"To get square with you, Marsh, will be worth something, and frankly, I ain"t sure that I ever expected to see any of that money, but as long as you stood my friend I was disposed to be easy on you."
"I am still your friend."
"Just about so-so, but you won"t keep Moxlow--"
"I can"t!"
"Then I can"t see where your friendship comes in." Gilmore quitted his chair.
"Wait, Andy!" said Langham hastily.
"No use of any more talk, Marsh, I want my money! Go dig it up."
"Suppose, by straining every nerve, I can raise five hundred dollars by the end of the month--"
"Oh, pay your grocer with that!"
Langham choked down his rage. "You haven"t always been so contemptuous of such sums."
"I"m feeling proud to-day, Marsh. I"m going to treat myself to a few airs, and you can pat yourself on the back when you"ve dug up the money by the end of the month! You"ll have done something to feel proud of, too."
"Suppose we say a thousand," urged Langham.
"Good old Marsh! If you keep on raising yourself like this you"ll soon get to a figure where we can talk business!" Gilmore laughed.
"Perhaps I can raise a thousand dollars. I don"t know why I should think I can, but I"m willing to try; I"m willing to say I"ll try--"
Gilmore shook his head.
"I"ve told you what you got to do, Marsh, and I mean every d.a.m.n word I say,--understand that? I"m going to have my money or I"m going to have the fun of smashing you."
"Listen to me, Andy!" began Langham desperately.
"Why take me into your confidence?" asked the gambler coldly.
"What will you gain by ruining me?" repeated Langham fiercely.
The gambler only grinned.
"I am always willing to spend money on my pleasures; and besides when those notes turn up, your father or some one else will have to come across."
Langham was silent. He was staring out across the empty snow-strewn Square at the lights in Archibald McBride"s windows.
"Remember," said Gilmore, moving toward the door. "I"ll talk to you when you got two thousand dollars."
"d.a.m.n you, where do you think I"ll get it?" cried Langham.
"I"m not good at guessing," laughed Gilmore.
He turned without another word or look and left the room. His footsteps echoed loudly in the hall and on the stairs, and then there was silence in the building. Langham was again looking out across the Square at the lights in Archibald McBride"s windows.
CHAPTER FOUR
ADVENTURE IN EARNEST
Mr. Shrimplin had made his way through a number of back streets without adventure of any sort, and as the night and the storm closed swiftly in about him, the shapes of himself, his cart and of wild Bill disappeared, and there remained to mark his progress only the hissing sputtering flame, that flared spectrally six feet in air as the little lamplighter drove in and out of shabby unfrequented streets and alleys.
It had grown steadily colder with the approach of night, and the wind had risen. The streets seemed deserted, and Mr. Shrimplin being as he was of a somewhat fanciful turn of mind, could almost imagine himself and Bill the only living things astir in all the town.
He reached Water Street, the western boundary of that part of Mount Hope known as the flats. He jogged past Maxy Schaffer"s Railroad Hotel at the corner of Front Street, which flung the wicked radiance of its bar-room windows along the shining railroad track where it crossed the creek on the new iron bridge; and keeping on down Water Street with its smoky tenements, entered an outlying district where the lamps were far apart and where red and blue and green switch lights blinked at him out of the storm.
It was nearly six o"clock when he at last wheeled into the Square; here only three gasolene burners--survivors of the old regime--held their own against the fast encroaching gas-lamp.
He lighted the one in Division Street and was ready to turn and traverse the north side of the Square to the second lamp which stood a block away at the corner of High Street. He was drawing Bill"s head about--Bill being smitten with a sudden desire to go directly home leaving the night"s work unfinished--when the m.u.f.fled figure of a man appeared in the street in front of him. The inch or more of snow that now covered the pavement had deadened the sound of his steps, while the eddying flakes had made possible his near approach unseen. As he came rapidly into the red glare of Mr. Shrimplin"s hissing torch that hero was exceeding well pleased to recognize a friendly face.
"How are you, Mr. North!" he said, and John North halted suddenly.
"Oh, it"s you, Shrimp! A nasty night, isn"t it?"
"It"s the suffering human limit!" rejoined Mr. Shrimplin with feeling.
As he spoke the town bell rang the hour; unconsciously, perhaps, the two men paused until the last reverberating stroke had spent itself in the snowy distance.
"Six o"clock," observed Mr. Shrimplin.
"Good night, Shrimp," replied North irrelevantly.
He turned away and an instant later was engulfed in the wintry night.
Having at last pointed Bill"s head in the right direction Mr. Shrimplin drove that trusty beast up to the lamp-post on the corner of High Street, when suddenly and for no apparent reason Bill settled back in the shafts and exhibited unmistakable, though humiliating symptoms of fright.
"Go on, you!" cried Mr. Shrimplin, slapping bravely with both the lines, but his voice was far from steady, for suppose Bill should abandon the rect.i.tude of a lifetime and begin to kick.
"Go on, you!" repeated Mr. Shrimplin and slapped the lines again, but less vigorously, for by this time Bill was unquestionably backing away from the curb.
"Be done! Be done!" expostulated Mr. Shrimplin, but he gave over slapping the lines, for why irritate Bill in his present uncertain mood?
"Want I should get out and lead you?" asked Mr. Shrimplin, putting aside with one hand the blankets in which he was wrapped. "You"re a game old codger, ain"t you? I guess you ain"t aware you"ve growed up!"
While he was still speaking he slipped to the ground and worked his way hand over hand up the lines to Bill"s bit. Bill was now comfortably located on his haunches, but evidently still dissatisfied for he continued to back vigorously, drawing the protesting little lamplighter after him. When he had put perhaps twenty feet between himself and the lamp-post Bill achieved his usual upright att.i.tude and his countenance a.s.sumed its habitual contemplative expression, the haunted look faded from his sagacious eye and his flaming nostrils resumed their normal benevolent expression. Taking note of these swift changes, it occurred to Mr. Shrimplin that rather than risk a repet.i.tion of his recent experience he would so far sacrifice his official dignity as to go on foot to the lamp-post. Bill would probably stand where he was, indefinitely, standing being one of his most valued accomplishments. The lamplighter took up his torch which he had put aside in the struggle with Bill and walked to the curb.
And here Mr. Shrimplin noticed that which had not before caught his attention. McBride"s store was apparently open, for the bracketed oil lamps that hung at regular intervals the full length of the long narrow room, were all alight.
Mr. Shrimplin, whose moods were likely to be critical and censorious, realized that there was something personally offensive in the fact that Archibald McBride had chosen to disregard a holiday which his fellow-merchants had so very generally observed.
"And him, I may say, just rotten rich!" he thought.