Languidly Mrs. Pomeroy examined this and that in an uninterested way, and all the time Pat was paying the closest attention, trying to discover just what she wanted. His heart was beating fast. If only he could make a sale, what might it not mean to him?
"Here is a pattern for a street dress, madam." Pat"s voice was musical, and his manner most respectful. Mrs. Pomeroy felt interested and attracted at once. She looked on while Pat drew out the dress pattern from its box, displaying to advantage its soft coloring and fine texture.
Mrs. Pomeroy put her head on one side and regarded it through half-shut eyes.
"The only pattern of exactly its sort and color," said the persuasive voice of Pat. He had learned from the other clerks that this was a great recommendation to a piece of goods and helped to sell it.
Mrs. Pomeroy reflected.
She asked the price and reflected again, and all the time she noticed that Pat"s interest was real and not simulated; that he was doing his best to please her. She liked the goods, but not better than a pattern she had seen at Wall"s. But Wall"s clerks were inattentive and indifferent. They had an air that said "There are the goods. Buy "em or leave "em. "Tis nothing to us."
She was thinking of this as well as of the dress goods before her and finally she said, "You may wrap the pattern up. I will take it."
Then did Pat"s eyes dance with delight, and he thought of his mother.
But it was only a glancing thought, for in a second he was saying: "Mr.
Farnham has gloves to match."
"I will look at them."
To look was to buy when Pat was salesman, and, in a few moments, the happiest clerk in the store, Pat walked modestly back to his own place.
"Well done, Pat!" exclaimed Mr. Farnham, going up to him. "I wish you would keep an eye on the dress counter, and, whenever another clerk is needed, attend there."
"I will, sir," answered Pat gratefully.
Three times more was Pat needed before the day closed, and every time he made a good sale.
As usual Mrs. O"Callaghan was waiting alone for Pat. She was extremely tired and almost despondent. For to earn what she could and keep her sons up to the mark she had set for them was a great strain on her. And she missed her husband. More and more she missed him. "Ah, Tim!" she cried, ""twas a great thing you done for me when you taught our b"ys that moind me they must and that without questions about it. Only for that I couldn"t do much with "em. And without you it"s hard enough, so it is. I hain"t never laid finger on wan of "em, and I won"t nayther, for sure they"re not beasts but b"ys. I mistrust my hardest toimes are ahead of me. Pat and Moike and Andy don"t trouble me none. Sure and a bloind man can see them three is all roight. But Jim and Barney and Tommie and Larry now--how can I be tellin" what"s comin" of them? And I can"t set the big b"ys over "em only to take care of "em loike, for sure b"ys as are worth anything won"t be bossed by their big brothers. They sees the unfairness of it."
And then intruding upon her thoughts came a boy"s merry whistle; a whistle that told of a heart where happiness was bubbling up and overflowing, and the whistling came nearer and nearer.
"Whativer do be makin" Pat come home with a tune loike that?" she asked.
And she half rose as Pat"s hand opened the door and the tall young fellow stepped in. The tiny lamp was very bright, and in its light the boy"s eyes were brilliant.
"Well, Pat!" exclaimed his mother. "The lamp"s but a poor match for your eyes to-night. You"ve got news for me. What is it?"
And Pat told with an eager tongue how, at last, he had a chance to attend at the dress counter when the two regular clerks there were busy and another one was needed.
The widow was silent a moment. It was not quite what she had hoped to hear, knowing her Pat as she did, but she was determined to keep her son"s courage up. So she said, "Well, then, if you"ve got so far, it rests with yoursilf to go farther. "Tis a blessed thing that there are such a many things in this world a-restin" on a body"s lone silf. But there"s them that niver foinds it out, and that goes about layin" their own blame here, there and yon."
Pat"s elation lasted him overnight and even well on into the next day.
And that day was more wonderful than the one before it. For, about the middle of the forenoon, General Brady came into the store and walked back to Mr. Farnham"s desk, giving Pat a smile and a bow as he pa.s.sed him, and receiving in return an affectionate look. The one evening a week with the General had not served to diminish the boy"s fondness for him, but it had served to make Pat a greater favorite than ever with the old soldier.
"Mr. Farnham," said the General, after a few pleasant words had been exchanged, "Mr. Wall offers thirty dollars a month for Pat. Do you wish to keep him?"
"I suppose I shall have to come up to Wall"s offer if I do?"
"Exactly," was the response with a smile. The General was delighted with Pat"s success, and he could not help showing it.
"Pat is getting himself a reputation among your customers," he remarked pleasantly.
"Frankly, General," replied Mr. Farnham, "he"s the best boy I ever had.
He shall have his thirty dollars."
If the whistle was merry the night before, it was mad with joy on that Wednesday evening.
"Pat! Pat! what ails you?" cried his mother as the boy came bounding in with a shout and a toss of his cap. "You"ll be wakin" your brothers."
"I"d like to wake "em, mother," was the jubilant answer. "I"ve got news that"s worth wakin" "em for."
"And what is it?" was the eager question.
"Well, mother, then it"s this. I"m to have thirty dollars a month and to stay at the dress counter."
"Pat! Pat!" exclaimed the little woman, excited in her turn. "It"s forty years old I am, and sure and I know better than to be wakin" b"ys out of their slape jist to be hearin" a bit of news. But I"m goin" to wake "em.
They shall be knowin" this night what comes to a b"y that does his best when he"s got Gineral Brady to back him. And would Gineral Brady back you if you didn"t desarve it? That he wouldn"t. I ain"t heard nothin" of his backin" up street loafers nor any sort of shiftless b"ys."
The boys were wakened, and a difficult task it was. But when, at last, they were all thoroughly roused and were made to understand that there was no fire, nor any uproar in the streets, nor a train off the track, they stared about them wonderingly. And when they had been told of Pat"s good fortune, "Is _that_ all?" asked jealous little Jim, and down went his red head on the pillow, and shut went his eyes in a twinkling.
Barney and Tommie, who knew not the value of money, gazed solemnly at their mother and Pat, and then into each other"s eyes and composedly laid themselves down to renewed slumber. And Larry howled till the windows rattled, for Larry was a strong child for his years, and never before had he been waked up in the night. But Andy sat up in bed and clasped his brother"s hand in both his while his face showed his delight.
And then something happened to Andy. His mother, disgusted at the conduct of the little boys, put her arm around his neck and kissed him.
"It"s a jewel you are, Andy," she said, "with good understandin" in you.
You"ll be wakin" up Pat in the noight some day."
"Huh!" thought jealous little Jim, who was only feigning sleep.
"Now, mother," said Pat when the tiny lamp stood once more on the kitchen table, and the two sat beside the stove, "will you give up two of your wash places?"
"Not I, Pat dear. With six of us, not countin" you and not countin"
Moike, who cares for himsilf, we need all the money we can honestly get."
"Only one, then, mother; only one. My good luck is no comfort to me if I can"t think of your getting a day"s rest every week out of it."
The widow regarded him earnestly. She saw how her refusal would pain him and she yielded. "Well, then," she said, "wan place, Pat dear, I"ll give up. And it"ll be Wednesday, because "twas on a Wednesday that your luck come to you."
Another month went by and the holiday trade was over. Nevertheless the amount of custom at Mr. Farnham"s did not diminish much. Ladies who went out on looking tours, if they began at Farnham"s ended there by purchasing. If they stopped first at Wall"s they went on to Farnham"s and bought there. Mr. Wall was not blind. And so, one day General Brady walked into Mr. Farnham"s store and back to his desk again.
"Another rise?" asked the merchant laughingly.
"Something of the sort," was the rejoinder. "Mr. Wall offers forty dollars a month for Pat."
"He doesn"t take him though," was the significant answer.
The General laughed. "I see you appreciate him," he said.
"Well, to tell the truth, General, I know my right hand man when I see him, and Pat O"Callaghan is his name. I only wish there were two of him."
The General"s face grew thoughtful. "There may be," he said at length.