But Hamilton and Hannibal put the office more or less to rights, andsat down gloomily at their respective desks. Up till now they had facedbeing left behind, but this licking was too much. Each brooded over it,while pretending to be up to the ears in work. Hamilton wrote a letter,sealed it, addressed it, and presently rose.
"Bul," he said, and to Hannibal the whole manoeuver smacked suspicious,"I'm going to run up and see the old man for a few minutes."
"All right," said Hannibal.
Hamilton reached the door and turned.
"By the way," he said, "I left a letter on my desk; wish you'd put astamp on it and mail it."
He went out.
Hannibal felt very lonely and fidgety.
"I think I'll just mail that letter and get it off my mind," he said.
He put on his hat, licked a stamp, and crossed to his brother's desk.The letter was there, right enough, but it did not require a stamp, foron it was written but one word, and that word was Hannibal.
Hannibal tore open the envelop and read:
DEAR OLD Bul: I can't stand it any longer, but you'll try and not be madwith me for running off and leaving you to keep up the old place alone,and damn it, Bul, two of us ought to go anyway....
The letter ran on for a little in the same strain. Hannibal put theletter in his pocket, and sat down at his brother's desk.
"It will kill the old man if we all go," he said. "And of all three I'mthe one with the best rights to go and get shot."
He took from somewhere in his clothes a little gold locket, flat andplain. Each of the St. John boys had carried one since their mother'sdeath. Facing her picture each had had engraved the motto which he hadchosen for himself to be his watchword in life. In John's locket wasengraved, "In fortis vinces"; in Hamilton's, "Deo volente"; and inHannibal's, "Carpe diem." But in Hannibal's locket there was anotherpicture besides that of his mother. He opened the locket with histhumb-nails and laid it on the desk before him. Presently his eyesdimmed, and he looked beyond the locket.
Hamilton St. John's ink-well was a globe of glass, with a hole like athimble in the top to contain ink. Hannibal found himself looking atthis, and noting the perfect miniature reproduction of the big calendaron the wall, as it was refracted by the glass. With his thoughts faraway, his eyes continued to look at the neat little curly calendar inthe ink-well. Presently it seemed to him that it was not a calendar atall, but just a patch of bright green color--a patch of bright greenthat became grass, an acre of it, a ten-acre field, a great field gaywith trampled flowers, rolling hills, woods, meadows, fences, streams.Then he saw, lying thickly over a fair region, broken guns, explodedcannons, torn flags, horses and men contorted and sprung in death;everywhere death and demolition. He wandered over the field and camepresently upon himself, scorched, mangled, and dead under the wheel of acannon.
After a little it seemed to him that the field of battle shrank untilit became again the calendar. But there was something odd about thatcalendar; the dates were queer. It read July, right enough; but thiswas the year 1861, whereas the calendar bore the date 1863. And why wasthere a cross to mark the third day of July? Hannibal came to with ashock; but he could have sworn that he had not been asleep.
"God is very--very good!" he said solemnly.
Then he opened his pen-knife, and scratched a deep line of erasurethrough the "Carpe diem" in his locket, and underneath, cutting withgreat pains, he inserted a date, "July 3, 1863," and the words "Nuncdimittis." Below that he cut "Te Deum laudamus."
He looked once more at the picture of his mother and at the picture thatwas not of his mother, shut the little gold case, and put it back in hispocket.
Then he inked on the white inside of a paper-box cover, in largeletters, these words:
This office will not be opened until the end of the war.
That office was never opened again.
XXI
The lives of sixty million people had become suddenly full of drill,organization, uniforms, military music, flags, hatred, love, andself-sacrifice, and the nations of the Old World stood about, note-bookin hand, like so many medical students at a clinic: could a heart, cutin two, continue to supply a body with blood after the soul had beenwithdrawn? And the nations of the Old World hoped that there would beenough fresh meat left on the carcass for them to feed on, when theexperiment should be at an end. Mother England was particularly hungry,and dearly hoped to have the sucking of the eggs which she herself hadlaid.
It was a great time for young men, and Margaret shed secret tears onbehalf of five of them. It had fallen upon her to tell the old man thathis three sons had enlisted, and that task had tortured her for an hourbefore she had dared go and accomplish it.
"Papa," she said, "Ham has enlisted, and so has Bul."
The senator had not moved a muscle.
"It was only a question of time," he said. "I wish that I had begotten adozen others."
He had borrowed her well-marked Bible from old Mrs. Blankinship and readIsaiah at a gulp. Then he had sought out his boys and bantered them ontheir new clothes.
Margaret sat very still for a long time after the interview with herfather. She knew that Bul, whom she loved best of her brothers, wasgoing to be killed. She had never before seen his face so serenelyhappy as when he came to tell her that he had sworn in, nor had sheever before seen that unexplainable phenomenon, known variously as fate,doom, numbered, Nemesis, written upon a face. And there were others whomight be taken.
Aladdin came in for a moment to give her the news. He was nervous withenthusiasm, and had been working like a horse. His regiment was to leaveFriday for the front; he could stay but a minute; he had only dashedin on his way to drill. Would she care to come? Quite right; there wasnothing much to look at. He talked as cheerfully and as rapidly as amountain brook runs. And then he gave his best piece of news, and lookedalmost handsome as he gave it.
"Peter's here," he said. "He's outside talking to the senator. He lookssimply stunning, and he's a whole lot of things on a staff--assistantadjutant-general with the rank of a colonel; and he's floated up here ona dash against time to say good-by to us."
Aladdin's face puckered.
"You and Peter and I, Margaret," he said, "Lord, what a muddle!"
"I'm terribly blue, old man," said Margaret, "and it hurts to have yousay things like that."
Instantly Aladdin was all concern.
"You know I wouldn't hurt you purposely," he said, "but I'm terriblyblue, too, dear, and one tries to keep up and says asinine things,and"--he smiled, and his smile was very winning--"is at once forgiven byan old dear."
She held out her hand and gave his a friendly squeeze.
"You old darling!" he said, and ran out.
She followed him into the hall, and met Manners, who had just partedfrom the senator at the front door. His uniform was wonderfullybecoming.
"Is it Peter?"
They shook hands.
"Never," she said, "have I seen anything so beautiful!"
Peter blushed (looking even more beautiful, for he hated to be talkedabout).
"Where was 'Laddin going?" he said. "He went by me like a shot out of agun, and had only time to pull my hat over my eyes and squeal Peeeter."
"He's very important now," said Margaret, "and wonders how anybody canwant to write things and be a poet or a musician when there are realthings to do in the world."
Peter looked at his watch.
"Isn't that the least bit rude?" said Margaret.
"No," said Peter; "my train back leaves in one hour, and I could betterafford to lose my chances of heaven. I had no business to come, as itwas. But I had to come."
Margaret sighed. She had hoped that it would not happen so soon. Hefollowed her into the parlor and closed the door behind him.
"First, Margaret," he said, "I'm going to tell you something that maysurprise you a little. It did me; it was so sudden. My sister Ellen isgoing to be married."
"Ellen!" exclaimed Margaret. "Why, she alway
s said--" "It's only beenarranged in the last few days," said Peter, "by many telegrams. I wastold to tell you."
"Is he nice?"
"Yes. He's a good chap."
"Rich?"
"Well--rather rising than rich."
"Who is it?"
"Your brother John."
"My dear Peter--"
"No--I never did, either!"
"Isn't that splendid!"
Peter pulled a grave face.
"Yes--and no," he said.
"I hope you're not going to be insolent," said Margaret.
"It depends on what you call insolent. My father, you see, objects verymuch to having Ellen go out of the family, but he says that he can learnto bear that if the only other girl in the world will come into thefamily."
Manners' voice had become husky toward the last of the sentence, andperhaps not husky so much as hungry. Margaret knew better than to sayanything of the kind, but she couldn't help looking as innocent as achild and saying:
"Won't she?"
"How do I know?" said Peter. "I have come to ask her."
He looked so very strong and manly and frank that Margaret, whose worldhad been terribly blue recently, was half tempted to throw herself intohis arms and cry.
"O Peter!" she said pitifully.
He came and sat beside her on the sofa, and drew her close to him.
"My darling," he said brokenly.
A great sense of trust and security stole over Margaret, but she knewthat it was not love. Yet for a moment she hesitated, for she knew thatif she took this man, his arm would always be about her, and he wouldalways--always--always be good to her. As she sat there, not trustingherself to speak, she had her first doubt of Aladdin, and she wonderedif he loved her as much--as much as he loved Aladdin. Then she felt likea traitor.
For a little neither could find any words to say. So still they satthat Margaret could hear the muffled ticking of Peter's watch. At lengthPeter spoke.
"What shall I tell my father?" he said.
"Tell him--" said Margaret, and her voice broke.
"Aren't you sure, darling--is that it?"
She nodded with tears in her eyes.
He took his arm from round her waist, and she felt very lonely.
"But I'm always going to love you," he said.
She felt still more alone.
"Peter," she said, "I can't explain things very well, but I--I--don'twant you to go away feeling as if--"
Manners' eyes lifted up.
"As if it was all over?" he asked eagerly.
"Almost that, Peter," she said. "I--I can't say yes now--but God knows,Peter, perhaps sometime--I--I can."
She was thinking of the flighty and moody Aladdin, who had loved her solong, and whom (she suddenly realized in spite of the words just spoken)she loved back with all her heart and soul.
Honor rose hot in her to give Peter a final answer now and forever--no.But she looked into his eyes and could not. He looked at his watch.
"Margaret dear," he said, "I've got to go. Thanks for everything, andfor the hope and all, and--and I may never see you again, but if I do,will you give me my answer then?"
"I will," said Margaret, "when I see you again."
They rose.
"May I kiss you, Margaret?" he said.
"Certainly, Peter."
He kissed her on the cheek, and went away with her tears on his lips.
A newly organized fife-and-drum corps marched by struggling with "TheGirl I Left Behind Me."
In those days the most strangled rendering of that tune would bringlumps into the throats of those that heard.
XXII
Hannible and Hamilton were privates in the nth regiment, Aladdin wasmajor, and John was colonel. If any of them had the slightest militaryknowledge, it was Aladdin. Not in vain had he mastered the encyclopediafrom Safety-lamps to Stranglers. He could explain with strange words andin long, balanced sentences everything about the British army that beganwith an S, except only those things whose second letter stood fartherdown in the alphabet than T. But the elements of knowledge kept droppingin, at first on perfunctory calls, visitors that disappeared when youturned to speak with them, but that later came to stay. The four youngmen were like children with a "roll-the-seven-number-eight-shot-into-themiddle" puzzle. They could make a great rattling with the shot, andcontrol their tempers; that was about all. Later they were to form unitsin the most efficient and intelligent large body of men that the worldever saw, with the possible exception of the armies it was to be pittedagainst; but those, it must be owned, were usually smaller, though, inthe ability of their commanders to form concentration, often of threetimes the size. They learned that it is cheaper to let a company sleepin tents upon hard ground of a rainy night than to lodge them in aneighboring hotel at one's own expense, and that going the rounds inpitch-darkness grows less thrilling in exact ratio to the number oftimes you do it, and finally, even in sight of the enemy's lines,becomes as boring as waltzing with a girl you don't like. They began tolearn that cleanliness is next to godliness only in times of peace, andthat food is the one god, and the stomach his only prophet. They learnedthat the most difficult of all duties is to keep the face straight whenthe horse of a brother officer who mounts for the first time issurprised to vehemence by its first experience with a brass band.
Aladdin was absolutely equal to the occasion, and developed anastonishing talent for play-acting, and, it is to be feared, strutted alittle, both in the bosom of his soul and on the parade-ground. It wasonly when he looked at two of the "tall men on the right," Hamilton andHannibal St. John, who had chosen humble parts that they might serveunder their brother, that he felt properly small and resented himself.Sometimes, too, he searched his past life and could find in it onlyone brave deed, his swim down the river, and he wondered with anawful wonder what he would do when the firing began. He need not havetroubled: he was of too curious and inquiring a disposition to be afraidof most things. And he was yet to see proved on many Southern fieldsthat a coward is, if anything, a rarer bird than a white quail. Onlyonce in action did Aladdin see a man really show the white feather. Theman had gone into the army from a grocery-store, and was a very thin,small specimen with a very big, bulbous head; and, like many others ofhis class, proved to be a perfect fire-eater in battle, and a regularbuzzard to escape fever and find food. But during the famous seven daysbefore Richmond a retreat was ordered of a part of the line which theBuzzard helped compose, and he was confronted by the necessity, for hisfriends were hastening him from behind, of crossing a gully by means ofa somewhat slender fallen tree. It was then that Aladdin saw him showfear. Bullets tore up the bark of the tree, and pine needles, clippedfrom the trees overhead, fell in showers. But he did not mind that. Itwas the slenderness and instability of the fallen tree that froze themarrow in his bones: would it bear his one hundred and twenty-fourpounds, or would it precipitate him, an awful drop of ten feet, into thesoftest of muds at the bottom of the gully, where a sickeningly stripedbut in reality harmless water-snake lay coiled?
Finally, pale and shaking, he ventured on the log, got half-way across,turned giddy, and fell with such a howl of terror that it was onlyequaled in vehemence by the efforts of the snake to get out of the way.After which the Buzzard picked himself up, scrambled out, and continuedhis retreat, scraping his muddied boots among the fallen leaves as hewent. "Some talk of Alexander and some of Hercules," but it may be thatan exceedingly giddy elevation coupled with a serpent would havemade shivering children of both those heroes. To each his own fear.Margaret's and Aladdin's was the same they both feared Aladdin.
That afternoon the regiment was to leave for the front, and Aladdin wentto bid Margaret good-by. She and her father were still staying with theBlankinships.
They had a very satisfactory talk, beginning with the beginning ofthings, and going over their long friendship, laughing, remembering, andregretting. Jack was to live with the St. Johns, and they talked much ofhim, and of old Mrs. Brackett, and of
affairs at home. Jack about thistime was in the seventh hell of despair, for his extreme youth hadprevented him from bringing to its triumphant conclusion a pleasantlittle surprise, consisting of a blue uniform, which he had plannedfor himself and others. No love of country stirred the bosom of theguileless Jack; only hatred of certain books out of which he was obligedto learn many useless things, such as reading, writing, spelling, andarithmetic. Besides, word had come to him that persimmons were to behad for the picking and chickens for the broiling in that country towardwhich the troops were heading. And much also had he heard concerningthe beauty of Southern maidens, and of the striped watermelons in thewatermelon-patch. And so he was to be left behind, and God was not good.
Toward the end their talk got very serious.
"I'm going to turn over a new leaf," said Aladdin, "and be betterthings, Margaret, and you must save up a lot of pride to have in me if Ido, and perhaps it will all come right in the end."
"You know how fond I am of you," said Margaret, "and because I am, andbecause you're all the big things that are hard to be, I want you to beall the little things that ought to be so easy to be. That doesn't seemvery plain, but I mean--"
"I know exactly what you mean," said Aladdin. "Don't you suppose I knowmyself pretty well by this time, and how far I've got to climb before Ihave a ghost of a right to tell you what I tell you every time I look atyou?"
Aladdin rose.
Aladdin O'Brien Page 9