A KNIGHT OF THE NINETEENTH CENTURY by Edward Payson Roe (red seas under red skies .TXT) 📕

While He Drank They Only Sipped.

As The Evening Waned the Excitement Of The Infatuated youth Deepened.

The Heat Of The Room And The Fumes Of Tobacco Combined with The Liquor

To Unman Him And Intensify The Natural Recklessness Of His Character.

There Is, Probably, No Abnormal Passion That So Completely Masters Its

Victims As That For Gambling; And As Haldane Won, Lost, And Won Again,

He Became So Absorbed as To Be Unconscious Of The Flight Of Time And All

Things Else. But As He Lost Self-Control, As He Half-Unconsciously Put

His Glass To His Lips With Increasing Frequency, His Companions Grew

Cooler And More Wary. Their Eyes No Longer Beamed good-Naturedly Upon

Their Victim, But Began To Emit The Eager, Cruel Gleams Of Some Bird Of

Prey.

But They Still Managed the Affair With Consummate Skill. Their Aim Was

To Excite Haldane To The Last Degree Of Recklessness, And Yet Keep Him

Sufficiently Sober For Further Playing. From Harker They Had Learned

That Mr. Arnot Had Probably Sent Him In the Place Of The Clerk Usually

Employed; And, If So, It Was Quite Certain That He Had A Large Sum Of

Money Upon His Person. Haldane'S Words On Becoming aware That He Had

Missed his Train Confirmed their Surmises, And It Was Now Their Object

To Beguile Him Into A Condition Which Would Make Him Capable Of Risking

His Employer'S Funds. They Also Wished that He Should Remain

Sufficiently Sober To Be Responsible For This Act, And To Remember, As

He Recalled the Circumstances, That It Was His Own Act. Therefore They

Kept The Brandy Beyond His Reach; That Was Not Yet Needed.

By The Time The Evening Was Half Over, Haldane Found That, Although He

Had Apparently Won Considerable Money, He Had Lost More, And That Not A

Penny Of His Own Funds Remained. With An Angry Oath He Stated the Fact

To His Companions.

"That'S Unfortunate," Said Mr. Ketchem, Sympathetically. "There Are

Nearly Two Hours Yet Before The Train Leaves, And With Your Disposition

Toward Good Luck Tonight You Could Clean Us Out By That Time, And Would

Have To Lend Us Enough To Pay Our Fares To New York."

"It'S A Pity To Give Up Our Sport Now That We Have Just Got Warmed up To

It," Added mr. Van Wink, Suggestively. "Haven'T You Some Funds About You

That You Can Borrow For The Evening--Just Enough To Keep The Game Going,

You Know?"

Haldane Hesitated. He Was Not So Far Gone But That Conscience Entered an

Emphatic Protest. The Trouble Was, However, That He Had Never Formed the

Habit Of Obeying Conscience, Even When Perfectly Sober. Another

Influence Of The Past Also Proved most Disastrous. His Mother'S Weakness

Now Made Him Weak. In permitting Him To Take Her Money Without Asking,

She Had Undermined the Instinct Of Integrity Which In this Giddy Moment

Of Temptation Might Have Saved him. If He From Childhood Had Been Taught

That The Property Of Others Was Sacred, The Very Gravity Of The Crime To

Which He Now Was Urged would Have Sobered and Awakened him To His

Danger. But His Sense Of Wrong In this Had Been Blunted, And There Was

No Very Strong Repugnance Toward The Suggestion.

Moreover, His Brain Was Confused and Excited to The Last Degree Possible

In One Who Still Continued sane And Responsible. Indeed, It Would Be

Difficult To Say How Far He Was Responsible At This Supreme Moment Of

Danger. He Certainly Had Drank So Much As To Be Unable To Realize The

Consequences Of His Action.

After A Moment'S Hesitation, Like One Who Feebly Tries To Brace Himself

In A Swift Torrent, The Gambler'S Passion Surged up Against And Over His

Feeble Will--Then Swept Him Down.

Haldane Drew An Envelope From His Breast-Pocket, And Laid It On The

Table, Saying With A Reckless Laugh:

"Well, Well, As You Say, There Is No Great Harm In borrowing a Little Of

This Money, And Returning It Again Before The Evening Is Over. The Only

Question Is How To Open This Package, For If Torn It May Require

Explanations That I Do Not Care To Make."

"We Can Easily Manage That," Laughed ketchem; "Put The Package In your

Pocket A Few Moments," And He Rang The Bell.

To The Boy Who Appeared he Said, "Bring Us Three Hot Whiskey

Punches--Hot, Remember; Steaming Hot."

He Soon Reappeared with The Punch, And The Door Was Locked again.

"Hold Your Package Over The Steam Of Your Punch, And The Gum Will

Dissolve So That You Can Open And Close It In a Way That Will Defy

Detection."

The Suggestion Was Speedily Carried out.

"Now," Continued mr. Ketchem, "The Punch Having already Served so

Excellent A Turn, We Will Finish It By Drinking To Your Good Luck."

Haldane Won The First Two Games. This Success, Together With The Liquor,

Which Was Strong, Almost Wholly Dethroned his Reason, And In his Mad,

Drunken Excitement He Began To Stake Large Sums. The Eyes Of His

Companions Grew More Wolfish Than Ever, And, After A Significant Flash

Toward Each Other, The Gamblers Turned fortune Against Their Victim

Finally. The Brandy Was Now Placed within His Reach, And Under Its

Influence Haldane Threw Down Money At Random. The First Package Was Soon

Emptied. He Snatched the Other From His Pocket And Tore It Open, But

Before Its Contents Had Likewise Disappeared his Head Drooped upon His

Breast, And He Became Insensible.

They Watched him A Moment, Smiled grimly At Each Other, Drew A Long

Breath Of Relief, And, Rising, Stretched themselves Like Men Who Had

Been Under A Strain That Had Taxed them Severely.

"Half An Hour Yet," Said Mr. Van Wink; "Wish The Time Was Up."

"This Is A Heavy Swag If We Get Off Safely With It. I Say, Haldane, Wake

Up."

But Haldane Was Sunk In the Deepest Stupor.

"I Guess It'S Safe Enough," Said Van Wink, Answering Ketchem'S

Questioning Eyes.

The Latter Thereupon Completely Emptied the Remaining Package Of Money,

And Replaced the Two Empty Envelopes In haldane'S Breast-Pocket, And

Buttoned up His Coat.

With Mutual Glances Of Exultation At The Largeness Of The Sum, They

Swiftly Divided the Spoil Between Them. It Was Agreed that After Leaving

The Hotel They Should Separate, That One Should Go To Boston, The Other

To Baltimore, And That They Should Return To Their Old Haunts In new

York After The Interest Caused by The Affair Had Died out. Then,

Lighting Cigars, They Coolly Sat Down To Wait For The Train, Having

First Opened a Window And Placed haldane Where The Fresh Air Would Blow

Upon Him.

When The Time Of Departure Approached, Mr. Van Wink Went To The Bar And

Paid Both Their Own And Haldane'S Bill, Saying That They Would Now

Vacate The Room. On His Return Ketchem Had So Far Aroused haldane That

He Was Able To Leave The House With Their Assistance, And Yet So

Intoxicated as To Be Incapable Of Thinking and Acting For Himself. They

Took Him Down A Side Street, Now Utterly Deserted, And Left Him On The

Steps Of A Low Groggery, From Whence Still Issued the Voices Of Some

Late Revellers. Five Minutes Later The "Owl Train" Bore From The Town

Messrs. Van Wink And Ketchem, Who Might Be Called with A Certain Aptness

Birds Of The Night And Of Prey.

Haldane Remained upon The Saloon Steps, Where He Had Been Left, Blinking

Stupidly At A Distant Street Lamp. He Had A Vague Impression That

Something Was Wrong--That A Misfortune Of Some Kind Had Befallen Him,

But All Was Confused and Blurred. He Would Have Soon Gone To Sleep Again

Had Not The Door Opened, And A Man Emerged, Who Exclaimed:

"Faix, An Who Have We Here, Noddin' To Himself As If He Knew More'N

Other Folk? Are Ye Waitin' For Some Un To Ax Ye Within For A Comfortin'

Dhrop?"

"Take Me 'Ome," Mumbled haldane.

"Where'S Yer Home?"

"Mrs. Haldane'S," Answered the Youth, Thinking Himself In his Native

Town.

"By Me Sowl, If It Isn'T Boss Arnot'S New Clerk. Sure'S Me Name Is Pat

M'Cabe 'Tis Misther Haldane. I Say, Are Ye Sick?"

"Take Me 'Ome."

"Faix, I See," Winking at Two Or Three Of His Cronies Who Had Gathered

At The Open Door; "It'S A Disase I'M Taken Wid Meself At Odd Spells,

Though I Takes Moighty Good Care To Kape Out O' The Way Of Ould Man

Arnot When I'M So Afflicted. He Has A Quare Way O' Thinkin' That Ivery

Man About Him Can Go As Rigaler As If Made In a Mash-Shine Shop, Bad

Luck Till 'Im."

Perhaps All In mr. Arnot'S Employ Would Have Echoed this Sentiment,

Could The Ill Luck Have Blighted him Without Reaching Them. In working

His Employes As He Did His Machinery, Mr. Arnot Forgot That The Latter

Was Often Oiled, But That He Entirely Neglected to Lubricate The Wills

Of The Former With Occasional Expressions Of Kindness And Interest In

Their Welfare. Thus It Came To Pass That Even Down To Poor Pat M'Cabe,

Man Of All Work Around The Office Building, All Felt That Their Employer

Was A Hard, Driving Taskmaster, Who Ever Looked beyond Them And Their

Interests To What They Accomplished for Him. The Spirit Of The Master

Infused itself Among The Men, And The Tendency Of Each One To Look Out

For Himself Without Regard To Others Was Increased. If Pat Had Served a

Kinder And More Considerate Man, He Might Have Been Inclined to Show

Greater Consideration For The Intoxicated youth; But Pat'S Favorite

Phrase, "Divil Take The Hindmost," Was But A Fair Expression Of The

Spirit Which Animated his Master, And The Majority In his Employ. When,

Therefore, Haldane, In his Thick, Imperfect Utterance, Again Said, "Take

Me 'Ome," Pat Concluded that It Would Be The Best And Safest Course For

Himself. Helping The Young Man To His Feet He Said:

"Can Ye Walk? Mighty Onstiddy On Yer Pins; But I'M Athinkin' I Can Get

Ye To The Big House Afore Mornin'. Should I Kape Ye Out O' The Way Till

Ye Get Sober, And Ould Man Arnot Find It Out, I'D Be In the Street

Meself Widout A Job 'Fore He Ate His Dinner. Stiddy Now; Lean Aginst Me,

And Don'T Wabble Yer Legs So."

With Like Exhortations The Elder And More Wary Disciple Of Bacchus

Disappeared with His Charge In the Gloom Of The Night.

It Chanced that The Light Burned late, On This Evening, In mrs. Arnot'S

Parlor. The Lady'S Indisposition Had Confined her To Her Room And Couch

During The Greater Part Of The Day; But As The Sun Declined, The

Distress In her Head Had Gradually Ceased, And She Had Found Her Airy

Drawing-Room A Welcome Change From The Apartment Heavy With The Odor Of

Anaesthetics. Two Students From The University Had Aided in beguiling

The Early Part Of The Evening, And Then Laura Had Commenced reading

Aloud An Interesting Tale, Which Had Suspended the Consciousness Of

Time. But As The Marble Clock On The Mantel Chimed out The Hour Of

Twelve, Mrs. Arnot Rose Hastily From The Sofa, Exclaiming:

"What Am I Thinking Of, To Keep You Up So Late! If Your Mother Knew That

You Were Out Of Your Bed she Would Hesitate To Trust You With Me Again."

"One More Chapter, Dear Auntie, Please?"

"Yes, Dear, Several More--To-Morrow; But To Bed now, _Instanter_.

Come, Kiss Your Remorseful Aunt Good-Night. I'Ll Remain Here A While

Longer, For Either Your Foolish Story Or The After Effects Of My

Wretched headache Make Me A Trifle Morbid And Wakeful To-Night. Oh, How

That Bell Startles Me! What Can It Mean So Late?"

The Loud Ring at The Door Remained unanswered a Few Moments, For The

Servants Had All Retired. But The Applicant Without Did Not Wait Long

Before Repeating The Summons Still More Emphatically.

Then They Heard The Library Door Open, And Mr. Arnot'S Heavy Step In the

Hall, As He Went Himself To Learn The Nature Of The Untimely Call. His

Wife'S Nervous Timidity Vanished at Once, And She Stepped forward To

Join Her Husband, While Laura Stood Looking Out From The Parlor Entrance

With A Pale And Frightened face. "Can It Be Bad News From Home?" She

Thought.

"Who Is There?" Demanded