Brooks Henderley

“ Several of the men who had stood around doing nothing, upon seeing what the two daring boys meant to attempt, called out to them. Some applauded their schemes, while others told them they were foolish, because the chances were they would not only fail to accomplish anything but lose their own lives in the bargain.
“Let them alone, can’t you?” shouted the shrill voice of Deacon Nocker. “They are ten times braver than any one of you cowards; and they will save Billy yet, I know they will—they must, I tell you! Go on, boys, and God bless you!” ”

“ If Nat counted on Mr. Holwell being a man of peace because he wore the garb of a minister, he made one of the greatest mistakes of his life. Those who knew the reverend gentleman better could have told him that for a man of his years he was as fine an athlete as could be found in that section of the country.
Harry Bartlett was now alongside Mr. Holwell. His face was white with indignation, and his eyes sparkled dangerously. Watching anxiously, Dick saw the minister suddenly turn toward the Y. M. C. A. leader, and nod his head. ”

“ Please Heaven, with this dear grandchild, love is going to enter into the scheme. This confession is the only poor expiation I can make to poor Amos.”
He suddenly seemed to remember the two boys, for turning to Dick he went on to say:
“What do I not owe you, Dick Horner, and Leslie Capes, for your gallant conduct in saving these dear ones from a cruel death? After this hour I shall see boys in a different light from the past. Oh! I have been blind and foolish, wilfully so, but the boys of Cliffwood will never have occasion to look upon Jed Nocker as their enemy after this. I am a changed man.” ”

“ Uncle Silas pretended to be quite disappointed because he too had not been remembered.
“Seems like I’m the only one left out in the cold,” he laughed, merrily. “But then I’m a newcomer here, and haven’t any right to expect much. Perhaps if I hung up my stocking tonight, like we used to do when we were youngsters, Polly, old Santa Claus might take a notion to slip just a little remembrance in the same. Now, just for luck, let’s all do it. It brings back happy days to even speak of such a thing. And for once let’s forget trouble as though we were children again.” ”

“ Holwell exclaimed, joyously. “Like myself you believe in boys to the utmost.”
“Then tell me what it is you have been considering, sir,” urged Harry.
“A radical step in our service for young men and boys,” said the minister, with flashing eyes, and enthusiasm beaming from every feature of his rosy, healthy face. “It is nothing more or less than to start a junior organization in the Y. M. C. A., giving younger lads a chance to form a club, granting them the privileges of the gymnasium, the reading rooms, and admission to the lecture course as well. ”

“ But I give you plain warning that these scandalous goings-on are not to be tolerated any longer in a respectable town like Cliffwood. Better be going home and doing your chores. Loafing on street corners never gave any boy a lift in life; but it has helped many a lad to start to the penitentiary.”
[34] Then the worthy deacon walked on with his head lifted proudly, as though he really believed he had fulfilled his duty as a Christian in warning the boys of the rocks upon which they were drifting, even though he had not stretched out a helping hand to assist them. ”

“ Right now I’ve been thinking up a little scheme to give old Limpy Peters, the shoemaker, the scare of his life.”
“How’s that, Nat?” asked Dit Hennesy, as he invariably did when the other showed signs of having conjured up some scheme that promised to give them the selfish enjoyment felt by the boy who was stoning the frogs.
“I’ll tell you,” chuckled Nat, who seemed to be feeling particularly jolly on this occasion. “You know Limpy Peters lost his wife some years ago. He always goes to the graveyard on nights when there’s a full moon, and sits there a long time like a silly old fool. ”

“ Dick and Leslie exchanged glances at hearing [102] this fresh complaint about the pedantic librarian who seemed to think boys ought to be fed on heavy stuff from the time they were able to read their primers.
“Been knocking you again, has he, Dan?” demanded Leslie, frowning.
“Why, it’s getting so bad now,” said the other, angrily, “that a boy can’t ask for a single work of fiction but what Mr. Loft takes occasion to give him a long lecture on wasted opportunities. He says we ought to be cramming intelligence into our brains instead of fooling away our time with such trash as we ask for.” ”

“ Nat must have forgotten such lessons as he had learned on the football field, regarding the force and value of a “flying wedge,” for all of them came along in a string, each fellow for himself.
In that way it was easier for the two who were on the defensive to hold their ground. Both boys were fairly well versed in boxing, for athletics had always been a favorite amusement with them.
“That’s one for you!” snapped Dick, as he delivered a blow with all his might, that hurled the leading figure back several paces. ”

“ The vacant lot which Dick had in view was not far distant, so the seven boys out for Hallowe’en sport soon arrived there. Eager to hear what Nat had to say, the others clustered around the big fellow. As a rule the others rather preferred Nat’s room to his company.
“Here we are waiting for you to give us the particulars of your grand stunt, Nat,” remarked Dan, impatiently tugging at the other’s sleeve.
“Yes,” added Peg, “and the sooner you open up the quicker we can get busy; that is, of course, if we think it’s a good idea.” ”

“ Holwell was greatly pleased with the measure of success that seemed to have already followed his attempt to better conditions in Cliffwood. He knew, however, that there must be no slackening of the good work, or things would begin to go down hill again; for there was an invisible pulling against the new order of things, which might come from the lower elements of the town.
Every night as many as a score of boys could be seen either reading books or the latest magazines or engaged in playing dominoes, checkers or chess in the comfortable rooms of the Y. M. C. A. building. ”

“ Horner, from Uncle Silas,” explained Leslie, only too desirous of making immediate amends for all his base suspicions of the past. “He’s waited his time, and sprung the greatest surprise I ever heard of on you all. Bully for Uncle Silas, I say; he’s all right!”
“What’s this you’re saying about me?” asked a voice, and the wanderer appeared in view, his weather-beaten face wreathed in a broad smile of happiness and contentment. “They say listeners never hear any good of themselves. ”

“ If you leave school I’ll never have the heart to keep on to graduation time. You know how we planned to stick together through thick and thin. I’ll ask dad to let me start working, too, see if I don’t.”
“That would be silly of you,” Dick told him. “But let’s try to forget it all, for one more day. Time enough to bother when tomorrow comes.”
“What’s this I see!” exclaimed Leslie, humorously. “Five stockings hung up in a row; and here’s little Susie beginning to look into hers, after she’s done staring at the gay tree. What luck did you have, Dick?” ”

“ Leslie, curiously, for the newcomer was just then at the other side of the room talking with little Susie.
“Well, we somehow seemed to be attracted toward each other,” explained Dick. “I felt sorry for a man who looked so poor and needy, and when we got to talking he did ask me my name I believe.”
“Huh!” grunted Leslie, “chances are you invited him to walk along with you and get something to eat at your folks’ house. I say that because it’d be just like you. The poorer the Horners are the more they want to do things for those they think worse off than themselves.” ”

“ He knew that his grandfather had his little savings in a certain enterprise that heretofore had yielded fair profits. This sum of money, together with the pension that the Government paid the veteran, had barely sufficed to keep the wolf from the door of the Horner home for years.
“I hope it isn’t bad news I’ve fetched you, Dick?” ventured Leslie, uneasily, for he had seen that frown gather on the forehead of his chum, and could give a pretty fair guess as to what caused it. ”

“ Holwell sighed and shook his head.
“Some of those boys are getting to be pretty wild, I’m afraid, Harry,” he went on to remark, reflectively. “They pursue their desire for fun too far. I’ve been doing more or less hard thinking lately about them, and mean to have a serious talk with you soon, to see if something can be done to lead that love for a frolic in the right channel.” ”

“ Loft belongs to the Puritan days when a man didn’t dare kiss his wife on a Sunday. He ought to wake up and understand that this is the twentieth century, not the seventeenth.”
“I agree with you there,” said Peg, heartily. “And it may be Mr. Loft will learn something. It’s never too late for that, you know, Dick.”
“Guess you’re right,” admitted the other. “The case of Deacon Nocker proves it. He’s turned over a new leaf, let me tell you. Mrs. Nocker says he’s as kind as anything could be, and that both she and Billy are happy the livelong day.” ”

“ Leslie continued. [104] “I’ve got a whole pile I’d like to offer for my share. Mr. Holwell could be the judge of what was fit for us to have in our library. He knows boys ten times better than that high-brow Mr. Loft.”
All of them displayed signs of great enthusiasm over the idea. The boys of Cliffwood had long suffered at the hands of the town librarian, who, though doubtless a worthy as well as a learned man, had never learned to peep into the heart of a genuine boy, and know how to handle him so as to cultivate the best there was in him. ”

“ Grandfather Horner is an army veteran, you see, and everybody around here knows him, I guess.”
He wondered why the tramp should start and look at him more keenly than ever, at the same time mumble something to himself.
“Now, I’m of the opinion,” the old man went on to say, presently, “that the mother of such a fine lad as you must have a gentle heart.”
Dick fell into the trap headlong. If any one ever wished to win his good opinion there was no shorter road to success than through praise of his little mother. ”

“ Dick continued, mysteriously. “My mother hasn’t made up her mind that Mr. Nocker is hopeless. She really believes that in secret he has suffered a whole lot for his hardness to poor Amos.”
“Huh! I guess she’s about the only person in town then that believes so,” grumbled Leslie. “Everybody else thinks he’s got no heart at all, but a frozen turnip in its place. What makes your mother believe that, Dick?” ”

“ Holwell among the rest—and nothing was to be left to chance. Peg was always a great hand for system, and enjoyed having an opportunity to put a few pet theories of his into practice.
“You see,” explained the proud librarian, “every book here has been approved by Mr. Holwell, who has made a study of juvenile literature. He knows as well as anything that boys can’t be forced to read books they don’t like; and so he says the only way is to give them books with enough healthful adventure to make them want to read, and with the right kind of uplifting sentiment mixed in to leaven the dough.” ”

“ Holwell is willing to give them all the chances he can to make good, but you know that he isn’t going to stand too much nonsense,” Dick continued. “If Nat starts a racket he’ll find himself outside the door in a hurry, unless I miss my guess.”
“We’ll soon be rid of him then,” laughed the other boy, “because it’s just as natural for Nat to make himself disagreeable as it is for water to run down hill. But this is great news you’ve been telling me, Dick. Queer that I didn’t guess it must have had some connection with Mr. Holwell, because he’s always thinking how he can help the boys along.” ”

“ Holwell.”
“Yes, but use it in moderation,” explained the minister, “and then only in love. If I had a boy of my own I would never whip or punish him for heedless things he may have done without a heart-to-heart talk with him afterwards, and a reconciliation. Harsh actions do not profit one in the case of boys. I really believe it only serves to make them think they are being imposed upon, and their liberties destroyed, which leads to open rebellion.”
“Well, since you ask it as a favor, Mr. Holwell,” the deacon went on to say, reluctantly, “I will promise to forego my threat this time. ”

“ Loft, the librarian, who believes all boys’ books should be thrown out of our Public Library, and only volumes along educational lines kept there.”
“That’s right,” broke in Dan, eagerly. “I never call for a book that I’ve wanted to read but that he tried to show me the folly of indulging in such silly nonsense as he calls it. Guess the high-brow Mr. Loft never was a boy himself. He must have been fed on Greek grammar and ancient history when he was six years old. He makes me tired, that’s what. But go on and tell us what you’ve been thinking up, Phil.” ”

“ Holwell,” protested the storekeeper, who, nevertheless, entertained considerable respect for his pastor, and consequently did not break away from his gentle, detaining grasp.
[23] “I know that has always been your policy, Deacon,” said the other. “But some of us believe boys are more sinned against than sinning. I myself fancy there is some good in every boy, if only you can find it. The trouble is we go about it the wrong way. It is a case of the fierce wind failing to tear the traveler’s cloak off, when the warm, genial sunshine soon caused him to shed it.” ”

“ Holwell was particular to say the prize would be in gold. Why, for one, I don’t believe I ever saw that much money in gold, outside of a bank. It’s worth working for. I only wish I was a better hand at composition, and getting up jokes.”
[80] “Why not try, anyhow, Leslie?” urged Dick. “The more there are in the competition the better Mr. Holwell will be pleased. And for all your modesty it might turn out that your farce was the best of the bunch.” ”

“ Tilly gave a scream when she saw Dick let her little darling drop; but on discovering that the child was safe, had once more shown that she was fully aroused to the occasion. She assisted Dick to fasten one end of some knotted sheets around her body under the arms, and was even in the act of clambering through the window, meaning to allow the boys to lower her, when Leslie gave a whoop.
“There they come with the ladder, Dick! We go down as easy as falling off a log, after all!” ”

“ Most of Dick’s chums had heard more or less of the same thing, for Dit Hennesy and Alonzo Crane had taken considerable pleasure in boasting what a “screamer” Nat’s effusion was going to be.
Still Peg and Elmer and the rest of them were loyal to Dick. They had seen him gain the goal many times in races and games, even when the odds were against him; and fully believed he must come again under the line first.
“Talk never wins a race, Dick,” said Leslie.
“And lots of fellows do their shouting before the end,” remarked Peg. “I’m banking on you to cop that prize, no matter what Nat says.” ”

“ And as for grandpop, he loves to sit and listen to Uncle Silas telling of the dozens and dozens of strange things he’s run across.”
“Birds of a feather flock together, they say, Dick,” chuckled Leslie; “and now your fine old grandfather can exchange stories with another who [181] has seen a lot of lively times. But for all you say, I still hang on to my suspicions, and believe he’s either an impostor, not your uncle at all, or else that he’s just bent on settling down on your folks to be fed and housed for the rest of his natural life.” ”