HOW SPIKE MADE A CHOICE AND A PROMISE
Monday morning found Ravenslee knocking at the opposite door, which
opening, disclosed Spike, but a very chastened and humble Spike, who
blushed and drooped his head and shuffled with his feet and finally
stammered:
"Hello, Geoff--I--I'm all alone, but you--you can come in if--if you
care to?"
"I dropped in on my way down just to have a word with you, Spike."
With dragging feet Spike led the way into the sitting room, where lay
his breakfast, scarcely tasted.
"Sit down, Geoff, I--I want to apologise," said the lad, toying
nervously with his teaspoon. "I guess you think I'm a mean, low-down
sort o' guy, an' you're right, only I--I feel worse 'n you think. An'
say, Geoff, if I--if I said anything th' other night, I want you
to--forget it, will you?"
"Why, of course, Spike."
"Hermy's forgiven me. I--I've promised to work hard an' do what she
wants."
"I'm glad of that, Spike!"
"She came creepin' into my room this mornin' before she went, but--me
thinkin' she meant to give me a last call down--I pretended t' be
asleep, so she just sighed an' went creepin' out again an' wrote me
this," and Spike drew a sheet of crumpled note paper from his pocket and
handed it to Ravenslee, who read these words:
Boy dear, I love you so much that if you destroyed my love, I
think you would destroy me too. Now I must leave you to go to my work,
but you will go to yours, won't you--for my sake and for your sake and
because I love you so. Be good and strong and clean, and if you want some
one to help you, go to your friend, Mr. Geoffrey. Good-by, dear--and
remember your promise.
Ravenslee passed back the pencilled scrawl and Spike, bending his head
low, read it through again.
"I guess I've just got t' be good," he murmured, "for her sake. Oh,
Geoff," he cried suddenly, "I'd die for her!"
"Better live for her, Spike, and be the honourable, clean man she
wishes."
"She sure thinks you're some man, Geoff! I guess she's--kind o'--fond of
you."
"That's what I've come to talk about, Spike."
"Are you--fond of her, Geoff?"
"Fond!" exclaimed Ravenslee, forgetting to drawl, "I'm so fond--I love
her so much--I honour her so deeply that I want her for my wife."
"Wife?" exclaimed Spike, starting to his feet, his eyes suddenly
radiant, "d'ye mean you'll marry her?"
"If she will honour me so far, Spike."
"Marry her! You'll marry her!" Spike repeated.
"As soon as she'll let me!"
"Geoff--oh, Geoff," exclaimed the boy, and choking, turned away.
"Won't you congratulate me?"
"I can't yet," gasped Spike; "I can't till I've told ye what a mean guy
I've been."
"What about?"
"About you--and Hermy. Bud said you meant t' make her go the way--little
Maggie Finlay went, an'--oh, Geoff, I--I kind of believed him."
"Did you, Spike--that foul beast? But you don't believe it any longer,
and M'Ginnis is--only M'Ginnis, after all."
"But I--I've got to tell you more," said the lad miserably, as meeting
Ravenslee's eye with an effort, he went on feverishly. "The other night
after--after Bud slipped me the--the stuff an' I'd had a--a drink or
two, he began askin' all about you. At first I blocked and side-stepped
all his questions, but he kep' on at me, an' at last I--I give you away,
Geoff--" Here Spike paused breathlessly and cast an apprehensive glance
toward his hearer, but finding him silent and serene as ever he
repeated:
"I--gave you away, Geoff!"
"Did you, Spike?"
"Yes, I--I told him who you really are!"
"Did you, Spike?"
"Yes! Yes! Oh, Geoff, don't you understand?"
"I understand."
"Well, why don't ye say something? Why don't ye tell me what I am? Say
I'm a dirty sneak--call me a yeller cur--anything!"
"No, you were drunk, that's all; and when the drink is in, honour, and
all that makes a man, is out--you were only drunk."
"Oh, but I wasn't s' drunk as all that," gasped Spike, cowering in
his chair, "but he kep' on comin' at me with his questions, an' at
last--when I told him how I met up with you--he kind o' give a jump--an'
his face--" Spike clenched his fists and, slowly raising them, pressed
them upon his eyes. "I'll never forget th' look on--his face! So now you
know as I've blown th' game on ye--given ye away--you as was my friend!"
With the word Spike sobbed and fell grovelling on his knees. "Curse me,
Geoff!" he cried. "Oh, curse me, an' tell me what I am!"
"You are Hermione's brother!"
"My God!" wailed the boy. "If she knew, she'd hate me."
"I--almost think she would, Spike."
"You won't tell her, Geoff, you won't never let her know?"
"I--don't get drunk, Spike."
"But you won't tell her?" he pleaded, reaching out desperate hands,
"you won't?"
"Not a word, Spike!"
"Oh, I know I'm--rotten!" sobbed the lad. "I know you ain't got no use
for me any more, but I'm sorry, Geoff, I'm real sorry. I know a guy
can't forgive a guy as gives a guy away if that guy's a guy's friend. I
know as you can't forgive me. I know as you'll cut me out for good after
this. But I want ye t' know as I'm sorry, Geoff--awful sorry--I--I ain't
fit t' be anybody's friend, I guess."
"I think you need a friend more than ever, Spike!"
"Geoff!" cried the boy breathlessly. "Say--what d' you mean?"
"I mean the time has come for you to choose between M'Ginnis and me. If
I am to be your friend, M'Ginnis must be your enemy from now on--wait!
If you want my friendship, no more secrets; tell me just how M'Ginnis
got you into his power--how he got you to break into my house."
Spike glanced up through his tears, glanced down, choked upon a sob, and
burst into breathless narrative.
"There was me an' Bud an' a guy they call Heine--we'd been to a rube
boxin' match up th' river. An' as we come along, Heine says: 'If I was
in th' second-story-lay there's millionaire Ravenslee's wigwam waitin'
t' be cracked,' an' he pointed out your swell place among th' trees in
th' moonlight. Then Bud says: 'You ain't got th' nerve, Heine. Why, th'
Kid's got more nerve than you,' he says, pattin' my shoulder. An' Heine
laughs an' says I'm only a kid. An' Geoff, I'd got two or three drinks
into me an' th' end was I agreed t' just show 'em as I had nerve enough
t' get in through a winder an' cop something--anything I could get. So
Bud hands me his 'lectric torch, an' we skin over th' fence an' up to
th' house--an' Heine has th' winder open in a jiffy, an' me--bein'
half-soused an' foolish--hikes inter th' room, an' you cops me on th'
jump an'--an' that's all!"
"And M'Ginnis has threatened to send you up for it now and then, eh?"
"Only for a joke. Bud ain't like me; he'd never split on a pal--Bud
wouldn't gimme away--"
"Anyway, Spike, it's him or me. Which will you have for a friend?"
"Oh, Geoff, I--I guess I'd follow you t' Kingdom Come if you'd let me.
I do want t' live straight an' clean--honest t' God I do, Geoff, an' if
you'll only forgive--"
Spike's outstretched, pleading hands were caught and held, and he was
lifted to his feet.
"My Arthur-Spike, art going to the office this morning?"
"Sure I am; my eye ain't--ain't s' bad, after all, is it? Anyway, I feel
more like what a man should feel like now, an'--Gee! look at me doin'
the sissy tear-spoutin' act! Oh, hell--lemme go an' wash me face. 'N'
say, if--if any o' them--I mean those dolly office boys has anything t'
say, I'll punch th' sawdust out o' them!"