Part 29 (1/2)

”Well, I got my tribute, as well as Jacob, for our little a.s.sistance,”

he answered, with more fierce rubbing.

”Ah, they will all pay--that is, the big ones.”

”Some of the little ones, too, eh?” said Peter.

”Where do I come in, Peter?” suddenly asked Welty. This question caused Peter to look up quickly, with a leer.

”You're not showing the white feather?” asked Peter.

”No, no; but I need some money.”

”How much?”

”A thousand.”

”I will have Jacob see you,” returned Peter.

Then Welty departed. He found Eli where he had left him, unconscious, with some customers standing about waiting for the young man to take his own good time about rising. The customers had come into the store, and when they saw Eli lying on the floor, remarked among themselves that he was taking an afternoon's nap. When one of them sought to arouse him, they became alarmed as to what might have happened, for Eli would not rouse himself. So they were standing about him in contemplation when Welty came out of Peter's office. Welty glanced at Eli obliquely, as if deigning to stoop so low as to lend aid to his victim, brushed past the onlookers, and made his exit by the front door.

Peter, seeing that something was wrong, strutted out in a fl.u.s.ter, with his belly about a foot ahead of him. He had not observed from his peephole that Eli had not resumed his duties while Welty was in his office, so great was his interest in that visitor. But finding Eli in his predicament, Peter called on one of his customers to a.s.sist in his resurrection. Eli, thereupon, was lifted to his feet, but he was so near the limberness of a rope it was impossible to cause him to a.s.sume the perpendicularity of a standing man. Then that old remedy--water--was applied, with no effect. Eli looked like a faded piece of blue calico, so deathly was his face.

They called a doctor; with no results. They called an ambulance, and conveyed him to a hospital. They called in the police to make an investigation; with no results. Peter knew nothing. It was a strange affair. The customers, of course, knew nothing; n.o.body could get head nor tail of what had happened Eli. It was a deep mystery--to the police department.

Peter employed a new clerk, temporarily, and resumed his pipe and peephole. Welty resumed his duties in the office of Jarney & Lowman. In the meantime Eli Jerey's life hung in the balance; and the world of business still moved on; for he was only a poor clerk.

CHAPTER XVII.

GOOD BYE! GOOD BYE! GOOD BYE!

As a metaphysician, John Winthrope could not present his bill of services, in the nonprofessional sense, for his visit to the Jarneys.

This was the calamitous burden that bore so heavily upon him as he left the mansion on the hill that night, and kept his head in a whirl all the way to the city, and to his room, and to his bed, and even late into the night, till exhausting time relieved him near the breaking of another day.

It was the first time that the real tempest of pa.s.sion had broken in upon his sea of life; it was the first time that Cupid, with his implements of war, came to offer battle on his serene and peaceful field of budding bachelorhood. It was the very first time for him, so amourously pa.s.sive was he toward the whiles of the little meddler into one's heart affairs. It is so with many people, men and women; but when the storm once breaks in upon their unimpressionable souls it is like a hurricane let loose, and is unrestrainable.

He now saw a new light in the heavens, even through the smoke of Pittsburgh; a new evening star appeared in his firmament, and whirled through the universe of his night to meet him in the dawn; a new moon arose, and burst into full reflection of shadowy mysticism; a new sun circled the arch of his cold earth, and made the plants of joy come into leaf.a.ge. Ah, there were no seasons to him now--it was light by day, light by night--and he was seeing everywhere through his visual horoscope--except--always except--as to a solution of the great problem that confronted him.

The next morning after John's visit to see Miss Edith, Mr. Jarney arrived at the office a half hour before his time. He was so different to what he had been on the previous few days that John instinctively felt his exuberance of pleasantry throughout the entire day. Instead of taking up his dictation, as had been his wont, Mr. Jarney paced the floor in his proud and haughty way of doing such things. He spoke to John, on entering, in his calm, formal explicitness, as had been his custom, when John entered to take his seat by his master's desk. John sat waiting for Mr. Jarney to open his letters and proceed; but he did not touch a letter, at first. He said nothing for some time, but walked the floor, pondering, as if wrestling with conflicting thoughts. After awhile he broke the spell.

”Young man,” he said, as he stopped in his walk in front of John, with his hands deep in his pockets, and his keen eyes sparkling, ”I do not know what to make of you.”

”Am I such a conundrum as all that?” asked John, as he met his master's eyes, with his own as sharp as those cast upon him.

”In truth, you are,” returned Mr. Jarney. ”You are the biggest puzzle I have ever had to work out.”

”Mr. Jarney, you place me in a very awkward position,” answered John. ”I am not certain yet as to what you mean by your allusions.”

”My dear boy--” he started to say, then checked himself, thinking his manner too familiar, and went on: ”Mr. Winthrope, you are master of your own destiny. You can make it what you will. You can be a leader of affairs, or you can be nothing.”