“Well, perhaps you didn’t do so badly, son. I wouldn’t want you to hurt yourself studying.” He winked gravely at Toby. “Any time you feel brain-fever coming on you’d better let up awhile, eh? Now, Toby, what I started out to say is this: Arnold says you haven’t really got enough money to take you through the school year. How about that?”
“No, sir, not quite enough, but I guess I’ll make it somehow. I don’t have to pay it all at once, sir.”
“Still, you’d feel easier in your mind, I suppose, if you had it all in sight. It would give me a great deal of pleasure, my boy, if you would let me help you just a little. I don’t want you to consider that I am paying you for saving my son’s life. I couldn’t put a valuation on that, anyway. What happened two days ago doesn’t enter into this little affair, except that, naturally, it has made me feel a good deal more—more kindly toward you, Toby. To be quite frank, it’s probable that the idea of investing a small sum in your education wouldn’t have occurred to me if you hadn’t made a draft on my gratitude. But I’d rather you viewed my contribution as merely a token of admiration and—ah—affection. Now how much money do you lack, Toby?”
“Why—why, I figure that I’ll be shy about forty-five dollars, sir, but——”
“Is that all? But surely, you’ll need more than that! Well, never mind. I’m going to hand you a check for two hundred, Toby. That ought to provide for everything, eh?”
“Yes, sir, it would,” answered Toby, shuffling his feet on the thick rug and staring hard at the fire. “But—but I’d rather not, Mr. Deering. I’m awfully much obliged to you, sir, but I guess I won’t.”
“What? But why not? Now don’t be proud, my boy. This isn’t charity I’m offering. I—look here, then. We’ll make it a loan. How’s that?”
Toby shook his head, smiling a little. “It wouldn’t be a loan, sir, because I wouldn’t ever be able to pay it back, I guess. Anyway, not for years. I don’t want you to think I ain’t—am not—appreciating it, sir, but I’ll come out all right. I’ve got almost enough now, and I can make the rest before I need it. I’m awfully much obliged——”
“Oh, go on, Toby!” begged Arnold. “Take it, won’t you? Dad’s got lots of money. He won’t mind if you don’t pay him back for a long, long time, will you, Dad? But I don’t see why he need ever pay it back, do you?”
“But I don’t need it, you see,” protested Toby, embarrassed. “I—I’d so much rather not take it, Arn! I would really!”