CHAPTER XVII
SURPRISES
During the next few days tidings of the Melton disaster proved thetruth of Mr. Hazen's charitable suppositions, for it was definitelylearned that the calamity which befell the village came entirelywithout warning, and as the main part of the town was wiped out almostcompletely and the river front destroyed, all communication between theunfortunate settlement and the outside world had been cut off so thatto send warnings to the communities below had been impossible.Considering the enormity of the catastrophe, it was miraculous thatthere had not been greater loss of life and wider spread devastation.
A week of demoralization all along the river followed the tragedy; butafter the bulk of wreckage was cleared away and the stream had droppedto normal, the Fernalds actually began to congratulate themselves onthe direful event.
"Well, the thing has not been all to the bad, by any means," commentedGrandfather Fernald. "We have at least got rid of those unsightlytenements bordering the water which were such a blot on Freeman'sFalls; and once gone, I do not mean to allow them ever to be put backagain. I have bought up the land and shall use it as the site of thenew granite bridge I intend to build across the stream. And in case Ihave more land than is needed for this purpose, the extra area can beused for a park which will be an ornament to the spot rather than aneyesore. Therefore, take it altogether, I consider that freshet acapital thing."
He glanced at Ted who chanced to be standing near by.
"I suppose you, my lad, do not entirely agree with me," added he, atwinkle gleaming beneath his shaggy brows. "You are thinking of thatplayhouse of yours and Laurie's that was carried off by the deluge."
"I am afraid I was, sir."
"Pooh! Nonsense!" blustered the old gentleman. "What's a thing likethat? Besides, Laurie's father proposes to rebuild it for you. Hasn'the told you?" questioned the man, noticing the surprise in the boy'sface. "Oh, yes, indeed! He is going to put up another house for you;and judging from his plans, you will find yourself far better off thanyou were in the first place for this time he is to give you a realcottage, not simply a made-over boathouse. Yes, there is to be runningwater; a bedroom, study, and kitchenette; to say nothing of a bath andsteam heat. He plans to connect it by piping with the central heatingplant. So you see you will have a regular housekeeping bungalow insteadof a camp."
Ted gasped.
"But--but--I can't let Mr. Fernald do all this for me," he protested."It's--it's--too much."
"I shouldn't worry about him, if I were you," smiled the elder man. "Itwon't scrimp him, I imagine. Furthermore, it will be an excellentinvestment, for should the time ever come when you did not need thehouse it could be rented to one of our tenants. He is to put afoundation under it this time and build it more solidly; and possiblyhe may decide to set it a trifle farther back from the water. In anycase, he will see that it is right; you can trust him for that. It willnot be carried away a second time."
"I certainly hope not," Ted agreed. "What a pity it was they did nothave some way of notifying us from Melton! If they had only had awireless apparatus----" he broke off thoughtfully.
"I doubt if all the wireless in the world could have saved your littlehut," answered Mr. Fernald kindly. "It was nothing but a pasteboardhouse and wireless or no wireless it would have gone anyway. I oftenspeculate as to how ships ever dared to go to sea before they had theprotection of wireless communication. Ignorance was bliss, I suppose.They knew nothing about it and therefore did not miss it. When we canboast no better way we are satisfied with the old. But think of theshipwrecks and accidents that might have been averted! You will bestudying about all this some day when you go to Technology or college."
Ted's face lighted at the words.
"You have all been so kind to me, Mr. Fernald," he murmured. "When Ithink of your sending me to college it almost bowls me over."
"You must never look upon it as an obligation, my boy," the oldgentleman declared. "If there is any obligation at all (and there is avery real one) it is ours. The only obligation you have will be to dowell at your studies and make us proud of you, and that you are doingall the time. Mr. Hazen tells me you are showing splendid progress. Ihope by another week Laurie will be out of the woods, Pine Lea will befumigated, and you can resume your former way of living there withoutfurther interruptions from floods and illness. Still, I shall be sorryto have your little visit at Aldercliffe come to an end. You seem tohave grown into the ways of the whole family and to fit in wherever youfind yourself."
Mr. Fernald smiled affectionately at the lad.
"There is something that has been on my tongue's end to whisper to youfor some time," he went on, after a brief interval of hesitancy. "Iknow you can keep a secret and so I mean to tell you one. In the springwe are going to take Laurie over to New York to see a very celebratedsurgeon who is coming from Vienna to this country. We hear he has hadgreat success with cases such as Laurie's and we hope he may be able todo something for the boy. Of course, no one knows this as yet, not evenLaurie himself."
"Oh, Mr. Fernald! Do you mean there would be a chance that Laurie couldwalk sometime?" Ted cried.
The old man looked into the young and shining face and nervouslybrushed the back of his hand across his eyes.
"Perhaps; perhaps!" responded he gruffly. "Who can tell? This doctorhas certainly performed some marvelous cures. Who knows but the lad maysome day not only walk about, but leap and run as you do!"
"Oh, sir--!"
"But we must not be too sure or allow ourselves to be swept away byhope," cautioned Grandfather Fernald. "No one knows what can be doneyet and we might be disappointed--sadly disappointed. Still, there isno denying that there is a fighting chance. But keep this to yourself,Ted. I must trust you to do that. If Laurie were to know anything aboutit, it would be very unfortunate, for the ordeal will mean both painand suffering for him and he must not be worried about it in advance.He will need all his nerve and courage when the time for action comes.Moreover, we feel it would be cruel for him to glimpse such a visionand then find it only a mirage. So we have told him nothing. But I havetold you because you are fond of him and I wanted you to share thesecret."
"It shall remain a secret, Mr. Fernald."
"I feel sure of that," the man replied. "You are a good boy, Ted. Itwas a lucky day that brought you to Pine Lea."
"A lucky one for me, sir!"
"For all of us, son! For all of us!" reiterated the old gentleman. "Theyear of your coming here will be one we never shall forget. It has beenvery eventful."
Certainly the final comment was no idle one. Not only had the year beena red-letter one but it was destined to prove even more conspicuouslymemorable. With the spring the plans for the new village went rapidlyforward and soon pretty little concrete houses with roofs of scarletand trimmings of green dotted the slopes on the opposite side of theriver. The laying out and building of this community became GrandfatherFernald's recreation and delight. Morning, noon, and evening he couldbe seen either perusing curling sheets of blue prints, consorting withhis architects, or rolling off in his car to inspect the progress ofthe venture. Sometimes he took Ted with him, sometimes his son, andwhen Laurie was strong enough, the entire family frequently made thepilgrimage to the new settlement.
It was very attractive, there was no denying that; and it seemed as ifnothing that could give pleasure to its future residents had beenomitted. The tiny library had been Laurie's pet scheme, and not onlyhad his grandfather eagerly carried out the boy's own plans but he hadproudly ordered the lad's name to be chiselled across the front of thebuilding. Ted's plea had been for a playground and this request hadalso been granted, since it appeared to be a wise one. It was awonderful playground, bordering on the river and having swings and sandboxes for the children; seats for tired mothers; and a large ball-fieldwith bleachers for the men and boys. The inhabitants of Freeman's Fallshad never dreamed of such an ideal realm in which to live, and astidings of the paradise went forth, strangers began to flock in
to townin the hope of securing work in the mills and homes in the newsettlement.
The Fernalds, however, soon made it plain that the preference was to begiven to their old employees who had served them well and faithfullyfor so many years. Therefore, as fast as the houses were completed,they were assigned to those who had been longest in the company'semploy and soon the streets of the new village were no longer silentbut teemed with life and the laughter of a happy people. And amongthose for whom a charming little abode was reserved were the Turners,Ted's family.
Then came the tearing down of the temporary bridge of wood and theopening of the beautiful stone structure that arched the stream. Ah,what a holiday that was! The mills were closed, there was a bandconcert in the little park, dedication exercises, and fireworks in theevening. And great was Ted's surprise when he spied cut in the stonethe words "Turner's Bridge!" Near the entrance was a modest bronzetablet stating that the memorial had been constructed in honor ofTheodore Turner who, by his forethought in giving warning of thefreshet of 1912 had saved the village of Freeman's Falls frominestimable calamity.
How the boy blushed when Mr. Lawrence Fernald mentioned him by name inthe dedication speech! And yet he was pleased, too. And how the peoplecheered; and how proud his father and sisters were! Perhaps, however,the most delighted person of all was Laurie who had been in the secretall along and who now smiled radiantly to see his friend so honored.
"The townspeople may not go to my library," he laughed, "but every oneof them will use your bridge. They will have to; they can't help it!"
The thought seemed to amuse him vastly and he always referred to theexquisite granite structure with its triple arch and richly carvedpiers of stone as _Ted's Bridge_.
Thus did the year with its varied experiences slip by and when Junecame the Fernalds carried Laurie to New York to consult the muchheralded Viennese surgeon. Ah, those were feverish, anxious days, notonly for the Fernald family but for Ted and Mr. Hazen as well. The boyand the tutor had remained at Pine Lea there to continue their studiesand await the tidings Laurie's father had promised to send them; andwhen the ominous yellow telegrams with their momentous messages beganto arrive, they hardly knew whether to greet them with sorrow orrejoicing.
They need not, however, have dreaded the news for after carefulexamination the eminent specialist had decided to take a singledesperate chance and operate with the hope of success. Laurie, theywere told, was a monument of courage and had the spirit of a Spartan.Unquestionably he merited the good luck that followed for fortune didreward his heroism,--smiling fortune. Of course, the miracle of healthcould not come all in a moment; months of convalescence must followwhich would be unavoidably tedious with suffering. But beyond this aridstretch of pain lay the goal of recovery.
No lips could tell what this knowledge meant to those who loved theboy. In time he was to be as strong as any one! It was unbelievable.Nevertheless, the roseate promise was no dream. Laurie was brought hometo Pine Lea and immediately the mending process began. Already onecould read in the patient face the transformation hope had wrought.There was some day to be college, not alone for Ted but for Lauriehimself,--college, and sports, and a career.
In the fullness of time these long-anticipated joys began to arrive.Health made its appearance and at its heels trouped success andhappiness; and to balance them came gratitude, humility, and service.In the meantime, with every lengthening year, the friendship betweenLaurie and Ted toughened in fiber and became a closer bond. And it wasnot engineering or electricity that ultimately claimed the constructiveinterest of the two comrades but instead the Fernald mills, which uponGrandfather Fernald's retirement called for younger men at their helm.So after going forth into the great world and whetting the weapons oftheir intellect they found the dragon they had planned to slay waitingfor them at home in Freeman's Falls. Yet notwithstanding its familiarenvironment, it was a very real dragon and resolutely the two young menattacked it, putting into their management of the extensive industryall the spirit of brotherhood that burned in their hearts and all thedesire for service which they cherished. With the aim of bringing abouta kindlier cooeperation and fuller sympathy between capital and laborthey toiled, and the world to which they gave their efforts was thebetter for it.
Nevertheless, they did not entirely abandon their scientific interestsfor on the border of the river stood a tiny shack equipped with apowerful wireless apparatus. Here on a leisure afternoon Ted Turner andhis comrade could often be found capturing from the atmosphere thosemagic sounds that spelled the intercourse of peoples, and the thoughtof nations; and often they spoke of Alexander Graham Bell and thosepatient pioneers who, together with him, had made it possible for thespeech of man to traverse continents and circle a universe.
FINIS
Ted and the Telephone Page 18