When Ben reached home on the morning of the encounter at the armory
he found his father still at breakfast. Mr. Barriscale looked up in
surprise as his son entered the dining-room.
“What brings you back at this hour?” he inquired.
“We had a little accident up at the armory,” was the reply, “and Mr.
McCrae thought I’d better come home.”
“So? What happened?”
Ben went around to his accustomed place at the table and seated himself.
“I don’t want any more breakfast,” he said to his mother who was
already giving directions to the maid for serving him. “Why, father,
you see it was this way. A crowd of fellows put that sign up on our
gate-post Hallowe’en, about puppies for sale. You know. You saw it. It
said I was the only puppy left.”
Mr. Barriscale repressed a smile and replied:
“Yes, I saw it. What about it?”
“Well, Hal McCormack was in that crowd. I tried to get him to tell me
who wrote that on it, and he wouldn’t. He said he didn’t do it himself,
but he wouldn’t tell me who did.”
“Well?”
“He said he would take the responsibility for it; so I started in to
give him a thrashing.”
“He deserved it; I hope you gave him a good one.”
Mr. Barriscale had not yet fully recovered from the unpleasant
sensation of having been compelled to put his son on a par with a boy
of the middle-class in the matter of punishment, and he was not at all
averse to having the matter evened up in this way.
“I intended to,” replied Ben; “and we clinched, and I threw him, and
his head struck the floor pretty hard, I guess. Anyway, he was knocked
unconscious, and Mr. McCrae called the doctor and they took him home.”
Mr. Barriscale set his half-lifted cup of coffee back into the saucer
and looked serious.
“How badly was he hurt?” he inquired. “Did the doctor say?”
“No. He said there was a slight concussion of the brain, but he
couldn’t tell what it would amount to.”
Mr. Barriscale looked still more serious. “I’m afraid,” he said, “that
you’ve got yourself into trouble.”
“What shall I do about it?” inquired Ben, anxiously.
“Well, the least you can do, and probably the most at present, is to
go to the boy’s house and inquire about him, and offer apologies, and
tender your services for anything you can do.”
“I’m so sorry for his mother,” broke in Mrs. Barriscale. “She’s such a
helpless little thing.”
“That’s the trouble with going to the house,” replied Ben. “I’d hate to
meet her and have to explain. She’d never understand in the world.”
“I’ll go myself to see her,” said Mrs. Barriscale. “I think I can make
it all right with her.”
But the ironmaster, ignoring his wife’s offer, turned peremptorily to
Ben.
“You do as I tell you,” he commanded. “You go to McCormack’s house, and
to whomever meets you there you express your regret for the occurrence,
and offer your services. Go after school to-day.”
That settled it. Mr. Barriscale’s wish in his family circle was law.
No one ever pretended to dispute him, least of all his son. He did not
intend to be domineering, but he could not brook opposition to his will
or his plans, and few people, either within or without his home, had
sufficient temerity to oppose him.
At four o’clock that afternoon Ben went to Captain McCormack’s house
on his unpleasant errand. But it was not Hal’s mother who came to the
door, nor yet Hal himself, nor a maid. It was Hal’s aunt, Miss Sarah
Halpert. She knew Ben, invited him in, and followed him into the little
reception room.
“You can’t see Hal,” she said, “if that’s what you came for. He isn’t
fit to be seen. And you can’t see his mother for she’d be sure to make
a mess of it. But you can see me and say anything you like. Now go
ahead.”
“Well,” Ben replied, “there isn’t much to say, except that I’m sorry
about Hal. I didn’t intend to hurt him; not that much anyway. And if
there’s anything I can do to help out, why, I’d like to.”
“Who told you to say that?” she inquired abruptly.
“My father. He said I’d better call and express my regrets and offer my
services.”
“I thought as much. You wouldn’t have come on your own motion, would
you? Or would you?”
“Why, I don’t know; maybe not. But I’m sure it’s the right thing to do.”
“Of course it is; and you deserve credit for doing it whether you came
on your own account or because your father told you to. Now tell me;
what was the trouble between you and Hal? First let me say, though,
that he isn’t bad off at all. He’s coming out of it all right; a little
dazed and mumbly yet, but he’ll be all over it in a day or two. Now,
what led up to that fight?”
“Why, he as much as called me a puppy, and I wouldn’t stand for it,
that’s all.”
Ben threw back his shoulders and put on that determined look
characteristic of the Barriscales.
“Of course you wouldn’t,” was Miss Halpert’s quick reply. “No
self-respecting young man cares to be called a puppy. But how did he
come to call you one?”
“You see it was this way, Miss Halpert. His crowd put a sign on our
gate-post Hallowe’en, ‘Puppies for sale.’ And one of them wrote on it
to buy me because I was the only puppy left. I asked Hal who wrote it
and he wouldn’t tell me. He said he was willing to stand for whatever
any one of the bunch did.”
“Well, he was a pretty good sport, wasn’t he?”
“Yes; if you look at it that way.”
“But that’s the way to look at it, isn’t it? And when he wouldn’t tell
you, you got mad and punched him, didn’t you?”
“Not exactly, but I jumped for him.”
“Took him off his guard, didn’t you?”
“I guess so.”
“Was that fair? Was that sportsmanlike?”
“Perhaps not, if you put it that way.”
“But that’s the way to put it, isn’t it?”
“Well, if any one tries to put anything over on me I don’t stop long to
consider. I hit back.”
“Exactly! Now, look here, Ben! I want to say something to you. You’re a
pretty good sort, and I rather like you. But you pattern too much after
your father. He thinks he’s right all the time, and that every one who
doesn’t agree with him is wrong. That’s nonsense and I’ve told him so
to his face. If you want to get on you’ll have to drop that big I you
carry around with you and concede something to the other fellow. He may
be more than half right. For instance, when Hal pulls himself together,
as he will in a day or two, you tell him, as you’ve admitted to me,
that the stand he took in this matter wasn’t very far from right, and
that you were rather hasty in resenting it. He’ll meet you more than
half-way, I promise you. And you can tell him, too, that if he ever
calls you a puppy when you don’t deserve the name, you’ll smash his
face for him, and that I’ll back you up in it. There, I guess that’ll
be all for to-day. Give my love to your mother, and tell her I’m going
to call on her to-morrow.”
“Thank you, Miss Halpert, I will.”
As Ben left the house and walked down the street his mind was filled
with conflicting emotions. He had been reproved, commended and
admonished. And now, at the end of it all, he felt neither angry
nor resentful. His self-respect was not diminished, but there
seemed to have been added to his mental equipment a new sense of the
responsibilities of manhood.
When Ben reported to his father that evening the result and the details
of his visit to the McCormack home, the grim smile that occasionally
illumined Mr. Barriscale’s face spread perceptibly over it.
“And what uncomplimentary thing,” he asked, “did Miss Halpert have to
say about me this time?”
“Why, she said you thought you were always right and the other fellow
wrong; that I patterned too much after you, and that if I wanted to get
on with people I’d have to cut it out.”
A slight flush overspread Mr. Barriscale’s face, but he showed no
resentment. On the contrary his smile deepened into a perceptible
chuckle. Sarah Halpert was the only person in the city, or in any other
city for that matter, who dared to tell him unpleasant things about
himself. And, strange as it may seem, he never resented her criticism
nor opposed her will. Indeed, he seemed to appreciate her frankness and
esteem her friendship.
“Well,” he said, after a moment, “she told you to fix things up with
young McCormack, did she?”
“Yes. And she told me that if he ever called me a puppy again I should
smash his face, and she’d back me up in it.”
At this the elder Barriscale laughed outright. But Ben hastened to add:
“That is, if I didn’t deserve to be called a puppy.”
“A very wise condition. Miss Halpert usually sees both sides of every
question. You take her advice and you won’t go far wrong.”
But it was a week before Ben had an opportunity to carry out Miss
Halpert’s suggestion concerning Hal. Not that the injured boy was laid
up that long; but the shock had been considerable, and it was thought
not advisable to put him at his regular tasks too quickly, let alone
the extra task at the armory. On the following Monday morning, however,
he reported to Mr. McCrae for work. When he arrived Ben had not yet
reached the armory, but he came soon afterward.
“Now then,” said the superintendent when he had the boys together, “if
you two young fellows have any uncomplimentary things to say to one
another, I want you to say ’em now, and get through with it while I’m
here, and then forget it and be friends.”
“I’ve nothing much to say,” replied Ben, “except that I’ve been
thinking it over, and I guess Hal was more than half right about not
giving away the fellow that wrote on the sign. I’ll admit I was a
little hasty in pitching into him, but I was pretty mad about that sign
and my anger got the best of me. I’m sorry I hurt him as much as I
did, though. I didn’t intend to hurt him that much.”
“Now, Halpert,” said the superintendent, jocosely, “it’s your play. Ben
here has toed the mark pretty squarely in my opinion. The rest is up to
you.”
“Why, I’ve got nothing against him now,” replied Hal. “I don’t lay
things up anyway. I agree with him that he was too hasty about pitching
into me for not giving away the name of the other fellow; but I don’t
blame him one bit for getting mad about the sign. Anybody would have
got mad about that, and had a right to. I would have got mad myself.
So far as hurting me is concerned, I’m all right now, and I’m ready to
forget it, as Mr. McCrae says.”
“Good!” was the comment of the superintendent. “That’s fine! That
settles it. We’ll dispense with the hand-shaking. It’s seven o’clock
and I want you boys to get busy. Ben, you show your pal where that
other rake is, and both of you go to it.”
The task to which the two boys were assigned, and in which Ben had
already been engaged for a day or two, was the grading of the lawn at
the side of the armory. It was desirable that the grading should be
completed and the seeding done before freezing weather should set in,
in order that a green sward might show in the early spring. Stakes had
been set and lines stretched, low places had been filled in, and it now
remained only to shape the surface with the rake. It was not a hard
task nor a menial one; it required some skill, and an eye for long and
graceful curves, and the work was not without its satisfactions and its
compensations.
While the reconciliation between the two boys was apparently complete,
it did not lead to comradeship. They differed from each other too
radically in temperament, and in all the fundamental things on which
personal characteristics are based, to make close companionship between
them a possibility. But, during the period of their common labor,
harmony and friendship were not lacking.
It was three weeks later that the new armory was dedicated. Great
preparations had been made for the event. The Governor of the State,
the Adjutant-General, and the Major-General in command of the state
militia, were all to be there. So also were the colonel of the regiment
and his staff, and prominent guests from other cities. There was to
be a big meeting at the armory in the afternoon, and a grand military
ball in the evening. Captain McCormack was to be in charge of all the
exercises, and Mr. Barriscale, as president of the local Armory Board,
was to make a brief address at the afternoon meeting. The programme
was carried out to the letter. Hal and Ben were not without their
parts in the performance. Their familiarity with the armory, its
nooks, corners, accessories and occupants, obtained through three weeks
of employment there, made their services as errand boys and helpers
especially acceptable. And the excitement and novelty of the occasion
provided them with much entertainment.
When Benjamin Barriscale arose to make his address to an audience that
packed the great drill-hall, he felt, as he did not often feel, that
the occasion was worthy of the speaker. His efforts as chairman of the
local Armory Board had been crowned with success. The concrete result
of his energetic leadership and liberal personal gifts was before the
eyes of his townsmen. It had been too often the case that people looked
somewhat askance at his prominence in civic affairs, searching for the
personal advantage that might lie back of it. But, in this instance,
surely no one could impute to him other than the most unselfish and
disinterested motives. He did not minimize his own public-spirit
and liberality in his speech, though he gave due credit to his
fellow-workers in the enterprise. And he congratulated the State and
the State Armory Board on their foresight and vision in providing so
handsome, spacious and complete a building to crown the site purchased
and paid for by the citizens of Fairweather of whom he was proud to be
one.
“These patriotic and progressive young men of the National Guard,”
he said, “deserve the best quarters that can be provided for them.
With but little compensation save a sense of duty performed, they
stand ready at any moment not only to defend the commonwealth and the
country, but also to protect those property rights and that invested
capital without which no community can prosper. In order to make the
military arm of the State most effective, the ranks of the militia
should be recruited from young men of good education, of good family,
ready at all times to meet and quell that spirit of unrest which seeks
to overthrow the present system of organized society. I intend that
when my son arrives at an appropriate age he shall become a member of
this company, ambitious to attain to leadership in it, and I hope that
other young men of like social standing will be filled with similar
aspirations.”
When Mr. Barriscale bowed and resumed his seat on the platform, the
applause that greeted him was scant and perfunctory. Somehow he
seemed to have struck a wrong note. The audience did not appear to
be enthusiastic either over his conception of the qualifications for
membership in the Guard, or of the duty of the militia toward the
public. Nor did his declaration that his own son should eventually be a
Guardsman meet with the outburst of approval that he had expected.
But there was little time for digesting his remarks. Captain
McCormack, troubled and apprehensive over the turn affairs had taken,
made haste to introduce as the next speaker the Governor of the
commonwealth.
“I heartily agree,” began the Governor, “with the distinguished
gentleman who preceded me, in most of what he has said. But it seemed
to me that in one or two things he struck a discordant note. For
instance, in my view of it, the National Guard was not created and does
not exist for the purpose of protecting the property of the corporation
and the millionaire any more than it does for protecting the humblest
home in the commonwealth. Whenever and wherever the enemies of the
state, foreign or domestic, seek by violence to subvert its laws and
destroy the rights of its citizens, then and there the strong arm of
the Guard will be lifted to restore order and preserve peace.”
A hearty round of applause greeted the Governor’s statement. It was
evident that his audience agreed with him. He continued:
“Nor, in my opinion, should wealth, blue blood or social standing be
requisites for admission to the ranks of the Guardsmen. The young men
who belong to that organization should be democratic in principle,
patriotic in spirit, physically and mentally capable of performing the
duties required of them. Beyond that there should be no discrimination.
It will be a sad day for this great State when any social class, no
matter what, shall be in control either of its civil or its military
affairs.”
It was then that the Governor received his ovation. A tremendous and
spontaneous outburst of applause followed swiftly on his last words.
There was no mistaking the temper of the people who had listened to
him. He had said the opportune thing at the psychological moment.
Henceforth his place in the hearts of the citizens of Fairweather was
secure. But he did not stop there. He was too politic for that. He
went on to temper his rebuke by genuine commendation. The president
of the Barriscale company was lauded for his public spirit, his
liberality toward all good causes, and especially for his persistent
and successful effort to provide a fitting home in Fairweather for the
boys of the National Guard. Nor was the commendation confined to Mr.
Barriscale. The speaker gave high praise to other citizens who had
generously assisted in the enterprise, and to the public spirit which
had led people of all classes, rich and poor, old and young, to do what
lay in their power, often at great personal sacrifice, to bring to so
happy a conclusion an adventure which would stand always to the credit
of the city.
“For instance,” he said, “as I approached this building this afternoon,
I was struck by the perfect and artistic manner in which your armory
lawn has been graded. And I was told that it was largely the work of
two boys in their teens, sons of prominent citizens, who generously and
patriotically are giving their time and labor out of school hours, that
the environment of this building may be the handsomest in the state.”
“Huh!”
The exclamation came from Slicker who had been standing near the
side of the platform gazing at the speaker with wide and admiring
eyes, drinking in the power of his oratory. But the reference to the
generosity and patriotism of Slicker’s two Hallowe’en co-conspirators
had been too much for his sense of humor; hence his inadvertent
exclamation of joyous disbelief. He at once clapped both hands over his
mouth to repress any further ejaculations of surprise or amusement, but
it was too late. Most of the persons in the audience knew the story
of the grading, realized the governor’s mistake, and, after the first
gasp at Slicker’s interruption, burst into hearty laughter. The chief
executive officer of the great commonwealth was plainly nonplused.
He saw that he had fallen into some inadvertence, but what it was he
could not imagine. He turned to Captain McCormack who was sitting at
his right and inquired as to the cause of the general hilariousness.
But, when the captain rose to explain, he was so obviously confused
and embarrassed that the audience broke into renewed fits of laughter,
and the otherwise brave captain resumed his seat without having been
able to vouchsafe a sufficient explanation of the situation to the
distinguished guest. The Governor turned to Mr. Barriscale who was
sitting at his left and repeated the question. The ironmaster half rose
from his chair to reply, but, looking out over the audience and noting
the sight and sound of its ever increasing hilarity, he too sank back
into his seat silent, bewildered and dumb.
“Perhaps,” said the Governor, “if the two young gentlemen themselves
are in the audience they will come forward and enlighten us.” But the
“two young gentlemen,” who had hitherto been standing prominently near
the steps leading to the platform, scenting trouble from the moment
of Slicker’s outburst, had, by this time, silently and judiciously
disappeared.
It was at this juncture that Sarah Halpert, who had been sitting well
to the front of the auditorium, rose in her place. Immediately the
noise and laughter were hushed. If Sarah Halpert were about to say
something the audience wanted to hear it; and the audience did hear it.
“Your Excellency,” she said, addressing the Governor, “has obviously
been misinformed concerning the motives which led to the employment
of certain young men as laborers on the armory lawn. And since their
fathers appear to be unable to explain the situation, and since the
young men have vanished and cannot speak for themselves, I rise to
speak for them. I will say plainly that the motives which led them
to undertake their task were neither philanthropic, public-spirited
nor patriotic. It was purely a case of involuntary servitude. Their
labor was the penalty they were paying for having performed some
mischievous Hallowe’en pranks contrary to the rules and customs of
good society. They confessed like men, were sentenced by competent
authority, and have willingly, cheerfully and splendidly been working
out their sentence on the armory lawn. But, although they are
involuntary laborers, I wish to tell you, sir, and I know them both
well, and realize what I am saying, that they are learning something
of self-respect and discipline that a year in no other school could
possibly give them. They are learning to admire our soldiers, and
to honor our flag, and, my word for it, when they reach the proper
age and become members of the National Guard, there will be no more
public-spirited, unselfish and patriotic young men in the city of
Fairweather than Hal McCormack and Ben Barriscale.”
Sarah Halpert took her seat. Her two-minute speech had cleared the
atmosphere and had delighted the big audience. The applause that
greeted her ears was ringing and prolonged. When the Governor was again
able to gain the attention of the people he said:
“I am deeply grateful to the lady who has so clearly and eloquently
explained the situation. In the days of our Civil War the drafted men
were the bravest of our soldiers. If another war should compel us to
raise a great army to defend our rights, the American conscript will
be the pride of our country. By the same token it is no disparagement
to these two young men of Fairweather to say that they have been
involuntarily drawn into the service of their country, since they have
performed their duties skilfully, willingly and zealously, like the
good citizens that they are.”
After that there was no interruption. The programme was carried out to
the letter. And when the exercises were concluded Sarah Halpert hunted
up Hal and Ben and introduced them to the Governor.
“Here are the two conscripts,” she said. “They have come to plead for
executive clemency.”
“I will pardon them,” replied His Excellency, “on one condition; and
that is that they shall become members of the National Guard when they
reach the mature age of eighteen years.”
“If you will parol them in my custody,” responded Miss Halpert, “I will
see that they meet the condition. Oh, as to Ben, his father’ll push him
in; but as to Hal, I’ll attend to that matter myself.”
“That’s very kind of you,” replied the Governor, “but I’ll venture to
say that neither one of these young men will need urging when the time
comes.”
“I’m sure I won’t,” declared Ben.
The Governor turned to Hal. “And how about you?” he asked.
“Well,” replied the boy frankly, “I can’t say that I’m just crazy about
it. I’d be glad to be a soldier and fight for my country in time of
war. But I wouldn’t particularly care to go out on strike duty, the way
my father did, and fight men who can’t defend themselves.”
The Governor looked serious. “I see!” he said, after a moment’s pause.
“You would prefer to choose your enemy. Most of us would. But we can’t
always do that. We’ve got to take them as they come. And a domestic foe
may prove to be a greater menace to our rights and liberties than a
foreign one. However, I shall expect, some day, to see you both in the
uniform of a Guardsman.”
If Benjamin Barriscale, Sr., resented the governor’s criticism of his
impolitic speech, he did not manifest his resentment. The fact that he
invited the executive head of the state and members of his staff to
dine at the Barriscale mansion before going to the grand ball in the
evening, and that the invitation was accepted, was significant of the
continuance of friendly if not cordial relations between them. Neither
one of them could afford, unnecessarily, to antagonize the other, and
both of them knew it.
It was not until the first snow of the winter lay an inch deep on the
armory roof that Ben and Hal completed the tasks the compensation for
which paid the damages assessed by Mr. Barriscale for the destruction
of his statue.
On a Saturday morning early in December the two boys called at the
office of the manufacturing company to close accounts. The ironmaster
dictated a form of receipt to be given to each of them, and, when the
papers were duly signed, he delivered them with much formality. Then he
turned to Hal.
“What do you propose to make of yourself?” he inquired bluntly.
“I--I don’t know just what you mean,” stammered the boy.
“I mean what are you going to do for a living when you finish school?
Ben here is going into this business with me. I shall begin training
him this vacation. I intend that eventually he shall succeed me in the
management if he shows aptness and industry. What are your plans?”
“Why,” replied the boy, “father and I have rather figured it out that
when I get through high school I am to prepare for college if he can
afford to send me. And when I get through college maybe I’ll study to
be a lawyer or a doctor or a preacher. I don’t know yet.”
“Well, it’s high time you did know. A boy of your age should have his
eye fixed on a certain goal, and then bend all his energy and effort to
reach it.”
“But,” added Hal, “I know what I’d like to be. I’d like to be one of
those settlement workers, like my cousin Jim is, or something like
that, and help poor people to get their rights, and down-and-outers to
have their chance to get up again.”
“Nonsense!” Mr. Barriscale gave a grunt of displeasure. “If people
are poor, in nine cases out of ten it’s their own fault. It’s because
they’re lazy and improvident. If they’re down and out it’s the result
of indolence or dissipation. The only way to help them is to give them
hard and steady work, as we do here. This settlement business and
uplift business and all such schemes are more or less of a fad and a
farce. Work and discipline are the only remedies for deplorable social
conditions. What does your aunt, Miss Halpert, think you ought to do?”
“Well, she thinks I ought to do something to develop grit and backbone
and muscle and things like that.”
“Exactly! Miss Halpert is a woman of good judgment. We don’t agree
on some things; but she isn’t lacking in common sense, and she isn’t
afraid to express her opinion.”
Mr. Barriscale smiled grimly as he recalled some vigorous clashes with
that public-spirited and determined woman. He rather liked an opponent
who fought him openly and fairly and straight from the shoulder.
“Well,” he added, “that’s all for to-day. Ben, you remain here. I have
some work for you to do.”
As Hal went out into the street and swung along toward home he wondered
if Mr. Barriscale’s view of life was preferable to his own. And he
thought that some day, when he was older, he would like to argue it out
with him. But he never did.
His association with Ben at the armory when they were engaged in a
common task could not help but result in a certain kind of friendship.
But it did not develop at any time into comradeship, nor even into
close companionship. Through the years that slipped by, they were
friends and fellow-students, nothing more.