CHAPTER IX.
FROM FRIEND TO FRIEND.
Terry's face when he heard Captain Afleck's startling news was verily astudy. The joy which the moment before had irradiated it vanished likea flash, and in its place came a look of blank despair that would havetouched a heart of stone.
"Whirra, whirra!" he moaned, shaking his head dolefully; "and what's tobe done now? We can't walk all that way, can we?"
In spite of his mental distress the big seaman burst out into a laugh.
"Walk all the way, Terry!" he cried; "not a bit of us. If I can'tmanage better than that, you can put me down for a first-class booby."
At this moment a hand was laid gently on his shoulder, and turninground he found at his side the gentleman who had been unintentionallythe cause of their mishap.
"Pardon my addressing you," said he courteously, "but I am really verymuch grieved that you should have been put to so much inconvenience onmy account. Won't you do me the favour to come home with me to lunch?My carriage is waiting for me."
For a moment Captain Afleck hesitated. Then, seeing that theinvitation was sincere, and feeling glad to find a friend in his timeof need, he looked at Terry, saying, "Shall we go with the gentleman,Terry?"
Terry nodded a vigorous assent. So the invitation was accepted, andpresently they were rolling up Fifth Avenue in a luxurious carriage,wondering what good fortune awaited them.
The carriage stopped at a handsome residence, into which they followedtheir host, and being shown by a servant into a dressing-room, wereenabled to make their toilet before going to lunch.
Mr. Travers had no family, and they were therefore spared the ordeal offacing female society, while his genial manner soon put them both soentirely at their ease, that almost unconsciously they told him theirwhole story, since the collision in Boston Harbour. Nor did theirconfidence stop there; for Terry, his heart responding to the old man'skindly interest, was moved to go further back, and tell his ownhistory, from the time he saved Miss Drummond's life.
"Oh, ho!" exclaimed Mr. Travers when he had finished--"Mr. Drummond, ofDrummond and Brown. I know him well. We've had business relationsthese many years. Now, Terry, my lad, I want to say that I believe youfully, and that this very night I will take upon myself to write to Mr.Drummond and say so; and when you go back to Halifax you'll find himready to receive your explanations, and to take you back into hisoffice."
How Terry's heart leaped at this, and with what boyish ardour heexpressed his gratitude! Halifax seemed very near now, and it wasbrought still nearer when Mr. Travers proceeded:--
"As to your getting home, of course you will allow me to provide forthat--nothing else would be fair, and it will perhaps in some measuremake amends for what you have had to endure."
So the upshot of it was, that when the captain and Terry bade good-byeto their new-found friend, the former had sufficient funds to pay allexpenses of the homeward journey, and with light hearts they made theirway to the station.
Once more in the train, and speeding towards Boston, they lolled abouton the cushion of the car in great good-humour.
"Well, Terry, my son," said the captain, bestowing upon him a look ofmingled affection and admiration, "you do have the greatest luck of anyfellow I ever saw. I give you credit for the whole of it, seein' thatI've never had much of it myself. No matter what sort of a scrape weget into, out we come again smiling, and not a bit the worse. If yourluck holds, you'll be a great man some day, Terry, and no mistake."
Terry laughed, and curled up still more comfortably on the crimsoncushion.
"Faith, you make me proud, captain," he responded. "But where do youcome in yourself? Sure, it 'ud be no easy job to say where I'd be thisvery minute if you'd not looked after me."
Much pleased in his turn, Captain Afleck leaned over and twitchedTerry's ear in a not ungentle fashion.
"I guess you can take pretty good care of yourself, my hearty," saidhe. "Some fine day you'll be one of the bosses at Long Wharf, wearinga big gold chain, and fine black suit, and a tall shiny hat, while, ifI'm alive, I'll be nothing better than I am now, glad if I can knockout a living with my schooner--if I ever get another one."
"No you won't, captain," cried Terry, springing up with eyes shiningwith emotion; "nothing of the kind. If ever I do get to be one of thebosses, you shall be captain of the best ship the firm owns, and goround the world in her, if you like."
Captain Afleck gave the boy a tender smile as he took hold of his hand.
"I know you mean every word of it, Terry; and, who knows, perhaps someof it may come true some day."
And so they whiled away the time as the swift train sped northward.Shortly after nightfall Terry went to sleep, and the captain, growingweary of the confinement of the car, took advantage of a lengthystoppage at a junction to get out and stretch his legs. There weretrains on both sides of the platform, and it fell out that the mariner,little used to land travel, presently lost his bearings, with theresult that, hearing the shout, "All aboard," and seeing a train moveoff, he jumped on to the rear car, thinking it was all right.
Not until he had passed through to the next car did he discover that hewas mistaken. But by that time the train had gathered such speed thatto jump off was to risk life, so with a groan of, "Oh, but I'm thedunderhead. How is poor Terry to get along now?" he threw himself intoa seat to wait for the conductor, from whom he might learn how soon hecould leave this train and set off in pursuit of the right one.
When the conductor did appear the captain was dismayed to find that hewas flying off due west in the direction of Chicago, instead of duenorth in the direction of Boston, and that it would not be possible forhim to retrace his way until the following morning, while the trainwhich carried Terry would reach Boston that very night.
"Well, it's no use crying over spilt milk," soliloquized Captain Afleckon receiving this information. "I must only make the best of it formyself; but poor little Terry, who's to look after him? and he hasn't acopper in his pocket."
It was some little time after the train had moved off without thecaptain before Terry awoke. When he did, and looked about him for hiscompanion, his first thought was,--
"Oh, he's gone into one of the other cars," and he gave himself noconcern.
Presently, however, beginning to feel lonely, he thought he'd go insearch of him, and accordingly he went through the four passenger cars,looking eagerly for the stalwart sailor.
Discovering no signs of him, he grew anxious, and questioned thebrakesman. But he could tell him nothing; and all the conductor knewwas that a man answering to Terry's description had been out on theplatform at the junction walking up and down while the train stopped.
"Do you think he's fallen under the cars, and been killed?" exclaimedTerry, his eyes enlarged to their utmost extent at the awful notion.
"Not much," responded the conductor curtly. "Guess he went to get adrink in the restaurant, and let the train go off without him. Youneedn't worry. He'll be along by the express."
This explanation, albeit not altogether satisfactory to Terry, for heknew the captain was practically a teetotaller, nevertheless served, inlieu of a better one, to allay his apprehensions somewhat; and, havinginquired when the express would be along, he went back to his seat,determined not to let the other passengers see how deep was hisdistress.
For, in spite of the conductor's suggestion, he could not dismiss fromhis mind the idea of some harm having befallen his kind friend, and heworried far more over this than he did over the fact of his beingwithout money to pay his way when he did arrive in Boston.
It was within two hours of midnight when the train rolled into thestation, and Terry, tumbling out on the platform, looked about him withblinking eyes of bewilderment.
"Faith, it's a lost dog I am now, and no mistake," he said, gazingaround at the confusing crowds of people, the hurrying officials, theshouting hack-drivers, and all the other elements of confusion at agreat railroad terminus. "I'd like might
y well to know what to do now,seein' I've never a copper in my pocket, and don't know a blessed soulin the place."
In the hope of finding Captain Afleck, he waited until the expresstrain came in of which the conductor had spoken. But there was no signof the strayed sailor; and realizing that there was nothing to begained by hanging about the station, Terry went out into the streets, awaif in a fuller sense than ever before in his life.
Yet his brave bright spirit refused to be overwhelmed. The night wasfine and warm; the streets were bright, and lined with fine buildings.If the policemen would only let him alone, he would make a shift to getthrough the night somehow, and trust to obtaining help from somequarter in the morning.
So he strolled along through street after street, entertaining himselfwith comments upon the people and buildings he passed, and keeping asharp eye open for any place that might promise a quiet haven for thenight.
In this way he came to a cross-street between two importantthoroughfares, and turning into it, he knew not why, he was brought toan open door, whence issued sounds of singing.
He loved music of every kind, and this singing was so sweet and ferventthat it drew him little by little further inside the door, until,almost before he knew it, he found himself in a bright attractive hall,set with chairs, and nearly filled by a gathering of men and women,singing heartily a gospel song, the like of; which he had never heardbefore.
There was something so genial in the atmosphere of the place that thehomeless boy resolved to stay if he would be permitted, and so taking aseat in the nearest corner he gave himself up to the enjoyment of themusic.
Soon a young man espied him and came towards him. Was he going to turnhim out? Poor Terry's heart sank, and he felt his face becomingcrimson. But his fears were all unfounded. Instead of asking him toleave, the young man held out his hand, saying with a cordial smile,--
"You're very welcome, my boy. Come up nearer; and here's a hymn-bookto sing from."
Terry would have preferred his corner, but he felt it would beungracious to refuse so kind an invitation, and he therefore followedobediently till he was assigned a seat not far from the desk, at whichstood a venerable man with long white beard, whose countenance seemedto radiate tenderness and sympathy.
When the singing ended, the leader began to speak. His theme was thelove of Christ for sinners, and he spoke with rare simplicity andwinning force. Terry listened with every faculty attent. It was allstrangely new to him. What little religious instruction he had got inthe Roman Catholic Church was in no way a preparation for this earnest,direct, personal gospel, which not only took a strong hold upon hisheart, but seemed to arouse some sort of response there, as though itwere awakening faculties which had been hitherto dormant.
The speaker evidently observed the boy's rapt attention, for he turnedupon him many a look of loving appeal, that made Terry feel as thoughhe were looking right down into his heart and reading all that wasthere.
Yet, strange to say, Terry had no disposition to resent this. Sospell-bound was he that he could hardly have resisted any command theold man might have laid upon him; and when, at the close of hisaddress, the leader invited all who wished to learn more about theSaviour to remain for a little while after the meeting had beendismissed, Terry was among those who stayed in their seats.
Not only so, but when this after-meeting came to an end Terry stilllingered, partly because he was loath to go out again into the strangestreets, which offered him no refuge for the night, and partly becausehe wanted to hear something more about this Jesus, who seemed sodifferent from the only Son of Mary of whom he had any knowledge.
The venerable leader, the moment he was disengaged, went up to Terry,and laying his hand kindly on his head, said in a tone of greattenderness,--
"Well, my dear boy, I am very glad to see you here; and do you loveJesus too?"
The full purport of this question Terry hardly grasped, and not knowingwhat answer to make he hung his head in silence, whereupon the leaderadded gently,--
"Never mind answering that question just now. Come with me. I'm goinghome, and you can tell me all your story there."
Completely won by the gracious charm of his manner, Terry lifted hishead, and looking up gratefully into the noble countenance bending overhim, said,--
"Indeed, sir, I'm glad you've asked me, for it's without a place tosleep in I am this night."
"You shall be all right with me, then," was the cordial response. "Letus go now, and you can tell me about yourself as we walk along."
Passing on through the now deserted streets, Terry told his new-foundfriend much of the story of his life, his narration being listened towith deep sympathy and interest. As they stopped at the door of acomfortable-looking house the old gentleman said,--
"Providence has put you in my way, my boy, and it will be my joy toassist you to the best of my ability. Here is my home. You shallshare it until the way opens for you to continue your journey."
A beautiful old lady gave them both a warm welcome and a bountifulsupper, to which Terry did full justice, for he had been fasting sincemid-day.
Then his host told him something of the place where they had met. Itwas a midnight mission carried on by himself, at his own expense, forthe benefit of fallen humanity. This was his life-work, and herejoiced in it, because of the many opportunities it afforded him ofbeing both a temporal and a spiritual helper to the victims of vice orof misfortune. Terry felt irresistibly drawn towards Mr. Sargent andhis wife, whose hearts so overflowed with love; and when they proposedthat he should stay with them for a few days, in order that he mighttry to find Captain Afleck, he gladly assented.
Thus it came about that he was with these kind good people for theremainder of the week, looking about the streets and wharves for thecaptain in the day-time, attending the mission meetings at night, andall the time being more and more deeply influenced by the beautifulpiety of his friends.
Recognizing how much Terry had to learn of the very essentials ofreligion, Mr. Sargent took abundant pains to make the matter clear tothe Irish boy, whose warm heart readily responded to the argument fromthe infinite love of the Father, and he had his reward in finding hispupil laying hold upon the truth with a grasp that would not be readilyshaken.
Each day the attachment between them deepened, until Mr. Sargent beganto wish that he might keep Terry altogether; he discovered in him suchpossibilities of good.
But, sincerely grateful as he was, Terry's anxiety to get back toHalifax grew keener every day. He seemed so near now, and there werevessels sailing every day, on one of which he could without difficultyobtain a passage.
Of Captain Afleck no trace could be found. As a matter of fact, he,too, on reaching Boston had spent some time hunting for Terry; butbeing unsuccessful, concluded that Terry had gone on to Halifax, andaccordingly gave up the search until he should hear from that place.
It had just been arranged that Terry should take the train for Halifaxone afternoon, when, in the morning, walking along Tremont Street, hecaught sight of a familiar face over the way, and darting across thestreet he cried delightedly,--
"Mr. Hobart! is it yourself?"
Terry's Trials and Triumphs Page 9