CHAPTER XXV.
TOM FLANNERY'S SICKNESS.
Bob Hunter was too much surprised by the fact that Herbert was going toMr. Goldwin's house to tell him of his own anxiety about Tom Flannery.The latter had not, as Bob learned, been seen for two days at hisaccustomed place. That he should be away one day was not particularlystrange, for he not infrequently got odd jobs to do that took him toanother part of the city, or possibly to some of the near by suburbs.Two days' absence, however, was so unusual for him that Bob Hunterbecame anxious, fearing that possibly the vengeance of old Gunwagner andhis companion in crime had fallen upon poor, unsuspecting Tom. Thisthought having suggested itself to him, his previous anxiety speedilyturned to a feeling of alarm.
He therefore left his place of business as early as possible, and aftera hurried supper went quickly to Tom Flannery's home, which was in alarge office building on Broadway, very near Bowling Green. The latter'smother was janitress of the building. Her duties were to keep it clean,and to look after the interests of the owner. For these services shereceived a trifling money reward, and was allowed to occupy two smallrooms at the top of the building. Here Mrs. Flannery and Tom made theirhome, which, though humble, was very neat.
Bob knocked softly at the door, out of breath from climbing so manyflights of stairs, and with sore misgivings for the safety of his youngcompanion. The door was opened presently by a woman of middle age, who,as Bob saw at a glance from her extraordinary resemblance to Tom, wasthe newsboy's mother. He had never seen her before, but the honest,trustful look so characteristic of his young friend shone prominentlyin Mrs. Flannery's face.
"They have got him, poor Tom," said Bob to himself with beating heart,as he saw Mrs. Flannery's grief.
"Are you not Master Bob Hunter?" said the woman, speaking first--afteran awkward pause; for the visitor, who had been so bold a detective, wasnow so distressed that he knew not what to say.
"Yes, I am Bob Hunter," was the soft reply.
"And you are come to see my boy--my poor Tom?" said the woman, pressingBob's hand warmly, and struggling vainly to keep back the tears.
"Is he here?" asked Bob, dumfounded by the contradictory state ofthings; for it was apparent from the woman's question that Tom was athome, and, he being at home, why such grief?
"I'm so glad you came to see him, for he thought so much of you, MasterBob," said Mrs. Flannery, now giving way entirely to her feelings.
"I would have come before if I had known----"
"I know you would, I know you would," interrupted the woman betweensobs, "and he asked so many times for you, and now to think that you arehere and he won't know you. Oh, my poor Tom!"
"I don't blame you for being proud, Bob. I wish I had such a case too,but then I couldn't handle it not the way you could, Bob. None of thefellers could, not one of 'em, Bob, for you do everything in such agrand way, you know."
These words, so familiar yet so ominously strange, fell upon Bob Hunterlike a messenger of death.
"Oh, what is it, Mrs. Flannery? What has happened to Tom?" cried he,pale with fright.
"It's his head, Master Bob--gone since morning--rambling on just likethis--detectives, and I don't know what all."
"Have you had a doctor to see him?" asked Bob, his mind turning quicklyto practical measures.
"Yes, and he says it's pneumonia, and a very bad case," answered themother, with almost a hopeless expression.
Bob learned that Tom came home two days before thoroughly wet from acold northeast rain; that he had a chill soon after going to bed; thathe grew rapidly worse throughout the night, and that in the morning hehad a high fever. Mrs. Flannery called in a doctor, who, after a carefulexamination, pronounced the case pneumonia. He left medicine whichseemed to afford temporary relief. In the night, however, Tom grewworse, and during the following forenoon became delirious.
"Don't you know me, Tom?" said Bob feelingly, as he stood by thebedside, and held the sufferer's hand in his own.
"All the evening papers--_Sun_, _Mail and Express_, _Telegram_--bigaccident--tremendous loss of life! Which will you have, sir?"
And this was Tom's wild reply, poor boy. Now that his companion, whom hewanted to see so much, and for whom he had such admiration, had at lastcome to him, the sick boy did not know him; but supposing he had acustomer for his papers, he rattled on in true newsboy fashion. Bobtried again and again to rouse his mind by referring to HerbertRandolph, and to scenes familiar and interesting, but his efforts wereunsuccessful. At length his stout young heart gave way, and with anexpression of the keenest grief he dropped into a chair beside the bed,burying his face in the pure white spread that covered his youngcompanion, and wept tears of sincere sorrow.
TOM FLANNERY IN DELIRIUM.]
Presently he withdrew from the sick room, and after a brief discussionwith Mrs. Flannery hurried away to the doctor whom she had previouslycalled in to see Tom. The physician promised to visit the sick boy againwithin an hour. Having this assurance from the doctor, Bob then turnedhis steps towards his own room to acquaint Herbert Randolph with Tom'sillness. But to Bob's surprise he found on arriving there that the youngVermonter had not yet reached home.
"'Twas nine o'clock when I passed the _Tribune_ building," said Bob tohimself rather anxiously, "and he hain't come yet. I hope nothing'sgone bad with him, though, for we've got trouble enough on our handsalready, with Tom sick, and goin' to die, I'm afraid. I wish I could dosomething for him; he would do anything in the world for me, Tom would."
But Bob's fears regarding Herbert proved groundless, for in a littletime the latter joined him with a light heart, made happy by the verykind reception given him at Mr. Goldwin's.
On his way home his mind was filled with the vision of a sweet youngface, which to him was an inspiration. And as he hurried along theavenue, thinking faster and faster, what charming pictures hisimagination brought before him--pictures that for him possessed astrange and peculiar attraction. But these beautiful creations of hismind were quickly lost to him when he saw the troubled look on young BobHunter's face.
"Why, Bob," said he, "what makes you look so wretched? What hashappened?"
The latter quickly related the story of Tom's sickness, and stated hisown fears.
"I cannot realize it, Bob," said Herbert, deeply touched. "Poor Tom! letus go at once and do whatever we can for him."
"That's right, Herbert; that's what I think we ought to do, and Ishouldn't come home at all only I knew you would not know what hadbecome of me," replied Bob, as they put on their overcoats and startedfor Mrs. Flannery's humble home.