BETWEEN FRIENDS
Lord James sauntered into the office of Griffiths, C.E., and inquired
for Mr. Blake. The cleric stared in vague recognition, and answered
that Mr. Blake was busy. Nothing daunted, the visitor crossed to the
door toward which the clerk had glanced.
When he entered, he found Blake in his shirtsleeves, humped over a
small desk. He was intently absorbed in comparing the figures of two
field books and in making little pencil diagrams.
"Hello, old man. What's the good word?" sang out his lordship.
Blake nodded absently, and went on with his last diagram. When he had
finished it, he looked up and perceived his friend standing graceful
and debonair in the centre of the room.
"Why, hello, Jimmy," he said, as if only just aware of the other's
presence. "Can't you find a chair?"
"How's the dam?"
"Dam 'fi 'no," punned Blake. He slapped his pencil down on the desk,
and flung up his arms to stretch his cramped body.
"You need a breather," advised Lord James.
"Young Ashton came 'round to my hotel last evening. Wanted me to go to
some bally musical comedy--little supper afterward with two of the
show-girls--all that. I had another engagement. He then asked me to
drop around this morning and take my pick of his stable. Wants me to
ride one of his mounts while I'm here, you know. Suppose you come
up-town with me and help me pick out a beast."
"No," said Blake. "Less I see of that papa's boy the better I'll like
him."
"Oh, but as a fellow-engineer, y'know," minced Lord James.
"You love him 'bout as much as I do."
Lord James adjusted the pink carnation in his lapel, and casually
remarked: "You'll be calling at the Leslies' this afternoon, I daresay."
"No," said Blake.
"Indeed?" exclaimed the younger man. He flushed and gazed confusedly at
Blake, pleased on his own account, yet none the less distressed for his
friend.
Blake explained the situation with sober friendliness. "It's all up in
the air, Jimmy. I've got to make good, and she won't promise anything
even if I succeed."
"Not even if you succeed?" Lord James was bewildered.
"Can't say I blame her, since I've had time to think it over," said
Blake. "If it was you, for instance, she might have a show to get some
happiness out of life, even with the whiskey. But think of her tied up
to me, whiskey or no whiskey!"
"You'll down the habit this time, old man."
Blake smiled ironically. "That's what you've said every time. It's what
I've said myself, every time since I woke up to what the cursed sprees
meant. No; don't be afraid. You'll have your chance soon enough. She
has cut me clean off from outside help. She wouldn't even give me so
much as a 'good luck to you'!"
"She wouldn't? But of course you know that she wishes it."
"Does she? But that's not the point. She's made me believe she isn't
sure of her--of her feelings toward me. Don't think I blame her. I
don't. She's right. If I can't stand up and fight it out and win,
without being propped up by my friends, I ought to lose out. I'm not
fit to marry any woman--much less her."
Lord James tugged and twisted at his mustache, and at last brought out
his reply: "Now, I--I say, you look here, old chap, you've got to win
this time. It means her, y'know. You must win."
"Jimmy," stated Blake, his eyes softening, "you're the limit!"
"You're not!" flashed back his friend. "There's no limit to you--to
what you can do."
"Heap of good it does--your saying it," grumbled Blake.
"This--er--situation won't prevent your calling at the Leslies', I
hope."
"I'm not so sure," considered Blake. "Leastways you won't see me there
till I begin to think I see a way to figure out this dam."
Lord James swung a leg over the corner of the desk and proceeded to
light a cigarette. Through the haze of the first two puffs he squinted
across at the glum face of his friend, and said: "Don't be an ass. She
hasn't told you not to call."
"No," admitted Blake. "Just the same, she said she wouldn't give me any
help."
"That doesn't bar you from calling. The sight of her will keep you
keen."
"I tell you, I'm not going near her house till I think I've a show to
make good on this dam."
"Then you'll lunch with me and make an early call at the Gantrys'. Miss
Dolores requested me to give you an urgent invitation."
"Excuse _me!_" said Blake. "No High Society in mine."
"You'll come," confidently rejoined his friend. "You owe it to Miss
Genevieve."
Blake frowned and sat for some moments studying the point. Lord James
had him fast.
"Guess you've nailed me for once," he at last admitted. "Rather have a
tooth pulled, though."
"I say, now, you got along swimmingly at Ruthby."
"With your father. He wasn't a Chicago society dame."
"Oh, well, you must make allowances for the madam. Miss Dolores
explained to me that 'Vievie has only to meet people in order to be
received, but mamma has to keep butting in to arrive--that's why she
cultivates her grand air.'"
"No sham about Miss Dolores!" approved Blake.
"Right-o! You'll come, I take it. What if the dragon does have rather a
frosty stare for you? She said I might bring you to call. Seriously,
Tom, you must learn to meet her without showing that her manner flecks
you. Best kind of training for society. As I said just now, you owe it
to Miss Genevieve."
"Well--long as you put it that way," muttered Blake.
"You'll get along famously with Miss Dolores, I'm sure," said Lord
James. "She's quite a charming girl,--vivacious and all that, you know.
She's taken quite a fancy to you. The mother is one of those silly
climbers who never look below the surface. You have twice my moral
stamina, but just because I happen to have a title and some polish--"
"Don't try to gloze it over," cut in Blake. "Let's have it straight.
You're a thoroughbred. I'm a broncho."
"Mistaken metaphor," rejoined his friend. "I'm a well-bred nonentity.
You're a diamond in the rough. When once you've been cut and polished--"
"Then the flaws will show up in great shape," gibed Blake.
"Never think it, old man! There is only one flaw, and that will
disappear with the one cutting required to bring the stone to the best
possible shape."
"Stow it!" ordered Blake. The rattling of the doorknob drew his gaze
about. "Here's Grif, back at last. He's been to chin with Papa Leslie."
He squinted aggressively at the older engineer, who entered with his
usual air of seeming absorption in the performance of his most trivial
actions. "Hello, you Injin! Gone into partnership with H. V.? You've
been there all morning."
"Other way 'round, if anything," answered Griffith. He nodded cordially
in response to the greeting of Lord James, and began rummaging in his
pockets as he came over to the desk. "Now, where's that letter?
Hey?--Oh, here it is." He drew out a long envelope, and started to open
it in a precise, deliberate manner.
"So he fired you, eh?" rallied Blake.
"In a way," said Griffith, peering at the paper in his hand. "It seems
he's unloaded the Zariba project onto the Coville Company."
"Thought it couldn't be put through, eh?" said Blake. "Bet he didn't
let it go for nothing, though."
"It's not often he comes out at the little end of the horn," replied
Griffith. "Didn't take the Coville people long to wake up to the
situation. Look here."
Blake took the opened letter, which was headed with the name and
officers of the Coville Construction Company. He read it through with
care, whistled, and read it through the second time.
"Well, what you think of it?" impatiently demanded Griffith.
"_Whee!_ They sure must think H. V. has left them to hold the bag.
Fifty thousand bonus to the engineer that shows 'em how the dam can be
built!"
"Strict business," croaked Griffith. "The company is stuck if they
quit. Fifty thousand is only ten per cent of their net profits if the
project goes through. Wish I had a show at it."
"Well, haven't you? It says any engineer."
"I had quit before you came, only I didn't like to own up to H. V."
"You needn't yet a while. I'll keep digging away at it. If I put it
through, we divvy up. I'm working for you. See?"
"Not on your life, Tommy! I don't smouge on another man's work."
"Well, then, we'll say I'm to split it because you put me next to the
chance."
"No go. I've no use for three-fourths of what I'm making nowadays. It's
just piling up on me. Look here. I happened to speak about you to the
Coville people--looking ahead, you know. They want me to try you out on
some work I'm too busy to do myself. It's not much, and they offer only
one-fifty a month as a starter, but it may lead to something better
than I can do for you."
"Yes, that's so," considered Blake.
"It is checking field work reports that come in slowly this time of
year. That's the only trouble. You'll be sitting around doing nothing
half the time--that is, unless you're fool enough to waste any more
time on this dam' dam."
"Waste time?" cried Blake, his eyes flashing. "Watch me! Wait till you
get your next bill for electric lights! You've given me my cue, Grif.
I'm going to buck through this little proposition in one-two-three
style, grab my fifty thousand, and plunge into the New York Four
Hundred as Tommy Van Damdam. Clear out, you hobos. I'm going to work!"
"Don't forget I've got you on for lunch and Mrs. Gantry's," reminded
Lord James.
Blake paused, pencil in hand. "Aw, say, Jimmy, you'll have to let me
off now."
"Can't do it, old man, really."
"At least that infernal call."
"No, you've got to get used to it. Tell you what, I'll let you off on
the lunch if you'll be at my hotel at four sharp. Don't squirm. That
gives you as many hours to grind as are good for you at one stretch. If
you try to funk it, I'll hold you for both lunch and call. Your social
progress is on my conscience."
"Huh!" rejoined Blake. "Don't wish you any hard luck, but if you and
your conscience were in--"
"Four sharp, remember!" put in Lord James, dodging from the room.
Griffith followed him closely and shut the door.
"I'm not so busy, Mr. Scarbridge. Step into my private office and have
a cigar," he invited, and as Lord James hesitated, he added in a lower
tone, "Want your idea about him."
Lord James at once went with the engineer into his office.
"You wish to speak about Tom?" he said.
"Yes. Did you notice that look about his eyes? It's the first sign."
"Oh, no! let us hope not, Mr. Griffith. I happen to know he has
suffered a severe disappointment. It may be that."
"Well, maybe. I hope so," said Griffith dubiously. With innate
delicacy, he refrained from any inquiry as to the nature of Blake's
disappointment. As he handed out his box of cigars, he went on, "I
don't quite like it, though. He's a glutton for field work, but this
indoors figuring soon sets him on edge. He can't stand being cooped
up."
"Count on me to do all I can to get him out."
"Yes, I'm figuring on you, Mr. Scarbridge. He's told me all about you.
Between the two of us, we might stave it off and keep him going for
months. Wish I knew more about the girl--Miss Leslie. If she's the
right sort, there's just a chance of something being done that I gave
up as being impossible, last time he was with me--he might be
straightened out for good."
"It's possible, quite possible! Others have been cured,--why not he?"
exclaimed Lord James, his face aglow with boyish enthusiasm. But as
suddenly it clouded. "Ah, though, most unfortunate--this stand of Miss
Leslie's!"
"What about her?" queried Griffith, as the other hesitated.
"She has told him that he must win out absolutely on his own strength,
without her aid or sympathy."
"Well, I'll be--switched! Thought she loved him."
Lord James flushed, yet answered without hesitancy. "It is to be
presumed she does, otherwise she would not have forced this test upon
him."
"How d' you make that out?"
"Mere grateful interest in his welfare would have been satisfied by the
assurance of his material success. On the other hand, her--ah--feeling
toward him is at present held in restraint by her acute judgment. She
had reason to esteem him in that savage environment. She now realizes
that he must win her esteem in her own proper environment. She is not
merely a young lady--she is a lady. Her rare good sense tells her that
she must not accept him unless he proves himself fit."
"He's a lot fitter than all these lallapaloozer papa's boys and some of
their fathers,--all those empty-headed swells that are called
eligibles," rejoined Griffith.
"It's not a question of polish or culture, believe me. She is far too
clever to doubt that he would acquire that quickly enough. My reference
was to this one flaw, which may yet shatter him. The question is
whether it penetrates too deep into his nature. If not--if he can rid
himself of it--then even I admit that he would make her happy."
"Yet she won't lift a finger to help him fight it out?"
"Courage is the fundamental virtue in a man. It includes moral
strength. If she cannot be sure of his strength, she will always doubt
him and her love for him."
"Can't see it that way. If she helped him, and he won out, he'd be
cured, wouldn't he?"
"I've been trying to guess at a woman's reason, but I'm not so rash as
to attempt to argue the matter," said Lord James. He picked up his hat
and held out a cordial hand to the engineer. "She may or may not be
right. I'm not altogether certain as to the intuitive wisdom of women.
However that may be, we at least shall do our best to pull him through."
"That's talking, Mr. Scarbridge!" exclaimed Griffith.