XIIIKID RUNS AWAY
Kid’s home was in New York City—worse luck!—and if the Doctor had written, as he had intimated, on Saturday, why, then by Tuesday at the latest the cat would be out of the bag and Kid would be trying to explain to the principal how the rumor had got around that his father had met with financial reverses. And Kid didn’t know, couldn’t think for the life of him how he was going to explain. It meant that Mr. James Fairchild was destined to punishment. Kid wondered just what form the punishment would take. Probably he would be put “in bounds,” for one thing, and that meant that he wouldn’t be allowed to go to the village. Kid didn’t like that, for the village had attractions for him. There was a quite remarkable shop in Mt. Pleasant where they sold all sorts of enticing things in the stationery, bakery and confectionery line. Kid thought sadly of the chocolate éclairs which, when consumed with theaid of a glass of root beer, were quite the best things life afforded. He also recalled the cocoanut bars. Pink and white they were and exceedingly toothsome. He had only to close his eyes and see them reposing in the little flat glass tray just crying, “Eat me! Eat me, Kid!” No more of those for a while after Tuesday, he thought regretfully. Life looked pretty dark just then, and the wealth reposing in the collar-box was as dust in his mouth.
Kid mooned through Sunday, miserable and dejected. He could face trouble when it arrived with an admirable equanimity, but trouble in anticipation was too much for him. He found the name of a firm who manufactured silver mugs and other trophies and wrote to them on Sunday afternoon, enclosing Small’s design. But his heart was not in it. To add to his depression he realized that he had allowed “Toots” Morgan to fool him, for “Toots” had agreed to pay him that quarter for the tablets “to-morrow.” And “to-morrow” was to-day, and to-day was Sunday; and of course “Toots” didn’t come near the school on Sunday! (I may as well state here that “Toots” never did pay that quarter. Not only did he decline firmly and emphatically to do so, but he unreasonably laid the blame for losing that second game on Kid!Was anything ever so unjust and unfair? Kid said as much, but “Toots” would not reconsider. The only thing he would do was to indicate as nearly as possible the place where he had thrown the remaining forty-nine tablets.) But to-day Kid was spared the knowledge of this defection, which was just as well, since he was low enough in spirits without it.
I fancy that it must have been some time during Sunday evening—I trust it wasn’t during prayers—that the idea came to Kid to have one final fling before the sword fell; in short, to meet Nemesis satiated with pleasure. All day Monday there was a reckless gleam in Kid’s eyes, and just as soon as school was over in the afternoon, he ascended to his room, emptied the contents of the collar-box in his trouser’s pocket—weighting them evenly—and departed for the village.
To trace Kid’s career that afternoon between four and six would be monotonous. Suffice it to say that at ten minutes to six he drove up to the door in Mr. Higgins’s sleigh surrounded by packages and palpably weary. His advent occasioned both surprise and indignation. House in general gathered on the porch while Kid paid his quarter to the Pirate, emerged from the sleigh with aneffort and then deliberately and with criminal extravagance tipped that worthy ten cents!
“Well!” ejaculated Ben Holden. “You’re a nice help to your folks, you are! Driving around in sleighs and throwing tips at the Pirate! What have you got in those bags?”
Kid walked nonchalantly, almost disdainfully, to the foot of the stairs. There he turned and faced the outraged House and, protruding his tongue for an instant, remarked succinctly:
“Find out!”
Kid didn’t eat any supper that evening and displayed no interest in the evident fact that he was in disgrace with his fellows. He was cheeky and altogether insufferable and would answer no questions. He merely sat and stared sleepily at his food, eating not nor talking.
When Stanley Pierce came in from tobogganing at a little before nine he found Kid in bed, very pale in the face and moaning feebly. The doctor reached the scene twenty minutes later and took command. Unfortunately he was accompanied to the room by Mr. Folsom, and it was Mr. Folsom who discovered six cream-cakes (very oozy), a dozen bananas, four apples and three pears, two pounds of candy, some chewing gum, two pickledlimes and three cakes of sweet chocolate. All these things Mr. Folsom heartlessly appropriated. But Kid was much too miserable to care at the time. Life was at a very low ebb with Kid.
The doctor gave it as his opinion that if Kid abstained from food for a day and took the medicine prescribed he would pull through. Kid, listening uninterestedly, assimilated the sense of the verdict and sincerely hoped the doctor might prove mistaken. He didn’t want to live. Life held no pleasures for him. He wanted them to leave him alone to die.
But in the morning he felt quite differently about it. The sun was shining in at the window and a beam was dancing on Stanley’s nose with interesting and amusing effect. Kid was surprised to find that he could smile. But when he moved the smile fled. All was not well with him yet and it was only by keeping still that he could be comfortable. When, finally, Stanley stopped snoring, tossed back and forth a few times and awoke with a start, Kid closed his eyes and simulated slumber. He wished to avoid conversation. Stanley tiptoed over and looked at him anxiously, appeared satisfied, dressed and stole out as quietly as possible. Then Kid, luxuriating in the privilege of stayingin bed through morning prayers in spite of his discomfort, set his mind at work. By noon, he decided, he would be well enough to get up. The New York mail would arrive at ten or thereabouts. As long as he remained ill the Doctor wouldn’t say anything to him. Neither would the fellows. If he could stave off the evil hour until dinner time all might be well, for as soon as everyone was in the dining-room he would unostentatiously depart. He was firmly convinced that as soon as the fellows found out that his family had not met with financial reverses they would demand their money back and make it very unpleasant for him. Of course, he had not absolutely told them that his father had gone into bankruptcy; they had jumped to that conclusion themselves; but he felt that they would be incapable of calm reasoning. No, the best place for him was away.
Just where he would go he had not decided. He had always entertained a secret desire to be a sailor and it was perhaps possible that the moment to satisfy that desire was at hand. But the first thing was to get quietly away from school. At the cost of much uneasiness around the pit of his stomach and many groans, he managed to reach out and drag his trousers to him. The subsequent searchof the pockets was disappointing. Only a dollar and twelve cents remained of his fortune. But a dollar was a lot of money if used carefully, and it would stand between him and poverty for at least two days. By that time—well, he might be a cabin boy on a merchantman! Kid’s spirits rose. Life which last evening had seemed full of gloom and sorrow began to be tinged with the roseate hues of adventure.
The scraping of chairs in the dining-room below indicated that breakfast had begun. Kid wondered disgustedly how fellows could be such slaves to their stomachs. Kid didn’t want to eat a bit! And when, half an hour later, Mrs. Merton came with a bowl of thin gruel and milk, Kid viewed it distastefully and turned away his head. But of course he ate it finally—or some of it; fellows always did as Mother asked sooner or later. She fussed with his pillow, smoothed his bed clothes, laid a firm, cool hand on his forehead, gave him his medicine, replenished the water glass and informed him that he was to remain in bed all day. Kid said “Yes’m” very meekly and looked as much like an innocent cherub as he could; and with his round face, china-blue eyes and yellow-brown hair Kid’simpersonation of a cherub wasn’t at all bad. Mrs. Merton said very kindly that she would be up to see him again after a while and went off, bearing the remains of the gruel. Just before school time Stanley stole noiselessly in, so noiselessly, in fact, that Kid didn’t have time to make believe he was asleep. But Stanley asked no embarrassing questions and did not demand the return of his quarter. He asked in bated breath how Kid was and Kid told him in a weak, enfeebled voice that he was much better, thanks. Then Stanley produced a book.
“Nan sent this to you,” he explained in his best sick-room manner. “There’s a note in it somewhere, unless I dropped it out.”
“Thanks.” Kid listlessly satisfied himself that the note was still there, and dropped the volume from a nerveless hand. Stanley declared he was awfully sorry and hoped Kid would be better soon. Kid thanked him again in tones that promised scant hope of recovery and Stanley embarrassedly backed out of the room. Kid could almost hear his sigh of relief as the door closed behind him.
Kid turned his attention to Nan’s note. It was folded in the proper cocked-hat shape and bore theinscription, “James Fairchild, Esq., Kindness of Bearer.” Kid unfolded it with difficulty and read the contents.
Oh, Kid [she had written], how could you be so silly and wrong? You have disappointed us terribly just when we thought you so noble and courageous. But I should not admonish you now that you are in dire tribulation. Please get well and all will be speedily forgiven and forgotten. I send you a book to read. It is a dandy one. I have read it three times. I hope you will enjoy it as much as I have. Perhaps mama will allow me to go up and see you this afternoon. I am so sorry you are ill, Kid, and no matter what anyone says I shall continue to believe that you are more sinned against than sinning.Always your friend,Nan Merton.P. S. Some of the boys say that you cheated them out of the money, but I know that it was a mistake and that you will make restitution.
Oh, Kid [she had written], how could you be so silly and wrong? You have disappointed us terribly just when we thought you so noble and courageous. But I should not admonish you now that you are in dire tribulation. Please get well and all will be speedily forgiven and forgotten. I send you a book to read. It is a dandy one. I have read it three times. I hope you will enjoy it as much as I have. Perhaps mama will allow me to go up and see you this afternoon. I am so sorry you are ill, Kid, and no matter what anyone says I shall continue to believe that you are more sinned against than sinning.
Always your friend,
Nan Merton.
P. S. Some of the boys say that you cheated them out of the money, but I know that it was a mistake and that you will make restitution.
Kid dropped the note with a scowl and took up the book. The title, “Sally Lund’s Christmas Party,” didn’t impress him at all favorably, nor did a hurried perusal of the first page, the twenty-fifth page and the last page better his first impression. And the pictures were only mildly interesting. It was palpably a girl’s story, and Kid never could stand girl’s stories. He wished, as he discardedNan’s offering, that he could get hold of “Hairbreadth Harry” without painful effort. Whereupon the appalling knowledge flashed upon him that “Hairbreadth Harry” was reposing between the leaves of the fifth volume of the Encyclopedia Britannica in the hall library! In the excitement of disposing of Tinkham’s Throat-Ease he had quite forgotten the story-paper! Well, he was already a criminal and one more crime would matter but little. Besides, he would be far, far away by the time “Hairbreadth Harry” came to light. Nevertheless he decided to ask Stanley to rescue him if possible. Later, when he had an address Stanley could mail the story-paper to him. He disliked the thought of going through life without ever knowing just how the hero extricated himself from the embarrassing situation in which he had left him.
He’d be sorry to leave Stanley, too. Stanley had always been mighty nice to him. And he’d be sorry to leave old Lanny, as well; and Small and Bert and Nan. Nan was a real good sort for a girl. She had ought to have been a boy by rights. And—and, why, yes, strange as it seemed, he was absolutely affected by the thought of leaving the school! He had had some pretty good times sinceSeptember and had grown more fond of the place than he had ever realized before. Well, life was doubtless full of partings, and regrets were idle. To-day he was to put aside childish things and face the World. Therefore he resolutely winked back the tears that had begun to leak around the corners of his eyes and told himself sternly to “be a man, Kid!”
He listened for sounds from below. They were having arithmetic now, Bert and Lanny and Small and Nan. Then came history. Kid was glad he was where he was, for his lessons were not well prepared to-day. On Saturday Mr. Folsom had been very lenient with him, having learned of his trouble, but Kid shuddered to think what it would have been like to-day down there! The morning passed laggingly but not uninterestingly. He had much to think of. Of course, the place to strike for would be the Hudson River, for, although it lay almost forty miles north and east, it seemed likely that he might find passage on a steamer to New York. Even a canal boat might do. Once in New York, being careful to avoid the vicinity of his home, he would make for the docks. He wondered whether cabin boys received any wages. Or did they just serve for the experience? At all events,he knew that by shipping as a cabin-boy he would be starting in the approved manner, for he vividly recalled a book entitled, “From Cabin Boy to Captain,” which dealt with the fortunes of a fellow who, like he, had run away from school. The only thing that caused Kid to hesitate about adopting the seafaring life was the fact that he was usually seasick on the very slightest provocation. However, he had heard it said that you get over that in time, and probably by the time the ship reached Singapore—he hoped it would go to Singapore, for that place had always fascinated him—he would be a hardened old salt. He wished that it were possible for him to sneak into the house in New York long enough to secure “From Cabin Boy to Captain” and “The Boy’s Book of Sailing,” each of which, he thought, would be a great aid to him at the start of his nautical career.
Along toward twelve o’clock he felt considerably better, having dutifully taken his medicine every half hour—when he had thought of it. He was able to sit up and even move around without that sinking feeling in his insides and without his head being dizzy. So he reached the table and got paper and pencil. He had decided to leave a note of farewell in which he would forgive everyone andask them to judge him as leniently as possible. But after four attempts he gave it up. What he finally did write was only this:
Dear Stanley: Please look in the Encyclopeda Britancus and get the story I left there Friday about Hairbreadth Harry. I don’t want the Doc to find it. I am going away forever. Some day I will send you my address which will likely be Singapore and you can send me the story. And if you want me to I will send back that quarter after I have made some money, but don’t expect it too soon for I will probably have a hard struggle for a while all by myself. Maybe by that time you won’t want it. Tell the other fellows the same, only after all a quarter isn’t very much. Wish you were coming along with me, Stanley. You and I have always gotten along mighty well, haven’t we? I will stop now with best wishes for your happiness.J. F.
Dear Stanley: Please look in the Encyclopeda Britancus and get the story I left there Friday about Hairbreadth Harry. I don’t want the Doc to find it. I am going away forever. Some day I will send you my address which will likely be Singapore and you can send me the story. And if you want me to I will send back that quarter after I have made some money, but don’t expect it too soon for I will probably have a hard struggle for a while all by myself. Maybe by that time you won’t want it. Tell the other fellows the same, only after all a quarter isn’t very much. Wish you were coming along with me, Stanley. You and I have always gotten along mighty well, haven’t we? I will stop now with best wishes for your happiness.
J. F.
Kid tucked the note between the leaves of the book which he knew Stanley to be reading in his leisure moments and crawled back into bed just in time. Mrs. Merton entered with a bowl of chicken broth and some very dry toast. Kid was hungry and the broth tasted very well. Also the toast, but he did wish there had been butter on it. After Mrs. Merton had gone again he half wished that Stanley would come up. But he didn’t. And aftera while the fellows went in to dinner and the time for action had come. Kid dressed as quietly as possible so that no one underneath would hear him moving around and suspect anything. He would like to have put on his best clothes, but commonsense told him that he would stand a much better chance of being engaged as cabin-boy if he wasn’t too well dressed. A few small belongings he tucked in his pockets, deciding to be burdened with no baggage. An old red sweater went on over his waistcoat and his ulster he hung over his arm. A last look about the room, with a sort of choking sensation deep down in his throat and a mistiness in his eyes, and he went out quietly, closing the door behind him and stole down the front stairs. From the dining-room came the cheerful clatter of dishes and the hum of voices. Kid’s courage almost deserted him then and he hesitated on the landing, invisible hands seeming to drag him back toward the security and warmth of his bed. But with something that sounded suspiciously like a sob, Kid trampled upon his weakness, dodged across the hall until out of sight of the diners and so gained the front door.
He took a last glance about the place and his gaze fell on the bookcases along the wall. “HairbreadthHarry!” Why not rescue him now? But even as Kid took the first step toward the books a chair scraped in the dining room and in a panic Kid pulled open the front door and passed out into the cold world.