"i can give you a chance," repeated pete, as he turned to dan with his broad, ruddy face illuminated by a friendly smile. "it's a chance i wouldn't hold out to everybody, but i know you for a wide-awake youngster, as honest as you are slick. them two don't go together in general; but it's the combination i'm looking fur just now, and you seem to have it. i was thinking over it this very morning. 'lord, lord,' sez i to myself, 'if dan dolan hadn't gone and got that eddycation bug in his head, wouldn't this be the chance for him?"
"what is it?" asked dan; but there was not much eagerness in his question. wide and springy as was the butcher's cart, it did not appeal to him as a chariot of fortune just now. a loin of beef dangled over his head, a dead calf was stretched out on the straw behind him. pete's white apron was stained with blood. dan was conscious of a dull, sick repulsion of body and soul.
"well, it's this," continued pete, cheerfully. "you see, i've made a little money over there at my corner, and i'm planning to spread out,--do things bigger and broader. there ain't no sort of use in holding back to hams and shoulders when ye can buy yer hogs on the hoof. that's what i'm in fur now,--hogs on the hoof; cut 'em, corn 'em, smoke 'em, salt 'em, souse 'em, grind 'em into sausage meat and headcheese and scrapple, boil 'em into lard. why, a hog is a regular gold mine when he is handled right. but i can't handle it in that little corner shop i've got now: there's no room fur it. but it's too good a business there fur me to give up. so i'm going to open another place further out, and keep both a-going. and i can't afford no high-class bookkeeper or clerk, that will maybe jump my trade and gobble all my profits. what i want is a boy,--a bright, wide-awake boy that knows enough about figguring to keep my accounts, and see that no one 'does' me,--a boy that i can send round in the wagon to buy and sell 'cording to my orders,--a boy that will be smart enough to pick up the whole business from a to izzard, and work up as i worked up till i kin make him partner. that's the chance i've got, and i believe you're the boy to take it."
"i--i would have to give up college of course," said dan, slowly.
"give up college!" echoed pete. "well, i should rather say you would! there ain't no time fur books in a biz like mine. now, dan, what's the good of college anyhow fur a chap like you? it ain't ez if you were one of these high mug-a-mugs with a rich father to pay yer way through, and set you up in a white choker and swallow-tail coat afterwards. what's the good of a strong, husky fellow fooling along with latin and greek, that will never be no use to him? you'd a heap better spiel plain strong english that will bring you in the spondulics. why, look at me! i never had two years' schooling in my life. it's all i can do to scrawl 'p. j. patterson,' so folks can read it, and thump out the rest on a secondhand typewriter. but that 'ere same scrawl will bring five thousand dollars out of the bank any time i want it. if i had as much eddycation as you have, dan, nobody couldn't keep me in any school in the land another minute. it's all nonsense,--a dead waste of time and money."
"what would you pay me?" asked dan, as the big loin of beef above joggled against his shoulder.
"well, let me see!" considered pete. "i ain't paying any fancy price at start, fur i don't know how things will work out; but i won't be mean with you, dan. what do you say to four dollars a week and board?"
"no," answered dan, promptly. "i don't want your board at all."
"ye don't?" said pete in surprise. "it will be good board, dan: no fancy fixings but filling, i promise you that,--good and filling."
"i don't care how filling it is," answered dan, gruffly. "i'd want my own board, with aunt winnie. that's all i'd come to you for,--to take care of aunt winnie."
"ain't they good to her where she is?" asked pete, who knew something of the family history.
"yes," answered dan; "but she is not happy: she is homesick, and i want to bring her--home."
and something in the tone of the boyish voice told pete that, with aunt winnie and a home, dan would be secured as his faithful henchman forever.
"i don't blame you," he said. "i've got an old mother myself, and if i took her out of her little cubby-hole of a house and put her in the marble halls that folks sing about, she'd be pining. it's women nature, specially old women. can't tear 'em up by the roots when they're past sixty. and that old aunt of yours has been good to you sure,--good as a mother."
"yes," answered dan, a little huskily, "good as a mother."
"then you oughtn't to go back on her sure," said pete, reflectively. "considering the old lady, i'll make it five dollars a week, if you'll agree for a year ahead, dan."
"a year ahead!" echoed dan, thinking of all that year had promised him.
"yes," said pete, decidedly. "it must be a year ahead. i can't break you in at such a big figger, and then hev you bolt the track just as i've got used to you. i wouldn't give five dollars a week to any other boy in the world, though i know lots of 'em would jump at it. it's only thinking of that old mother of mine and how i'd feel in your place, makes me offer it to you. five dollars a week will bring your aunt winnie back home. and, between you and me, dan, if she ain't brought back, she'll be in another sort of home before long, and past your helping. mrs. mulligan was telling me the other day that she had been out to see her, and she was looking mighty peaked and feeble,--not complaining of course, but just pining away natural."
"when will you want me?" blurted out dan, desperately. "right off now?"
"oh, no, no!" was the hasty answer. "i haven't got the other place open yet, and this 'ere hot weather ain't no time fur it. i'm just laying plans for the fall. what were you thinking of doing this summer?"
"going off with a lot of fellows to the seashore. but i'm ready to give it up," answered dan, gulping down the lump that rose in his throat.
"no, don't,--don't!" said pete. "i haven't got things fixed for a start yet. won't have them fixed for a couple of months or so. i ain't a-hurrying you. just you think this 'ere chance over, and make up your mind whether it ain't wuth more than all that greek and latin they're stuffing into your head at saint andrew's. then come around somewhere about the first of september and see me 'bout it. i won't go back on my offer. it will be five dollars cash down every saturday night, and no renigging. i turn off here," concluded pete, drawing up as they reached a busy corner. "you'll have to jump down; so bye, bye, dan my boy, until i see you again! remember it's five dollars a week, and a home for aunt winnie."
"i'll remember," said dan, as, half dazed, he jumped from the wagon and took his way back to saint andrew's.
he entered the cross-crowned gateway that guarded the spacious grounds, feeling like one in a troubled dream. he could shape nothing clearly: his past, present, and future seemed shaken out of place like the vari-colored figures of a kaleidoscope. to give up all his hopes, to shut out the beautiful vista opening before him and settle down forever to--to--"hogs on the hoof!" and yet it was his only chance to cheer, to gladden, perhaps to save gentle aunt win's life,--to bring her home again.
but would she be happy at such a sacrifice? would she not grieve even at the fireside she had regained over her broken dreams? and dan would come down from his dreams and visions (which, after all, are very vague and uncertain things for boys of thirteen) to tabby and the teapot, to the fluttering old hand in his clasp, the trembling old voice in his ear.
the sun was close to its setting; supper was over, he knew; and jim norris was waiting impatiently for his promised game. but he could not think of tennis just now; still less was he disposed for a meeting with dud fielding, whose voice he could hear beyond the box hedge at his right. so, turning away from tennis court and playground, dan plunged into the quiet shelter of the walk that skirted the high, ivy-grown wall, and was already growing dim with evening shadows, though lances of sunlight glinting here and there through the arching pines broke the gloom.
pacing the quiet way with feeble step was an old priest, saying his office. father mack's earthly work was done. he could no longer preach or teach; he was only lingering in the friendly shadows of saint andrew's, waiting his master's call home; his long, busy life ending in a sweet twilight peace. sometimes at retreats or on great feasts, when there was a crowd of juvenile penitents in the college chapel, father mack, gentle and indulgent, had his place in a quiet corner, where he was rather avoided by young sinners as a "dying saint."
but dan, whatever might be his month's record of wrong-doing, had taken to father mack from the first. perhaps it was something in the irish voice that recalled aunt winnie; perhaps some deeper sympathy between souls akin. though they seldom met, for the old priest had his room in a building remote from the students' quarters, father mack and dan were fast friends. his presence here was most unlooked for; and dan was about to retire without further intrusion, when the old priest closed his book and turned to him with a kindly nod.
"you needn't run off. i'm done, my boy. these long, hot days are a bit hard on me; but i like to stay out here in the evening to say my office and watch the sunset. did you ever watch the sunset, danny?"
"yes, father," answered dan. "it's great."
"what do you see in it, danny?" was the low question.
"oh, all sorts of things, father,--domes and spires and banners of gold and red and purple, and pillars of cloud and fire--"
"and gates," broke in father mack. "don't you see the gates, danny,--gates that seem to open in the shining way that leads to god's throne? ah, it's a wonderful sight, the sunset, when your day is near done and you are tired and old,--too old to be picturing and dreaming. i'll soon see--beyond the cloud and the dream, danny,--i'll soon see."
the old man paused for a moment, his dim eye kindling, his withered face rapt. then suddenly, as if recalled from some cloudy height to earth, his look and voice changed into fatherly interest.
"were you looking for me,--were you wanting to talk to me, my son?"
"no--yes--no," faltered dan, who had not thought of such a thing. "well, yes, i believe i do. i'm all muddled up, and maybe you can set me right, father mack. for--for," dan blurted out without further hesitation, "i can't see things clear myself. aunt winnie is grieving and pining and homesick at the little sisters. she is trying to hide it, but she is grieving, i know. she broke down and cried to-day when i went to see her,--cried real sobs and tears. and--and" dan went on with breathless haste, "peter patterson, that keeps the meatshop at our old corner, has offered me five dollars a week to come and work for him. to give up saint andrew's--and--and--all it means, father mack, and work for him."
