Brydell walked rapidly through the fast-closing evening to the little tavern in a back street. The proprietor, in his shirt sleeves, answered his inquiries civilly enough.
“We’re doin’ all we can for poor Grubb,” he said, “but I never see a man so hopeless.”
Brydell stumbled up the narrow stairs to the little back room where, in response to his knock, Grubb’s voice weakly answered: “Come in.” Brydell entered.
On the narrow bed Grubb’s gaunt figure, only a little while ago so trim and soldierly, was stretched out. His skin had lost its ruddy glow and was quite grayish, and his eyes had sunk back into his head until they seemed cavernous. Brydell advanced to the bed and took his hand. He was not prepared for the change in poor Grubb, and his boyish face wore a startled look.
“I knowed you would come as soon as you could,” the marine began. “I asked for you right after—right after—it happened. They told me you was sick. I got that note you wrote me. It’s a mighty comfort to me to know there’s one honest boy in the world.”
Brydell could not say a word. He sat down in a chair by the bed, and in spite of every effort to control himself tears started from his eyes and fell on Grubb’s thin hands.
“Now, Mr. Brydell, what are you a-cryin’ for? You don’t want me to live in this here world where things is so hard. And you see I’m to blame some about that boy. I give him all I had, and I didn’t require nothin’ o’ him in return. When he first began to be ashamed of me, instead of makin’ him see as how I was to be treated with respect, because I was his father and a respectable man to boot, I let it go and sneaked out of his way. But I think he must ’a’ been born a liar, ’cause your father the leftenant indulged you just as much as I did my boy, but you allers was a up and down truthful boy.”
“Have you heard anything of—of Esdaile?”
“No, sir, and I don’t count on hearin’, neither. He’s got some money, and as long as that holds out it’s all he cares for. And besides, I ain’t got no pay now. You see I just felt it like a flash, the minute I heard o’ that boy’s disgrace, as if I didn’t want to wear this here uniform unless I could walk down the main street lookin’ folks square in the eye. I had worn that uniform twenty-four years and there wasn’t no commissioned officer as kep’ himself straighter nor cleaner nor prouder than Grubb the marine.”
“That’s true, Grubb.”