Ben Pepper

by Margaret Sidney

  XXVII

  "MR. KING, WHO IS THAT PIP YOU HAVE HERE?"

  "Well, you are all settled, old chap," said Ben, affectionately, with apat on Jasper's shoulder, "for a spell at least."

  "That's so," said Jasper, in huge satisfaction, and running over to setsome books on his shelves; "good for Doctor Fisher that he won't let mego back till the middle of the term! But I have to dig at these, though,else I'll flunk when I do get there," as he crammed the last book intoplace.

  "But you're not to go at them before next week, Jasper," remonstratedBen, in alarm, and hurrying over to him, "you know Papa Doctor said so;you know he did!"

  "Oh, I won't have a bout with them until then," promised Jasper. "Butafter that--then says I, why, I've simply _got_ to. Well now, Ben,there's Pip!" He whirled around to regard Ben anxiously.

  "I know it," said Ben, with a long face.

  "I suppose the little chap has got to go back and face those boys," saidJasper, ruefully.

  Ben swung off on his heel and walked up and down the long apartment."You know just as well as you want to, Jasper King," he said, coming upto stand squarely in front of the tall boy, "how it will be when Pipgets back there."

  "Yes, I know; but perhaps the boys will treat him better now," saidJasper, yet he looked uneasy.

  "Yes, for a while," said Ben, "I think they will;" then he burst outwith honest indignation, "but there are enough boys there who'll be attheir mean tricks soon enough, as long as you won't be on hand to makethem stand round,--you know that, Jasper, as well as you want to."

  "Well, Pip is different now," said Jasper, determined to find all thebright aspect possible to the case.

  "I know he is," assented Ben, pounding his hand on the table, "ever somuch more like a boy, but that will soon be taken out of him, get himback there without you, or any one who really cares a row of pins abouthim."

  "They shan't take it out of him. Oh, no, no!" cried Jasper, in greatdistress. He really couldn't stop saying it.

  "Yes," said Ben, obstinately, "they will."

  "Well, what can be done about it?" demanded Jasper tossing his dark hairaway from his brow. And he put a hand on either sturdy shoulder; "Speakout, now, old fellow, if you've a plan in your head, and I'm with you tothe last gasp," he added, in suppressed excitement.

  "There isn't anything to be done," said Ben, slowly, his blue eyesraised to the earnest ones looking him through and through, "except forPip to keep away from that school till you go back."

  "_For Pip to keep away from that school_," echoed Jasper, faintly; "why,he belongs there. Ben Pepper, what _are_ you saying?"

  "I can't help it if he does belong there," said Ben. "The thing is toget him away for a spell."

  "How?" demanded Jasper, with a small shake of the broad shoulders.

  "Your father can do it," said Ben, for answer.

  "My father!" cried Jasper, in surprise. Then his hands fell away fromBen's shoulders, and he backed slowly off.

  "Yes, your father," reiterated Ben. "He can do anything, and you knowit."

  "But Ben Pepper--you--you don't understand," said Jasper, very muchpuzzled to think how Ben, usually so level-headed, could fall into sucha stupid misapprehension at this time. "Pip belongs to Doctor Presbrey;that is,--why, you know the story. His father and mother are dead, andhe's in the care of the Doctor. Put there by a sort of a guardian downin South America, where the forlorn little chap came from, and--"

  "Oh, I know that whole story," said Ben, guilty of interrupting.

  "Well, then, how can you go on so?" exclaimed Jasper, more than everbewildered that Ben should propose such a useless plan.

  "Yes, but all that makes no difference," said Ben, snapping his fingers."Your father can make Doctor Presbrey let Pip off to stay here until yougo back." Ben set up his square shoulders and stood as tall as he could,looking up obstinately at Jasper's face.

  "Whew!" whistled Jasper. Then he thrust his hands into his pockets andmarched up and down the apartment, the same as Ben had done.

  "You see, Doctor Presbrey is a sensible man," said Ben, firing one ofhis reserve shots after the tall boy, "and when he knows how Pip haschanged since he's been here,--why, Joel has done wonders with him,--nowthat man is going to let him stay on a bit."

  "Joel hasn't done everything," observed Jasper, wheeling in his corner.

  "And your father can make anybody do anything," broke in Ben, hurriedly.

  "Father never likes to interfere with people," said Jasper, runningnervous fingers through his dark hair, and wrinkling it up into waves.Then he tossed it back in irritation. "He'll never do it in all thisworld, Ben Pepper!" and he strode off down the room again.

  "Yes, he will," declared Ben, standing still in his tracks. Then hefired another shot. "But of course he won't if you and I don't believein it."

  "What do you mean?" cried Jasper, wheeling to run up and seize Ben'sjacket-button. "Why, I'm in favor of it, this plan of yours, Ben, onlyit's perfectly useless to begin with;" his gray eyes turned dark withfeeling as he fixed them on Ben's face.

  "That's no way to favor a thing," said Ben, quite unmoved, "not tobelieve in it."

  "But--but I can't say I believe in it, because I _don't_," declaredJasper, quite as obstinately in his way.

  "But you can go at it as if you wanted to believe in it," said Ben,sturdily.

  "Well, I will; I'll promise you that," said Jasper, "for I want it asmuch as you do."

  "I know it," said Ben, bobbing his head.

  "All right; now we'll shove ahead on it," said Jasper, with a laugh."But Father--" and his face fell.

  "If we want it," said Ben, "we've got to make him want it, too."

  "Of course. Well, we'll try for it," said Jasper, swallowing hard. "Butthere's the school; you see it interrupts all Dr. Presbrey's work overPip."

  "I know it," said Ben, and his face fell. "But you know everybody saidPip was so dull at school."

  "Well, that's because he was such a forlorn little chap," said Jasper;"poor mite, anybody would be dull where he wasn't wanted."

  "That's just it," cried Ben, eagerly. "Well now, he'll study and takehold of things with Joel and David, and Dr. Presbrey will be glad enoughto let him stay if it will only wake him up." Ben gave a gasp when hehad gotten through, for he wasn't much used to long sentences.

  "Well, come on," Jasper picked him by the sleeve, "if we have it to do,to ask Father, we best have it over with;" and he hauled Ben off, neverletting go till the two paused to knock on Mr. King's writing-room door.

  Then just a breathing space, when it seemed to Jasper that he must makea bolt and give up the whole thing.

  "Come in!" called his father's voice; and the two boys found themselvesbefore the big writing-table, and looking down into his face. It wasn'tan auspicious moment, for a letter lay open that had evidently causedthe reader a bad quarter of an hour.

  "What is it?" Old Mr. King looked sharply up from his fit of musing.

  Jasper felt cold chills run all over him. As for Ben, he set his teeth,and his right hand doubled up in his pocket.

  "Never mind, Father," said Jasper, beginning to back toward the door,"and beg pardon, Ben and I can come in another time if you will allowus."

  "You will be good enough to stay now, Jasper, that you and Ben arehere," said his father, decidedly, the irritation still remaining oncheek and brow; and he set his keen eyes to work on both boys. "Nowthen, what is it? Speak quickly, for I haven't much time to give you."

  "Father," said Jasper, and he drew a long breath, "it's about Pip."

  Old Mr. King took up the subject abruptly. "Well, what has he beendoing?" he demanded.

  "He hasn't been doing anything," said Jasper, "that is, nothing bad.It's about something we want you to do for him, Father."

  "What?" It was only one word and it came out like a cannon-ball. Ben'shand clenched together tighter yet, especially as he saw Jasper's cheekturn white. "O dear," groaned Ben, "I ought not to have spoken to-daywhen he's been so sick."<
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  "Father," Jasper drew another long breath, then he looked steadily intothe sharp eyes, "if that poor little chap only needn't go back to schoolyet. Dr. Presbrey will let him stay here until I go, if you only askhim."

  "_What?_" roared the old gentleman, amazed beyond his control.

  "You know something of the hard time Pip has at the school," Jasper saidpersuasively, and though his cheek was white, he still looked steadilyinto the sharp eyes that now were blazing. "Oh, if you only would,Father, get Dr. Pres--"

  "And do you mean to say, Jasper, that you would wish me to prefer such arequest to Dr. Presbrey, that stern disciplinarian, that he should let aboy off, especially one who is under his care in such a way as Pip is?Preposterous!" Old Mr. King whirled around in his chair, then backagain, to bring his right hand emphatically on the table, till thedisturbing letter and all the nearest papers fluttered in the wind ofhis indignation.

  "Father," said Jasper; then he stopped a second for the right word. Butthat wasn't allowed him.

  "And that you should ask such a thing amazes me, Jasper. When did youever know your father to interfere in other people's affairs?--When,indeed!" He was now so angry that he didn't seem able to contain himselfexcept by pushing about the things nearest to him; and, as his eye fellagain on the unlucky cause, he blazed forth, "Never ask me such a thingagain."

  "It was my fault," blurted Ben.

  "Then you are also to blame," curtly replied Mr. King.

  "Father," began Jasper again, brokenly; then, without another word, heturned and went out of the room. And Ben, getting out, he didn't knowhow, followed him to the other end of the hall.

  "Don't feel so," cried Ben, in a mortal terror for Jasper, Pip's causenow being so much less, and laying his hand on the shaking shoulder."Oh, Jasper, don't."

  "We've hurt Pip," said Jasper, his head on his arms, as he leaned on thewindow-seat. "That's the worst of it. O dear me, Ben!"

  "Perhaps not," said Ben, with a desperate attempt to be cheerful.

  "Yes, we have," declared Jasper, gloomily. "Now we never shall get thepoor chap the least help; not in all this world, Ben Pepper!"

  "Well, we've done our best," said Ben, yet his heart fell.

  "And, oh, don't blame Father," said Jasper, quickly, and raising hishead a moment to look at Ben. "Don't, there's a good chap. He isn'thimself to-day,--he's had bad news. Can't you see for yourself, Ben?"Jasper searched the round face eagerly.

  "Of course I know it. Grandpapa wouldn't ever in all this world havegone against it if I hadn't made you go in there to-day." Ben, in hisremorse, seized Jasper's shoulder and held on to it, saying it all overagain, to wind up with, "It's all my fault, and I've ruined Pip's chancefor sure now and made you sick on top of it all." Ben groaned, this timequite aloud, and, despite his efforts, he broke down and threw himselfinto the nearest chair, to bury his face in his hands.

  "Oh, don't, don't!" begged Jasper, quite gone in distress to see, forthe first time in his life, Ben give way, and he stumbled over to him.

  A door off in the distance opened, but the sound fell unheeded.

  "Boys!" Up flew their heads, for there was old Mr. King beckoning withan imperative hand. "Come to my room." And, not daring to look in eachother's face, they found themselves once more behind the dreadful door,which was closed after them.

  "Now, then, Jasper, my boy," and old Mr. King put a hand on hisshoulder, "you sit there," pointing to a chair on one side of thewriting-table, "and you, Ben, pull up another, there--that's right--geton my left hand. Now we are quite comfortable,"--and he sat down in hisown big chair,--"where we can see each other and talk things over."

  The old gentleman didn't look at them, but played with various triflesscattered over the table, the unlucky letter not being in sight, untilsuch time as it might be supposed that everybody would be ready forconversation. Then he broke out quite easily, as if the mostmatter-of-fact thing were being said, "Well, now, that little matter ofPip you were going to tell me of. What is it, Jasper,--eh?"

  "I didn't mean to ask you to do anything out of the way, Father," saidJasper, and his voice shook.

  "Of course not, of course not," said his father, with a wave of thehand. "Well, I was a bit unstrung, my boy,"--he ran his fingers throughhis white hair,--"you must forgive your old dad." He coughed, twitchedout his handkerchief, blew his nose violently, but didn't seem to getthe better of it, especially as Jasper deserted his chair. "Oh, Father!"he cried, falling on his neck.

  Ben slipped off his leather chair and crept to the door.

  "Hold on!" thundered old Mr. King at him. "Where are you going, sir?"

  "I thought--perhaps--you'd--" stammered Ben.

  "You're not to think. Come back and sit down." Old Mr. King pointed tothe chair, and Ben found himself on it again.

  "And I've a word to say to you, Ben," said the old gentleman, "foryou're mixed up in this business."

  "I know," said Ben, hanging his head.

  "So you needn't think to elude me,--oh, no!" and Mr. King gave a shortlaugh. "Now, then, Jasper," bestowing a pat on his dark hair, "you getinto your chair and we'll see this thing through. Well, about Pip now,"and both boys being settled, "you want me to ask Doctor Presbrey to lethim stay here till you go back. Is that the idea?" the old gentlemanglanced first at one and then at the other of the faces, now very muchflushed.

  "Yes, sir," said Jasper and Ben together.

  "I know the poor little beggar has a hard enough time at that school,from what I saw myself," said Mr. King, "and I suppose I don't know halfhow bad it is."

  "No, you don't, Father," broke in Jasper, quickly, and tossing the darkhair off from his hot forehead. It was easy enough now to find histongue, seeing they were safely launched on Pip,--"for Doctor Presbreyeven doesn't know it."

  "A precious set of scamps they are," declared the old gentleman,wrathfully,--"gentlemen's sons! Pretty poor stuff they show for it, tohound a poor, insignificant little specimen like that lad. They ought tobe ducked in the nearest pond."

  "And it isn't always because they mean to be cruel," said Jasper,loyally, and slipping to the edge of his chair in his earnestness.

  "But they are all the same," said old Mr. King, stoutly.

  "O dear me! I know it, Father," said Jasper, quite distressed; "that is,some of them are--"

  "Don't tell any theories of 'didn't think,' and 'didn't mean to,' andall that stuff," said the old gentleman, dryly; "it's plain to see thatthe Presbrey boys didn't regard Pip in the light of a desirableacquaintance."

  "No, they didn't," said Jasper, honestly.

  "I don't blame them for not being especially drawn to him," said hisFather; "he's not to my taste exactly as a boy. But for schoolfellows toact so like the Dickens,--well there, that's my opinion of the wholematter." He brought his good right hand down again on the table, tillseveral articles jumped, and the penholder fell off the silver rack androlled to the floor.

  "I'm altogether too obstreperous one way or the other this morning,"said the old gentleman, with a laugh, as Jasper jumped and recovered it.Then the boys laughing, the air seemed to be cleared. So Mr. Kingsettled back in his big chair and folded his hands in real enjoyment.

  "Now I don't know but that it would be a good plan," he said, noddinghis head, "for me to request Doctor Presbrey to allow the little lad tostay and return with you, Jasper. Understand that I don't say that Ibelieve it will strike the Doctor so; but I can broach it, and if I putit rightly, and--"

  "And you can, Father," Jasper in his eagerness was guilty ofinterrupting; "he will do it for you."

  "I don't know about that, Jasper," said his Father, grimly, but he wasvastly pleased nevertheless at the words; "what I know about DoctorPresbrey gives me reason to believe that no one ever makes him do athing."

  "Well, he will do it for you, I know," declared Jasper, shaking his darkhead confidently.

  "But it may strike the Doctor favorably; there's hope in that,"proceeded Mr. King, briskly, "so I'll write to him and put t
he case asstrongly as I know how. I promise you that, boys."

  "Oh, thank you, Father," and "Oh, thank you, sir," from Jasper and Benin the same breath.

  "Well, now be off with you!"--the old gentleman dismissed themperemptorily,--"for if I have this letter to write I'd best have it offmy mind at once," and off they flew on happy heels.

  "Dear me! Here's Madam Van Ruypen," exclaimed Jasper, too elated tochoose his words. "Now, what shall we do, Ben Pepper? Dodge this way;"and they scuttled down the back hall, as Hobson flung wide the big oakenfront door.

  They needn't have troubled themselves, however, to get out of the way,as the farthest from the stately old lady's mind was the desire to meetany of the children on this especial morning, her mind being weightedwith other matters. When she was told that Mr. King was busy in hiswriting room, she waved one of her long black gloves at the butler, andsaid nonchalantly, "Oh, well, then I will see him there," and, to hisgreat dismay, she sailed, with her Roman nose and big white puffs wellin the air, down the hall to his door.

  "Madam," essayed Hobson, starting after her,--but she was just goinginto the room.

  As there was never any lack of directness in any of Madam Van Ruypen'spurposes, or her statements, so now she said, scarcely pausing for acasual nod of recognition, "I want you to do me a favor, my good sir."

  "Eh--er--" cried Mr. King, who had supposed it was Mrs. Whitney's rapthat had called forth his "Come in." "My dear Madam," he rose, and withhis courtliest air extended his hand, "you do me great honor," and hedrew up a chair for her.

  "Well, if I do you the honor, you must do me the favor," said Madam VanRuypen, with a little laugh, and settling her stately figure on thechair.

  "I shall be charmed to," said old Mr. King, "I promise you that, Madam."

  "That's good," the old lady nodded with great satisfaction. "Well, now,you know, sir," then she paused, strangely at a loss how to begin, "thatI am very much disturbed;" the face under the big white puffs fell intolong lines that added at once ever so many years to her age.

  "Oh, I am sorry to hear it," said old Mr. King, in great concern.

  "I am, indeed. In fact, I have seldom been so upset. Perhaps I have nocause to be; it may turn out well for me." She gave vent to an uneasylittle laugh, made an aimless sort of attempt to reach a fan thatdangled by a jet chain from her wrist, gave it up, and settled backrigidly in her chair.

  Mr. King, having nothing to say, picked up a paper-cutter on hiswriting-table and played with it, not looking at her.

  "I'll tell you the whole story, then you'll see how I've got the notionin my head," she said explosively at last. "A notion that has turned toabsolute truth, as I hope and pray!" Her thin face was white and drawn.

  "I shall be very glad to hear whatever you may choose to tell me," saidthe old gentleman, turning courteously to her, "and then if I can be ofany service, Madam Van Ruypen, you may command me."

  She nodded her stately head. "You knew Emily?" she asked abruptly, hersharp eyes full on his face.

  "Emily?" He searched his mind diligently, but no Emily, who naturallyconnected herself with the lady before him, appeared. "I am afraid not,"he reluctantly admitted.

  "You cannot have forgotten my daughter," cried Madam Van Ruypen, "thoughto be sure she was quite a child when we took her abroad to live."

  "Oh, your daughter!" cried Mr. King; "indeed, I remember her quite well,though, as you say, she was a mere child when you deserted your owncountry to educate her abroad. But she was not Emily in those days," herubbed his forehead in a puzzled way; "unless my memory plays me atrick, she was Helena."

  "Helena she was," assented the old lady, undisturbed. "I remember now,it was afterward we began to call her Emily,--quite for a family reason.Well, that is neither here nor there. Now I won't go into details;enough to say that Emily, despite all her advantages, disappointed usutterly. Perhaps you remember hearing about that. Echoes, if no more,and plenty of them, reached my old home here," she added bitterly.

  Mr. King bowed silently.

  "You don't know that Emily married against her father's and my will;that she refused our help, and went off with her husband to share hislot. Oh, she was a proud one!" Madam Van Ruypen crushed her glovestogether so tightly that the long hands within must have suffered. Therewas a pause, and Mr. King turned off to play with the paper-cutteragain.

  "And despite all our efforts, and, after Mr. Van Ruypen died, myindividual attempts, we never could get any communication with her orher husband. Mr. King, I never blamed her; it was the influence of theman she married." She faced him now with blazing eyes and head erect.

  Mr. King laid down the paper-cutter and turned back sympathetically;albeit several friends in the old town had kept alive for EmilyHastings's memory much commendation that she did not yield to herparents' choice of the superannuated wealthy foreigner they had selectedas a husband for her.

  "And he never let me know when the end was coming;" her voice did notbreak--she was to keep herself in hand until through. "Word was sentonly after she had gone from this earth. Mr. King, who is that Pip youhave with you?"

  The transition was so sudden that the old gentleman started nearly outof his chair, stared at her, and gasped, "Pip--my dear Madam--"

  "Tell me." He could see she was suffering now. The little beads ofmoisture ran down below the white puffs, and her eyes were fairly hungryfor the reply.

  "Pip--why, Pip--" stammered Mr. King.

  "Tell me," she commanded peremptorily, "his name."

  "It's--let me see, we have called him Pip constantly--" he groped forthe rest of the recital Jasper had given him one day concerning the ladso thrown upon their sympathy. "I shall think of it presently,--or I canask Jasper, or Ben," starting out of his chair.

  "Stay," she laid a detaining hand upon his arm; "where did he live?"

  "I recall that--South America," replied the old gentleman, promptly.

  A spasm passed over her face.

  "His--his father is dead?" It was almost a whisper in which these wordscame.

  "Yes," said Mr. King, decidedly, "that is the reason that the poorlittle lad is under Dr. Presbrey's care."

  The first gleam of comfort swept over the long, white face. "But thename,--you cannot think of it?" she begged piteously.

  "Let me see,"--the old gentleman drummed on the writing-table, rubbinghis white hair with an absorbed hand,--"Lef--Lef? Yes, I am quite sure,Leffingwell is Pip's name. Why, my dear Madam!"--he started and put outa strong hand to catch her as she swayed in her chair,--"what is it?What can be the matter?"

  She recovered herself immediately and sat erect. "I am convinced that heis Emily's child."

  "Impossible!" Old Mr. King started back and held up both handsincredulously.

  She twitched her black bonnet strings apart with a hasty hand, as iffinding it difficult to breathe.

  "So I thought at first, and I have battled the idea as absurd. But ithas conquered me to-day to come here and ask you about his history. Andnow I _know_ he is Emily's child."

  "I did not hear that she had a son," said old Mr. King, as somethingseemed to be required of him.

  "I did not know it until after his mother died," said Madam Van Ruypen,her voice breaking, "then chance report brought me the news. But I couldnever get in touch with his father, though I tried many a time.Cornelius Leffingwell was--"

  "Cornelius?" broke in Mr. King.

  "The name of Emily's husband," said the old lady.

  "That is Pip's name, too," said the old gentleman.