CHAPTER XVII.
So it was decided, and when Thorndyke had once decided, he was ready, and an early day was fixed for his first morning at Halliday’s before the week was past.
“Why, hallo, old fellow, if this isn’t about the jolliest go! We’ll have the old store all in the family yet!” was Aleck’s greeting, so joyous that it didn’t stop to be elegant; and a “jolly go” it was, as far as he could possibly help to make it so. Thorndyke could never make a mistake, in his view; and as to teaching him, that was only letting him see once how a thing must be done, and he knew it as well as his teacher. As for Thorndyke, he always felt that the sun shone, and everything was right, as soon as Aleck came in. All went on as gayly as it could, and by the time a year had passed, nobody thought the store was quite right if Thorndyke was absent for a day. Mr. Halliday missed something, he could not tell what; the customers wanted to know what had become of “the little fellow;” and Aleck felt as if he were in imminent peril of some catastrophe, for, paragon as Thorndyke thought him, he had his one fault, which horrified Uncle Ralph, and humiliated himself: he did now and then forget something very important to be remembered, and Thorndyke had not been long in the store before he established himself as guardian over this possibility, and had already saved Aleck half a dozen times when just “on the brink” of some predicament or other.
But the absences came very seldom, only here and there when the pain was too bad for a day, and then he was back again: sometimes so out of sight that only a little rustling told he was there; sometimes just coming into view above a showcase, and sometimes, again, mounting a little step which had been run along for him just inside the counter, and which brought him high enough to wait upon customers conveniently. It made every one start at first to see those great, brilliant eyes, the high, white forehead, and the delicate features, looking over at them, when they could scarcely see what they belonged to. And every one that knew much of such things could read in the wistful eyes and patient smile a good deal of what had come into them after that dreadful day a year ago, with still a little change. The pain was still there; he knew he should never be like other people, but he was bearing it as a brave soldier should, and he was glad other people were not like him, and he should learn to be useful to them, yet.
So another year went on, and another examination-day was coming at the professor’s, and Tom Haggarty came in the day before to talk about it with Aleck, though Aleck had taken good care to hush him up when Thorndyke came within hearing.
“It’s just as well not to say anything about that before Thorndyke,” he said; “it isn’t likely to bring very pleasant reminiscences to him!”
“That’s a fact,” said Tom; “I shouldn’t think he’d ever want to hear of the school again as long as he lives; and it’s a horrid shame, too, and always will be; and I always feel as if I had something to do with it, though I never could tell how. But wont you come down? We shall have a high old time, and it’s the last but one for me. You know I’m through next year.”
“You’ve done well,” said Aleck. “You’re a little shaver to be fitted for college.”
“Little’s nothing,” said Tom. “I was thirteen last fall, and I shall be almost fifteen when I step off. It has seemed for ever and a day to me since I first saw the professor.”
“But that’s too young; you wont think of entering right away, will you?”
“I don’t know,” said Tom. “I may have to wait a bit, but I sha’n’t know how to; if it only wasn’t for being a freshman, and the hazing, and all that. I don’t see how a fellow is ever to get through with that part of it, but I suppose I’ve got to be hazed wherever I go. If I can live through it, ’twill be better than to be shut up in a store all my life. I don’t see how you make it go, with such a smooth face.”
“Don’t you?” said Aleck, laughing; “come and try it a while, and perhaps you’ll see.”
“No, thank you,” said Tom, “I should hate it so that they would turn me off in a very short time. It’s hard enough to make a fellow’s way in the world if you let him take the way he likes best, and I’m thankful enough I’ve got the promise ahead for all the study I can do for the next eight or ten years. I shall have to strike out for myself then, and it will be tough enough, I suppose, but I don’t mean to worry myself about that till the time comes. Come down to-morrow, wont you?”
Tom went off, and Aleck soon followed towards home, for it was his hour to go to tea. He walked quickly, for he begrudged every moment lost on the way, and was soon near the house, with some thoughts running on that came up once in a while, and which went to make up the only secret ever kept between himself and Nelly. Tom was right about business. To be sure, his own came nearer to being professional than almost anything, and there was some comfort in helping to save people’s lives, if he did only come in as second fiddler. But his dream of a profession! Neither Uncle Ralph nor Nelly should ever have a suspicion of the sacrifice he was making. Why should they? If there didn’t happen to be money enough for him to study on, it was no fault of theirs; and if Uncle Ralph could take any pleasure in having him in the store, why, he need not think the favor was all on that side; he had something to be thankful for himself.
But what was that sound behind him? A horse’s hoofs flying wildly up the pavement, and wheels swaying from one side to the other of the street! He turned, and one glance was enough to show him what was happening, and that he had better look out for himself while there was time. It was Tom Haggarty’s father and the horse he was accustomed to drive quietly past on his way home every night; but in some way the animal had become terrified and altogether beyond his control, and was dashing wildly up the road, and aiming now directly for the spot where Aleck stood. Aleck had just time to spring aside and mount his doorstep with a flying leap when the wheels struck the curbstone, the horse’s hoofs clattered on the sidewalk, there was a crash, a plunge, an overthrow, and in another moment the horse had cleared himself from the carriage, and was dashing madly on, while his owner lay senseless on the pavement.
In an instant a group had gathered about the fallen man, but Aleck was first among them, raising his head and searching hastily for his pulse.
“All right so far,” he said; “he’s breathing yet, but—” and he glanced quickly towards the window. Nelly was standing there, and answered the look with a beckoning signal.
“Lend a hand here, will you?” said Aleck; “we’ll get him inside and then see what’s to be done next.”
They lifted him, hardly believing Aleck that he was still alive, and carrying him in, laid him on the sofa to which Nelly pointed.
“Is he alive, Aleck?”
“Yes, his pulse is beating.”
“Then a doctor, and the nearest one. Remember what a friend he was to papa!”
“Not so much the nearest one, as the best one,” thought Aleck as he sped away. “I’ll have Dr. Thorndyke here, if he can be found, and I think it’s just the time Jet is most likely to be standing at the door.”
Yes, there was Jet, the reins thrown over his back, and still panting after his dash into town from a visit a mile outside; the doctor had just closed the front-door behind him, and it took but a moment for Aleck to find him and tell his errand.
For the first time in his life there was a moment when the doctor didn’t care a fig about what was wanted, compared to some other considerations. He should see Nelly Halliday in her own house at last, after all this time that Thorndyke had been having it all to himself, without the slightest appreciation of what it was!
But only an instant; at the next he and Aleck were in the chaise, and one more brought them to where the shattered carriage still lay before the door.
“Isn’t that enough to bring a dead man to life!” thought the doctor as he stepped into the room. There was the same face he had seen two years ago smiling from the conservatory-window at Thorndyke, the same soft eyes, the same rippling sunlight in her hair, just as he had remembered them all this while, only this time bending over the still motionless form of her fathers friend, and watching anxiously for some sign of returning consciousness.
But there was no time for ceremony.
“Here is Dr. Thorndyke, Nelly,” said Aleck, and with a quick smile of recognition she stepped aside and let the doctor come close to his patient.
“Ah! Possibly she recollects, too!” thought the doctor. “But pshaw! there’s nothing to be thought of just here but this poor fellow,” and he plunged into the examination of his patient.
Not a word was spoken for a few moments, except as the doctor asked for what he wanted.
“A wine-glass, please,” and Nelly handed it to him with a quick, noiseless movement.
But when he had given the restorative and was waiting a moment for its effect, she spoke,
“Is it so very bad, doctor? Oh, I hope you can say it is not!”
“It is pretty bad, I am afraid. If we cannot succeed in improving things in a few moments, I think Aleck had better call a carriage and get him home as soon as possible. This has been something of a shock to you already, Miss Halliday.”
The remedies seemed of no avail; only a low, heavy breathing and flitting pulse told there was any life remaining, and at a sign from the doctor Aleck disappeared. It was but a few moments until he returned with the carriage, but it seemed hours to Nelly as she watched the doctor trying one remedy after another, and all equally in vain. The doctor did not tell her he was almost sure it would be so before he began; he went on as quietly as if there were more hope, with a few cheerful words now and then, and at last Aleck came with the carriage.
“You have been very kind, doctor,” she said, when Mr. Haggarty was placed inside the carriage and the doctor was preparing to go with him. “I take it almost as if it were done for papa, they were such friends. You’ll come again, will you not, some brighter day, and let us thank you?”
The doctor answered with one of those quick looks in her face which Thorndyke knew so well.
“Some one ought to come very soon and see how you are,” he said. “This has been rather trying for you, Miss Halliday.”