Terry's Trials and Triumphs Part 12

He pa.s.sed and repa.s.sed the entrance to the alley several times before he could make up his mind to enter its forbidding gloom. But at last, saying to himself, "Ah! what's the use of foolin' like this? Here goes," he pushed in with quickened pace until he was within ten yards of the tenement house, when his progress was suddenly arrested by a familiar voice falling upon his ear. It was saying, in tones of despairing grief,--

"No, no, Mrs. O'Rafferty, I'll never see his face again. He's gone off in one of those American ships, believe me, and he'll be kilt or drownded or something by this time."

This was too much for Terry. Darting forward, he sprang upon his mother with a suddenness that would have startled a far less excitable person, and clasping her tight about the neck, cried,--

"I'm nayther kilt nor drownded, mother darlin', but as well as I ever was. See if I'm not."

Poor Mrs. Ahearn! The shock was really more than she could stand, and she fainted dead away on the door-step, with Terry and Mrs. O'Rafferty doing their best to hold her up.

But she soon regained her senses, and then ensued a scene of rejoicing such as only a crowd of warm-hearted Irish folk could accomplish.

Terry was violently kissed by the women and clapped on the back by the men, and pulled this way and that way by the boys, until there was hardly any breath left in his body: and he was mighty glad at last to escape with his mother up to their own room, where they could have a quiet talk together.

A happy pair were they that night, and when Black Mike came in from his tavern it fortunately happened that he was in one of his rare amiable moods, and greeted his returned son with a show of affection that filled the others' cup of joy to the full.

It was only natural that Terry should feel considerable nervousness in regard to appearing at Drummond and Brown's, and this would have been greater still but for his timely encounter with Mr. Hobart, who would therefore be ready to make the way easy for him.

As it happened, the first one he encountered on entering the office was Morley, who of course knew nothing of his return, and who had been cherishing in his envious heart the hope that he might never see him again. He made no attempt to disguise his disappointment.

"Humph!" he grunted. "Back again like a bad penny," and turning his back on him went into another part of the office.

This was pretty hard for Terry to bear, particularly in view of his sensitive state of mind; but by a great effort he controlled himself, and kept back the hot words that rose to his lips. He had learned a better way than to return evil for evil since he last saw Morley, and he was resolved to live up to it.

The next person he saw was Mr. Hobart, who welcomed him warmly, and then put him at his ease while the other clerks crowded round with questions, some asking merely for chaff, and others in genuine interest.

Terry bore the ordeal very well indeed, but felt quite relieved when it came to an end and the clerks all took up their work for the day, leaving him to await Mr. Drummond's arrival.

When he came down, and sent for Terry, the boy went before him with a beating heart. Although the fear of being thought guilty of stealing the money was gone, still there were the neglect of duty and the foolish running away from the consequences to be judged for; and he knew that, kind as Mr. Drummond had been, he was no less just than kind.

But he did not know that Mr. Hobart had been at Mr. Drummond's house the previous evening and told him Terry's story, and that therefore the old gentleman was ready to receive him, not with stern words of condemnation, but with kind words of encouragement.

Yet Mr. Drummond liked his joke, and when Terry presented himself before him, trembling and blushing, he a.s.sumed an air of great gravity, and said in his most impressive tone,--

"Well, sir, you've come back, I see; and now, what have you to say for yourself?"

With br.i.m.m.i.n.g eyes and quivering lips, Terry began to express his penitence, but had not got very far when Mr. Drummond's countenance relaxed, and smiling pleasantly he held out his hand, saying,--

"You needn't mind, Terry; I know all about it already. Mr. Hobart told me last night. Just tell me some of the things you saw in the United States."

And in this way the much-dreaded interview pa.s.sed off, with the result that at the close Terry felt himself fully restored to his former standing in the office, and able to hold up his head once more among his fellow-clerks.

He did not take long to settle down to work again. He was full of desire to atone for his errors, and gave his whole attention to whatever was a.s.signed him, bringing the whole strength of his really unusual if untrained mental powers to bear upon the task in hand as he had never done before.

As a natural consequence, he rapidly grew in favour with his superiors, and had many an encouraging smile from Mr. Drummond, who heard good reports of him from time to time. One especially welcome outcome of this improved state of affairs was that Morley's malice received such a snubbing on all sides that he positively had to hold his bitter tongue and leave Terry in peace, to the great relief of the latter, who now had smooth going in every way, and was as happy a boy as walked the streets of Halifax.

It was quite a week after his return before he heard anything more of Captain Afleck, and then there came a letter from him at Boston to the firm inquiring if they knew anything about Terry, as he had been searching all over the city for him, but could find no trace of him whatever.

Terry was considerably amused when this was told him, and with the aid of Mr. Hobart concocted quite a humorous reply, in which he poked fun at the captain for not knowing how to take care of himself. In response to this the captain wrote expressing his relief at learning that Terry was back in his place, and stating that now his mind was at rest about him he would remain in Boston to complete his claim against the insurance company, so that Halifax would not be likely to see him for some little time.

One thing that gave Terry increasing concern was the squalor of their abode in Blind Alley. With the help of his wages much better quarters could be obtained; but Black Mike would not stir, and of course Mrs.

Ahearn would not leave him, shamefully as he treated her. So Terry had perforce to be patient, awaiting the time when his father's mind might change, or some other way out of the difficulty be found.

Matters had been going on in this pleasant fashion for a month or so, when one afternoon in the early autumn the whole establishment of Drummond and Brown, from the grave old partners down to Terry, was thrown into a state of excitement by the news coming down from the signal-station on the citadel that a blockade-runner had been chased right to the mouth of the harbour, and was now steaming up at a tremendous rate with all her flags flying in token of her fortunate escape.

Long Wharf was quickly crowded with eager sightseers, and presently the beautiful vessel came into view, the white foam curling back from her sharp bow as she ploughed a deep furrow through the yielding water.

Coming off the wharf she slowed up, described a graceful semicircle, and then glided smoothly into dock amid the cheers of the a.s.sembled people, who were always glad to welcome a blockade-runner from motives of interest no less than of sympathy.

Hearty responses came from the deck of the blockade-runner, which was no other than the famous _Colonel Lamb_--the largest, costliest, and swiftest of the whole fleet engaged in that dangerous work. She had brought her cargo of cotton through many perils, and great would be the profit of those interested in the venture.

While the people were fraternizing with the crew, and asking them a thousand questions about their run, the captain of the blockade-runner came off, accompanied by his first officer, who bore a black bag evidently filled with something heavy; and after greetings had been exchanged with Mr. Drummond and Mr. Brown, the four men went on up to the office.

Mr. Hobart, noticing this, called to Terry, who stood near him, watching all that was going on with deep interest, and thinking of the rebel steamers of a very different type that he had seen in Hampton Roads, "Come along, Terry; we may be wanted at the office." And so they two followed.

At the office the four gentlemen had been closeted for nearly an hour, when Mr. Hobart was called in to receive some instructions with reference to the disposition of the black bag. But just as Mr.

Drummond was about to give them, a shout of "Fire" came suddenly up from the wharf, and there was a rush of men towards the end of the line of warehouses.

Now, it chanced that in one of the warehouses was stored a quant.i.ty of powder awaiting shipment on the blockade-runner, and at the thought of this danger, Mr. Drummond, springing up in great alarm, thrust the bag into his desk, locked it up, and directing Mr. Hobart to remain in the office, hurried out, followed by the other three.

The fire proved to be rather a serious one, which took a couple of hours to entirely master, but happily it did not reach the building where the powder was stored. When the peril had altogether pa.s.sed, and Mr. Drummond, very much wearied by the excitement and exertion, returned to the office, it was long beyond the usual time for closing; so, ordering a cab, he drove off home without another thought in regard to the black bag, which, in view of its contents, ought to have been locked up in the safe.

From his place in the outer office, Terry had got a glimpse of the bag, and of how it had been put away, and in the talk he had with his mother every night before going to bed he told her about it.

"Faith and it looked as if it might have a heap of money in it," he concluded; "those great big gold pieces you know, mother, good for twenty dollars every one of them, like them blockade-runners have in their pockets. Man dear, but they are beauties!" and his eyes opened wide with admiration and longing.

As he finished speaking, a movement at the door behind the two rooms caused him to turn round, and he saw his father, whom he had supposed to be sound asleep in the other room, standing in the doorway with a strange look in his eyes that Terry recalled afterwards with a sharp thrill of apprehension. Evidently Black Mike had been listening to the talk, and understood its purport. He made no remark, however, but after standing there in silence for a moment, wheeled about and went back to bed.

The next morning, shortly after Mr. Drummond's arrival at the office, there were indications of some unusual occurrence having taken place.

The partners were seen to be in anxious consultation, and presently Mr.

Hobart was called in to their sanctum. He came out shortly with a very troubled countenance, and Terry ventured to inquire,--

"Is there anything the matter, Mr. Hobart?"

"I should say there was something the matter," was the reply. "Mr.

Drummond's desk has been broken open, and that black bag which was full of gold has been stolen."

CHAPTER XI.

IN A STRAIT BETWIXT TWO.

Amid the anxious bustle that filled the office Terry sat at his desk with strange and perplexing thoughts coursing through his brain. He had seen the bag just for one moment as Mr. Drummond was hastily throwing it into his desk. So far as he knew, only Mr. Hobart and himself, of the office staff, had any knowledge of its existence. That Mr. Hobart should have taken it was a notion so absurd that his mind refused to entertain it for an instant. His kind friend was to him the incarnation of every human virtue, and Terry would have resented hotly the insinuation that he could possibly be guilty of any such wrong-doing.

Who, then, could be the thief? As he looked about the office, glancing from one to the other of the countenances of the clerks, all of whom, laying aside their work for the time, were exchanging conjectures as to how the robbery had been managed, his eyes seemed drawn irresistibly towards Morley.

The latter was not at his own desk, but stood near the window looking out, as though not particularly interested in the earnest discussion, yet every now and then he gave a glance towards the group which showed that he was listening intently to all they said.

It was his expression when he did this which impressed Terry. It had a blending of anxiety, bravado, and cunning triumph that could not fail to provoke curiosity, if not to arouse suspicion, in so keen an observer.