Part 57 (1/2)

They discussed this topic in a desultory way, not so much letting it drop as pursuing it each in his own thought. Teddy picked up the line again after an interval of time, and some distance farther on.

”I suppose you can't believe that you come to a place where you know you're through and are in a hurry to get on. Well, you do. I guess old people like ma reach there, anyhow; and young people, too, when they're-when they're like me. I've had my shot-and I've miffed it. Now I'm all on edge to have another try. I'm so crazy about that that the thing that's to happen first doesn't seem anything-very much.”

The hours wore on, but it seemed to Bob a night to which there was no time. Though the support he brought to Teddy was merely that of companions.h.i.+p, he felt that the boy was outstripping him. In Teddy's own phrase, he was ”moving on,” but moving on very fast. Bob couldn't tell how he knew this; he only felt himself being left behind. Teddy was quite right; his old experiment _was_ over, and some of the exaltation of the new one was already breaking through. That was the meaning of his silences, his abstractions. That was why he came out of each such spell with a smile that grew more luminous.

The Italian and the negro fell asleep. The four guards talked less to one another. Clutching the bar grew tiring. Brannigan, one of Teddy's guards, brought up a chair, offering it to Bob.

”Why don't you sit down? It'll be quite a while yet.”

Bob took the chair, Teddy the one inside the cell. Bringing it as close to the bars as possible, he thrust his fingers through the opening to touch Bob's hand. Bob closed the fingers within his palm, and so held them.

”I'm not going to send any message to ma and the girls. They know I love them. You can't add anything to that.” A sidelong smile stole through the bars. ”I love you too, Bob. I guess it's a b.u.m thing to say, but to-night-well, it's different-and I'm going to say it. I can't do anything to thank you; but it may mean something to you to have me loving you like the devil all the way from-from over there.”

”It means something to me now.”

”Then that's all right.”

The Italian breathed heavily. The negro snored. The guards were bored and somnolent. Teddy might have been asleep except for the look and the smile that every now and then crept through the bars toward his companion.

Suddenly he pulled his fingers from Bob's clasp, jumped to his feet, and held out his arms.

”All right, ma! I'm ready!”

The cry was so loud and joyous that Bob sprang up. Brannigan lumbered forward.

”Been dreamin',” he explained. ”Just as well if he has.”

Teddy looked about him in bewilderment.

”No, I haven't been. I wasn't asleep. I was wide awake. I guess you'll think I'm dippy, Bob; but I did see ma. 'Pon my soul I did! She was right there.” He pointed to the spot. ”She looked lovely, too-young, like-and yet it was ma all right. She wanted me to come. That's why I jumped. Oh, well! Perhaps I _am_ dippy. But it's funny, isn't it?”

He was so preoccupied with this happening as not to notice sounds in the outer pa.s.sage and beyond the yellow door. Even when he did, it was with no more than a partial cognizance.

”Listen!” he said once. ”There they are. It'll be only a few minutes now. I'm not going to let you go in there, Bob. Funny about ma, isn't it?”

The sounds grew louder. The guards were moving about. Behind the yellow door people seemed to enter. There was the sc.r.a.ping of chairs as they sat down. The Italian woke and howled dismally. The negro shouted his hymn. Teddy was far away on the wings of speculation; but he came back to say:

”If ma had gone ahead of me, I know she'd like nothing better than to come and give me a lift over. But she hasn't gone ahead of me. She's over there in Indiana Avenue. That's the funny part of it. What do you suppose it means?”

Bob didn't know. Neither had he time to offer an opinion, because the main door opened and the warden appeared, accompanied by the chaplain, the doctor, the princ.i.p.al keeper, and three other men whom Teddy didn't know.

”Here they are!” Teddy whispered, as if their coming was a relief.

The warden advanced to the central cell. The door was unlocked. Teddy stood on the threshold.

”Thank you, warden. I suppose I can say good-by to my friend?”

Permission was given. Teddy stepped out into the corridor.

”You'd better go now, Bob. No use in your staying any longer.” He nodded toward the men standing round him. ”They'll handle me gently. I'm not afraid.”