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.”