CHAPTER XV
A KNOCK AT THE DOOR
Alvin easily caught the swing of the bass and sang when the chorus wasreached. Mike barely touched the keys, bringing out a few faint chordsthat could not add to the sweetness of his voice. Mrs. Friestone satmotionless, looking intently at him until he came to the last words. Thenshe abruptly took off her glasses and put her handkerchief to her eyes.
The sweet long ago! Again she saw the handsome, sturdy youth when hereturned from the war for the defence of his country, as brave, asresolute, as aflame with patriotism as in his earlier years, but withframe wrenched by painful wounds. Their lives were inexpressibly happyfrom the time she became a bride, and their maturer age was blessed bythe gift of darling Nora. Existence became one grand sweet dream--morehappy, more radiant and more a foretaste of what awaited them all in thegreat beyond. That loved form had vanished in the sweet long ago, but thememory could never fade or grow dim.
It was the song that brought back the picture with a vividness it had notworn for many a year. The tears would come, and Nora, glancing at hermother, buried her face in her own handkerchief and sobbed. Alvin andChester sat silent, and Mike, turning gently on the stool, lookedsympathetically at mother and daughter.
"Thank you, Mike," came a soft, choking voice from behind the snowy bitof linen, and the brave lad winked rapidly and fought back the tears thatcrowded into his honest eyes.
It was not strange that the effect of Mike Murphy's beautiful singing ofthe touching songs brooded like a benison throughout the evening. EvenNora, when asked to favor them again, shook her head.
"Not after Mike," she replied, her eyes gleaming more brightly throughthe moisture not yet dried.
It was impossible for the Irish lad to restrain his humor, and soon hehad them all smiling, but there was no loud laughter such as greeted hisfirst sallies, and the conversation as a whole was soberer and morethoughtful. Alvin and Chester told of their school experiences, andfinally Mike related his adventure when marooned on the lonely islandwell out toward the Atlantic and his friends found him after they hadgiven him up as drowned.
So the evening wore away until, at a seasonable hour, the head of thehousehold said that when they wished to retire she would show them totheir room. Just then Mike had his hand over his mouth in the effort torepress a yawn. Nora laughingly pointed at him.
"In a few minutes he'll be asleep and will tumble off his chair."
"I'm afeard ye're right, as I replied to me tacher whin he obsarved thatI was the biggest numskull in Tipperary County. Come, Captain and sicondmate--ye won't forgit, Miss Nora, that I'm _first_ mate of the battleship_Deerfut_."
The girl went to the kitchen from which she speedily returned, carrying ahand lamp, which she gave to her mother. She nodded to the lads, whofollowed her to the door of the apartment assigned them for the night.They entered behind her as she set the light on the stand and turnedabout.
"I think you will find everything as you wish."
"It couldn't be itherwise, whin it's yersilf that has provided the same.Be that token, we're getting more than we desarve."
"Nothing could be finer," added Alvin, glancing round the lighted room."It's as neat as a pin and we shall sleep the sleep of the just."
The three had noticed when in the parlor the portrait suspended in theplace of honor. The blue uniform, the military cap resting on one knee,and the strong, expressive face told their own story. It was the pictureof Captain Carter Friestone, taken many a year before, when in the flushof his patriotic young manhood. A smaller picture was on the wall of thebedroom of mother and daughter.
The chamber which the lads entered was graced with two small, inexpensivepictures of a religious character, a pretty rug covered most of thefloor, the walls were tastefully papered and there were several chairs,to say nothing of the mirror, stand and other conveniences.
Not only was the broad bed with its snowy counterpane and downy pillowsroomy enough for two, but a wide cot had been placed on the other side ofthe neat little room for whoever chose to sleep upon it.
That which caught the eye of the three was a musket leaning in the farcorner. Chester stepped across, and asking permission of Mrs. Friestone,picked it up and brought it over to where the light was stronger. He sawit was a Springfield rifle, but the lock and base of the barrel were torninto gaping rents.
"I suppose this belonged to the captain," said Chester inquiringly. Thewidow nodded her head.
"And it did good service--that is certain," added Chester, with hiscompanions beside him scrutinizing the weapon. "But it seems to have beeninjured."
She smiled faintly.
"Carter brought it home from the war, declaring it was better than whennew. He put a double charge in one Fourth of July morning, forgettingthat the weapon was much worn from many previous firings. It exploded atthe lock and came very near killing him. But," she added, with a sigh,"it is very precious to me."
"I am sure of that," said Chester as he reverently carried the gun backto the corner.
The good woman kissed each lad on the forehead. When she thus salutedMike, who was the last, she placed her thin hand on his head, and saidwith infinite tenderness:
"I thank you for what you did to-night."
"I beg ye don't mintion it----"
Mike stopped abruptly, and pretending to see something interesting in theold rifle, hurried across the room to examine it more closely.
"Good night and pleasant dreams," called the lady as she passed out,noiselessly closing the door behind her.
It having been agreed that Mike should use the cot, the three preparedfor retiring, the mind of each full of the experience of the evening.Both Alvin and Chester wished to speak of the extraordinary voice ofMike, but neither did, for they knew he would prefer they should not. Hecould not help knowing how greatly he had been favored by nature, anddisliked any reminder.
The wick of the lamp was turned down and blown out by Alvin, afterglancing around and noting that his companions were ready. Through theraised window, opening over a broad alley, the cool wind stole. It socame about that for several days and nights, including the one of which Iam now speaking, the leading cities of the country, embracing evenBoston, were suffering from one of the most intense heat waves that everswept like a furnace blast over most of the States in the Union. But infavored southern Maine it was ideally cool. You could stand a thincovering at night, or you could cast it aside. You were equallycomfortable in either situation.
Our young friends ought to have sunk into a sound sleep within a fewminutes after lying down, but they did not. Something was on their minds,and the singular fact of it was that the thoughts of each wereidentically the same, though as yet not a hint had been dropped byanyone.
It was Mike who abruptly spoke:
"I say, Captain, are ye aslaap?"
"I ought to be, but I was never wider awake."
"How about the second mate?"
"The same here," was the reply from that individual.
"I wish to obsarve that I'm engaged just now in thinking, byes."
"Thinking of what?" asked Alvin.
"'Spose them post office robbers should pay this place a visit."
"What in the world put that in your head?"
"Didn't the same thought come to ye, Captain?"
"I must admit it did."
"And how is it with the second mate?"
"It has troubled me, too, Mike."
"But I can see no real cause for misgiving," added Alvin.
"We know the _Water Witch_ is somewhere in the neighborhood," remarkedChester, to which his chum replied:
"What could attract them to a small office like this? They hunt forbigger game."
"There's a good lot of money in the safe downstairs," said Mike. "'Twasmesilf that obsarved one of the leddy's callers gave her twinty-fivehundred dollars, which she put away. Where could the spalpeens make abigger haul?"
"But how should they know about it? They didn't see it done," said
Alvin.
"Hist, now! From what me eyes told me, the same being anither chap calledand would have lift more, had he not been afeard of me eagle eye that wason him."
"What of that?"
"Doesn't it show that it's the practice in Beartown wid some of them ashas lots of money to lave the same wid the leddy? Thim chaps are pryinground and it would be aisy fur 'em to larn the fact."
"We should have seen something of them if they were in this village."
Alvin felt the weakness of this statement, for such unwelcome visitorswould be too shrewd to expose themselves to discovery when it waspossible to avoid it. All three might have been in Beartown for hourswithout drawing attention to themselves and without giving Mike, duringhis earlier visit, a glimpse of them.
Speculating in this manner, Alvin and Mike came to the belief, or ratherhope, that their good friend was in no danger of a burglarious visit.Chester would not be convinced, but expressed the hope that they wereright.
"I shall make bold to remind Mrs. Friestone in the morning of the riskshe runs and advise her to cease accepting any outside deposits."
Chester was the last to fall asleep. It was a long time before he sankinto slumber, but by and by he glided into the realm of dreams. He had nomeans of knowing how long he lay unconscious, when he gradually becameaware of a peculiar tapping somewhere near. A moment's listening told himthat someone was knocking on the door.