john went slowly down the stairs, pondering the quick words that had been spoken. what did it mean? he had never known the president of the “r. and q.” to give a thought for any one or anything—except the road. he must be going to pieces—talking about the good of the country. ... the boy had always felt, in a vague way, the region hating simeon—his hand against every man and every man’s hand against him—and john had been his henchman, serving him faithfully; his quarrels had been john’s quarrels and his battles john’s battles. again and again the boy’s heavier hand had steadied his; they had fought to win and they had given no quarter. but now.... the boy’s brow puckered in a little puzzled frown.... now, simeon was turning his back on profit.... he was bringing on himself difficulties and annoyance—what was up? he shook his head and plunged into the yard.
when he came out, he had forgotten his questioning. he held mcelwain’s statement.—the c., b. and l. account was a clear overcharge—a mistake, perhaps; but it seemed to the boy there had been too many mistakes of that kind in his absence; and things were coming to the president of the road that should never have troubled him. no wonder he looked harassed and driven. but that should be changed now. he should have the quiet he needed for his work. the boy’s heart glowed and he whistled lightly as he sprang up the stairs.
he laid the statement before the president.
the president grunted a little—puffs of smouldering wrath. he searched out the c., b. and l. statement, pinning them together with quick stab.
the boy was gathering up the letters for the mail, licking each stamp and affixing it with slow precision in its corner, right side up. it would have troubled john’s orderly soul had an ex-president gone out of the office, standing on his head. in the midst of the work he stopped, his eye held by an address on the envelope before him. he opened his mouth and glanced at simeon, hesitating. he drew a stamp across the convenient tongue and placed it on the envelope, crowding it down with firm palm, his eye still on the address. he looked again at the president and laid the letter one side, going on with his stamps. when he had finished, he bundled them together, the letter that he had laid aside on top.
simeon was making ready to go, fussing a little at his desk.
“i ’ll take care of those,” said john. he came across. “did you want this to go?” he was holding out the letter.
simeon dropped an eye to it curtly. “what’s the matter with it? it’s plain, is n’t it—‘hugh tomlinson, bridgewater’?” he turned again fretfully to the desk.
the boy hesitated. “i thought it might be his dismissal?” he said.
“it is.”
“they ’re very poor, sir.”
the man shot a look at him under keen brows. “that letter is not about their being poor,” he said.
john laid it again on the desk. he brought simeon’s hat, brushing it a little and holding it out.
the man took it brusquely, crowding it on to his head, and moved toward the door. he passed the letter without a glance.
“good night, sir,” said john.
“good night.” it was a half growl, muffled by the closing door.
the boy finished his work in the room. he glanced about; it was all right now, except the grime on the windows—and there must be some sort of shade for them these hot days.... awnings—? he went to the window and leaned out, looking for fastenings.... yes, that would do. he would order them in the morning. his eye dropped to the street. it fell on the figure of the president on the opposite side walking slowly and bent like an old man. it almost seemed to the boy watching, that the figure shook a little, as with a kind of palsy. the boy’s eyes grew deep, following him out of sight.
before he had turned away, he became conscious that another figure had emerged from a doorway somewhere and was standing looking after the feeble, retreating one. then it turned and re-entered the building.
he closed the window, puzzling a little in his mind, half-wondering where he had seen the man before.... he gathered up the letters from the table, glancing at them absently.... then it came to him—the new bookkeeper, harrington. the president had told him—the one that had taken carpenter’s place.
he went out, locking the door behind him. the letter on the top he still held a little apart from the others, dropping it into the box by itself, holding it back to the last, as if hoping somehow to defeat its end. when it fell with a little swish upon the others, he turned away hurriedly. he was thinking of ellen’s face—tomlinson’s wife—the morning of the wreck.
“he done it, johnny,” she had said piteously, wiping the wetness from her gray cheek. “and they ’ll turn him off, but it’s hard on an old man—and there’s not a cent laid by—not since the bairns came. we’d a bit before that, but it went for the boy’s burying—” the boy was eddie, killed on the road the year before, a brakeman—tomlinson’s only son. john had known him well. they had been schoolmates. “it’s hard on the bairns,” she had said.... they had come to live with tomlinson—a boy and a girl.
he was walking slowly now, not thinking, hardly conscious of himself, hut feeling the misery in the old woman’s voice. at the corner he paused a little, staring at the opposite wall. what had he forgotten to do.... the desks were locked and the door.... his fingers felt the key in his pocket.... and the copy was ready for whitcomb in the morning.... and the windows? yes, they were closed.... but he must go hack. he would remember when he got there what it was.... with a little sigh he had turned back. he walked more quickly now.... he would measure the windows for the awnings. perhaps that was what he was trying to remember. he sprang up the stairs quickly and was on the upper floor almost before there was time for thought. his coming had been swift, and perhaps too silent for a man in the upper loft who looked up with startled glance at the sound of a foot on the stair. he moved quickly from the place he had been standing in and met the boy half way in the big room, his glance full of nonchalance.
john stared at him a little. then his brow raised itself.
the man returned the look, smiling. “jolly old place!” he said, moving his hand toward the loft, “lots of room.”
the boy looked at him slowly. “no one comes up here,” he said.
“except the old man. i know,” said the other pleasantly, “but i wanted some files for the morning—early. thought i ’d save time getting them now—save bothering the old man, too.”
“you did n’t find them, did you?” he was looking into the man’s eyes.
they flickered a little. “well, i have n’t had time.” he laughed, easily. “i only want a couple of dozen.” he moved away a few steps.
“you won’t find them here,” said john.
“they ’re over here,” said the man, looking back.
“i guess not.”
the man moved quickly to a box and raised the cover.
the hoy looked in with a startled glance. “those belong on the third floor,” he said sharply.
“very likely,” said the man. “i don’t know about that. i ’m new here.” he had taken out a handful of the files and closed the box. “i don’t run the business, you know. but i know where to find things when i want ’em.” he spoke almost as if the last words had escaped without volition. it was a challenge to the clear eyes looking into his.
“they will be moved down tomorrow,” said the boy. “they will be more convenient down there,” he added.
“that’s all right,” said the other smoothly. he had recovered his temper. “glad to have seen you.” he went softly down the stairs, with little tripping steps that tapped.
the boy’s eyes followed him slowly. he went into the office and closed the door behind him. for a long minute he stood looking at simeon’s desk. then he went across to it. he sat down before it and tried the lid. it was locked securely, as he had left it. he did not open it, but sat motionless, gazing before him. dusk settled in the room—shadows crept in from the comers. but the boy had not stirred.... at last he raised himself with a little sigh. he had come back none too soon. his slow, sensitive nature felt things that he could not have said. the president needed him—more than either of them had known! he opened the desk deliberately and took out a handful of papers, sorting out certain ones with mechanical fingers. even in the dark he knew them; but he turned on the light for a minute to make sure; he selected certain ones and placed them together, slipping them into his pocket. then he turned out the little looping bulbs and went out, and left the room to the darkness.
