II. NAN'S NEW HOME
As they went out, Nan looked anxiously from side to side, fearing tosee or be seen by the Leary woman. Tode noticed her troubled look andremarked,
"Ye needn't ter fret. _I_ wouldn't let her touch ye. We might'swell go back to the wharf," he added.
So they returned to the corner they had left, and in a little whilethe baby dropped into a refreshing sleep in his sister's lap, whileTode sometimes roamed about the wharf, and sometimes lounged against apost and talked with Nan.
"What is _your_ name?" she asked him, suddenly.
"Tode Bryan."
"Tode? That's a queer name."
"'Spect that ain't all of it. There's some more, but I've forgot what'tis," the boy replied, carelessly.
"And where's your home, Tode?"
"Home? Ain't got none. Never had none--no folks neither."
"But where do you live?"
"Oh, anywheres. When I'm flush, I sleeps at the Newsboys' Home, an'when I ain't, I takes the softest corner I can find in a alley or on adoorstep," was the indifferent reply.
Nan looked troubled.
"But I can't do that," she said. "I can't sleep in the street withLittle Brother."
"Why not?" questioned Tode, wonderingly.
"Oh because--girls can't do like that."
"Lots o' girls do."
"But--not nice girls, Tode," said Nan, wistfully.
"Well no, I don't 'spect they're nice girls. I don't know any girls 'tamount to much," replied Tode, disdainfully.
Nan flushed at his tone, as she answered,
"But what _can_ I do? Where can I go? Seems as if there ought tobe some place where girls like me could stay."
"That's so, for a fact," assented Tode, then he added, thoughtfully,"The's one feller--mebbe you could stay where he lives. He's got amother, I know."
"Oh if I only could, Tode! I'd work _ever_ so hard," said Nan,earnestly.
"You stay here an' I'll see 'f I can find him," said the boy. Then heturned back to add suspiciously, "Now don't ye clear out while I'mgone."
Nan looked at him wonderingly.
"Where would I go?" she questioned, and Tode answered with a laugh,
"That a fact--ye ain't got no place to go, have ye?"
Then he disappeared and Nan waited anxiously for his return. He cameback within an hour bringing with him a freckle-faced boy a year or soolder than himself.
"This's the gal!" he remarked, briefly.
The newcomer looked doubtfully at Nan.
"See the little feller," cried Tode, eagerly. "Ain't he a daisy? Seehim laugh," and he chucked the baby clumsily under the chin.
The child's heavy eyes brightened and he smiled back into thefriendly, dirty face of the boy.
The other boy looked at Tode wonderingly. "Didn't know 't you liked_kids,_" he said, scornfully.
"So I don't--but this one's diff'runt," replied Tode, promptly. "Youain't no common kid, be ye, Little Brother?"
"What's his name?" questioned the boy.
"His name is David, but mother always called him Little Brother, andso I do," answered the girl, in a low tone. "Have you a mother?" sheadded, with an earnest look at the boy.
"Got the best mother in this town," was the prompt reply.
"Oh, won't you take me to her, then? Maybe she can tell me what todo," Nan pleaded.
"Well, come along, then," responded the boy, rather grudgingly.
"You come too, Tode," said Nan. "'Cause you know we might meet MaryLeary."
"All right. I'll settle her. Don't you worry," and Tode, with a verywarlike air marched along at Nan's right hand.
"What's your mother's name?" questioned Nan, shyly, of the newcomer asthe three walked on together.
"Hunt. I'm Dick Hunt," was the brief reply. Then Dick turned awayfrom the girl and talked to Tode.
It was not very far to Dick's home. It was in one of the better classof tenement houses. The Hunts had three rooms and they were clean andcomfortably furnished. Tode looked around admiringly as Dick threwopen the door and led the way in. Tode had never been in rooms likethese before. Nan--after one quick glance about the place--lookedearnestly and longingly into Mrs. Hunt's kind motherly face. Dickwasted no words.
"Mother," he said, "this girl wants to stay here."
Mrs. Hunt was making paper bags. Her busy fingers did not stop for amoment, but she cast a quick, keen glance at Nan and Tode.
"What do you mean, Dick?" she said.
"Oh, Mrs. Hunt, if you only would let us stay here till I can find aplace to work, I'd be so thankful. We'll have to stay in the streettonight--Little Brother and I--if you don't," urged Nan, eagerly.
Mrs. Hunt's kind heart was touched by the girl's pleading tone. Shehad girls of her own and she thought, "What if my Nellie had to spendthe night in the street," but she said only:
"Sit down, my dear, and tell me all about it."
The kind tone and those two words "my dear," were almost too much forpoor anxious Nan. Her eyes filled with tears and her voice was notquite steady as she told again her sorrowful little story, and when itwas ended the mother's eyes too were dim.
"Give me that baby," she exclaimed, forgetting her work for themoment, and she took the little fellow tenderly in her arms. "You poorchild," she added, to Nan, "of course you can stay here to-night. It'sa poor enough place an' we're as pinched as we can be, but we'llmanage somehow to squeeze out a bite and a corner for you for a day ortwo anyway."
Tode's face expressed his satisfaction as he turned to depart. Dicktoo looked pleased.
"Didn't I tell ye I'd got the best mother in this town?" he said,proudly, as he followed Tode down the stairs.
"Yes you did, an' 'twarn't no lie neither," assented Tode,emphatically; "but, see here, you can tell your mother that _I'm_agoin' to pay for that little feller's bread an' milk."
Dick looked at him curiously.
"You goin' to work again?" he questioned.
"'Course I am."
"Somebody's got your beat."
"Who?" Tode stopped short in angry surprise as he asked the question.
"That big red-headed feller that they call Carrots."
"Well--Carrots'll find himself knocked out o' business," declaredTode, fiercely.
When the newsboys assembled at the newspaper office a little later,Dick speedily reported Tode's remark, and soon all eyes were on thealert to see what would happen. Tode was greeted rather coldly andindifferently, but that did not trouble him. He bought his papers andset off for his usual beat. Scenting a fight a good many of the boysfollowed. As Dick had said, Tode found the big fellow on the ground,lustily crying his papers. Tode marched straight up to him.
"See here, Carrots, this's my beat. You clear out--d'ye hear?" heshouted.
The big fellow leered at him scornfully, and without a word inresponse, went on calling his papers.
Down on the ground went Tode's stock in trade, and he fell uponCarrots like a small cyclone fighting with teeth, nails, fists andheels, striking in recklessly with never a thought of fear.
Forgetful of possible customers, the boys quickly formed a ring, andyelled and hooted at the antagonists, cheering first one and then theother. But the contest was an unequal one. The red-headed boy was thebigger and stronger of the two and plucky as Tode was, he would havebeen severely treated had not the affair been ended by the appearanceof a policeman who speedily separated the combatants.
"What's all this row about?" he demanded, sharply, as he looked fromTode's bleeding face to the big fellow's bruised eye.
"He took my beat. I've sold papers here for three years," cried Tode,angrily.
"What _you_ got to say?" The policeman turned to the other.
"He give it up. He ain't sold a paper here for a week past," growledCarrots.
"Whose beat is it?" The man turned to the other boys as he asked thequestion.
"Reckon it's Tode's."
"He's o'ny been layin' off fer a spell."
"It's To
de's sure 'nough."
So they answered, and the officer turned again to Carrots.
"You're a bigger feller 'n he is. You let him alone an' go find a newbeat for yourself, an' see 't I don't catch either of ye fightin' inthe streets again, or I'll put ye where ye'll get another kind of abeat if ye don't walk straight. Now scatter--all of ye!"
The "fun" was over and the boys needed no second bidding. Theyscattered in all directions and the next moment, Tode's shrill voicerang out triumphantly, while his rival stalked gloomily off,meditating dire vengeance in the near future.
Meantime, after Tode and Dick had departed, Nan had spoken a fewgrateful words to Mrs. Hunt, and then laying the baby on the lounge,she said, earnestly,
"Please show me just how you make those bags. I'm sure I can do it."
It was simple work and it did not take her many minutes to master thedetails. Her quick eyes and deft fingers soon enabled her to do thework fully as well and as rapidly as Mrs. Hunt could do it.
"Well, I never! You certainly are a quick one," exclaimed the goodwoman as she gave up her seat to the girl. "Now if you can finish thatjob for me, I can get a little sewing done before dark."
"Oh yes, I can finish this easily," exclaimed Nan, delighted thatthere was something that she could do in return for the kindness shownher.
By and by, Jimmy, Nellie, and the younger children came in fromschool, staring in amazement at the two strangers who seemed so muchat home there. Nan made friends with them at once, but she dreaded thearrival of the father.
"What if he shouldn't want us to stay?" she thought, anxiously, as sheheard a heavy step on the stairs, and Nellie called out,
"Here comes father!"
There was a general rush of the children as he opened the door and hecame into the room with boys and girls swarming over him. Nan's fearsdeparted at the first sight of his honest, kindly face, and his cheerygreeting to her.
"Wal' now, this is nice," he said, heartily, after hearing his wife'sbrief explanation. "Never can have too many little gals 'round tosuit me, an' as fer this young man," he lifted Little Brother gentlyas he spoke, "he fits into this fam'ly jest like a book. Ted here'sgettin' most too much of a man to be our baby any longer."
Ted's round face had lengthened as his father took up the baby, but itbrightened at these words, and he straightened himself and slipped hishands into the pockets of the very short trousers he was wearing.
"I'll be a big man pretty soon," he remarked, and his father pattedhis head tenderly as he answered,
"So you will, sonny, so you will, an' the more you help other folksthe faster you'll grow."
That was a happy evening for Nan. As she sat at the supper-table at"father's" right hand the only shadow on her satisfaction was the fearthat she might not be allowed to remain in this friendlyhousehold. But somehow, even that thought could not cast a very darkshadow on her heart when she looked up into the sunshine of FatherHunt's plain face, or met the motherly smile of his good wife. Shelent a helping hand whenever she saw an opportunity to do so, and thetable was cleared, and the dishes washed so quickly that Mr. Huntremarked to his wife,
"Look here, now, mother, why can't you an' me go somewheres thisevening? You ain't been out with me for more'n a year, an' I feel's ifI'd like a bit of an outin' to-night."
Mrs. Hunt looked up doubtfully, but Nan spoke up quickly,
"Do go, Mrs. Hunt. I'll take care of the children and be glad to."
"That's right! That's right!" exclaimed Mr. Hunt. "'Course ye will,an' I 'spect you'll make 'em have such a fine time that they'll besorry when we get back."
Ted put his finger in his mouth and gloom gathered on his round faceat this suggestion, but it vanished as Nan said,
"Teddy, I can cut fine soldiers out of paper, and animals too. Afteryour father and mother go I'll cut some for you."
Teddy's face brightened at this promise, and he saw the door closebehind his mother without shedding a single tear.
Nan put Little Brother to bed and then all the children gathered aboutthe table and Nan drew men and animals on brown paper and cut themout, to the great delight of the children. Teddy especially was sointerested that once Nellie remarked, "You needn't get quite intoNan's mouth, Ted."
Nan laughed. "If he only won't get his fingers cut instead of thepaper," she said.
"There! I've got a whole fun'ral of horses," remarked Ted, in a toneof great satisfaction, as he ranged a long string of the figures twoand two on the table.
"Look out, Ted, you'll knock over the lamp!" cried Jimmy, hastily.
The warning came too late. Even as the words were uttered, the chairon which Ted was standing slipped from under him, and as he struck outwildly to save himself from falling he hit the lamp and knocked itover on the table. The chimney rolled to the floor with a crash, andthe burning oil spread over the table licking up Ted's horses and thescattered bits of paper as it went. Then a piece of the burning paperblew against Nellie's apron and the next instant that was blazing, andNellie screaming with fright, while the other children ran crying intothe inner room--all but Ted. He--petrified with terror--stood stillwith mouth and eyes wide open, gazing at the fiery stream rolling overthe table.
It all happened in two or three seconds, but Nan did not lose herhead. She jerked off Nellie's apron without regard to fastenings, andcrammed it into the coalhod, then snatching up her old shawl which waslying on the lounge, she threw it over the burning lamp and gatheredit closely over lamp, paper and all, so smothering the flames. In twominutes the danger was over, Nan had lighted another lamp that Nelliebrought her, and the frightened children came creeping slowly back tothe table.
Teddy did not care for paper men or animals any more that night. Hewas ready to go to bed, and Nellie undressed him and put him there,but the others sat up until the father and mother came home, all eagerto tell the story of their danger and of Nan's bravery. The mother'seyes filled with tears as she put her arms about as many of thechildren as she could gather into them and looked at Nan in silentgratitude, while the father laid his hand kindly on the girl's brownhair as he said, gravely,
"Child, you've earned your place in this home. As long as I'm able towork you're just as welcome here as the rest--you and the baby too."
Nan's eyes were shining happily.
"'Twas nothing much to do," she answered, "and I'll find some way topay for Little Brother and me if only we can stay here."
Dick had come in soon after his parents, and had listened in gloomysilence to the story of the children.
"Humph!" he said to himself. "Twasn't so awful much to put out thatfire. I'd a done it in no time if I'd a been here."
It seemed to Dick that his father and mother were making altogethertoo much of this strange girl, and the evil spirit of jealousy rearedits ugly head in his heart. He wished he had not brought those twohome with him, anyhow.
When, the next day, Tode met him on the street and inquired about Nanand Little Brother, Dick replied, gruffly,
"Oh, they're all right 'nough."
"But are they goin' ter stay't your place?" questioned Tode.
"'Spect so." Dick's voice was gruffer than before.
"I'm agoin' 'round there to see 'em to-day," remarked Tode.
Dick made no reply.
Tode repeated, "Don't ye hear? I say I'm agoin' ter see 'em to-day."
"I heard what ye said. S'pose I'm deaf?" and Dick turned his back andmarched off.
Tode looked after him angrily. "Like ter punch his head fer him," hesaid, under his breath. "Would, too, if his folks hadn't let LittleBrother stay on there."
Nothing daunted by Dick's unfriendly manner, Tode presented himselfthat afternoon at Mrs. Hunt's door. He found that good woman and Nanboth busy over the paper bags. All the children except Dick were atschool, and Little Brother was lying on the old shawl at his sister'sfeet. Tode gave an awkward nod by way of greeting and dropped down onthe floor beside the child.
"Hello, little chap!" he said.
Tode was delighted. He lifted the child in his arms and sat down withhim in an old rocking-chair.
Nan cast a quick, disturbed glance at the two. She had dressed thebaby in some clothes that Mrs. Hunt had found for her--a few that hadsurvived Ted's rough usage. They were old but clean, and it was tryingto Nan to see Little Brother's pure, sweet face and fresh garmentsheld by Tode's dirty hands against his dirtier jacket. But the babydid not mind. He looked as contented as Tode did, and when the boy'sgrimy fingers touched his thin cheek, Little Brother laughed a soft,happy, gurgling laugh that was music in Tode's ears. But suddenly theboy's glance took in the contrast between his soiled hand and thelittle face against which it rested. For a moment he hesitated, thenhe arose hastily, placed the child gently on the old shawl again andsaid to Mrs. Hunt,
"Ye ain't got a bit o' soap you could lend me, have ye?"
Mrs. Hunt looked at him inquiringly, then she answered a littleunwillingly, for even soap costs money, "You can take that bit on theshelf there."
Tode seized it and vanished. Few things escaped his quick eyes, and hehad noticed a sink and a faucet in the hall outside the door. There herubbed and scrubbed his hands for full five minutes vastly to theirimprovement, though even then he looked at them doubtfully.
"Can't do no better," he muttered, as he wiped them--well, he had onlyone place to wipe them, and he did the best he could. When he wentback he glanced somewhat sheepishly at Mrs. Hunt as he put theremains of the soap back on the shelf, and again took up the baby. Nansmiled at him but she made no remark, and tried not to look at hisjacket.
After he had gone Mrs. Hunt asked, thoughtfully, "How long have youknown that boy, Nan?"
"I never saw him until yesterday," answered the girl. "He was good tome then."
"Yes, I know, an' of course you don't want to forget that, but, Nan,I'm afraid he's a bad boy. Dick says he is. He says he lies andsteals and swears. I guess you don't want to have much to do withhim."
Nan looked troubled. She answered, slowly,
"I guess he hasn't had much of a chance, Mrs. Hunt. He can't rememberanything about his father and mother, and he says he's never had anyhome except the street. Do you s'pose 'twill hurt for him to come heresometimes to see Little Brother? 'Seems as if it might help him to bea better boy. He likes Little Brother."
For a moment Mrs. Hunt was silent. She was thinking how hard she triedto bring up her children to be good boys and girls, and yet they werenot always good. She wondered what kind of a boy her Dick would havebeen if he, like Tode, had had no home and no one to keep him fromevil ways.
"If that's so, there's some excuse for him," she said, in response toNan's plea for Tode.
"P'raps 'twill help him somehow if he gets to carin' for that innocentbaby, an' I don't mind his comin' here sometimes, only be careful thatyou don't learn any evil from him, my dear," and she leaned over andkissed the girl's cheek.
"Oh, Mrs. Hunt, I _must_ be good always, you know, for LittleBrother's sake. I can't ever forget or break my promise to mother,"Nan answered, earnestly. And Mrs. Hunt, as she saw the solemn look inthe dark eyes uplifted to her own, felt that she need not worry aboutNan and Tode.
Bishop's Shadow Page 2