University of Virginia Library

21. NORBERT WAITS FOR JOE

THERE was meat for gossip a plenty in Canaan that afternoon and evening; there were rumors that ran from kitchen to parlor, and rumors that ran from parlor to kitchen; speculations that detained housewives in talk across front gates; wonderings that held cooks in converse over shadeless back fences in spite of the heat; and canards that brought Main Street clerks running to the shop doors to stare up and down the sidewalks. Out of the confusion of report, the judicious were able by evenfall to extract a fair history of this day of revolution. There remained no doubt that Joe Louden was in attendance at the death-bed of Eskew Arp, and somehow it came to be known that Colonel Flitcroft, Squire Buckalew, and Peter Bradbury had shaken hands with Joe and declared themselves his friends. There were those (particularly among the relatives of the hoary trio) who expressed the opinion that

the Colonel and his comrades were too old to be responsible and a commission ought to sit on them; nevertheless, some echoes of Eskew's last "argument'' to the conclave had sounded in the town and were not wholly without effect.

Everywhere there was a nipping curiosity to learn how Judge Pike had "taken'' the strange performance of his daughter, and the eager were much disappointed when it was truthfully reported that he had done and said very little. He had merely discharged both Sam Warden and Sam's wife from his service, the mild manner of the dismissal almost unnerving Mr. Warden, although he was fully prepared for bird-shot; and the couple had found immediate employment in the service of Ariel Tabor.

Those who humanly felt the Judge's behavior to be a trifle flat and unsensational were recompensed late in the afternoon when it became known that Eugene Bantry had resigned his position on the Tocsin. His reason for severing his connection was dumfounding; he had written a formal letter to the Judge and repeated the gist of it to his associates in the office and acquaintances upon the street. He declared that he no longer sympathized with the attitude of the Tocsin toward his step-brother, and regretted that he had previously assisted in emphasizing the paper's hostility to Joe,

particularly in the matter of the approaching murder trial. This being the case, he felt that his effectiveness in the service of the paper had ceased, and he must, in justice to the owner, resign.

"Well, I'm damned!'' was the simple comment of the elder Louden when his step-son sought him out at the factory and repeated this statement to him.

"So am I, I think,'' said Eugene, wanly. "Good-bye. I'm going now to see mother, but I'll be gone before you come home.''

"Gone where?''

"Just away. I don't know where,'' Eugene answered from the door. "I couldn't live here any longer. I—''

"You've been drinking,'' said Mr. Louden, inspired. "You'd better not let Mamie Pike see you.''

Eugene laughed desolately. "I don't mean to. I shall write to her. Good-bye,'' he said, and was gone before Mr. Louden could restore enough order out of the chaos in his mind to stop him.

Thus Mrs. Louden's long wait at the window was tragically rewarded, and she became an unhappy actor in Canaan's drama of that day. Other ladies attended at other windows, or near their front doors, throughout the afternoon: the families of the three patriarchs awaiting their return, as

the time drew on, with something akin to frenzy. Mrs. Flitcroft (a lady of temper), whose rheumatism confined her to a chair, had her grandson wheel her out upon the porch, and, as the dusk fell and she finally saw her husband coming at a laggard pace, leaning upon his cane, his chin sunk on his breast, she frankly told Norbert that although she had lived with that man more than fifty-seven years, she would never be able to understand him. She repeated this with genuine symptoms of hysteria when she discovered that the Colonel had not come straight from the Tabor house, but had stopped two hours at Peter Bradbury's to "talk it over.''

One item of his recital, while sufficiently startling to his wife, had a remarkable effect upon his grandson. This was the information that Ariel Tabor's fortune no longer existed.

"What's that?'' cried Norbert, starting to his feet. "What are you talking about?''

"It's true,'' said the Colonel, deliberately. "She told me so herself. Eskew had dropped off into a sort of doze—more like a stupor, perhaps,—and we all went into Roger's old studio, except Louden and the doctor, and while we were there, talkin', one of Pike's clerks came with a basket full of tin boxes and packages of papers and talked to Miss Tabor at the door and went away. Then old Peter

blundered out and asked her point-blank what it was, and she said it was her estate, almost everything she had, except the house. Buckalew, tryin' to make a joke, said he'd be willin' to swap his house and lot for the basket, and she laughed and told him she thought he'd be sorry; that all there was, to speak of, was a pile of distillery stock—'' "What?'' repeated Norbert, incredulously.

"Yes. It was the truth,'' said the Colonel, solemnly. "I saw it myself: blocks and blocks of stock in that distillery trust that went up higher'n a kite last year. Roger had put all of Jonas's good money—''

"Not into that!'' shouted Norbert, uncontrollably excited.

"Yes, he did. I tell you I saw it!''

"I tell you he didn't. He owned Granger Gas, worth more to-day than it ever was! Pike was Roger's attorney-in-fact and bought it for him before the old man died. The check went through my hands. You don't think I'd forget as big a check as that, do you, even if it was more than a year ago? Or how it was signed and who made out to? It was Martin Pike that got caught with distillery stock. He speculated once too often!''

"No, you're wrong,'' persisted the Colonel. "I tell you I saw it myself.''

"Then you're blind,'' returned his grandson,

disrespectfully; "you're blind or else—or else—'' He paused, open-mouthed, a look of wonder struggling its way to expression upon him, gradually conquering every knobby outpost of his countenance. He struck his fat hands together. "Where's Joe Louden?'' he asked, sharply. "I want to see him. Did you leave him at Miss Tabor's?''

"He's goin' to sit up with Eskew. What do you want of him?''

"I should say you better ask that!'' Mrs. Flitcroft began, shrilly. "It's enough, I guess, for one of this family to go runnin' after him and shakin' hands with him and Heaven knows what not! Norbert Flitcroft!''

But Norbert jumped from the porch, ruthlessly crossed his grandmother's geranium-bed, and, making off at as sharp a pace as his architecture permitted, within ten minutes opened Ariel's gate.

Sam Warden came forward to meet him.

"Don't ring, please, suh,'' said Sam. "Dey sot me out heah to tell inquirin' frien's dat po' ole Mist' Arp mighty low.''

"I want to see Mr. Louden,'' returned Norbert. "I want to see him immediately.''

"I don' reckon he kin come out yit,'' Sam said, in a low tone. "But I kin go in an' ast 'em.''

He stepped softly within, leaving Norbert waiting, and went to the door of the sick-room. The

door was open, the room brightly lighted, as Eskew had commanded when, a little earlier, he awoke.

Joe and Ariel were alone with him, leaning toward him with such white anxiety that the colored man needed no warning to make him remain silent in the hallway. The veteran was speaking and his voice was very weak, seeming to come from a great distance.

"It's mighty funny, but I feel like I used to when I was a little boy. I reckon I'm kind of scared—after all. Airie Tabor,—are you—here?''

"Yes, Mr. Arp.''

"I thought—so—but I—I don't see very well— lately. I—wanted—to—know—to know—''

"Yes—to know?'' She knelt close beside him.

"It's kind of—foolish,'' he whispered. "I just —wanted to know if you was still here. It—don't seem so lonesome now that I know.''

She put her arm lightly about him and he smiled and was silent for a time. Then he struggled to rise upon his elbow, and they lifted him a little.

"It's hard to breathe,'' gasped the old man. "I'm pretty near—the big road. Joe Louden—''

"Yes?''

"You'd have been—willing—willing to change places with me—just now—when Airie—''

Joe laid his hand on his, and Eskew smiled again. "I thought so! And, Joe—''

"Yes?''

"You always—always had the—the best of that joke between us. Do you—you suppose they charge admission—up there?'' His eyes were lifted. "Do you suppose you've got to—to show your good deeds to git in?'' The answering whisper was almost as faint as the old man's.

"No,'' panted Eskew, "nobody knows. But I hope—I do hope—they'll have some free seats. It's a—mighty poor show—we'll—all have—if they—don't!''

He sighed peacefully, his head grew heavier on Joe's arm; and the young man set his hand gently upon the unseeing eyes. Ariel did not rise from where she knelt, but looked up at him when, a little later, he lifted his hand.

"Yes,'' said Joe, "you can cry now.''