober contingent. "We +have to take the Elevated to Seventy-second +you know, and walk across to your place."</p> + +<p>Billy looked at him pityingly. "You poor +lil' pup," he crooned. "Didn' I keep tellin' +you had to go Chris'pher Street ferry meet a +girl? Goin' theater with girl." He tipped +his derby one-sided and started off on a cakewalk.</p> + +<p>Rex had to march beside him willy-nilly. +"Look here, Billy," he reasoned, exasperated +at this entirely fresh twist in the corkscrew +business of getting Strong home. "Look +here, Billy, this is tommy-rot. You haven't +any date with a girl, and if you had you couldn't +keep it. Come along home, man; that's +the place for you."</p> +<p><a name='Page_17' id='Page_17'><span class="pagenum">Page 17</span></a></p> +<p>But Billy was suddenly a Gibraltar of firmness. +"Got date with lovely blue-eyed girlie—couldn't +dish'point her. Unmanly deed—Recky, d' <i>you</i> want bes' fren' ev' had to do +unmanly deed, and dish'point trustin' female? +Nev', Recky—nev', ol' man. Lesh be true to +th' ladies till hell runs dry—Oh, 'scuse me +Recky—f'got you was parson—till <i>well</i> +runs dry, meant say. That all right? Come on +t' Chris'pher Street." And in spite of desperate +attempts, of long argument and appeal on +Rex's part, to Christopher Street they went.</p> + +<p>The ministering angel had no hankering to +risk his charge in a street-car, so, as the distance +was not great, they walked.</p> + +<p>Fairfax's dread was that, having saved his +friend so far, he should attract the attention +of a policeman and be arrested. So he kept +a sharp lookout for bluecoats and passed them +studiously on the other side. What was his +horror therefore, turning a corner, to turn +squarely into the majestic arm of the law, and +what was his greater horror, to hear Billy Strong +<a name='Page_18' id='Page_18'><span class="pagenum">Page 18</span></a>suavely address him. Billy lifted his hat to the +large, fat officer as he might have lifted it to +his sweetheart in her box at the Horse Show.</p> + +<p>"Would you have the g—goodness to tell +me," he inquired, with distinguished courtesy, +"if this is"—Billy's articulation was improving, +but otherwise he was just as tipsy as ever—"if +this is—Chris-to-pher Street—or—or +Wednesday?"</p> + +<p>"Hey?" inquired the policeman, and stared. +Repartee seemed not to be his forte.</p> + +<p class="figcenter"> +<a name="p04" id="p04"></a> +<a href="./images/p04.png"> +<img src="./images/tp04.png" + alt=""Thank you—thank you very much—very, very much—old rhinoceros"" + title=""Thank you—thank you very much—very, very much—old rhinoceros"" /> +</a></p> +<p class="figcenter"> +<i>"Thank you—thank you very much—very, very much—old rhinoceros"</i></p> + +<p>"Thank you—thank you very much"—Billy's +gratitude spilled over conventional +limits—"very, <i>very</i> much—old rhinoceros," +he finished, and shot suddenly ahead, dragging +Rex with him into the whirlpool of a +moving crowd, and it dawned on the policeman +five minutes later that the courtly gentleman +was drunk.</p> + +<p>The anxiety of this game was its unexpectedness. +Strong, in the turn of a hand grew +playful, after the fashion of a mammoth kitten. +He bounded this way and that, knocking into +<a name='Page_19' id='Page_19'><span class="pagenum">Page 19</span></a>somebody inevitably at every leap, and at each +contact he wheeled toward the injured and lifted +his hat and bowed low and brought out "I—beg—your—pardon" +with a drawl of +sarcastic emphasis too insulting to be described.</p> + +<p>"Billy," pleaded Rex, taking to pathos, +"don't do that again. You'll get arrested, and +maybe they'll arrest me too, and you don't +want to get me into a hole, do you?"</p> + +<p>Billy stopped short with a suddenness which +came near to upsetting his guide, and put both +large hands on Rex's shoulders, and gazed into +his eyes with a world of blurred affection. +"Reck, ol'fel'," and his voice broke with a +sob, "if I got you into hole, I'd jump in hole +after you, and I'd—and I'd—pull hole in +after both of us, and then I'd—I'd tell hole +you was bes' fren' ev' had, and——"</p> + +<p>"Come along and behave," cut in the victim +of this devotion shortly. "Don't be a fool."</p> + +<p>Strong lifted a fatherly forefinger. "Naughty +naughty! Shouldn' call brother fool. Danger +<a name='Page_20' id='Page_20'><span class="pagenum">Page 20</span></a>hell fire if you call brother fool. Nev' min', +Recky—we un'stand each other. Two fools. +I'm go'n behave." He knocked his derby in the +back so it rested on his nose, stuck his chin up +to meet it, and started off in the most unmistakable +semblance of a tipsy man to be met +anywhere. "See me behavin'?" he remarked +sidewise, with a gleam of rollicking deviltry +out of his eyes.</p> + +<p class="figcenter"><a name="p05" id="p05"></a><a href="./images/p05.png"><img src="./images/tp05.png" alt=""So tired" he remarked. "Go'n have good nap now"" title=""So tired" he remarked. "Go'n have good nap now"" /></a></p><p class="figcenter"><i>"So tired" he remarked. "Go'n have good nap now"</i></p> + +<p>Christopher Street ferry was reached safely +by a miracle, and inside the ferry-house +Strong made a bee line for a truck and threw +his great body full length upon it with a loud +yawn of joy. "So tired," he remarked. "Go'n +have good nap now," and he closed his eyes +peacefully.</p> + +<p>"See here, Billy, this won't do. You said you +had to meet a girl—what about that?"</p> + +<p>"Oh, tha's all right," Billy agreed easily. +"You meet girl—tell her you got me drunk," +and he turned over and prepared for slumber. +Strenuous argument was necessary to rouse +him even to half a sense of responsibility. +<a name='Page_21' id='Page_21'><span class="pagenum">Page 21</span></a>"Recky, dear, you—'noy me," he said with +severity, coming to a sitting position and contemplating +Rex with mild displeasure. "What +kin' girl? Why, jes' girly-girl. Lovely blue-eyed +girly-girl—kind of girl—colored hair,"—he +swept his hand descriptively over his own +black locks. "Wears sort of—skirts, you +know—you 'member the kind. All of 'em +same thing—well, she wears 'em too. Tha's +all," and he dropped heavily back to the truck +and retired into his coat collar.</p> + +<p>Rex shook him. "That won't do, Billy. I +can't pick out a girl on that. Will there be a +chaperone with her?"</p> + +<p>"No!" thundered Billy.</p> + +<p>"How is a girl allowed to go to the theater +with you without a chaperone?" inquired Rex +incredulously. "This is New York."</p> + +<p>Strong brought down his fist. "Death to +chaperones! <i>A bas les chaperones!</i> Don't you +think girl's mother trust her to me? Look at +me! I'll be chaperone to tha' girl, and father, +'n' mother, 'n' a few uncles and aunts." He +<a name='Page_22' id='Page_22'><span class="pagenum">Page 22</span></a>threw his arm out with a gesture which comprised +the universe. "I'll be all the world to +tha' girl. You go meet her 'n' tell her you got +me drunk," he concluded with a radiant smile.</p> + +<p>Rex considered. There seemed to be enough +method in Strong's madness to justify the belief +that he had an engagement. If so, he must +by all means wait and trust to luck to pick out +the "lovely blue-eyed girlie" who was the +"party of the other part," and hope for an inspiration +as to what to tell her. She might be +with or without a chaperone, she might be any +variety of the species, but Strong seemed to be +quite clear that she had blue eyes.</p> + +<p>The crowd from the incoming boat began +to unload into the ferry-house, and Rex placed +himself anxiously by the entrance. Three or +four thin men scurried in advance, then a +bunch of stout and middle-aged persons straggled +along puffing. Then came a set of young +people in theater array, chattering and laughing +as they hurried, and another set, and another—the +main body of the little army was +<a name='Page_23' id='Page_23'><span class="pagenum">Page 23</span></a>upon him. Rex scanned them for a girl alone +or a girl with her mother. Ah! here she was—this +must be Strong's "blue-eyed girlie." She +was alone and pretty, a little under-bred and +blond. Rex lifted his hat.</p> + +<p>"I beg your pardon," he said, in his most +winning way; "are you waiting for Mr. +Strong?"</p> + +<p>The girl threw up her head and looked +frightened, and then angry.</p> + +<p>"No, I am not," she said, and then, with a +haughty look, "I call you pretty saucy," and +Rex was left mortified and silent, while a passing +man murmured, "Served you right," and a +woman laughed scornfully. He stalked across +to the tranquil form on the truck.</p> + +<p>"Billy," he said, and shook a massive shoulder. +"Wake up. Tell me that girl's name."</p> + +<p>Strong opened his eyes like a baby waked +from dewy sleep. "Wha's that, Recky—dear +old Recky—bes' fren'——"</p> + +<p>"Cut that out," said Rex, sharply. "Tell +me the name of the girl you're waiting here to +<a name='Page_24' id='Page_24'><span class="pagenum">Page 24</span></a>meet," and he laughed a short bitter laugh. +The girl whom "Billy" was waiting to meet! +Rex was getting tired and hungry.</p> + +<p>Strong smiled a gentle, obstinate, tipsy smile +and shook his head. "No, Recky, dear ol' +fren'—bes' fren'—well, nev' min'. Can't +tell girl's name; tha's her secret."</p> + +<p>"Don't be an ass, Billy—quick, now, tell +me the name."</p> + +<p>"Naughty, naughty!" quoted Billy again, +and waggled his forefinger. "Danger hell fire! +Couldn' tell girl's name, Recky—be dishon'able. +Couldn', no, couldn'. Anythin' else—ask +m' anythin' else in all these wide worlds"—and +he struck his breast with fervor. "Tell +you <i>anythin'</i>, Recky, but couldn' betray trustin' +girl's secret."</p> + +<p>"Billy, can't you give me an idea what the +girl's like?" pleaded Rex desperately. Billy +smiled up at him drowsily. "Perfectly good +girl," he elucidated. "Good eyes, good wind, +kind to mother—perfectly good girl in ev—every +r-respect," he concluded, emphasizing +<a name='Page_25' id='Page_25'><span class="pagenum">Page 25</span></a>his sentences by articulating them. He dropped +his chin into his chest with a recumbent bow, +and his arm described an impressive semicircle. +"Present to her 'surances my most disting'shed +consider-ration—soon's you find her," +and he went flop on his side and was asleep.</p> + +<p>Rex had to give it up. He heard the gates +rattling open for the next boat-load, and took +his stand again, bracing himself for another +rebuff. The usual vanguard, the usual quicksilver +bunch of humanity, massing, separating, +flowing this way and that, and in the midst of +them a fair-haired, timid-looking young girl, +walking quietly with down-cast eyes, as if unused +to being in big New York alone at eight +o'clock at night. Rex stood in front of her with +bared head.</p> + +<p>"I beg your pardon," he repeated his formula; +"are you looking for Mr. Strong?"</p> + +<p>The startled eyes lifted to his a short second, +then dropped again. "No, for Mr. Week," she +answered softly, and unconscious of witticism, +melted into the throng.</p> +<p><a name='Page_26' id='Page_26'><span class="pagenum">Page 26</span></a></p> +<p>This was a heavy boat-load, for it was just +theater time—they were still coming. And +suddenly his heart bounded and stopped. Of +course—he was utterly foolish not to have +known—it was she—Billy Strong's bewitching +cousin, the girl from Orange. There +she stood with her big, brown eyes searching, +gazing here and there, as lovely, as incongruous +as a wood-nymph strayed into a political meeting. +The feather of her hat tossed in the May +breeze; the fading light from the window behind +her shone through loose hair about her +face, turned it into a soft dark aureole; the +gray of her tailor gown was crisp and fresh as +spring-time. To Rex's eyes no picture had ever +been more satisfying.</p> + +<p>Suddenly she caught sight of him, and her +face lighted as if lamps had shone out of a twilight, +and in a second he had her hand in his, +and was talking away, with responsibility and +worry, and that heavy weight on the truck +back there, quite gone out of the world. She +was in it, and himself—the world was full. +<a name='Page_27' id='Page_27'><span class="pagenum">Page 27</span></a>The girl seemed to be as oblivious of outside +facts, as he, for it was quite two minutes, and +the last straggler from the boat had disappeared +into the street before she broke into one of +his sentences.</p> + +<p>"Why, but—I forgot. You made me forget +entirely, Mr. Fairfax. I'm going to the theater +with my cousin, Billy Strong. He ought to be +here—where is he?"</p> + +<p>Rex shivered lest her roving eyes might +answer the question, for Billy's truck with +Billy slumbering peacefully on it, lay in full +view not fifty feet away. But her gaze passed +unsuspiciously over the prostrate, huddled +form.</p> + +<p>"It's very queer—I'm sure this was the +right boat." She looked up at his face anxiously, +and he almost moaned aloud. What was he +going to say to her?</p> + +<p>"That's what I'm here for, Miss Margery—to +explain about Billy. He—he isn't feeling +at all himself to-night, and it's utterly impossible +for him to go with you." To his as<a name='Page_28' id='Page_28'><span class="pagenum">Page 28</span></a>tonishment +her face broke into a very satisfied +smile. "Oh—well, I'm sorry Billy's ill, but +we'll hope for the best, and I won't really object +to you as a substitute, you know. Of course +it's improper, and mother wouldn't think of +letting me go with you—but I'm going. Mother +won't mind when I tell her it's done. I've +never been alone with a man to anything, except +with my cousin—it's like stealing watermelons, +isn't it? Don't you think it's rather +fun?"</p> + +<p>Staggered by the situation, Fairfax thought +desperately and murmured something which +sounded like "Oochee-Goochee," as he tried +to recall it later. The girl's gay voice went on: +"It would be wicked to waste the tickets. City +people aren't going to the theater as late as this, +so we won't see any one we know. I think it's a +dispensation of Providence, and I'd be a poor-spirited +mouse to waste the chance. I think I'll +go with you—don't you?"</p> + +<p class="figcenter"><a name="p06" id="p06"></a><a href="./images/p06.png"><img src="./images/tp06.png" alt=""Could he—couldn't he?"" title=""Could he—couldn't he?"" /></a></p><p class="figcenter"><i>"Could he—couldn't he?"</i></p> + +<p>Could he leave that prostrate form on the +truck and snatch at this bit of heaven dangling +<a name='Page_29' id='Page_29'><span class="pagenum">Page 29</span></a>before him? Could he—Couldn't he? +No, he could not. It would be a question of fifteen +minutes perhaps before the drowsy Billy +would be marching to the police station, and +in his entirely casual and fearless state of mind, +the big athlete would make history for some +policeman, his friend could not doubt, before +he got there. Rex had put his hand to this +intoxicated plow and he must not look back, +even when the prospect backwards was so +bewilderingly attractive, so tantalizingly easy. +He stammered badly when, at length, the +silence which followed the soft voice had to be +filled.</p> + +<p>"I'm simply—simply—broken up, Miss +Margery," and the girl's eyes looked at him +with a sweet wideness that made it harder. "I +don't know how to tell you, and I don't know +how to resign myself to it either, but I—I can't +take you to the theater. I—I've got to—got +to—well, you see, I've got to be with Billy."</p> + +<p>She spoke quickly at that. "Mr. Fairfax, is +Billy really ill—is there something more than +<a name='Page_30' id='Page_30'><span class="pagenum">Page 30</span></a>I understand? Why didn't you tell me? Has +their been an accident, perhaps? Why, I must +go to him too—come—hurry—I'll go with +you, of course."</p> + +<p>Rex stumbled again in his effort to quiet her +alarm, to prevent this scheme of seeking Billy +on his couch of pain. "Oh no, indeed you mustn't +do that," he objected strenuously. "I couldn't +let you, you know. I don't want you to be bothered. +Billy isn't ill at all—there hasn't been +any accident, I give you my word. He's all +right—Billy's all right." He had quite lost his +prospective by now, and did not see the rocks +upon which he rushed.</p> + +<p>"If Billy's all right, why isn't he here?" +demanded Billy's cousin severely.</p> + +<p>Rex saw now. "He isn't exactly—that is to +say—all right, you know. You see how it is," +and he gazed involuntarily at the sleeping giant +huddled on the truck.</p> + +<p>"I do not see." The brown eyes had never +looked at him so coldly before, and their +expression cut him.</p> +<p><a name='Page_31' id='Page_31'><span class="pagenum">Page 31</span></a></p> +<p>"I'm glad you don't," he cried, and realized +that the words had taken him a step deeper +into trouble. "It's just this way, Miss Margery—Billy +isn't hurt or ill, but he isn't—isn't +feeling quite himself, and—and I've got to—I've +got to be with him." His voice sounded as +if he were going to cry, but it moved the girl to +no pity.</p> + +<p>"Oh!" she said, and her bewildered tone +was a whole world removed from the bright +comradeship with which she had met him. "I +see—you and Billy have something else planned." +Her face flushed suddenly. "I'm sorry I +misunderstood about—about the theater. I +wouldn't for worlds have—have seemed to +force you to—" She stopped, embarrassed, +hurt, but yet with her graceful dignity +untouched.</p> + +<p>"Oh," the wretched Rex exclaimed impetuously, +"if I could only take you to the theater, +I'd rather than—" but the girl stopped +him.</p> + +<p>"Never mind about that, please," she said, +<a name='Page_32' id='Page_32'><span class="pagenum">Page 32</span></a>with gentle decision. "I must go home—when +is the next boat? One is going now—good-night, +Mr. Fairfax—no, don't come with +me—I don't need you," and she was gone.</p> + +<p>Two minutes later Strong's innocent slumbers +were dispersed by a vicious shake. "Wake +up! wake up!" ordered Fairfax, restraining +himself with difficulty from mangling the cause +of his sufferings. "I've had enough, and we're +going home, straight."</p> + +<p>Rex was mistaken about that, but Billy was +cordial in agreeing with him. "Good idea, +Recky! Howd'y' ever come to think of it? Le's +go home straight; tha's a bully good thing to do. +Le's do it. Big head on you, ol' boy," and yawning +still, but with unperturbed good nature, +Strong marched, a bit crookedly, arm in arm +with his friend to the street.</p> + +<p class="figcenter"><a name="p07" id="p07"></a><a href="./images/p07.png"><img src="./images/tp07.png" alt="At every station the conductor and Rex had to reason with him" title="At every station the conductor and Rex had to reason with him" /></a></p><p class="figcenter"><i>At every station the conductor and Rex had to reason with him</i></p> + +<p>Rex's memory of the trip uptown on the +Elevated was like an evil dream. Strong, after +his nap, was as a giant refreshed, and his play +of wit knew no contracting limits. There were, +luckily, not many passengers going up at this +<a name='Page_33' id='Page_33'><span class="pagenum">Page 33</span></a>hour, but the dozen or so on the car were regaled. +Billy selected a seat on the floor with +his broad back planted against the door, and +at every station the conductor and Rex had to +reason with him at length before the door could +be opened. The official threatened as well as he +could for laughing to put him off, but he threatened +less strenuously for the sight of six feet +two of muscle in magnificently fit condition. +This lasted for half a dozen stations and then +the patient began to play like a mountainous +kitten. He took a strap on either side of the car +and turned somersaults; he did traveling ring +work with them; he gave a standing broad +jump that would have been creditable on an +athletic field; he had his audience screaming +with laughter at an imitation of water polo over +the back of a seat. Then, just as the fun was at +an almost impossible point, and the conductor, +highly entertained but worried, was considering +how to get this chap arrested, Billy walked +up to him with charming friendliness and +shook hands.</p> +<p><a name='Page_34' id='Page_34'><span class="pagenum">Page 34</span></a></p> +<p>"One th' besh track meets I've ever had +pleasure attendin', sir," he said genially, and +sat down and relapsed into grave dignity.</p> + +<p>So he remained for five minutes, to the trembling +joy of his exhausted guardian, but it was +too good to be true. Suddenly, at Fifty-third +Street, he spied a young woman at the other end +of the car. There were not more than nine passengers, +so that each person might have had a +matter of half a dozen seats a piece, but +Strong suddenly felt a demand on his +politeness, and reason was nothing to him. +He rose and marched the forty feet or so +between himself and the woman, and, standing +in front of her, lifted, with some difficulty, +his hat.</p> + +<p>"Won't you take my seat, madam?" he inquired, +with a smile of perfect courtesy.</p> + +<p>The young person was a young person of +common-sense and she caught the situation. +She flashed a reassuring glance at Rex, hovering +distressed in the background, and shook +her head at Strong politely. "No—no, thank +<a name='Page_35' id='Page_35'><span class="pagenum">Page 35</span></a>you," she said; "I think I can find a seat at +this end that will do nicely."</p> + +<p>"Madam, I insist," Strong addressed her +again earnestly.</p> + +<p>"No, really," The young woman was embarrassed, +for the eyes of the car were on her. +"Thank you so much," she said finally; "I +think I'd better stay here."</p> + +<p>Strong bent over and put a great hand lightly +on her arm. "Madam, as gen'leman I cannot, +cannot allow it. Madam, you mush take my +seat. Pleash, madam, do not make scene. 'S +pleasure to me, 'sure you—greates' pleasure," +and beneath this courtly urgency the flushed +girl walked shamefacedly the length of the +almost empty car, and sat down in Strong's seat, +while that soul of chivalry put his hand through +a strap and so stood till his ministering angel +extracted him from the train at Seventy-second +Street.</p> + +<p>With a sigh of heartfelt relief, Rex put his +arm in the big fellow's at the foot of the steps. +Freedom must now be at hand, for Billy's +<a name='Page_36' id='Page_36'><span class="pagenum">Page 36</span></a>home was in a great apartment building not ten +minutes' walk away. The culprit himself seemed +to realize that his fling was over.</p> + +<p>"Raished Cain t'night, didn' we, ol' pal?" +he inquired, and squeezed Rex's guiding arm +with affection. "I'll shay this for you, Rex—you +may be soft-hearted ol' slob, you may be +half-witted donkey—I'm not denyin' all that +'n more, but I'll shay thish—you're the bes' +man to go on a drunk with in—in—in +The'logican Sem'nary. I'm not 'xceptin' +th'——"</p> + +<p>"Shut up, Billy," remarked Rex, not for the +first time that night. "I'd get myself pulled together +a bit if I were you," he advised. "You're +going to see your family in a minute."</p> + +<p>"M' poor fam'ly!" mourned Strong, shaking +his head. "M' poor fam'ly! Thish'll be +awful blow to m' fam'ly, Recky. They all like +so mush to see me sober—always—'s their +fad, Recky. Don't blame 'em, Recky, 's natural +to 'em. Some peop' born that way. M' poor +fam'ly."</p> +<p><a name='Page_37' id='Page_37'><span class="pagenum">Page 37</span></a></p> +<p>They stood in front of the broad driveway +which swept under lofty arches into the huge +apartment house. Strong stopped and gazed +upwards mournfully. "Right up there," he +murmured, pointing skywards—"M' fam'ly." +The tears were streaming down his face frankly +now. "I can't face 'em Recky, 'n this condition +you've got me in," he said more in sorrow than +in anger. At that second the last inspiration of +the evening caught him. Across the street arose +the mighty pile of an enormous uptown hotel. +Strong jerked his thumb over his shoulder. +"Go'n' break it to m' fam'ly by telegraph' +'em," he stated, and bitterly Rex repented of +that thoughtless mention of the Strongs to their +son and heir.</p> + +<p>Good-naturedly as he had done everything, +but relentlessly, he dragged his victim over the +way, and direct to the Western Union office of +the hotel—"Webster's Union" he preferred +to call it. His first telegram read:</p> + +<p>"Rex Fairfax got me drunk. Don't blame +him. It's natural to him."</p> +<p><a name='Page_38' id='Page_38'><span class="pagenum">Page 38</span></a></p> +<p>That one was confiscated, Strong complaining +gently that his friend was all "fads."</p> + +<p>The second message was this:</p> + +<p>"Dear Mama: Billy's intoxicated. Awfully +sorry. Couldn't be helped. Home soon."</p> + +<p>That one went in spite of Fairfax's efforts, +with two cents extra to pay, which item was the +first event of the evening to ruffle Strong's temper.</p> + +<p>"Shame, shame on rich cap'talists like Webster's +Union to wring two cents from poor drunk +chap, for lil' word like 'soon'," he growled, +and appealed to the operator. "Couldn't you +let me off that two cents?" he asked winningly. +"You're good fellow—good lookin' fellow +too"—which was the truth. "Well, then, can +I get 'em cheaper 'f I sen 'em by quantity? I'll +do that—how many for dollar, hey?"</p> + +<p>"Five," said the grinning operator, troubled +by the irregularity, but taken by this highly +entertaining scheme of telegraphing across the +street. And Rex, his arts exhausted in vain, +watched hopelessly while, one after another, +<a name='Page_39' id='Page_39'><span class="pagenum">Page 39</span></a>five telegrams were sent to The Montana, a +hundred feet away. The first being short two +of the regulation ten words. Strong finished +with a cabalistic phrase: "Rectangular parallelopipedon."</p> + +<p>"That'll get even Webster's Union for chargin' +me two cents for 'soon'," he chuckled. +"Don't y' wish y' hadn' charged me that two +cents, hey?" he demanded of the operator, +laughing joyfully and cocking his hat over one +ear, and the operator and two or three men who +stood near could do no otherwise than laugh +joyfully too. Strong straightened his face into a +semblance of deep gravity. "Thish next one's +important," he announced, and put the end of +the pencil in his mouth and meditated, while +his fascinated audience watched him. He was +lost in thought for perhaps two minutes, and +then scribbled madly, and as he ended the little +bunch of men crowded frankly to look at what +he had written. He pushed it toward them with +charming unreserve, and the bewilderment +with which it was read seemed to please him.</p> +<p><a name='Page_40' id='Page_40'><span class="pagenum">Page 40</span></a></p> +<p>"Dear Papa": it ran. "I'm Calymene Blumembachii, +a trilobite, one of the crustaceans +related to the emtomostracans, but looking +more like a tetradecapod, but always your +affectionate—Billy."</p> + +<p>He pushed it to the operator. "Split that in +three," he ordered. "Don't want ruin the wires +I'm careful 'bout wires. Big fall snow wouldn't +do more damage 'n heavy words like that," he +explained to the listening circle. "Think I look +like tetradecapod?" he asked of them as +one who makes conversation. "Had that in +geology lesson when I was fifteen," he went on. +"Got lodged in crack in brain and there tish t' +thish day! Every now'n then I go 'flip,'"—he +appeared to pull a light lever situated in his +head—"'n fire it off. See? Always hit something."</p> + +<p>It was ten o'clock when, the job lot of telegrams +despatched, Fairfax led his volcano +from the hotel and headed for the apartment +house. He expected another balk at the entrance, +for his round of gaiety had come now +<a name='Page_41' id='Page_41'><span class="pagenum">Page 41</span></a>to seem to him eternal—he could hardly imagine +a life in which he was not conducting a +tipsy man through a maze of experiences. So +that it was one of the surprises of the evening +when Strong entered quietly and with perfect +deportment took his place in the elevator and +got out again, eight floors up, with the mildness +of a dove. At the door of the apartment +came the last brief but sharp action of the +campaign.</p> + +<p>"Recky," he said, taking Fairfax's shoulders +in his great grasp, "no mother could be +t' me what you've been."</p> + +<p>"I hope not," Rex responded promptly, but +Strong was not to be side-tracked.</p> + +<p>"No mother 'n the world—not one—no +sir!" he went on. His voice broke with feeling. +"I'll nev' forget it—nev'—don't ask me to," +he insisted. "Dear Recky—blessed old tomfool—I'm +go'n kiss you good-night."</p> + +<p>"You bet you're not," said Fairfax with emphasis. +"Let go of me, you idiot," and he tried +to loosen the hands on his shoulders.</p> +<p><a name='Page_42' id='Page_42'><span class="pagenum">Page 42</span></a></p> +<p>But one of the most powerful men in New +York had him in his grip, and Rex found himself +suddenly folded in Billy's arms, while a +chaste salute was planted full on his mouth. As +he emerged a second later, disgusted and furious, +from this tender embrace, the clang of the +elevator twenty feet away caught his ear and, +turning, his eyes met the astonished gaze of +two young girls and their scornful, frowning +father. At that moment the door of the Strongs' +apartment opened, there was a vision of the +elder Mr. Strong's distracted face, the yellow +gleam of the last telegram in his hands, and +Rex fled.</p> + +<hr style='width: 45%;' /> + +<p>Two weeks later, a May breeze rustling +through the greenness of the quadrangle, brushed +softly the ivy-clad brick walls, and stole, +like a runaway child to its playmate, through +an open window of the Theological Seminary +building at Chelsea Square. Entering so, it +flapped suddenly at the white curtains as if +astonished. What was this? Two muscular +<a name='Page_43' id='Page_43'><span class="pagenum">Page 43</span></a>black clad arms were stretched across a table, +and between them lay a brown head, inert, +hopeless. It seemed strange that on such a May +day, with such a May breeze, life could look +dark to anything young, yet Reginald Fairfax, +at the head of the graduating class, easily first +in more than one way—in scholarship, in athletics, +in versatility, and, more than all, like +George Washington, "first in the hearts of his +countrymen," the most popular man of the +Seminary—this successful and well beloved +young person sat wretched and restless in his +room and let the breeze blow over his prostrate +head and his idle, nerveless hands. Since the +night of the rescue of Billy Strong he had felt +himself another and a worse man. He sent a +note to his cousin the next day.</p> + +<p>"Dear Carty," it read, "For mercy sake let +me alone. I know I've lost my chance at St. +Eric's and I know you'll say it was my own +fault. I don't want to hear either statement, so +don't come near me till I hunt you up, which I +will do when I'm fit to talk to a white man. I'm +<a name='Page_44' id='Page_44'><span class="pagenum">Page 44</span></a>grateful, though you may not believe it. Yours—Rex."</p> + +<p>But the lost chance at St. Eric's, although it +was coming to weigh heavily on his buoyant +spirit, was not the worst of his troubles. The +girl from Orange—there lay the sting. He +had sent her a note as well, but there was little +he was free to say without betraying Billy, +the note was mostly vague expressions of regret, +and Rex knew her clearheaded directness too +well to hope that it would count for much. No +answer had come, and, day by day, he had +grown more dejected, hoping against hope for +one.</p> + +<p>A knock—the postman's knock—and Rex +started and sprang to the door. One letter, but +he could hardly believe his glad eyes when he +saw the address on it, for it was the handwriting +which he had come to know well, had known +well, seeing it once—her handwriting. In a +moment the jagged-edged envelope, torn in a +desperate hurry to get what it held, lay one side, +and he was reading.</p> +<p><a name='Page_45' id='Page_45'><span class="pagenum">Page 45</span></a></p> +<p>"Dear Mr. Fairfax": the letter ran; "For +two weeks I have been very unjust to you and +I want to beg your pardon. Billy was here three +days ago, and what I didn't know and what he +didn't know we patched together, and the consequence +is I want to apologize and to make +up to you, if I can, for being so disagreeable. +Billy's recollections of that night were disjointed, +but he remembered a lot in spots, and I +know now just what a friend you were to him +and how you saved him. I think he was horrid, +but I think you were fine—simply fine. I can't +half say it in writing so will you please come +out for over Sunday—mother says—and I'll +try to show you how splendid I think you were. +Will you? Yours sincerely"—and her name.</p> + +<p>Would he? Such a radiant smile shone +through the little bare room that the May +breeze, catching its light at the window, clapped +gay applause against the flapping curtain. This +was as it should be.</p> + +<p>But the breeze and the postman were not to +be the only messengers of happiness. Steps +<a name='Page_46' id='Page_46'><span class="pagenum">Page 46</span></a>sounded down the long, empty hall, stopped at +his door, and Rex, a new joy of living pulsing +through him, sprang again, almost before the +knock sounded, to meet gladly what might be +coming. His face looked out of the wide-open +doorway with so bright a welcome to the world, +that the two men who stood across the threshold +smiled an involuntary answer.</p> + +<p>"Carty! I'm awfully glad"—and Rex stopped +to put his hand out graciously, deferentially, +to the gray-haired and distinguished man +who stood with Carter Reed.</p> + +<p>"Judge Rush, this is my cousin, Mr. Fairfax," +Reed presented him, and in a moment +Rex's friend, the breeze, was helping hospitality +on with gay little refreshing dashes at a +warm, silvered head, as Judge Rush sat in the +biggest chair at the big open window. He beamed +upon the young man with interested, friendly +eyes.</p> + +<p>"That's all very well about the quadrangle, +Mr. Reed. It certainly is beautiful and like the +English Universities," he broke into a sentence +<a name='Page_47' id='Page_47'><span class="pagenum">Page 47</span></a>genially. "But I wish to talk to Mr. Fairfax. +I've come to bring you the first news, Mr. Fairfax, +of what you will hear officially within a day +or two—that the vestry of St. Eric's hope you +will consider a call to be our assistant rector." +Rex's heart almost stopped beating, and his +smile faded as he stared breathless at this portly +and beneficent Mercury. Mercury went on +"A vestry meeting was held last night in which +this was decided upon. Your brilliant record +in this seminary and other qualifications which +have been mentioned to us by high authorities, +were the reasons for this action which appeared +upon the surface, but I want you to know the +inner workings—I asked your cousin to +bring me here that I might have the pleasure +of telling you."</p> + +<p>It was rather warm, and the old gentleman +had climbed stairs, and his conversation had +been weighty and steady. He arrested its flow +for a moment and took a long breath. "Don't +stop," said Rex earnestly, and the others broke +into sudden laughter.</p> +<p><a name='Page_48' id='Page_48'><span class="pagenum">Page 48</span></a></p> +<p>"I like that," Judge Rush sputtered, chuckling. +"You're ready to let me kill myself, if +needs be, to get the facts. All right, young man—I +like impetuosity—it means energy. I'll +go on. The facts not known to the public, +which I wish to tell you, are as follows. After +your failure to keep your appointment on the +evening of the 7th, I was about through with +you. I considered you careless both of your own +interests and ours, and we began to look for +another assistant. A man who fitted the place +as you did seemed hard to find and the case was +<i>in statu quo</i> when, two nights ago, my son +brought home young William Strong to dinner. +Our families are old friends and Billy's father +and I were chums in college, so the boy is at +home in our house. As you probably know, +he has the gift of telling a good story, so when +he began on the events of an evening which you +will remember——"</p> + +<p>Rex's deep laughter broke into the dignified +sentences at this point.</p> + +<p>"I see you remember." Judge Rush smiled +<a name='Page_49' id='Page_49'><span class="pagenum">Page 49</span></a>benignly. "Well, Mr. Fairfax, Billy made an +amusing story of that evening. Only the family +were at the table and he spared himself not at +all. He had been in Orange the day before, and +the young lady in the case had told him how +you had protected him at your own expense—he +made that funny too, but I thought it very +fine behavior—very fine, indeed, sir." Rex's +face flushed under this. "And as I thought the +whole affair over afterwards, I not only understood +why you had failed me, but I honored +you for attempting no explanation, and I made +up my mind that you were the man we wanted. +Yes, sir, the man we want. A man who knows +how to deal with the situations of to-day, with +the vices of a great city, that is what we want. +I consider tact, and broad-mindedness and +self-sacrifice no small qualities for a minister +of the gospel; and a combination of those qualities, +as in you, I consider exceptional. So I went +to this vestry meeting primed, and I told them +we had got to have you, sir—and we've got to. +You'll come?"</p> +<p><a name='Page_50' id='Page_50'><span class="pagenum">Page 50</span></a></p> +<p>The question was much like an order, but +Rex did not mind. "Indeed, I'll come, Judge +Rush," he said, and his manner of saying it +won the last doubtful bit of the Judge's heart.</p> + +<p>The Sunday morning when the new assistant +preached his first sermon in St. Eric's, there +sat well back in the congregation a dark-eyed +girl, and with her a tall and powerful young +man, whose deep shoulders and movements, as +of a well fitted machine, advertised an athlete in +perfect form. The girl's face was rapt as she followed, +her soul in her eyes, the clean-cut, short +sermon, and when the congregation filtered +slowly down the aisles she said not a word. But as +the two turned into the street she spoke at last.</p> + +<p>"He is a saint, isn't he, Billy?" she asked, +and drew a long breath of contentment.</p> + +<p>And from six-feet-two in mid-air came Billy +Strong's dictum. "Margery," he said, impressively, +"Rex may be a parson and all that, but, +to my mind, that's not against him; to my mind +that suits his style of handling the gloves. +There was a chap in the Bible"—Billy swal<a name='Page_51' id='Page_51'><span class="pagenum">Page 51</span></a>lowed +as if embarrassed—"who—who was +the spit 'n' image of Rex—the good Samaritan +chap, you know. He found a seedy one falling +over himself by the wayside, and he called him +a beast and set him up, and took him to a +hotel or something and told the innkeeper +to charge it to him, and—I forget the exact +words, but he saw him through, don't you +know? And he did it all in a sporty sort of way +and there wasn't a word of whining or fussing +at him because he was loaded—that was awfully +white of the chap. Rex did more than that +for me and not a syllable has he peeped since. +And, you know, the consequence of that masterly +silence is that I've gone on the water-wagon—yes, +sir—for a year. And I'm hanged +if I'm not going to church every Sunday. He +may be a saint as you say, and I suppose there's +no doubt but he's horrid intellectual—every +man must have his weaknesses. But the man +that's a good Samaritan and a good sport all in +one, he's my sort, I'm for him," said Billy Strong.</p> + +<p> </p> +<p> </p> +<hr class="full" /> +<p>***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A GOOD SAMARITAN***</p> +<p>******* This file should be named 15906-h.txt or 15906-h.zip *******</p> +<p>This and all associated files of various formats will be found in:<br /> +<a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/1/5/9/0/15906">https://www.gutenberg.org/1/5/9/0/15906</a></p> +<p>Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed.</p> + +<p>Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + + + + +Title: A Good Samaritan + + +Author: Mary Raymond Shipman Andrews + +Release Date: May 26, 2005 [eBook #15906] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII) + + +***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A GOOD SAMARITAN*** + + +E-text prepared by Juliet Sutherland, Bruce Albrecht, and the Project +Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team + + + +Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this + file which includes the original illustrations. + See 15906-h.htm or 15906-h.zip: + (https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/1/5/9/0/15906/15906-h/15906-h.htm) + or + (https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/1/5/9/0/15906/15906-h.zip) + + + + + +A GOOD SAMARITAN + +by + +MARY RAYMOND SHIPMAN ANDREWS + +Illustrated by Charlotte Harding + +New York +McClure, Phillips & Co. + +Second Impression +MCMVI + + + + + + +LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS + + + "That'll get even Webster's Union for chargin' me two cents for + 'soon,'" he chuckled + + "Recky," he bubbled, "good old Recky--bes' fren' ev' had" + + "Who's your friend, Billy?" + + "Thank you--thank you very much--very, very much--old rhinoceros" + + "So tired," he remarked. "Go'n have good nap now" + + "Could he--couldn't he?" + + At every station the conductor and Rex had to reason with him + + + + + +A GOOD SAMARITAN + + +The little District Telegraph boy, with a dirty face, stood at the edge +of the desk, and, rubbing his sleeve across his cheek, made it +unnecessarily dirtier. + +"Answer, sir?" + +"No--yes--wait a minute." Reed tore the yellow envelope and spread the +telegram. It read: + +"Do I meet you at your office or at Martin's and what time?" + +"The devil!" Reed commented, and the boy blinked indifferently. He was +used to stronger. "The casual Rex all over! Yes, boy, there's an +answer." He scribbled rapidly, and the two lines of writing said this: + +"Waiting for you at office now. Hurry up. C. Reed." + +He fumbled in his pocket and gave the youngster a coin. "See that it's +sent instantly--like lightning. Run!" and the sharp little son of New +York was off before the last word was well out. + +Half an hour later, to Reed waiting at his office in Broadway +impatiently, there strolled in a good-looking and leisurely young man +with black clothes on his back and peace and good-will on his face. +"Hope I haven't kept you waiting, Carty," he remarked in friendly tones. +"Plenty of time, isn't there?" + +"No, there isn't," his cousin answered, and there was a touch of snap in +the accent. "Really, Rex, you ought to grow up and be responsible. It +was distinctly arranged that you should call here for me at six, and now +it's a quarter before seven." + +"Couldn't remember the hour or the place to save my life," the younger +man asserted earnestly. "I'm just as sorry as I can be, Carty. You see I +did remember we were to dine at Martin's. So much I got all right--and +that was something, wasn't it, Carty?" he inquired with an air of +wistful pride, and the frown on the face of the other dissolved in +laughter. + +"Rex, there's no making you over--worse luck. Come along. I've got to go +home to dress after dinner you see, before we make our call. You'll do, +on the strength of being a theological student." + +The situation was this: Reginald Fairfax, in his last year at the +Theological Seminary, in this month of May, and lately ordained, had +been seriously spoken of as assistant to the Rector of the great church +of St. Eric's. It was a remarkable position to come the way of an +undergraduate, and his brilliant record at the seminary was one of the +two things which made it possible. The other was the friendship and +interest of his cousin, Carter Reed, head clerk in the law firm of Rush, +Walden, Lee and Lee, whose leading member, Judge Rush, was also senior +warden at St. Eric's. Reed had called Judge Rush's attention to his +young cousin's career, and, after some inquiry, the vestryman had asked +that the young man should be brought to see him, to discuss certain +questions bearing on the work. It was almost equivalent to a call coming +from such a man, and Reed was delighted; but here his troubles began. In +vain did he hopefully fix date after date with the slippery +Rex--something always interfered. Twice, to his knowledge, it had been +the chance of seeing a girl from Orange which had thrown over the chance +of seeing the man of influence and power. Once the evening had been +definitely arranged with Judge Rush himself, and Reed was obliged to go +alone and report that the candidate had disappeared into a tenement +district and no one knew where to find him. The effect of that was +fortunately good--Judge Rush was rather pleased than otherwise that a +young clergyman should be so taken up with his work as to forget his +interests. But Reed was most anxious that this evening's appointment +should go off successfully, while Rex was as light-hearted as a bird. +Any one would have thought it was Reed's own future he was laboring +over instead of that of the youngster who had a gift of making men care +for him and work for him without effort on his own part. + +The two walked down Broadway toward the elevated road, Rex's dark eyes +gathering amusement here and there in the crowded way as they went. + +"Look at Billy Strong--why there's Billy Strong across the street. Come +over and I'll present you, Carty. Just the chap you want to meet. He's a +great athlete--on the water-polo team of the New York Athletic Club, you +know--as much of an old sport as you are." And Reed found himself swung +across and standing before a powerful, big figure of a man, almost +before he could answer. There was another man with the distinguished +Billy, and Reed had not regarded the two for more than one second before +he discovered that they were both in a distinct state of intoxication. +In fact, Strong proclaimed the truth at once, false shame cast to the +winds. He threw his arm about Rex's neck with a force of affection +which almost knocked down the quartette. + +"Recky," he bubbled, "good old Recky--bes' fren' ev' had--I'm drunk, +Recky--too bad. We're both drunk. Take's home." Rex glanced at his +cousin in dismay, and Strong repeated his invitation cordially. "Take's +home, Recky," he insisted, with the easy air of a man who confers an +honor. "'S up to you, Recky." + +Rex looked at his frowning cousin doubtfully, pleadingly. + +"It almost seems as if it was, doesn't it, Carty?" he said. "We can't +leave them like this." + +"I don't see why we can't--I can," Reed asserted. "It's none of our +business, Rex, and we really haven't time to palaver. Come along." + +[Illustration: "Recky," he bubbled, "good old Recky--bes' fren' ev' +had"] + +The gentle soul of Rex Fairfax was surprisingly firm. "Carty, they'd be +arrested in five minutes," he reasoned. "It's a wonder they haven't +been already. And Billy's people--it would break their hearts. I know +some of them well, you see. I was with him only last week over in +Orange." + +"Oh!" Reed groaned. "That Girl from Orange again." He opened his lips +once more to launch nervous English against this quixotism, but Strong +interposed. + +"'S all true," he solemnly stated, fixing his eyes rollingly on Reed. +"Got Orange-colored cousin what break Recky's heart if don't take's +home. Y'see--y'see--" The President of these United States in a cabinet +council would have stopped to listen to him, so freighted with great +facts coming was his confidential manner. "Y'see--wouldn't tell +ev'body--only you," and he laid a mighty hand on Reed's shoulder. "I'm +so drunk. Awful pity--too bad," and he sighed deeply. "Now, Recky, ol' +man, take's home." + +"Who's your friend, Billy?" Rex inquired, disregarding this appeal. + +Billy burst into a shout of laughter which Fairfax promptly clipped by +putting his hand over the big man's mouth. "He's bes' joke yet," Strong +remarked through Rex's fingers. "He's go'n' kill himself," and he kissed +the restraining hand gallantly. + +The two sober citizens turned and stared at the gentlemen. He looked it. +He looked as if there could be no step deeper into the gloom which +enveloped him, except suicide. He nodded darkly as the two regarded him. + +"Uh-huh. Life's failure. Lost cuff-button. Won't live to be indecent. +Go'n' kill m'self soon's this dizhiness goesh pasht. Billy's drunk, but +I'm subject to--to dizhiness." + +Rex turned to his cousin with a gesture. "You see, Carty, we can't leave +them. I'm just as disappointed as you are, but it would be a beastly +thing to do, to let them get pulled in as common drunks. What's your +friend's name?" he demanded again of Strong. + +[Illustration: "Who's your friend, Billy?"] + +"Got lovely name," he averred eagerly. "Good ol' moth-eaten name. Name's +Schuyler VanCourtlandt Van de Water--ain't it Schuylie--ain't that +your name--or's that mine? I--I f'rget lil' things," he said in an +explanatory manner. + +But the suicide spoke up for himself. "Tha's my name," he said +aggressively. "Knew it in a minute. Tha's my father's name and my +grandfath's name, and my great grandfath's name and my great-great----" + +"Stop," said Rex tersely, and the man stopped. "Now tell me where you +live." + +Billy Strong leaned over and punched the man in the ribs. "You lemme +tell 'em. Lives nine-thous-n sixt'-four East West Street," he addressed +Rex, and chuckled. + +"Don't be a donkey, Billy--tell me his right address." Rex spoke with +annoyance--this scene was getting tiresome, and although Reed was +laughing hopelessly, he was on his mind. + +"Oh! F'got!" Billy's tipsy coyness was elephantine. "Lives _six_ thous'n +_sev_'nty four North S--South Street," and he roared with laughter. + +Rex was about to learn how to manage Billy Strong. "Bill," he said, "be +decent. You're making me lots of trouble," and Billy burst into tears +and sobbed out: + +"Wouldn' make Recky trouble for worlds--good ol' Recky--half-witted ol' +goat, but bes' fren' ev' had," and the address was captured. + +Rex turned to his cousin, his winning, deprecating manner warning Reed +but softening him against his will. "Carty," he said, "there's nothing +for it, but for you to take one chap and I the other and see 'em home. +It's only a little after seven and we ought to be able to meet by +half-past eight--at the Hotel Netherland, say--that's near the Rush's. +We'll have to give up dinner, but we'll get a sandwich somewhere, and +we'll do. I'll take Strong because he's more troublesome--I think I can +manage him. It's awfully good of you, and I can tell you I appreciate +it. But it wouldn't be civilized to do less, old Carty, would it?" And +Reed found himself, grumbling but docile, linked to the suicide's arm, +and guiding his shuffling foot-steps in the way they should go. + +"Now, we'll both kill ourselves, old Carty, won't we?" Rex heard his +cousin's charge mumble cheerfully as they started off, with a visible +lengthening of his gloom at the thought of companionship at death. + +Strong was marching along with an unearthly decorum that should have +made Fairfax suspicious. But instead it cheered his optimistic soul +immensely. "Good for you old man," he said encouragingly. "At this rate +we'll get you home in no time." And Billy, at that second, thrust out +his great shoulder into the crowd, and almost knocked a man down. The +man, whirled sidewise in front of them, glared savagely. + +"What do you mean by that?" he demanded. Strong, to whom nothing would +have given more joy than a tussle, bent down and peered into the +other's face. + +"Is it a man or a monkey?" he piped, and shrieked with laughter. + +The man's strained temper broke suddenly and Rex caught him by the arm +as he was about to spring for Strong, and promptly threw himself between +the two. + +"Look here, Billy," he remonstrated, "if you fight anybody it's got to +be me," and he spoke over his shoulder to the stranger. "You see what +I'm up against. I'm getting him home--do just go on," and the man went. + +But Billy's head was in his guardian's neck and he was spluttering and +sobbing. "Fight you? Nev'--s' help me--nev'--Fight poor, ole fool +Recky--bes' fren' ev' had? No sir. I wouldn' fight you Recky," and he +raised a tear-stained face and gazed mournfully into his eyes. "D'ye +think I'd----" + +"Oh, shut up!" Rex ejaculated, "and hold your head up, Billy. You make +me sick." + +The intoxicated heavy freight being under way again, Rex looked about +for the rest of the train, but in vain. After a halt of a minute or so +he decided that they were lost and would have to stay lost, the +situation being too precarious, in this land of policemen, with one +hundred and ninety pounds of noisy uncertainty on his hands, to risk any +unnecessary movement. Billy kept every breath of time alive and varied. +Within two minutes of the first adventure he managed to put his elbow +clearly and forcibly into a small man's mouth, and before the other +could resent it: + +"'S my elbow, sir," he said, haughtily, stopping and staring down. + +"Well, why in thunder don't you keep it where it belongs?" snapped the +man, and Billy caught him by the sleeve. + +"Lil' sir," he said impressively, "if you should bite off my elbow, you +saucy baggage"--and the thought was too much for him. Tears filling his +eyes he turned to Rex. "Recky, you spank that lil' sir," he pleaded +brokenly. "He's too lil' for me--I'd hurt him"--and Rex meditated +again. A shock came when they reached the corner of Broadway and +Chambers Street. "Up's' daisy," crowed Billy Strong, and swung Fairfax +facing uptown with a mighty heave. + +"The Elevated station's down a block, old chap," explained the sober +contingent. "We have to take the Elevated to Seventy-second you know, +and walk across to your place." + +Billy looked at him pityingly. "You poor lil' pup," he crooned. "Didn' I +keep tellin' you had to go Chris'pher Street ferry meet a girl? Goin' +theater with girl." He tipped his derby one-sided and started off on a +cakewalk. + +Rex had to march beside him willy-nilly. "Look here, Billy," he +reasoned, exasperated at this entirely fresh twist in the corkscrew +business of getting Strong home. "Look here, Billy, this is tommy-rot. +You haven't any date with a girl, and if you had you couldn't keep it. +Come along home, man; that's the place for you." + +But Billy was suddenly a Gibraltar of firmness. "Got date with lovely +blue-eyed girlie--couldn't dish'point her. Unmanly deed--Recky, d' _you_ +want bes' fren' ev' had to do unmanly deed, and dish'point trustin' +female? Nev', Recky--nev', ol' man. Lesh be true to th' ladies till hell +runs dry--Oh, 'scuse me Recky--f'got you was parson--till _well_ runs +dry, meant say. That all right? Come on t' Chris'pher Street." And in +spite of desperate attempts, of long argument and appeal on Rex's part, +to Christopher Street they went. + +The ministering angel had no hankering to risk his charge in a +street-car, so, as the distance was not great, they walked. + +Fairfax's dread was that, having saved his friend so far, he should +attract the attention of a policeman and be arrested. So he kept a sharp +lookout for bluecoats and passed them studiously on the other side. What +was his horror therefore, turning a corner, to turn squarely into the +majestic arm of the law, and what was his greater horror, to hear Billy +Strong suavely address him. Billy lifted his hat to the large, fat +officer as he might have lifted it to his sweetheart in her box at the +Horse Show. + +"Would you have the g--goodness to tell me," he inquired, with +distinguished courtesy, "if this is"--Billy's articulation was +improving, but otherwise he was just as tipsy as ever--"if this +is--Chris-to-pher Street--or--or Wednesday?" + +"Hey?" inquired the policeman, and stared. Repartee seemed not to be his +forte. + +"Thank you--thank you very much"--Billy's gratitude spilled over +conventional limits--"very, _very_ much--old rhinoceros," he finished, +and shot suddenly ahead, dragging Rex with him into the whirlpool of a +moving crowd, and it dawned on the policeman five minutes later that the +courtly gentleman was drunk. + +[Illustration: "Thank you--thank you very much--very, very much--old +rhinoceros"] + +The anxiety of this game was its unexpectedness. Strong, in the turn of +a hand grew playful, after the fashion of a mammoth kitten. He bounded +this way and that, knocking into somebody inevitably at every leap, +and at each contact he wheeled toward the injured and lifted his hat and +bowed low and brought out "I--beg--your--pardon" with a drawl of +sarcastic emphasis too insulting to be described. + +"Billy," pleaded Rex, taking to pathos, "don't do that again. You'll get +arrested, and maybe they'll arrest me too, and you don't want to get me +into a hole, do you?" + +Billy stopped short with a suddenness which came near to upsetting his +guide, and put both large hands on Rex's shoulders, and gazed into his +eyes with a world of blurred affection. "Reck, ol'fel'," and his voice +broke with a sob, "if I got you into hole, I'd jump in hole after you, +and I'd--and I'd--pull hole in after both of us, and then I'd--I'd tell +hole you was bes' fren' ev' had, and----" + +"Come along and behave," cut in the victim of this devotion shortly. +"Don't be a fool." + +Strong lifted a fatherly forefinger. "Naughty naughty! Shouldn' call +brother fool. Danger hell fire if you call brother fool. Nev' min', +Recky--we un'stand each other. Two fools. I'm go'n behave." He knocked +his derby in the back so it rested on his nose, stuck his chin up to +meet it, and started off in the most unmistakable semblance of a tipsy +man to be met anywhere. "See me behavin'?" he remarked sidewise, with a +gleam of rollicking deviltry out of his eyes. + +Christopher Street ferry was reached safely by a miracle, and inside the +ferry-house Strong made a bee line for a truck and threw his great body +full length upon it with a loud yawn of joy. "So tired," he remarked. +"Go'n have good nap now," and he closed his eyes peacefully. + +"See here, Billy, this won't do. You said you had to meet a girl--what +about that?" + +[Illustration: "So tired" he remarked. "Go'n have good nap now"] + +"Oh, tha's all right," Billy agreed easily. "You meet girl--tell her you +got me drunk," and he turned over and prepared for slumber. Strenuous +argument was necessary to rouse him even to half a sense of +responsibility. "Recky, dear, you--'noy me," he said with severity, +coming to a sitting position and contemplating Rex with mild +displeasure. "What kin' girl? Why, jes' girly-girl. Lovely blue-eyed +girly-girl--kind of girl--colored hair,"--he swept his hand +descriptively over his own black locks. "Wears sort of--skirts, you +know--you 'member the kind. All of 'em same thing--well, she wears 'em +too. Tha's all," and he dropped heavily back to the truck and retired +into his coat collar. + +Rex shook him. "That won't do, Billy. I can't pick out a girl on that. +Will there be a chaperone with her?" + +"No!" thundered Billy. + +"How is a girl allowed to go to the theater with you without a +chaperone?" inquired Rex incredulously. "This is New York." + +Strong brought down his fist. "Death to chaperones! _A bas les +chaperones!_ Don't you think girl's mother trust her to me? Look at me! +I'll be chaperone to tha' girl, and father, 'n' mother, 'n' a few uncles +and aunts." He threw his arm out with a gesture which comprised the +universe. "I'll be all the world to tha' girl. You go meet her 'n' tell +her you got me drunk," he concluded with a radiant smile. + +Rex considered. There seemed to be enough method in Strong's madness to +justify the belief that he had an engagement. If so, he must by all +means wait and trust to luck to pick out the "lovely blue-eyed girlie" +who was the "party of the other part," and hope for an inspiration as to +what to tell her. She might be with or without a chaperone, she might be +any variety of the species, but Strong seemed to be quite clear that she +had blue eyes. + +The crowd from the incoming boat began to unload into the ferry-house, +and Rex placed himself anxiously by the entrance. Three or four thin men +scurried in advance, then a bunch of stout and middle-aged persons +straggled along puffing. Then came a set of young people in theater +array, chattering and laughing as they hurried, and another set, and +another--the main body of the little army was upon him. Rex scanned +them for a girl alone or a girl with her mother. Ah! here she was--this +must be Strong's "blue-eyed girlie." She was alone and pretty, a little +under-bred and blond. Rex lifted his hat. + +"I beg your pardon," he said, in his most winning way; "are you waiting +for Mr. Strong?" + +The girl threw up her head and looked frightened, and then angry. + +"No, I am not," she said, and then, with a haughty look, "I call you +pretty saucy," and Rex was left mortified and silent, while a passing +man murmured, "Served you right," and a woman laughed scornfully. He +stalked across to the tranquil form on the truck. + +"Billy," he said, and shook a massive shoulder. "Wake up. Tell me that +girl's name." + +Strong opened his eyes like a baby waked from dewy sleep. "Wha's that, +Recky--dear old Recky--bes' fren'----" + +"Cut that out," said Rex, sharply. "Tell me the name of the girl you're +waiting here to meet," and he laughed a short bitter laugh. The girl +whom "Billy" was waiting to meet! Rex was getting tired and hungry. + +Strong smiled a gentle, obstinate, tipsy smile and shook his head. "No, +Recky, dear ol' fren'--bes' fren'--well, nev' min'. Can't tell girl's +name; tha's her secret." + +"Don't be an ass, Billy--quick, now, tell me the name." + +"Naughty, naughty!" quoted Billy again, and waggled his forefinger. +"Danger hell fire! Couldn' tell girl's name, Recky--be dishon'able. +Couldn', no, couldn'. Anythin' else--ask m' anythin' else in all these +wide worlds"--and he struck his breast with fervor. "Tell you +_anythin'_, Recky, but couldn' betray trustin' girl's secret." + +"Billy, can't you give me an idea what the girl's like?" pleaded Rex +desperately. Billy smiled up at him drowsily. "Perfectly good girl," he +elucidated. "Good eyes, good wind, kind to mother--perfectly good girl +in ev--every r-respect," he concluded, emphasizing his sentences by +articulating them. He dropped his chin into his chest with a recumbent +bow, and his arm described an impressive semicircle. "Present to her +'surances my most disting'shed consider-ration--soon's you find her," +and he went flop on his side and was asleep. + +Rex had to give it up. He heard the gates rattling open for the next +boat-load, and took his stand again, bracing himself for another rebuff. +The usual vanguard, the usual quicksilver bunch of humanity, massing, +separating, flowing this way and that, and in the midst of them a +fair-haired, timid-looking young girl, walking quietly with down-cast +eyes, as if unused to being in big New York alone at eight o'clock at +night. Rex stood in front of her with bared head. + +"I beg your pardon," he repeated his formula; "are you looking for Mr. +Strong?" + +The startled eyes lifted to his a short second, then dropped again. "No, +for Mr. Week," she answered softly, and unconscious of witticism, melted +into the throng. + +This was a heavy boat-load, for it was just theater time--they were +still coming. And suddenly his heart bounded and stopped. Of course--he +was utterly foolish not to have known--it was she--Billy Strong's +bewitching cousin, the girl from Orange. There she stood with her big, +brown eyes searching, gazing here and there, as lovely, as incongruous +as a wood-nymph strayed into a political meeting. The feather of her hat +tossed in the May breeze; the fading light from the window behind her +shone through loose hair about her face, turned it into a soft dark +aureole; the gray of her tailor gown was crisp and fresh as spring-time. +To Rex's eyes no picture had ever been more satisfying. + +Suddenly she caught sight of him, and her face lighted as if lamps had +shone out of a twilight, and in a second he had her hand in his, and was +talking away, with responsibility and worry, and that heavy weight on +the truck back there, quite gone out of the world. She was in it, and +himself--the world was full. The girl seemed to be as oblivious of +outside facts, as he, for it was quite two minutes, and the last +straggler from the boat had disappeared into the street before she broke +into one of his sentences. + +"Why, but--I forgot. You made me forget entirely, Mr. Fairfax. I'm going +to the theater with my cousin, Billy Strong. He ought to be here--where +is he?" + +Rex shivered lest her roving eyes might answer the question, for Billy's +truck with Billy slumbering peacefully on it, lay in full view not fifty +feet away. But her gaze passed unsuspiciously over the prostrate, +huddled form. + +"It's very queer--I'm sure this was the right boat." She looked up at +his face anxiously, and he almost moaned aloud. What was he going to say +to her? + +"That's what I'm here for, Miss Margery--to explain about Billy. He--he +isn't feeling at all himself to-night, and it's utterly impossible for +him to go with you." To his astonishment her face broke into a very +satisfied smile. "Oh--well, I'm sorry Billy's ill, but we'll hope for +the best, and I won't really object to you as a substitute, you know. Of +course it's improper, and mother wouldn't think of letting me go with +you--but I'm going. Mother won't mind when I tell her it's done. I've +never been alone with a man to anything, except with my cousin--it's +like stealing watermelons, isn't it? Don't you think it's rather fun?" + +Staggered by the situation, Fairfax thought desperately and murmured +something which sounded like "Oochee-Goochee," as he tried to recall it +later. The girl's gay voice went on: "It would be wicked to waste the +tickets. City people aren't going to the theater as late as this, so we +won't see any one we know. I think it's a dispensation of Providence, +and I'd be a poor-spirited mouse to waste the chance. I think I'll go +with you--don't you?" + +[Illustration: "Could he--couldn't he?"] + +Could he leave that prostrate form on the truck and snatch at this bit +of heaven dangling before him? Could he--Couldn't he? No, he could +not. It would be a question of fifteen minutes perhaps before the drowsy +Billy would be marching to the police station, and in his entirely +casual and fearless state of mind, the big athlete would make history +for some policeman, his friend could not doubt, before he got there. Rex +had put his hand to this intoxicated plow and he must not look back, +even when the prospect backwards was so bewilderingly attractive, so +tantalizingly easy. He stammered badly when, at length, the silence +which followed the soft voice had to be filled. + +"I'm simply--simply--broken up, Miss Margery," and the girl's eyes +looked at him with a sweet wideness that made it harder. "I don't know +how to tell you, and I don't know how to resign myself to it either, but +I--I can't take you to the theater. I--I've got to--got to--well, you +see, I've got to be with Billy." + +She spoke quickly at that. "Mr. Fairfax, is Billy really ill--is there +something more than I understand? Why didn't you tell me? Has their +been an accident, perhaps? Why, I must go to him too--come--hurry--I'll +go with you, of course." + +Rex stumbled again in his effort to quiet her alarm, to prevent this +scheme of seeking Billy on his couch of pain. "Oh no, indeed you mustn't +do that," he objected strenuously. "I couldn't let you, you know. I +don't want you to be bothered. Billy isn't ill at all--there hasn't been +any accident, I give you my word. He's all right--Billy's all right." He +had quite lost his prospective by now, and did not see the rocks upon +which he rushed. + +"If Billy's all right, why isn't he here?" demanded Billy's cousin +severely. + +Rex saw now. "He isn't exactly--that is to say--all right, you know. You +see how it is," and he gazed involuntarily at the sleeping giant huddled +on the truck. + +"I do not see." The brown eyes had never looked at him so coldly before, +and their expression cut him. + +"I'm glad you don't," he cried, and realized that the words had taken +him a step deeper into trouble. "It's just this way, Miss Margery--Billy +isn't hurt or ill, but he isn't--isn't feeling quite himself, and--and +I've got to--I've got to be with him." His voice sounded as if he were +going to cry, but it moved the girl to no pity. + +"Oh!" she said, and her bewildered tone was a whole world removed from +the bright comradeship with which she had met him. "I see--you and Billy +have something else planned." Her face flushed suddenly. "I'm sorry I +misunderstood about--about the theater. I wouldn't for worlds have--have +seemed to force you to--" She stopped, embarrassed, hurt, but yet with +her graceful dignity untouched. + +"Oh," the wretched Rex exclaimed impetuously, "if I could only take you +to the theater, I'd rather than--" but the girl stopped him. + +"Never mind about that, please," she said, with gentle decision. "I +must go home--when is the next boat? One is going now--good-night, Mr. +Fairfax--no, don't come with me--I don't need you," and she was gone. + +Two minutes later Strong's innocent slumbers were dispersed by a vicious +shake. "Wake up! wake up!" ordered Fairfax, restraining himself with +difficulty from mangling the cause of his sufferings. "I've had enough, +and we're going home, straight." + +Rex was mistaken about that, but Billy was cordial in agreeing with him. +"Good idea, Recky! Howd'y' ever come to think of it? Le's go home +straight; tha's a bully good thing to do. Le's do it. Big head on you, +ol' boy," and yawning still, but with unperturbed good nature, Strong +marched, a bit crookedly, arm in arm with his friend to the street. + +[Illustration: At every station the conductor and Rex had to reason +with him] + +Rex's memory of the trip uptown on the Elevated was like an evil dream. +Strong, after his nap, was as a giant refreshed, and his play of wit +knew no contracting limits. There were, luckily, not many passengers +going up at this hour, but the dozen or so on the car were regaled. +Billy selected a seat on the floor with his broad back planted against +the door, and at every station the conductor and Rex had to reason with +him at length before the door could be opened. The official threatened +as well as he could for laughing to put him off, but he threatened less +strenuously for the sight of six feet two of muscle in magnificently fit +condition. This lasted for half a dozen stations and then the patient +began to play like a mountainous kitten. He took a strap on either side +of the car and turned somersaults; he did traveling ring work with them; +he gave a standing broad jump that would have been creditable on an +athletic field; he had his audience screaming with laughter at an +imitation of water polo over the back of a seat. Then, just as the fun +was at an almost impossible point, and the conductor, highly entertained +but worried, was considering how to get this chap arrested, Billy walked +up to him with charming friendliness and shook hands. + +"One th' besh track meets I've ever had pleasure attendin', sir," he +said genially, and sat down and relapsed into grave dignity. + +So he remained for five minutes, to the trembling joy of his exhausted +guardian, but it was too good to be true. Suddenly, at Fifty-third +Street, he spied a young woman at the other end of the car. There were +not more than nine passengers, so that each person might have had a +matter of half a dozen seats a piece, but Strong suddenly felt a demand +on his politeness, and reason was nothing to him. He rose and marched +the forty feet or so between himself and the woman, and, standing in +front of her, lifted, with some difficulty, his hat. + +"Won't you take my seat, madam?" he inquired, with a smile of perfect +courtesy. + +The young person was a young person of common-sense and she caught the +situation. She flashed a reassuring glance at Rex, hovering distressed +in the background, and shook her head at Strong politely. "No--no, thank +you," she said; "I think I can find a seat at this end that will do +nicely." + +"Madam, I insist," Strong addressed her again earnestly. + +"No, really," The young woman was embarrassed, for the eyes of the car +were on her. "Thank you so much," she said finally; "I think I'd better +stay here." + +Strong bent over and put a great hand lightly on her arm. "Madam, as +gen'leman I cannot, cannot allow it. Madam, you mush take my seat. +Pleash, madam, do not make scene. 'S pleasure to me, 'sure you--greates' +pleasure," and beneath this courtly urgency the flushed girl walked +shamefacedly the length of the almost empty car, and sat down in +Strong's seat, while that soul of chivalry put his hand through a strap +and so stood till his ministering angel extracted him from the train at +Seventy-second Street. + +With a sigh of heartfelt relief, Rex put his arm in the big fellow's at +the foot of the steps. Freedom must now be at hand, for Billy's home +was in a great apartment building not ten minutes' walk away. The +culprit himself seemed to realize that his fling was over. + +"Raished Cain t'night, didn' we, ol' pal?" he inquired, and squeezed +Rex's guiding arm with affection. "I'll shay this for you, Rex--you may +be soft-hearted ol' slob, you may be half-witted donkey--I'm not denyin' +all that 'n more, but I'll shay thish--you're the bes' man to go on a +drunk with in--in--in The'logican Sem'nary. I'm not 'xceptin' th'----" + +"Shut up, Billy," remarked Rex, not for the first time that night. "I'd +get myself pulled together a bit if I were you," he advised. "You're +going to see your family in a minute." + +"M' poor fam'ly!" mourned Strong, shaking his head. "M' poor fam'ly! +Thish'll be awful blow to m' fam'ly, Recky. They all like so mush to see +me sober--always--'s their fad, Recky. Don't blame 'em, Recky, 's +natural to 'em. Some peop' born that way. M' poor fam'ly." + +They stood in front of the broad driveway which swept under lofty arches +into the huge apartment house. Strong stopped and gazed upwards +mournfully. "Right up there," he murmured, pointing skywards--"M' +fam'ly." The tears were streaming down his face frankly now. "I can't +face 'em Recky, 'n this condition you've got me in," he said more in +sorrow than in anger. At that second the last inspiration of the evening +caught him. Across the street arose the mighty pile of an enormous +uptown hotel. Strong jerked his thumb over his shoulder. "Go'n' break it +to m' fam'ly by telegraph' 'em," he stated, and bitterly Rex repented of +that thoughtless mention of the Strongs to their son and heir. + +Good-naturedly as he had done everything, but relentlessly, he dragged +his victim over the way, and direct to the Western Union office of the +hotel--"Webster's Union" he preferred to call it. His first telegram +read: + +"Rex Fairfax got me drunk. Don't blame him. It's natural to him." + +That one was confiscated, Strong complaining gently that his friend was +all "fads." + +The second message was this: + +"Dear Mama: Billy's intoxicated. Awfully sorry. Couldn't be helped. Home +soon." + +That one went in spite of Fairfax's efforts, with two cents extra to +pay, which item was the first event of the evening to ruffle Strong's +temper. + +"Shame, shame on rich cap'talists like Webster's Union to wring two +cents from poor drunk chap, for lil' word like 'soon'," he growled, and +appealed to the operator. "Couldn't you let me off that two cents?" he +asked winningly. "You're good fellow--good lookin' fellow too"--which +was the truth. "Well, then, can I get 'em cheaper 'f I sen 'em by +quantity? I'll do that--how many for dollar, hey?" + +"Five," said the grinning operator, troubled by the irregularity, but +taken by this highly entertaining scheme of telegraphing across the +street. And Rex, his arts exhausted in vain, watched hopelessly while, +one after another, five telegrams were sent to The Montana, a hundred +feet away. The first being short two of the regulation ten words. Strong +finished with a cabalistic phrase: "Rectangular parallelopipedon." + +"That'll get even Webster's Union for chargin' me two cents for 'soon'," +he chuckled. "Don't y' wish y' hadn' charged me that two cents, hey?" he +demanded of the operator, laughing joyfully and cocking his hat over one +ear, and the operator and two or three men who stood near could do no +otherwise than laugh joyfully too. Strong straightened his face into a +semblance of deep gravity. "Thish next one's important," he announced, +and put the end of the pencil in his mouth and meditated, while his +fascinated audience watched him. He was lost in thought for perhaps two +minutes, and then scribbled madly, and as he ended the little bunch of +men crowded frankly to look at what he had written. He pushed it toward +them with charming unreserve, and the bewilderment with which it was +read seemed to please him. + +"Dear Papa": it ran. "I'm Calymene Blumembachii, a trilobite, one of the +crustaceans related to the emtomostracans, but looking more like a +tetradecapod, but always your affectionate--Billy." + +He pushed it to the operator. "Split that in three," he ordered. "Don't +want ruin the wires I'm careful 'bout wires. Big fall snow wouldn't do +more damage 'n heavy words like that," he explained to the listening +circle. "Think I look like tetradecapod?" he asked of them as one who +makes conversation. "Had that in geology lesson when I was fifteen," he +went on. "Got lodged in crack in brain and there tish t' thish day! +Every now'n then I go 'flip,'"--he appeared to pull a light lever +situated in his head--"'n fire it off. See? Always hit something." + +It was ten o'clock when, the job lot of telegrams despatched, Fairfax +led his volcano from the hotel and headed for the apartment house. He +expected another balk at the entrance, for his round of gaiety had come +now to seem to him eternal--he could hardly imagine a life in which he +was not conducting a tipsy man through a maze of experiences. So that it +was one of the surprises of the evening when Strong entered quietly and +with perfect deportment took his place in the elevator and got out +again, eight floors up, with the mildness of a dove. At the door of the +apartment came the last brief but sharp action of the campaign. + +"Recky," he said, taking Fairfax's shoulders in his great grasp, "no +mother could be t' me what you've been." + +"I hope not," Rex responded promptly, but Strong was not to be +side-tracked. + +"No mother 'n the world--not one--no sir!" he went on. His voice broke +with feeling. "I'll nev' forget it--nev'--don't ask me to," he insisted. +"Dear Recky--blessed old tomfool--I'm go'n kiss you good-night." + +"You bet you're not," said Fairfax with emphasis. "Let go of me, you +idiot," and he tried to loosen the hands on his shoulders. + +But one of the most powerful men in New York had him in his grip, and +Rex found himself suddenly folded in Billy's arms, while a chaste salute +was planted full on his mouth. As he emerged a second later, disgusted +and furious, from this tender embrace, the clang of the elevator twenty +feet away caught his ear and, turning, his eyes met the astonished gaze +of two young girls and their scornful, frowning father. At that moment +the door of the Strongs' apartment opened, there was a vision of the +elder Mr. Strong's distracted face, the yellow gleam of the last +telegram in his hands, and Rex fled. + + * * * * * + +Two weeks later, a May breeze rustling through the greenness of the +quadrangle, brushed softly the ivy-clad brick walls, and stole, like a +runaway child to its playmate, through an open window of the Theological +Seminary building at Chelsea Square. Entering so, it flapped suddenly at +the white curtains as if astonished. What was this? Two muscular black +clad arms were stretched across a table, and between them lay a brown +head, inert, hopeless. It seemed strange that on such a May day, with +such a May breeze, life could look dark to anything young, yet Reginald +Fairfax, at the head of the graduating class, easily first in more than +one way--in scholarship, in athletics, in versatility, and, more than +all, like George Washington, "first in the hearts of his countrymen," +the most popular man of the Seminary--this successful and well beloved +young person sat wretched and restless in his room and let the breeze +blow over his prostrate head and his idle, nerveless hands. Since the +night of the rescue of Billy Strong he had felt himself another and a +worse man. He sent a note to his cousin the next day. + +"Dear Carty," it read, "For mercy sake let me alone. I know I've lost my +chance at St. Eric's and I know you'll say it was my own fault. I don't +want to hear either statement, so don't come near me till I hunt you up, +which I will do when I'm fit to talk to a white man. I'm grateful, +though you may not believe it. Yours--Rex." + +But the lost chance at St. Eric's, although it was coming to weigh +heavily on his buoyant spirit, was not the worst of his troubles. The +girl from Orange--there lay the sting. He had sent her a note as well, +but there was little he was free to say without betraying Billy, the +note was mostly vague expressions of regret, and Rex knew her +clearheaded directness too well to hope that it would count for much. No +answer had come, and, day by day, he had grown more dejected, hoping +against hope for one. + +A knock--the postman's knock--and Rex started and sprang to the door. +One letter, but he could hardly believe his glad eyes when he saw the +address on it, for it was the handwriting which he had come to know +well, had known well, seeing it once--her handwriting. In a moment the +jagged-edged envelope, torn in a desperate hurry to get what it held, +lay one side, and he was reading. + +"Dear Mr. Fairfax": the letter ran; "For two weeks I have been very +unjust to you and I want to beg your pardon. Billy was here three days +ago, and what I didn't know and what he didn't know we patched together, +and the consequence is I want to apologize and to make up to you, if I +can, for being so disagreeable. Billy's recollections of that night were +disjointed, but he remembered a lot in spots, and I know now just what a +friend you were to him and how you saved him. I think he was horrid, but +I think you were fine--simply fine. I can't half say it in writing so +will you please come out for over Sunday--mother says--and I'll try to +show you how splendid I think you were. Will you? Yours sincerely"--and +her name. + +Would he? Such a radiant smile shone through the little bare room that +the May breeze, catching its light at the window, clapped gay applause +against the flapping curtain. This was as it should be. + +But the breeze and the postman were not to be the only messengers of +happiness. Steps sounded down the long, empty hall, stopped at his +door, and Rex, a new joy of living pulsing through him, sprang again, +almost before the knock sounded, to meet gladly what might be coming. +His face looked out of the wide-open doorway with so bright a welcome to +the world, that the two men who stood across the threshold smiled an +involuntary answer. + +"Carty! I'm awfully glad"--and Rex stopped to put his hand out +graciously, deferentially, to the gray-haired and distinguished man who +stood with Carter Reed. + +"Judge Rush, this is my cousin, Mr. Fairfax," Reed presented him, and in +a moment Rex's friend, the breeze, was helping hospitality on with gay +little refreshing dashes at a warm, silvered head, as Judge Rush sat in +the biggest chair at the big open window. He beamed upon the young man +with interested, friendly eyes. + +"That's all very well about the quadrangle, Mr. Reed. It certainly is +beautiful and like the English Universities," he broke into a sentence +genially. "But I wish to talk to Mr. Fairfax. I've come to bring you +the first news, Mr. Fairfax, of what you will hear officially within a +day or two--that the vestry of St. Eric's hope you will consider a call +to be our assistant rector." Rex's heart almost stopped beating, and his +smile faded as he stared breathless at this portly and beneficent +Mercury. Mercury went on "A vestry meeting was held last night in which +this was decided upon. Your brilliant record in this seminary and other +qualifications which have been mentioned to us by high authorities, were +the reasons for this action which appeared upon the surface, but I want +you to know the inner workings--I asked your cousin to bring me here +that I might have the pleasure of telling you." + +It was rather warm, and the old gentleman had climbed stairs, and his +conversation had been weighty and steady. He arrested its flow for a +moment and took a long breath. "Don't stop," said Rex earnestly, and the +others broke into sudden laughter. + +"I like that," Judge Rush sputtered, chuckling. "You're ready to let me +kill myself, if needs be, to get the facts. All right, young man--I like +impetuosity--it means energy. I'll go on. The facts not known to the +public, which I wish to tell you, are as follows. After your failure to +keep your appointment on the evening of the 7th, I was about through +with you. I considered you careless both of your own interests and ours, +and we began to look for another assistant. A man who fitted the place +as you did seemed hard to find and the case was _in statu quo_ when, two +nights ago, my son brought home young William Strong to dinner. Our +families are old friends and Billy's father and I were chums in college, +so the boy is at home in our house. As you probably know, he has the +gift of telling a good story, so when he began on the events of an +evening which you will remember----" + +Rex's deep laughter broke into the dignified sentences at this point. + +"I see you remember." Judge Rush smiled benignly. "Well, Mr. Fairfax, +Billy made an amusing story of that evening. Only the family were at the +table and he spared himself not at all. He had been in Orange the day +before, and the young lady in the case had told him how you had +protected him at your own expense--he made that funny too, but I thought +it very fine behavior--very fine, indeed, sir." Rex's face flushed under +this. "And as I thought the whole affair over afterwards, I not only +understood why you had failed me, but I honored you for attempting no +explanation, and I made up my mind that you were the man we wanted. Yes, +sir, the man we want. A man who knows how to deal with the situations of +to-day, with the vices of a great city, that is what we want. I consider +tact, and broad-mindedness and self-sacrifice no small qualities for a +minister of the gospel; and a combination of those qualities, as in you, +I consider exceptional. So I went to this vestry meeting primed, and I +told them we had got to have you, sir--and we've got to. You'll come?" + +The question was much like an order, but Rex did not mind. "Indeed, I'll +come, Judge Rush," he said, and his manner of saying it won the last +doubtful bit of the Judge's heart. + +The Sunday morning when the new assistant preached his first sermon in +St. Eric's, there sat well back in the congregation a dark-eyed girl, +and with her a tall and powerful young man, whose deep shoulders and +movements, as of a well fitted machine, advertised an athlete in perfect +form. The girl's face was rapt as she followed, her soul in her eyes, +the clean-cut, short sermon, and when the congregation filtered slowly +down the aisles she said not a word. But as the two turned into the +street she spoke at last. + +"He is a saint, isn't he, Billy?" she asked, and drew a long breath of +contentment. + +And from six-feet-two in mid-air came Billy Strong's dictum. "Margery," +he said, impressively, "Rex may be a parson and all that, but, to my +mind, that's not against him; to my mind that suits his style of +handling the gloves. There was a chap in the Bible"--Billy swallowed as +if embarrassed--"who--who was the spit 'n' image of Rex--the good +Samaritan chap, you know. He found a seedy one falling over himself by +the wayside, and he called him a beast and set him up, and took him to a +hotel or something and told the innkeeper to charge it to him, and--I +forget the exact words, but he saw him through, don't you know? And he +did it all in a sporty sort of way and there wasn't a word of whining or +fussing at him because he was loaded--that was awfully white of the +chap. Rex did more than that for me and not a syllable has he peeped +since. And, you know, the consequence of that masterly silence is that +I've gone on the water-wagon--yes, sir--for a year. And I'm hanged if +I'm not going to church every Sunday. He may be a saint as you say, and +I suppose there's no doubt but he's horrid intellectual--every man must +have his weaknesses. But the man that's a good Samaritan and a good +sport all in one, he's my sort, I'm for him," said Billy Strong. + + + +***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A GOOD SAMARITAN*** + + +******* This file should be named 15906.txt or 15906.zip ******* + + +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: +https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/1/5/9/0/15906 + + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, +set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to +copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to +protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark. 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