REX DETERMINES TO TAKE MATTERS INTO HIS OWN HANDS
Rex’s cup of joy was full when Dudley Harrington asked him to go to New
Haven with him. It would be pleasure indeed to go anywhere in company
with that fascinating young gentleman, but to visit a college town in
his company, to be introduced as his friend—this would be bliss indeed,
thought Rex.
But on top of this realization of how much he wanted to go, came the
fear that he could not obtain permission to accept. It was a
humiliating reminder of his youth, Rex felt, to reflect that he must
ask his mother before coming to any decision.
“I’d love to go, Harrington,” he said. “I’ll let you know about it in
the morning. That will be time enough, won’t it?”
“Plenty. I’ll leave on the Limited, at five, I think. Get our dinner on
board and be ready for fun in New York when we get there. I say, why
don’t you decide now, Reggie?”
“Oh, I guess I can go,” stammered Rex.
He hated to confess that he must first ask leave.
“When can I get back?” he asked.
“Oh, by Saturday, or you can stay over till Monday with me if you will.
We never do much the first of the term, and I’ve got plenty of room in
my quarters.”
The Pells knew that Rex had formed the acquaintance of “the Harrington
fellow.” They also knew that he was to go to college in a few days, so,
if Mrs. Pell feared any evil influence over Reginald, she consoled
herself with the thought that this would be removed in a very short
time.
Now when Rex came with the request that he be allowed to go to New
Haven with his new friend, her answer was a prompt and decided “No.”
“But I’ve as good as told him I’d go, mother,” he pleaded.
“You had no right to do that,” rejoined Mrs. Pell. “You wouldn’t be in
your element at all in the company of his friends, and of course you
are sure to meet a great many of them.”
“I’m in my element in his company. He’s had me over there every day
since we got acquainted. Besides, just think, I’ve never been to New
York in my life since I was a baby, and this will be a splendid chance
for me to see it. I can pay all my own expenses, so I needn’t be under
obligations to him. Please, mother; I didn’t go on that trip with the
Bowmans and now after school commences I shan’t have another chance.”
But Mrs. Pell was firm. She was a woman quick to discern character and
she had seen enough of Dudley Harrington through the windows to
conclude that he was not the sort of person to whom she wished to
intrust an impulsive boy like Rex for two or three days. She chided
herself now for having permitted the intimacy to go as far as it had.
Rex knew that it was useless to say more, and presently went to his
room.
Here he threw himself on his sofa and brooded over his troubles. It
seemed to him that he was the most unlucky fellow that ever lived. He
never could have what he wanted. Even the money that he imagined was
going to bring so much happiness failed to keep to the agreement, as he
looked upon it.
“But just wait till I’m a little older,” he told himself. “I’ll make up
for lost time then.”
Still, this would not help him out of his present slough of despond. He
thought of how lonesome he should be after Harrington went away the
next day. He could have Scott or Charlie Minturn up to see him, to be
sure, but somehow, since he had known Harrington, these old friends had
not seemed so entertaining to him as they once had.
“And that trip to New Haven would bridge over the time nicely till
school opens,” he told himself. “I don’t see why mother won’t let me
go.”
But he knew perfectly well what the reason was. He realized that
Harrington had habits which none of his associates had ever had. But
what of it?
“I needn’t smoke or drink if I don’t want to,” he argued. “I haven’t
done it yet. Besides, it will do me good to see a little of the world.”
He rose from the sofa, lighted the gas, and just as he had done that
day when he had heard who was Mr. Tyler’s heir, he collected the money
from his different pockets and counted it up. His allowance was a
liberal one, and he had been saving up to buy a birthday present for
his mother.
“Seven dollars and forty cents,” he repeated to himself. “I wonder how
much the fare will be.”
He put on his hat and went down stairs.
“Where are you going, Rex?” asked his mother, as he passed the group
who were sitting on the front porch, for it was a sultry evening.
“Only down the street a little way. I’ll be right up,” he replied.
“I wonder if Harrington’s people ask him where he’s going every step he
takes,” he muttered to himself as he strode off.
He forgot the five years’ difference in their ages; thought only of the
surveillance under which he chafed.
He kept on till he reached the hotels, and entering one of them, he
hunted around till he found a railway guide.
A short consultation of this apprized him of the fact that he had
enough to pay his fare to New Haven and back, but very little more.
“I suppose I shall have no expense while there,” he mused, “being
Harrington’s guest. I think I may risk it, and if I get stuck he’ll
help me out, though I’d hate to ask him.”
For Rex had formed a resolution. He had determined to go on the coveted
trip without his mother’s consent. He could leave a note explaining
where he was.
It would not be half as terrible a thing, he argued, as for a fellow to
run away from home and not mean to come back. There would be a great
row raised about it, he supposed, but meanwhile he would have had a
good time and the worst that they would do to him would be to send him
away to boarding school, and he shouldn’t mind that very much.
He thought all this out on his way back from the hotel. To be sure, he
would have to use the money he had been saving up for his mother’s
present, but then he was in no mood to give her anything now.
He felt some twinges as his thoughts touched on this point, but at that
moment some one took his stand in front of him and exclaimed:
“Surrender or give the countersign.”
It was Harrington.
“Yale,” answered Rex promptly.
“You’ve decided to go, then,” said Harrington. turning around to walk
back with him. “That’s right. We’ll have oceans of fun. We’ll meet
Stout and Cheever in New York, and we can just paint the town, I tell
you.”
Rex was not certain that he would do any town painting. He would be
quite content to be in Harrington’s company.
“I can go if it doesn’t cost too much,” he replied, thinking it best to
be frank on that point on the start. “You see, my allowance isn’t a big
one as yet, and I don’t dare ask for any more.”
“Oh, ten dollars will squeeze through easy enough.”
Harrington said this as though ten dollars was no harder to get than
ten cents. Rex’s heart sank. Where was he to obtain the two dollars and
forty cents he still lacked?
“Won’t you come in?” Harrington asked, as Rex stopped in front of the
Pells’.
“No; not to-night, I’ll meet you at the station to-morrow at a quarter
to five.”
“What’s the matter with my calling here for you and our going up
together?”
“Oh, I’ll have to go down town first and start from there.” Rex felt
that this was a very lame excuse. He was not accustomed to telling
untruths.
But Harrington seemed not to notice.
“All right, just as you say,” he replied. “But I’ll see you in the
morning any way.”
“Good night,” Rex called after him.
He felt that his not going home with Harrington was a good stroke of
policy. He decided to add another to it by sitting with the family a
while before he went up to his room.
“Scott wanted to know if you can’t come down and see him to-morrow,
Rex,” began Roy, as his brother seated himself on the top step and
began fanning himself with his hat. “He told me to tell you to come
down on the 5:30 prepared to stay all night.”
Rex’s heart gave a sudden leap. Circumstances seemed to favor his plan.
If he only had three dollars more now!
“I guess I’ll go” he said. “Are you going, Roy?”
“No, I’m going to that ratification meeting with Syd to-morrow night,
you know. If you don’t go down to Marley, Rex, you’d better come with
us. There are to be some fine speeches.”
“Perhaps I will,” responded Rex.
He was turning over in his mind how he was going to get that money. The
matter of his getting off to the station was simple enough now. He
could even go with Harrington without exciting suspicion. It would be
supposed he was bound for Marley.
What a web of deceit he was planning to wind about himself. But he
forcibly put this thought out of his mind whenever it obtruded itself.
He would have time enough to repent when he came back.