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diff --git a/old/wstdy10.txt b/old/wstdy10.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..2a049b9 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/wstdy10.txt @@ -0,0 +1,899 @@ +Project Gutenberg Etext A Wasted Day, by Richard Harding Davis +#24 in our series by Richard Harding Davis + + +Copyright laws are changing all over the world, be sure to check +the copyright laws for your country before posting these files!! + +Please take a look at the important information in this header. +We encourage you to keep this file on your own disk, keeping an +electronic path open for the next readers. Do not remove this. + + +**Welcome To The World of Free Plain Vanilla Electronic Texts** + +**Etexts Readable By Both Humans and By Computers, Since 1971** + +*These Etexts Prepared By Hundreds of Volunteers and Donations* + +Information on contacting Project Gutenberg to get Etexts, and +further information is included below. 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"Wants a letter about Spear. He's been convicted of +theft. Comes up for sentence Tuesday." + +"Spear?" repeated Arnold Thorndike. + +"Young fellow, stenographer, used to do your letters last summer +going in and out on the train." + +The great man nodded. "I remember. What about him?" + +The habitual gloom of the private secretary was lightened by a +grin. + +"Went on the loose; had with him about five hundred dollars +belonging to the firm; he's with Isaacs & Sons now, shoe people on +Sixth Avenue. Met a woman, and woke up without the money. The +next morning he offered to make good, but Isaacs called in a +policeman. When they looked into it, they found the boy had been +drunk. They tried to withdraw the charge, but he'd been committed. +Now, the probation officer is trying to get the judge to suspend +sentence. A letter from you, sir, would--" + +It was evident the mind of the great man was elsewhere. Young men +who, drunk or sober, spent the firm's money on women who +disappeared before sunrise did not appeal to him. Another letter +submitted that morning had come from his art agent in Europe. In +Florence he had discovered the Correggio he had been sent to find. +It was undoubtedly genuine, and he asked to be instructed by cable. +The price was forty thousand dollars. With one eye closed, and the +other keenly regarding the inkstand, Mr. Thorndike decided to pay +the price; and with the facility of long practice dismissed the +Correggio, and snapped his mind back to the present. + +"Spear had a letter from us when he left, didn't he?" he asked. +"What he has developed into, SINCE he left us--" he shrugged his +shoulders. The secretary withdrew the letter, and slipped another +in its place. + +"Homer Firth, the landscape man," he chanted, "wants permission to +use blue flint on the new road, with turf gutters, and to plant +silver firs each side. Says it will run to about five thousand +dollars a mile." + +"No!" protested the great man firmly, "blue flint makes a country +place look like a cemetery. Mine looks too much like a cemetery +now. Landscape gardeners!" he exclaimed impatiently. "Their only +idea is to insult nature. The place was better the day I bought +it, when it was running wild; you could pick flowers all the way to +the gates." Pleased that it should have recurred to him, the great +man smiled. "Why, Spear," he exclaimed, "always took in a bunch of +them for his mother. Don't you remember, we used to see him before +breakfast wandering around the grounds picking flowers?" Mr. +Thorndike nodded briskly. "I like his taking flowers to his +mother." + +"He SAID it was to his mother," suggested the secretary gloomily. + +"Well, he picked the flowers, anyway," laughed Mr. Thorndike. "He +didn't pick our pockets. And he had the run of the house in those +days. As far as we know," he dictated, "he was satisfactory. +Don't say more than that." + +The secretary scribbled a mark with his pencil. "And the landscape +man?" + +"Tell him," commanded Thorndike, "I want a wood road, suitable to a +farm; and to let the trees grow where God planted them." + +As his car slid downtown on Tuesday morning the mind of Arnold +Thorndike was occupied with such details of daily routine as the +purchase of a railroad, the Japanese loan, the new wing to his art +gallery, and an attack that morning, in his own newspaper, upon his +pet trust. But his busy mind was not too occupied to return the +salutes of the traffic policemen who cleared the way for him. Or, +by some genius of memory, to recall the fact that it was on this +morning young Spear was to be sentenced for theft. It was a +charming morning. The spring was at full tide, and the air was +sweet and clean. Mr. Thorndike considered whimsically that to send +a man to jail with the memory of such a morning clinging to him was +adding a year to his sentence. He regretted he had not given the +probation officer a stronger letter. He remembered the young man +now, and favorably. A shy, silent youth, deft in work, and at +other times conscious and embarrassed. But that, on the part of a +stenographer, in the presence of the Wisest Man in Wall Street, was +not unnatural. On occasions, Mr. Thorndike had put even royalty-- +frayed, impecunious royalty, on the lookout for a loan--at its +ease. + +The hood of the car was down, and the taste of the air, warmed by +the sun, was grateful. It was at this time, a year before, that +young Spear picked the spring flowers to take to his mother. A +year from now where would young Spear be? + +It was characteristic of the great man to act quickly, so quickly +that his friends declared he was a slave to impulse. It was these +same impulses, leading so invariably to success, that made his +enemies call him the Wisest Man. He leaned forward and touched the +chauffeur's shoulder. "Stop at the Court of General Sessions," he +commanded. What he proposed to do would take but a few minutes. A +word, a personal word from him to the district attorney, or the +judge, would be enough. He recalled that a Sunday Special had once +calculated that the working time of Arnold Thorndike brought him in +two hundred dollars a minute. At that rate, keeping Spear out of +prison would cost a thousand dollars. + + +Out of the sunshine Mr. Thorndike stepped into the gloom of an +echoing rotunda, shut in on every side, hung by balconies, lit, +many stories overhead, by a dirty skylight. The place was damp, +the air acrid with the smell of stale tobacco juice, and foul with +the presence of many unwashed humans. A policeman, chewing +stolidly, nodded toward an elevator shaft, and other policemen +nodded him further on to the office of the district attorney. +There Arnold Thorndike breathed more freely. He was again among +his own people. He could not help but appreciate the dramatic +qualities of the situation; that the richest man in Wall Street +should appear in person to plead for a humble and weaker brother. +He knew he could not escape recognition, his face was too well +known, but, he trusted, for the sake of Spear, the reporters would +make no display of his visit. With a deprecatory laugh, he +explained why he had come. But the outburst of approbation he had +anticipated did not follow. + +The district attorney ran his finger briskly down a printed card. +"Henry Spear," he exclaimed, "that's your man. Part Three, Judge +Fallon. Andrews is in that court." He walked to the door of his +private office. "Andrews!" he called. + +He introduced an alert, broad-shouldered young man of years of much +indiscretion and with a charming and inconsequent manner. + +"Mr. Thorndike is interested in Henry Spear, coming up for sentence +in Part Three this morning. Wants to speak for him. Take him over +with you." + +The district attorney shook hands quickly, and retreated to his +private office. Mr. Andrews took out a cigarette and, as he +crossed the floor, lit it. + +"Come with me," he commanded. Somewhat puzzled, slightly annoyed, +but enjoying withal the novelty of the environment and the curtness +of his reception, Mr. Thorndike followed. He decided that, in his +ignorance, he had wasted his own time and that of the prosecuting +attorney. He should at once have sent in his card to the judge. +As he understood it, Mr. Andrews was now conducting him to that +dignitary, and, in a moment, he would be free to return to his own +affairs, which were the affairs of two continents. But Mr. Andrews +led him to an office, bare and small, and offered him a chair, and +handed him a morning newspaper. There were people waiting in the +room; strange people, only like those Mr. Thorndike had seen on +ferry-boats. They leaned forward toward young Mr. Andrews, +fawning, their eyes wide with apprehension. + +Mr. Thorndike refused the newspaper. "I thought I was going to see +the judge," he suggested. + +"Court doesn't open for a few minutes yet," said the assistant +district attorney. "Judge is always late, anyway." + +Mr. Thorndike suppressed an exclamation. He wanted to protest, but +his clear mind showed him that there was nothing against which, +with reason, he could protest. He could not complain because these +people were not apparently aware of the sacrifice he was making. +He had come among them to perform a kindly act. He recognized that +he must not stultify it by a show of irritation. He had +precipitated himself into a game of which he did not know the +rules. That was all. Next time he would know better. Next time +he would send a clerk. But he was not without a sense of humor, +and the situation as it now was forced upon him struck him as +amusing. He laughed good-naturedly and reached for the desk +telephone. + +"May I use this?" he asked. He spoke to the Wall Street office. +He explained he would be a few minutes late. He directed what +should be done if the market opened in a certain way. He gave +rapid orders on many different matters, asked to have read to him a +cablegram he expected from Petersburg, and one from Vienna. + +"They answer each other," was his final instruction. "It looks +like peace." + +Mr. Andrews with genial patience had remained silent. Now he +turned upon his visitors. A Levantine, burly, unshaven, and +soiled, towered truculently above him. Young Mr. Andrews with his +swivel chair tilted back, his hands clasped behind his head, his +cigarette hanging from his lips, regarded the man dispassionately. + +"You gotta hell of a nerve to come to see me," he commented +cheerfully. To Mr. Thorndike, the form of greeting was novel. So +greatly did it differ from the procedure of his own office, that he +listened with interest. + +"Was it you," demanded young Andrews, in a puzzled tone, "or your +brother who tried to knife me?" Mr. Thorndike, unaccustomed to +cross the pavement to his office unless escorted by bank messengers +and plain-clothes men, felt the room growing rapidly smaller; the +figure of the truculent Greek loomed to heroic proportions. The +hand of the banker went vaguely to his chin, and from there fell to +his pearl pin, which he hastily covered. + +"Get out!" said young Andrews, "and don't show your face here--" + +The door slammed upon the flying Greek. Young Andrews swung his +swivel chair so that, over his shoulder, he could see Mr. +Thorndike. "I don't like his face," he explained. + +A kindly eyed, sad woman with a basket on her knee smiled upon +Andrews with the familiarity of an old acquaintance. + +"Is that woman going to get a divorce from my son," she asked, "now +that he's in trouble?" + +"Now that he's in Sing Sing?" corrected Mr. Andrews. "I HOPE so! +She deserves it. That son of yours, Mrs. Bernard," he declared +emphatically, "is no good!" + +The brutality shocked Mr. Thorndike. For the woman he felt a +thrill of sympathy, but at once saw that it was superfluous. From +the secure and lofty heights of motherhood, Mrs. Bernard smiled +down upon the assistant district attorney as upon a naughty child. +She did not even deign a protest. She continued merely to smile. +The smile reminded Thorndike of the smile on the face of a mother +in a painting by Murillo he had lately presented to the chapel in +the college he had given to his native town. + +"That son of yours," repeated young Andrews, "is a leech. He's +robbed you, robbed his wife. Best thing I ever did for YOU was to +send him up the river." + +The mother smiled upon him beseechingly. + +"Could you give me a pass?" she said. + +Young Andrews flung up his hands and appealed to Thorndike. + +"Isn't that just like a mother?" he protested. "That son of hers +has broken her heart, tramped on her, cheated her; hasn't left her +a cent; and she comes to me for a pass, so she can kiss him through +the bars! And I'll bet she's got a cake for him in that basket!" + +The mother laughed happily; she knew now she would get the pass. + +"Mothers," explained Mr. Andrews, from the depth of his wisdom, +"are all like that; your mother, my mother. If you went to jail, +your mother would be just like that." + +Mr. Thorndike bowed his head politely. He had never considered +going to jail, or whether, if he did, his mother would bring him +cake in a basket. Apparently there were many aspects and accidents +of life not included in his experience. + +Young Andrews sprang to his feet, and, with the force of a hose +flushing a gutter, swept his soiled visitors into the hall. + +"Come on," he called to the Wisest Man, "the court is open." + + +In the corridors were many people, and with his eyes on the broad +shoulders of the assistant district attorney, Thorndike pushed his +way through them. The people who blocked his progress were of the +class unknown to him. Their looks were anxious, furtive, +miserable. They stood in little groups, listening eagerly to a +sharp-faced lawyer, or, in sullen despair, eying each other. At a +door a tipstaff laid his hand roughly on the arm of Mr. Thorndike. + +"That's all right, Joe," called young Mr. Andrews, "he's with ME." +They entered the court and passed down an aisle to a railed +enclosure in which were high oak chairs. Again, in his effort to +follow, Mr. Thorndike was halted, but the first tipstaff came to +his rescue. "All right," he signalled, "he's with Mr. Andrews." + +Mr. Andrews pointed to one of the oak chairs. "You sit there," he +commanded, "it's reserved for members of the bar, but it's all +right. You're with ME." + +Distinctly annoyed, slightly bewildered, the banker sank between +the arms of a chair. He felt he had lost his individuality. +Andrews had become his sponsor. Because of Andrews he was +tolerated. Because Andrews had a pull he was permitted to sit as +an equal among police-court lawyers. No longer was he Arnold +Thorndike. He was merely the man "with Mr. Andrews." + +Then even Andrews abandoned him. "The judge'll be here in a +minute, now," said the assistant district attorney, and went inside +a railed enclosure in front of the judge's bench. There he greeted +another assistant district attorney whose years were those of even +greater indiscretion than the years of Mr. Andrews. Seated on the +rail, with their hands in their pockets and their backs turned to +Mr. Thorndike, they laughed and talked together. The subject of +their discourse was one Mike Donlin, as he appeared in vaudeville. + +To Mr. Thorndike it was evident that young Andrews had entirely +forgotten him. He arose, and touched his sleeve. With infinite +sarcasm Mr. Thorndike began: "My engagements are not pressing, but--" + +A court attendant beat with his palm upon the rail. + +"Sit down!" whispered Andrews. "The judge is coming." + +Mr. Thorndike sat down. + +The court attendant droned loudly words Mr. Thorndike could not +distinguish. There was a rustle of silk, and from a door behind +him the judge stalked past. He was a young man, the type of the +Tammany politician. On his shrewd, alert, Irish-American features +was an expression of unnatural gloom. With a smile Mr. Thorndike +observed that it was as little suited to the countenance of the +young judge as was the robe to his shoulders. Mr. Thorndike was +still smiling when young Andrews leaned over the rail. + +"Stand up!" he hissed. Mr. Thorndike stood up. + +After the court attendant had uttered more unintelligible words, +every one sat down; and the financier again moved hurriedly to the +rail. + +"I would like to speak to him now before he begins," he whispered. +"I can't wait." + +Mr. Andrews stared in amazement. The banker had not believed the +young man could look so serious. + +"Speak to him, NOW!" exclaimed the district attorney. 'You've got +to wait till your man comes up. If you speak to the judge, NOW--" +The voice of Andrews faded away in horror. + +Not knowing in what way he had offended, but convinced that it was +only by the grace of Andrews he had escaped a dungeon, Mr. +Thorndike retreated to his arm-chair. + + +The clock on the wall showed him that, already, he had given to +young Spear one hour and a quarter. The idea was preposterous. No +one better than himself knew what his time was really worth. In +half an hour there was a board meeting; later, he was to hold a +post mortem on a railroad; at every moment questions were being +asked by telegraph, by cable, questions that involved the credit of +individuals, of firms, of even the country. And the one man who +could answer them was risking untold sums only that he might say a +good word for an idle apprentice. Inside the railed enclosure a +lawyer was reading a typewritten speech. He assured his honor that +he must have more time to prepare his case. It was one of immense +importance. The name of a most respectable business house was +involved, and a sum of no less than nine hundred dollars. Nine +hundred dollars! The contrast struck Mr. Thorndike's sense of +humor full in the centre. Unknowingly, he laughed, and found +himself as conspicuous as though he had appeared suddenly in his +night-clothes. The tipstaffs beat upon the rail, the lawyer he had +interrupted uttered an indignant exclamation, Andrews came +hurriedly toward him, and the young judge slowly turned his head. + +"Those persons," he said, "who cannot respect the dignity of this +court will leave it." As he spoke, with his eyes fixed on those of +Mr. Thorndike, the latter saw that the young judge had suddenly +recognized him. But the fact of his identity did not cause the +frown to relax or the rebuke to halt unuttered. In even, icy tones +the judge continued: "And it is well they should remember that the +law is no respecter of persons and that the dignity of this court +will be enforced, no matter who the offender may happen to be." + +Andrews slipped into the chair beside Mr. Thorndike, and grinned +sympathetically. + +"Sorry!" he whispered. "Should have warned you. We won't be long +now," he added encouragingly. "As soon as this fellow finishes his +argument, the judge'll take up the sentences. Your man seems to +have other friends; Isaacs & Sons are here, and the type-writer +firm who taught him; but what YOU say will help most. It won't be +more than a couple of hours now." + +"A couple of hours!" Mr. Thorndike raged inwardly. A couple of +hours in this place where he had been publicly humiliated. He +smiled, a thin, shark-like smile. Those who made it their business +to study his expressions, on seeing it, would have fled. Young +Andrews, not being acquainted with the moods of the great man, +added cheerfully: "By one o'clock, anyway." + +Mr. Thorndike began grimly to pull on his gloves. For all he cared +now young Spear could go hang. Andrews nudged his elbow. + +"See that old lady in the front row?" he whispered. "That's Mrs. +Spear. What did I tell you; mothers are all alike. She's not +taken her eyes off you since court opened. She knows you're her +one best bet." + +Impatiently Mr. Thorndike raised his head. He saw a little, white- +haired woman who stared at him. In her eyes was the same look he +had seen in the eyes of men who, at times of panic, fled to him, +beseeching, entreating, forcing upon him what was left of the wreck +of their fortunes, if only he would save their honor. + +"And here come the prisoners," Andrews whispered. "See Spear? +Third man from the last." A long line, guarded in front and rear, +shuffled into the court-room, and, as ordered, ranged themselves +against the wall. Among them were old men and young boys, well +dressed, clever-looking rascals, collarless tramps, fierce-eyed +aliens, smooth-shaven, thin-lipped Broadwayards--and Spear. + +Spear, his head hanging, with lips white and cheeks ashen, and his +eyes heavy with shame. + +Mr. Thorndike had risen, and, in farewell, was holding out his hand +to Andrews. He turned, and across the court-room the eyes of the +financier and the stenographer met. At the sight of the great man, +Spear flushed crimson, and then his look of despair slowly +disappeared; and into his eyes there came incredulously hope and +gratitude. He turned his head suddenly to the wall. + +Mr. Thorndike stood irresolute, and then sank back into his chair. + +The first man in the line was already at the railing, and the +questions put to him by the judge were being repeated to him by the +other assistant district attorney and a court attendant. His +muttered answers were in turn repeated to the judge. + +"Says he's married, naturalized citizen, Lutheran Church, die- +cutter by profession." + +The probation officer, her hands filled with papers, bustled +forward and whispered. + +"Mrs. Austin says," continued the district attorney, "she's looked +into this case, and asks to have the man turned over to her. He +has a wife and three children; has supported them for five years." + +"Is the wife in court?" the judge said. + +A thin, washed-out, pretty woman stood up, and clasped her hands in +front of her. + +"Has this man been a good husband to you, madam?" asked the young +judge. + +The woman broke into vehement assurances. No man could have been a +better husband. Would she take him back? Indeed she would take +him back. She held out her hands as though she would physically +drag her husband from the pillory. + +The judge bowed toward the probation officer, and she beckoned the +prisoner to her. + +Other men followed, and in the fortune of each Mr. Thorndike found +himself, to his surprise, taking a personal interest. It was as +good as a play. It reminded him of the Sicilians he had seen in +London in their little sordid tragedies. Only these actors were +appearing in their proper persons in real dramas of a life he did +not know, but which appealed to something that had been long +untouched, long in disuse. It was an uncomfortable sensation that +left him restless because, as he appreciated, it needed expression, +an outlet. He found this, partially, in praising, through Andrews, +the young judge who had publicly rebuked him. Mr. Thorndike found +him astute, sane; his queries intelligent, his comments just. And +this probation officer, she, too, was capable, was she not? +Smiling at his interest in what to him was an old story, the +younger man nodded. + +"I like her looks," whispered the great man. "Like her clear eyes +and clean skin. She strikes me as able, full of energy, and yet +womanly. These men when they come under her charge," he insisted, +eagerly, "need money to start again, don't they?" He spoke +anxiously. He believed he had found the clew to his restlessness. +It was a desire to help; to be of use to these failures who had +fallen and who were being lifted to their feet. Andrews looked at +him curiously. "Anything you give her," he answered, "would be +well invested." + +"If you will tell me her name and address?" whispered the banker. +He was much given to charity, but it had been perfunctory, it was +extended on the advice of his secretary. In helping here, he felt +a genial glow of personal pleasure. It was much more satisfactory +than giving an Old Master to his private chapel. + +In the rear of the court-room there was a scuffle that caused every +one to turn and look. A man, who had tried to force his way past +the tipstaffs, was being violently ejected, and, as he disappeared, +he waved a paper toward Mr. Thorndike. The banker recognized him +as his chief clerk. Andrews rose anxiously. "That man wanted to +get to you. I'll see what it is. Maybe it's important." + +Mr. Thorndike pulled him back. + +"Maybe it is," he said dryly. "But I can't see him now, I'm busy." + + +Slowly the long line of derelicts, of birds of prey, of sorry, weak +failures, passed before the seat of judgment. Mr. Thorndike had +moved into a chair nearer to the rail, and from time to time made a +note upon the back of an envelope. He had forgotten the time or +had chosen to disregard it. So great was his interest that he had +forgotten the particular derelict he had come to serve, until Spear +stood almost at his elbow. + +Thorndike turned eagerly to the judge, and saw that he was +listening to a rotund, gray little man with beady, bird-like eyes +who, as he talked, bowed and gesticulated. Behind him stood a +younger man, a more modern edition of the other. He also bowed +and, behind gold eye-glasses, smiled ingratiatingly. + +The judge nodded, and leaning forward, for a few moments fixed his +eyes upon the prisoner. + +"You are a very fortunate young man," he said. He laid his hand +upon a pile of letters. "When you were your own worst enemy, your +friends came to help you. These letters speak for you; your +employers, whom you robbed, have pleaded with me in your favor. It +is urged, in your behalf, that at the time you committed the crime +of which you are found guilty, you were intoxicated. In the eyes +of the law, that is no excuse. Some men can drink and keep their +senses. It appears you can not. When you drink you are a menace +to yourself--and, as is shown by this crime, to the community. +Therefore, you must not drink. In view of the good character to +which your friends have testified, and on the condition that you do +not touch liquor, I will not sentence you to jail, but will place +you in charge of the probation officer." + +The judge leaned back in his chair and beckoned to Mr. Andrews. It +was finished. Spear was free, and from different parts of the +courtroom people were moving toward the door. Their numbers showed +that the friends of the young man had been many. Mr. Thorndike +felt a certain twinge of disappointment. Even though the result +relieved and pleased him, he wished, in bringing it about, he had +had some part. + +He begrudged to Isaacs & Sons the credit of having given Spear his +liberty. His morning had been wasted. He had neglected his own +interests, and in no way assisted those of Spear. He was moving +out of the railed enclosure when Andrews called him by name. + +"His honor," he said impressively, "wishes to speak to you." + +The judge leaned over his desk and shook Mr. Thorndike by the hand. +Then he made a speech. The speech was about public-spirited +citizens who, to the neglect of their own interests, came to assist +the ends of justice, and fellow-creatures in misfortune. He +purposely spoke in a loud voice, and every one stopped to listen. + +"The law, Mr. Thorndike, is not vindictive," he said. "It wishes +only to be just. Nor can it be swayed by wealth or political or +social influences. But when there is good in a man, I, personally, +want to know it, and when gentlemen like yourself, of your standing +in this city, come here to speak a good word for a man, we would +stultify the purpose of justice if we did not listen. I thank you +for coming, and I wish more of our citizens were as unselfish and +public-spirited." + +It was all quite absurd and most embarrassing, but inwardly Mr. +Thorndike glowed with pleasure. It was a long time since any one +had had the audacity to tell him he had done well. From the +friends of Spear there was a ripple of applause, which no tipstaff +took it upon himself to suppress, and to the accompaniment of this, +Mr. Thorndike walked to the corridor. He was pleased with himself +and with his fellow-men. He shook hands with Isaacs & Sons, and +congratulated them upon their public spirit, and the type-writer +firm upon their public spirit. And then he saw Spear standing +apart regarding him doubtfully. + +Spear did not offer his hand, but Mr. Thorndike took it, and shook +it, and said: "I want to meet your mother." + +And when Mrs. Spear tried to stop sobbing long enough to tell him +how happy she was, and how grateful, he instead told her what a +fine son she had, and that he remembered when Spear used to carry +flowers to town for her. And she remembered it, too, and thanked +him for the flowers. And he told Spear, when Isaacs & Sons went +bankrupt, which at the rate they were giving away their money to +the Hebrew Hospital would be very soon, Spear must come back to +him. And Isaacs & Sons were delighted at the great man's +pleasantry, and afterward repeated it many times, calling upon each +other to bear witness, and Spear felt as though some one had given +him a new backbone, and Andrews, who was guiding Thorndike out of +the building, was thinking to himself what a great confidence man +had been lost when Thorndike became a banker. + + +The chief clerk and two bank messengers were waiting by the +automobile with written calls for help from the office. They +pounced upon the banker and almost lifted him into the car. + +"There's still time!" panted the chief clerk. + +"There is not!" answered Mr. Thorndike. His tone was rebellious, +defiant. It carried all the authority of a spoiled child of +fortune. "I've wasted most of this day," he declared, "and I +intend to waste the rest of it. Andrews," he called, "jump in, and +I'll give you a lunch at Sherry's." + +The vigilant protector of the public dashed back into the building. + +"Wait till I get my hat!" he called. + +As the two truants rolled up the avenue the spring sunshine warmed +them, the sense of duties neglected added zest to their holiday, +and young Mr. Andrews laughed aloud. + +Mr. Thorndike raised his eyebrows inquiringly. "I was wondering," +said Andrews, "how much it cost you to keep Spear out of jail?" + +"I don't care," said the great man guiltily; "it was worth it." + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg Etext A Wasted Day, by Richard Harding Davis + |