and she says, 'No, I shan't leave him,' meanin' Robert Penfold, you understand-- When she says that did Robert Penfold say, 'That's the talk! Put that in your pipe, old man, and smoke it?' No, SIR, he didn't! He says, 'Helen, you go straight home along with your pa and work like fury till you find out who forged that note and laid it onto me.You find that out,' he says, 'and then you can come fetch me and not afore.' That's the kind of man HE was! And they sailed off and left him behind."Albert shook his head.He had heard only about half of the housekeeper's story."Pretty rough on him, I should say," he commented, absently.
"I GUESS 'twas rough on him, poor thing! But 'twas his duty and so he done it.It was rough on Helen, havin' to go and leave him, but 'twas rougher still on him.It's always roughest, seems to me,"she added, "on the ones that's left behind.Those that go have somethin' to take up their minds and keep 'em from thinkin' too much.The ones that stay to home don't have much to do EXCEPTthink.I hope you don't get the notion that I feel your part of it is easy, Al.Only a poor, crazy idiot could read the papers these days and feel that any part of this war was EASY! It's awful, but--but it WILL keep you too busy to think, maybe.""I shouldn't wonder, Rachel.I understand what you mean.""We're all goin' to miss you, Albert.This house is goin' to be a pretty lonesome place, I cal'late.Your grandma'll miss you dreadful and so will I, but--but I have a notion that your grandpa's goin' to miss you more'n anybody else."He shook his head."Oh, not as much as all that, Rachel," he said.
"He and I have been getting on much better than we used to and we have come to understand each other better, but he is still disappointed in me.I'm afraid I don't count for much as a business man, you see; and, besides, Grandfather can never quite forget that I am the son of what he calls a Portygee play actor."Mrs.Ellis looked at him earnestly."He's forgettin' it better every day, Albert," she said."I do declare I never believed Capt'n Lote Snow could forget it the way he's doin'.And you--well, you've forgot a whole lot, too.Memory's a good thing, the land knows," she added, sagely, "but a nice healthy forgetery is worth consider'ble--some times and in some cases."Issachar Price's comments on his fellow employee's decision to become a soldier were pointed.Issy was disgusted.
"For thunder sakes, Al," he demanded, "'tain't true that you've enlisted to go to war and fight them Germans, is it?"Albert smiled."I guess it is, Issy," he replied.
"Well, by crimus!"
"Somebody had to go, you see, Is."
"Well, by crimustee!"
"What's the matter, Issy? Don't you approve?""Approve! No, by crimus, I don't approve! I think it's a divil of a note, that's what I think.""Why?"
"WHY? Who's goin' to do the work in this office while you're gone?
Labe and me, that's who; and I'll do the heft of it.Slavin'
myself half to death as 'tis and now-- Oh, by crimustee! This war is a darned nuisance.It hadn't ought to be allowed.There'd ought to be a law against it."But of all the interviews which followed Albert's decision the most surprising and that which he was the least likely to forget was his interview with Laban Keeler.It took place on the evening of the third day following the announcement of his intention to enlist.
All that day, and indeed for several days, Albert had noted in the little bookkeeper certain symptoms, familiar symptoms they were and from experience the young man knew what they portended.Laban was very nervous, his fingers twitched as he wrote, occasionally he rose from his chair and walked up and down the room, he ran his hand through his scanty hair, he was inclined to be irritable--that is, irritable for him.Albert had noted the symptoms and was sorry.Captain Zelotes noted them and frowned and pulled his beard.
"Al," he said to his grandson, "if you can put off goin' up to enlist for a little spell, a few days, I wish you would.Labe's gettin' ready to go on one of his vacations."Albert nodded."I'm afraid he is," he said.
"Oh, it's as sartin as two and two makes four.I've lived with him too many years not to know the signs.And I did hope," he added, regretfully, "that maybe he was tryin' to break off.It's been a good long spell, an extry long spell, since he had his last spree.
Ah hum! it's a pity a good man should have that weak spot in him, ain't it? But if you could hang around a few more days, while the vacation's goin' on, I'd appreciate it, Al.I kind of hate to be left here alone with nobody but Issachar to lean on.Issy's a good deal like a post in some ways, especially in the makeup of his head, but he's too ricketty to lean on for any length of time."That evening Albert went to the post-office for the mail.On his way back as he passed the dark corner by the now closed and shuttered moving-picture theater he was hailed in a whisper.
"Al," said a voice, "Al."
Albert turned and peered into the deep shadow of the theater doorway.In the summer this doorway was a blaze of light and gaiety; now it was cold and bleak and black enough.From the shadow a small figure emerged on tiptoe.
"Al," whispered Mr.Keeler."That's you, ain't it? Yes, yes--yes, yes, yes--I thought 'twas, I thought so."Albert was surprised.For one thing it was most unusual to see the little bookkeeper abroad after nine-thirty.His usual evening procedure, when not on a vacation, was to call upon Rachel Ellis at the Snow place for an hour or so and then to return to his room over Simond's shoe store, which room he had occupied ever since the building was erected.
There he read, so people said, until eleven sharp, when his lamp was extinguished.During or at the beginning of the vacation periods he usually departed for some unknown destination, destinations which, apparently, varied.He had been seen, hopelessly intoxicated, in Bayport, in Ostable, in Boston, once in Providence.When he returned he never seemed to remember exactly where he had been.
And, as most people were fond of and pitied him, few questions were asked.
