CHAPTER XIX.
KATY RESORTS TO A LOAN.
Katy was not at all pleased with the mission which her duty seemed toimpose upon her. Again she felt the crushing weight of poverty, andpride rose up to throw obstacles in her path. She was a child oftwelve, and to ask a loan of twenty dollars, though she offeredsufficient security for the payment of the debt, seemed like demandinga great deal of her friends--like inviting them to repose a vast amountof confidence in her ability and honesty. They would not want thewatch; it would be of no value to them; and the more she considered thematter, the more like an act of charity appeared the favor she wasabout to ask.
More than once on her way to Temple Street did she stop short, resolvedto get the money of some other person--the grocer, Mr. Sneed, or evenof a pawnbroker; but as often she rebuked the pride that tormented herlike a demon, and went forward again. She stood some time at Mrs.Gordon's door before she had the resolution to ring the bell.
"What right have I to be so proud?" said she, grasping the bell handle."I must get this money, or my mother may suffer."
She rang with a force that must have astonished Michael, and led him tothink some extraordinary character had arrived; for he ran to the doorat full speed, and burst out into a violent fit of laughter, when hesaw no one but the little candy merchant.
"Good morning, to you, Katy. Are you nervous this morning?" said he.
"Good morning, Michael. I am not very nervous."
"I thought you would pull down the bell," he added, good-naturedly.
"I didn't mean to, Michael; I hope you will excuse me if I did anyharm."
"Not a bit of harm; but you're looking as sober as a deacon. What ailsyou, Katy?"
"I feel very sad, Michael; for my mother is very sick, and I don't knowas she will ever get well."
"Indeed? I'm sorry to hear that of her;" and Michael, whatever he felt,looked very much concerned about Mrs. Redburn's health.
"Is Mrs. Gordon at home?"
"She isn't."
"Is Miss Grace?"
"Neither of them; they went to Baltimore ten days ago but I amexpecting them back every day."
Katy's heart sank within her; for now that Mrs. Gordon was not at hand,she did not feel like asking any other person; and if the case had notbeen urgent, she would have been satisfied to return home, and regardthe lady's absence as a sufficient excuse for not procuring the money.
"You want to see her very much?" asked Michael.
"Very much, indeed."
"Can I be of any service to you?"
"No, Michael."
"Perhaps I can, Katy."
"No, I'm much obliged to you."
"If it's anything in the house you want, I can get it for you."
"No, I must see Mrs. Gordon."
"If it's any nice preserve or jelly you want just say the word, andI'll bring it to you at once."
"I do not want anything of that kind. Do you think Mrs. Gordon willreturn by to-morrow?"
"I thought she would be here yesterday, and she may come to-night."
"Very well; I will, perhaps, call again to-morrow," and she turned toleave.
"I'll tell Mrs. Gordon you came. Stop a minute, Katy. Won't you tell mewhat you want?"
"I would rather not, Michael; but I will come again to-morrow."
"See here, Katy; maybe you're short of money. If you are, I have amatter of three hundred dollars in the Savings Bank; and you may besure you shall have every cent of it if you want it."
This was a very liberal offer, though it is probable he did not thinkshe would want any considerable portion of it, or that she could evencomprehend the meaning of so large a sum. Katy was sorely tempted tonegotiate with him for the loan but she was not sure that it would beproper to borrow money of the servant, and perhaps Mrs. Gordon wouldnot like it.
"I thank you, Michael; you are very kind, but I think I would rathersee Mrs. Gordon."
"I have a matter of five or six dollars in my pocket now; and itthat'll be of any service to you, take it and welcome."
Katy stopped to think. A few dollars would be all that she neededbefore the return of Mrs. Gordon; and yet she did not feel likeaccepting it. What would the lady say on her return, when told that shehad borrowed money of her servant? Yet the servant had a kind heart,and really desired to serve her. Was it not pride that prevented herfrom accepting his offer? Did she not feel too proud to place herselfunder obligations to the servant? She felt rebuked at her presumption;for what right had she to make such distinctions? If she had been alady, like Mrs. Gordon, she might have been excusable for cherishingsuch pride; but she was a poor girl; she was actually in want.
"Michael, you are so good, that I will tell you my story," said she,conquering her repugnance.
"Just come in the house, then;" and he led her into the sitting-room;being, in the absence of the mistress, the lord and master of themansion, and feeling quite at home in that position.
In a few words she explained to him her situation, though herrebellious pride caused her to paint the picture in somewhat brightercolors than the truth would justify. She stated her intention to borrowtwenty dollars of Mrs. Gordon, and offer her the watch as security, atthe same time exhibiting the cherished treasure.
"Now Michael, if you will lend me three dollars till Mrs. Gordonreturns, I will pay you then, for I know she will let me have themoney; or at least let me have enough to pay you," continued she, whenshe had finished her narrative.
"Indeed I will, Katy!" exclaimed he, promptly pulling out his wallet."And if you will come at this time to-morrow, you shall have the wholetwenty dollars."
"Thank you, Michael."
"There's six dollars; take it, Katy, and my blessing with it."
"Only three dollars, Michael," replied Katy, firmly.
Michael insisted, but all his persuasion would not induce her to acceptmore than the sum she had mentioned, and he was reluctantly compelledto yield the point.
"Here is the watch, Michael; you shall keep that till I pay you."
"Is it me!" exclaimed he, springing to his feet, with an expressionvery like indignation on his countenance. "Sure, you don't think I'dtake the watch."
"Why not you as well as Mrs. Gordon?" asked Katy.
"She didn't take it," replied Michael triumphantly. "You couldn't makeher take it, if you try a month. Don't I know Mrs. Gordon?"
"But please to take it; I should feel much better if you would."
"Bad luck to me if I do! I wouldn't take it to save my neck from thegallows. Where's my Irish heart? Did I leave it at home, or did I bringit with me to America?"
"If you will not take it, Michael----"
"I won't."
"If you won't, I will say no more about it," replied Katy, as shereturned the watch to her pocket. "You have got a very kind heart, andI shall never forget you as long as I live."
Katy, after glancing at the portrait of the roguish lady that hung inthe room, took leave of Michael, and hastened home. On her way, shecould not banish the generous servant from her mind. She could notunderstand why he should be so much interested in her as to offer theuse of all he had; and she was obliged to attribute it all to theimpulses of a kind heart. If she had been a little older, she mighthave concluded that the old maxim, slightly altered would explain thereason: "Like mistress, like man," that the atmosphere of kindness andcharity that pervaded the house had inspired even the servants.
"Where have you been, Katy?" asked Mrs. Redburn, as she entered thesick chamber, and Mrs. Sneed hastened home.
"I have been to Mrs. Gordon."
"What for?"
Katy did not like to tell. She knew it would make her mother feel veryunhappy to know that she had borrowed money of Mrs. Gordon's servant.
"Oh, I went up to see her," replied Katy.
"No matter, if you don't like to tell me," faintly replied Mrs. Redburn.
"I will tell you, mother," answered Katy, stung by the gentle rebukecontained in her mother's words.
"I suppose our money is all gone," sighed the sick woman.
"No, mother; see here! I have three dollars," and Katy pulled out herporte-monnaie, anxious to save her even a moment of uneasiness.
But in taking out the money she exhibited the watch also, which at onceexcited Mrs. Redburn's curiosity.
"What have you been doing with that, Katy?" she asked. "Ah, I fear Iwas right. We have no money! Our business is gone! Alas, we havenothing to hope for!"
"O, no, mother, it is not half so bad as that!" exclaimed Katy. "I wentup to Mrs. Gordon for the purpose of borrowing twenty dollars of her; Ididn't want it to look like charity, so I was going to ask her to keepthe watch till it was paid. That's all, mother."
"And she refused?"
"No; she was not at home."
"But your money is not all gone?"
Katy wanted to say it was not, but her conscience would not let herpractise deception. She had the three dollars which she had justborrowed of Michael, and that was not all gone. But this was not thequestion her mother asked, and it would be a lie to say the money wasnot all gone, when she fully understood the meaning of the question.Perhaps it was for her mother's good to deceive her; but she had beentaught to feel that she had no right to do evil that good might follow.
"It was all gone, but I borrowed three dollars," she replied, after alittle hesitation.
"Of whom?"
"Of Michael."
"Who's he?"
"Mrs. Gordon's man.
"O Katy! How could you do so?" sighed Mrs. Redburn.
"I couldn't help it, mother. He would make me take it;" and she gaveall the particulars of her interview with Michael and reviewed theconsiderations which had induced her to accept the loan.
"Perhaps you are right, Katy. My pride would not have let me borrow ofa servant; but it is wicked for me to cherish such a pride. I try veryhard to banish it."
"Don't talk any more now, mother. We are too poor to be too proud toaccept a favor of one who is in a humble station." replied Katy.
"I don't know what will become of us," said Mrs. Redburn, as she turnedher head away to hide the tears that flooded her eyes.
Katy took up the Bible that lay by the bedside, and turning to thetwenty-third psalm, she read, "The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall notwant. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures; he leadeth me besidethe still waters."
"Go on, Katy; those words are real comfort," said Mrs. Redburn, dryingher tears. "I know it is wicked for me to repine."
Katy read the whole psalm, and followed it with others, which produceda healing influence upon her mother's mind, and she seemed to forgetthat the purse was empty, and that they had placed themselves underobligations to a servant.
The sufferer rested much better than usual that night, and Katy waspermitted to sleep the greater part of the time--a boon which herexhausted frame very much needed. About ten o'clock in the forenoon,Michael paid her a visit, to inform her that Mrs. Gordon had justarrived: and that, when he mentioned her case, she had sent him down torequest her immediate attendance and that his mistress would have comeherself, only she was so much fatigued by her journey.
Katy could not leave then, for she had no one to stay with her mother;but Mrs. Sneed could come in an hour. Michael hastened home with theintelligence that Mrs. Redburn was better, and Katy soon followed him.