94CHAPTER XTED RECEIVES A REWARD
Sir Robert Wingate listened while John Strong told the story of the plotting and counterplotting in Chicago. Many times he made memorandums. He asked questions once or twice, but in the main he just listened. When Strong finally completed his account, Sir Robert said:
“We took immediate action at our end and the results are more than satisfying. Strong, I do not want you to think for a minute that the importance of what you men have done is underestimated. The excitement of the Great War, the necessity of secrecy as to what you have accomplished—all these facts may give you an idea that we do not consider your work as important as it is. We do, however. Now, as to this boy, Theodore Marsh. He must be an unusual95youngster with a good head. He will bear watching.”
“Unfortunately for us, he is American. Those are the kind of boys Canada could use to advantage. Not only is he American, but loyally so.
“Well, he shall have acknowledgment of his deed of service. Tell me, is he from a family of wealth?”
Strong briefly gave Sir Robert an account of Ted’s past. The latter nodded his head understandingly.
“I think we will also give a more practical acknowledgment of the value of his service. The Government, I am sure, will be glad to give a reward of $1,000.00 to him. When you go back to Chicago, you will give him a letter from me which will also hold a check for that amount.”
You would think that both Strong and Walker were the ones who were receiving the money, they showed how glad they were.
Strong could not complete his work until late in the afternoon. Walker and he boarded a train which brought them into Chicago about three o’clock the next afternoon.
“This letter and the enclosure will be a96great surprise to Ted, won’t it?” said Walker. “I certainly am glad of it; he surely deserves it.”
“That he does, and I am just as glad. Let me manage the business of letting him know about it.”
When they reached the office, Ted had already been there. He had left, saying that he would be back at two o’clock, when told that Strong would not arrive until the afternoon.
Promptly at two Ted showed up. Strong saw him as he opened the door and greeted him warmly.
“Hello, Ted; it’s good to see you. We certainly shall miss you when you go back to Wayland. But I guess you will be glad to be back, won’t you?”
“I certainly will. I am going by way of Big Gulch and shall stop off at the ranch for a day or so.”
“That’s a splendid idea, isn’t it?” commented Walker.
“Well, Ted, hear anything more from our friends, the enemy?” asked Strong, laughingly.
“No, sir, but then I would not be the one97to hear. I thought Mr. Walker would, he was going to claim his property.”
They all laughed.
“By Jove, I must do that; I have completely forgotten it,” remarked Walker.
“Well, Ted, they were very nice at Ottawa. I understand the Government is going to honor you in some way for your service; they even spoke of doing the same thing for both Walker and myself.”
Strong gave Ted an outline of what had happened, but made no mention of the letter from Sir Robert. Walker was tempted to remind him, thinking that he had forgotten, but he remembered that Strong had said he wished to handle that end himself.
“I suppose you will be busy packing and getting ready tomorrow. You leave at four on Saturday afternoon? Come down and see us before you go. When we need your services again, we’ll have you come on.”
Ted got up to go. As he opened the door, Strong called to him.
“I say, Ted, I almost forgot another thing which probably is not very important. I have a letter for you; silly, not to have remembered.” And Strong smiled, while Walker laughed.98
“For me?” said Ted wonderingly, as he took the letter. Then, as he opened it, he saw the check. He looked at it a little dazed. He saw his name as if in a haze—then he saw the amount.
“One thousand dollars—and for me?” He stammered the words, he was almost stricken dumb.
“Yes, for you—to do with as you will. You certainly deserve it,” said Strong.
“Every bit of it,” added Walker.
Ted had a feeling as if he wanted to cry. He did. Walker patted him on the shoulder understandingly, while Strong looked out of the window and pretended he did not see.
“There is a letter which you might be glad to read and which I think will be almost as welcome as the money.” Strong turned round and faced him as he said this.
The boy opened the letter.
“August 2, 1914.
“Master Theodore Marsh,“Chicago, Illinois.
“Dear Theodore:
“Mr. Strong has advised me as to the service you have done Canada. It has been99a big service, one that Canada must remember. I want you to know that it does and will. You have shown a capacity for thinking, for doing the right thing at the right time. I think even better than both these things, though, has been the simple way in which you have carried out instructions when conditions were such as to put up to you the burden of necessary action. What would have been a remarkable accomplishment for a man is a tremendous accomplishment for a boy.
“I regret the fact that you are not Canadian but am glad you are a loyal American. Your country is fortunate in having a boy of your kind. I hope you will have the future that your present action promises.
“The enclosed, in a small way, signalizes a reward for your invaluable services.
“I hope to have the pleasure of meeting you at some time, and I am,
“Very sincerely yours,“Robert Wingate.”
“That’s a fine letter, isn’t it?” said Ted, when he finished. He spoke in a low voice—he did not trust his feelings.100
“Yes, it’s fine. Sir Robert is a great man. He does things in a big way. But I think you want to go home now, so go.”
And Ted did.
101CHAPTER XITED GOES BACK
“But, Ted, it would be impossible for us to go on Saturday. I am not so sure that we can go at all, it will require a lot of thinking.”
Mrs. Marsh had heard the wonderful news and Ted’s sudden plan for them to go out to Big Gulch or Wayland. She was trying to show Ted how impossible it was for them to do it and he was only just beginning to acknowledge that perhaps Saturday would be too soon.
“Well, I tell you, mother. Maybe Saturday is too soon, but you will be ready in two weeks—that is plenty of time. I know that Helen will be able to do whatever she wants to do out there—and this money, after we have repaid the Deans, will help to tide over the time until we are settled. We shall hear102what Helen says—and I shall speak to Mr. and Mrs. Dean when I get out there.”
Helen was told the news almost before she passed the doorstep. She was astonished and glad and cried all in the same minute.
“How wonderful!” she finally managed to say.
Then she was told of Ted’s plan. The boy had thought that she might need convincing, but she agreed almost at once.
“I know I can obtain a position in my line of work out there. It is a land of opportunity and we should grasp the chance to get out there.”
All that remained was for Ted to get the opinion of the Deans.
Ted went down to say good-bye to Strong and Walker the next day. Both men were very busy, but the three had lunch together and Ted promised to write to both of them.
“You may have to write both of us at the front—we shall go off to the war—that is, Walker will. It may be my bad luck to have to stay on duty here, although I have asked to be relieved.”
“Well, Ted,” said Walker, “I shall see you at the train.”103
“And I will try to do so,” added Strong.
The boy told both his friends of the plan to bring his mother and sister out West. They agreed that it was a good plan.
His mother and sister, and Walker and Strong saw him depart. It was just a year before that Ted had left, what a big year it had been.
Ted’s thoughts turned to the ranch. He was eager to see Red Mack, Smiles, Graham, Pop, and the Deans. He hoped it would be Red who would meet him—and that he would bring his horse down so that they could go back to the ranch on horseback. Of course, in all likelihood, it would be the Packard that would come down for him, for the distance was long and it would mean a lot of extra trouble for Red or anyone to lead his horse down all the way. The trip to Big Gulch seemed long because of the boy’s eagerness to see his friends. He awakened very early on the second morning when the train was due. When the train finally reached the station, he eagerly looked out to see who was there. But he could see no one until he stepped from the train.
There stood Red and next to him Pop.104There were three horses and one of them was his.
Glad greetings were exchanged.
“My, I’m glad you came for me on horseback. I hoped you would, but it seemed too much to expect.”
“Well, we figured you would like it. Glad you do.”
They started off. As best he could, Ted told his story and both of the men listened with different interest. When Ted came to that part where it had practically been settled that his mother and Helen were to come out, a queer look came into Pop’s eyes which neither of them saw. The older man rode behind most of the way after that.
“You should see Wolf, you would not know him,” said Red.
“I guess he would not know me, either,” answered Ted.
“He may be your dog, but I’m kind of attached to him myself,” remarked Red.
Some time in the afternoon they reached the ranch. Smiles was there and so were the other men and they gave Ted a great welcome.
So did Wolf, who had grown wonderfully,105and who, while he did not look like any particular kind of dog, showed himself to have an individuality, all his own. He sprang at Ted and barked his delight. It made Ted feel good to have the dog remember him. It was queer to see how the dog tried to pay attention to both Red and Ted, and it made the men laugh at his double devotion.
Ted hurried to the house where Mrs. Dean was waiting for him. She showed how glad she was to see him.
“Mr. Dean will be back a little later. He has been very busy.”
Ted thought he would wait with his news until later and merely mentioned some of the things that had happened.
“Ted, dear,” said Mrs. Dean, “I want to tell you that we are going to have a little stranger in this house, soon.” Then Ted knew why he had hesitated about blurting out his news—there was an even bigger event to happen.
“I’m so glad,” said he.
He stayed a little while only, as Mrs. Dean did not seem strong.
He saw Dean when he came home. To106both of his friends he told his news, what had been done, he showed Sir Robert’s letter and then spoke of his plan for his mother and sister.
“How wonderful,” said Mrs. Dean, while John Dean looked tenderly at her.
“I’m proud of you, Ted. I counted on you, but you did much more. I heard from Strong, but I did not know what had been accomplished. As to your mother and sister—they must come out here—the wonderful thing is that Mrs. Dean will need your mother’s help very soon and it all seems to fit one thing into another. Helen will get a rest here; she need not worry as to finding the right kind of opportunity. When do you expect to write home?”
“At once,” answered Ted.
“The sooner they come the better, although I suppose it will be every bit of two weeks.”
Ted started to leave his friends to rejoin Red and the rest. Dean caught up with him about one hundred yards from the house.
“You know, Ted,” he started without any preamble, “I feel as if my country is calling me. I cannot think of going until the child107is born and Mrs. Dean is well. But I shall have to, hard as it may be. That is one reason why I shall be glad to have your sister and your mother here. They will be company for Mrs. Dean. She agrees with me that I should go. She is the bravest, best woman in the world.” He stopped for a minute. “I shall see you later, as soon as Mrs. Dean takes her rest. I want to know all about Chicago and what happened.”
He returned to the house while Ted joined the men.
They were in the midst of a discussion of the war. Ted listened. Smiles and several of the other men were leaving in three days—off for the war. Red was not going—he was American. “I may go later, if they need me,” he said. There was to be a great shortage of men at the ranch.
Dean had made Pop the new foreman to take Smiles’ place. Pop was not in the conversation, he was sitting by himself and he showed every desire to be left alone. After a little while, he left the room.
It made the war very near and Ted felt very lonely to hear that these friends of his were going off, some of them never to return.
108CHAPTER XIITHE MARSHES REUNITED
Pop entered the house. He wanted advice and he wanted it bad. He knew that ordinarily he would have gone to Mrs. Dean—a woman would help so much at a time like this. But Dean met him in the hall.
“Hello, Pop—what’s the trouble?” asked Dean.
“Hello, Jack. I can’t say whether it’s trouble or not. What I want is advice. Maybe you can give it to me, although I figured Mrs. Dean would be better.”
“Tell me, I may be able to help.” Dean was surprised at the agitation of the older man.
Pop told his story. He did not keep any of the details from Dean. The latter listened, his astonishment growing all the time.109
“You see, Jack, it’s this way. If they come here, my wife will see me. She probably hates me. I cannot hope that she will understand. On the other hand, I want so much to be with her, I am going to be foreman and that means I can support her comfortably. But I probably would make her miserable if I entered into her life again. What do you say?”
“Let us ask Mrs. Dean. She will give you the right answer.”
Mrs. Dean listened. There was no hesitation in her answer.
“Go to Chicago at once. You need not worry about how your wife will take it, nor as to how she feels. I know. She understands better than you can ever suppose. Jack, dear, whoever said that God did not weave our lives? How closely our friends here have been interwoven with our lives, how much we have been of service to each other.
“Go to Chicago on the first train,” she finished.
“Yes, and we shall tell Ted. Bring them back with you,” added Dean.
Pop left the house, much relieved. He110was happy that his duty was what his inclination was—what he craved to do. He joined the other men.
Without giving any explanation he told Smiles he would have to be away for about ten days and that he had already arranged for the same with John Dean.
Early the next morning he was off. He asked Red to take him down. To Red he explained the whole thing, that he was coming back with his folks.
“I understand a whole lot of things now. How queerly you acted at times. I guess I’ll call you Marsh, now.”
“Yes, and it’s up to you to explain. I shall wire you before you do so. If my wife should decide that she does not want me, I am not coming back. If she decides she will forgive me, I will telegraph you and you can let it out casually.”
“I will be glad to do so,” answered Red. “Is Jack going to tell Ted?”
“Yes, that’s the plan.”
“The boy will be glad. He likes you a lot. But, mostly glad, because it will make his mother happy.”111
“I hope so much that it will,” the older man answered.
We are not going into details as to the meeting between the Marshes. We, who are acquainted with so much of their story, can imagine what happened. Bill Marsh left home because he felt he could not hold his head up nor his wife’s respect. He had been very foolish, and it was this foolishness, this false pride, even a lack of faith in the understanding of his wife that had made him stay away. Who should have known him better than his own wife? It was harder to make Helen understand. She asked some searching questions, but in the end she realized the fine manliness of her father.
The two, mother and daughter, marveled at the coincidence of the father being at the same place as Ted.
“The world is a small place, isn’t it?” said Mrs. Marsh.
It did not take very long for them to be ready to leave. Marsh helped where he could and a week after he arrived they left for Big Gulch. Red had paved the way, in accordance with their plan.
Ted was too surprised to make any comment112when he heard the news. At first he was furiously angry at his father. Boylike, he could not forgive certain things which an older person could. It was Mrs. Dean, even more than Red and John Dean, who made him see and understand.
Then the Marshes came to Big Gulch. Matters adjusted themselves. It was a busy time for all. Smiles was off, smiling and glad. So were the other men who were to go. Brave men, all of them, doing their duty as they saw it. Pop took up his duties as foreman.
Then the child was born to the Deans. A girl, which seemed like a squalling, ugly baby, much like any other baby, to Ted. But to say so to the mother or to the father or to Mrs. Marsh or to Helen, would have been a great, an awful insult.
The men came in to see the heir apparent. They seemed clumsy, uncouth, sheepish creatures and all of them were glad to get away, including Pop and Ted.
With the excitement subsiding, things began again to take a normal aspect. Mrs. Dean began to sit up, the child began to look more like a human being, it had113been decided that Helen was to rest for a few months and then continue her studies at the nearest preparatory school, with the purpose of entering college. John Dean was to leave for the front in two weeks.
Our story is almost complete. Ted received a great welcome at the Academy. The boys had heard of what he had done, of his reward and the letter he had received from Sir Robert Wingate. For one whole day his coming made the Great War an even smaller event. Captain Wilson had gone to Ottawa, he had been promoted to be a major. Some of the instructors were gone and even one or two of the older students. Those who were left spoke only of the time when they, too, could go and they were bemoaning their misfortune in being young.
Ted heard from the folks at home. He heard from Helen and somehow he got the impression that all she spoke about was Red and what a fine man he was. A letter from Red made no mention of Helen, but he did say that he was getting down to the serious business of thinking of the future. Even as young as Ted was, he could guess that they had become great friends and he114was glad. His father wrote him that he had placed his $1,000.00 in the bank for him, he having settled all the debts and accounts himself. It was a fine letter and it removed what resentment still remained with Ted against his father. His mother also wrote, saying she was wonderfully happy and he got a short note from John Dean before he left. He also heard from Walker, who told him he was off for the war, but that Strong had to stay.
Syd Graham and Ted were inseparable. They did many things together and the plans for the future each of the boys made included the other. There was, of course, a great deal more of military training and many times the boys at the Academy were called upon for some duty or other.
So the days went. Ted received a fall vacation and he went home. There was news from the front. Dean had been wounded, so the report came, not seriously, but enough to disable him, and he was returning home. He would always limp. In that awful charge when so many Canadians had been wounded and killed, Smiles had lost his life. It made Ted very sad to think that he would never115see the happy, smiling ex-foreman again. Helen was at school. Ted pumped Red Mack as to Helen and found his suspicions confirmed. He teased Red unmercifully and it was one time when Red was flustered. The Dean baby was a healthy, lusty youngster of a few months.
Ted Marsh has his life before him. This story is but one incident of his early life. But for later events we must look elsewhere.
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