CHAPTER I.
THE CAPTAIN OF THE CREW RESIGNS.
“THE situation certainly looks desperate, Anna,” said Mr. Manning, witha deep sigh, as he turned wearily on his couch and reached out a thinwhite hand that was immediately clasped between the plump ones of hischeery-faced wife. Her face did not look so very cheery just at thismoment, however, for lines of anxiety were wrinkling her forehead andher eyes were full of tears. Then, too, she was thinking so hard thather mouth was all puckered up.
“Yes, it does look a little desperate,” she admitted; “but, bless you!it has looked desperate plenty of times before, and we have always comeout all right somehow. God has been too good to us so far to desert usnow, and I, for one, am willing to trust him to the end.”
“Well, dear,” answered her husband, “if you are, I ought to be, for theheaviest part of the burden must fall on you.”
The Mannings lived in a pleasant, old-fashioned New Jersey village afew miles out of New York, and had, until recently, been in the mostcomfortable circumstances. Mr. Manning was the manager of a largemanufacturing business and received a handsome salary, from which heshould have laid by a snug sum against a “rainy day.” He knew it washis duty to do this; but each year brought some new expense that seemedas if it ought to be met, and each year he said to himself:
“Well, I can’t do any thing about it this time, that’s certain; butnext year I must surely begin to lay something aside.”
So year after year passed, until finally, when Myles Manning, the onlyson of the family, was ready to enter college, the annual expenses werefound to be in excess of the handsome annual income, and nothing hadbeen saved.
Alarmed at this state of affairs, and not prepared just then toretrench or practise an economy that would make them seem poor in theeyes of their neighbors, Mr. Manning mortgaged their beautiful home.His wife at first refused to sign the necessary papers, but was at lastpersuaded into doing so.
It was only to raise enough money to see Myles properly throughcollege. Then he would go into business and soon be in a position tohelp them, said Mr. Manning. He also said there was nothing in theworld like college for a young man. Besides the education that it gavehim, he made friends in college that were friends for life and alwaysready to help one another. Every thing depended, though, upon the sethe got into. It must be the very best in the college, to be worth anything at all. To keep up with that set in X—— College would costsomething, and unless they mortgaged the place he really did not seehow he was to raise the necessary money. They surely could not do lessfor their only son than to send him handsomely through college, and,after all, it would in the end prove one of the very best investmentsthey could make.
So Mrs. Manning was persuaded, the mortgage was signed, and Myles wentto X—— College. There, on account of his good looks, his generousdisposition, his unfailing good-nature, and his apparent command ofready money, he speedily became the most popular man of his class, anda leader in its “very best set,” by which was meant the wealthiest andmost extravagant lot of young fellows in it.
At the time this story opens he had nearly finished his third year ofcollege life, and was looking forward with joyful anticipations tobeing soon that proudest, and, in his own estimation, most importantof mortals—a senior. He was captain of the university crew, which wasin steady training for the great annual race with the Z—— Collegecrew at New London. He was also the best all-around athlete of hiscollege. This, according to Ben Watkins, who had been his rival for thecaptaincy of the crew, and was almost the only fellow in his class whodisliked Myles, was not surprising. He said that Manning did nothingelse besides row and practise in the gymnasium. This was not true;for, although Myles did not rank very high at examinations, he stillstudied enough to enable him to pass with a fair average of marks. Hehad, moreover, determined upon a career which it seemed to him wouldnot require a very profound scholarship. It was that of a politician;and he felt quite sure that the influence of his own father, or thatof some of his gay young college friends, would secure him some snugpolitical position as soon as he was graduated.
Thus far, therefore, life had gone easily and prosperously with thislight-hearted young fellow, and its future looked bright before him.He knew nothing of its ruder aspects—of its despair, its hunger, andits poverty. There were those who said of him that, while he was a goodfair-weather sailor, he was not of the stuff to face, and do bravebattle with, the storms of adversity, should they ever overtake him.
Now, just such a storm had overtaken Myles Manning, and he was tobe tried. Nearly a year before a trouble of the eyes with which Mr.Manning was afflicted had suddenly resulted in total blindness. It wasat first supposed to be only temporary, but as time wore on, and onepainful operation after another failed to afford relief, hope beganto yield to despair, and his career of usefulness seemed ended. Thusfar his salary had been continued, and the affairs of the Manningfamily had gone on much as usual. At last there came a letter in which,while regretting the necessity, the president of the company thathad employed Mr. Manning informed him that, as there was no presentprospect that he would be able to resume his duties, the payment of hissalary must cease from that date.
As Mrs. Manning finished reading this politely cruel letter to herhusband she tried to speak cheerfully of it, and to find some gleam ofhope in their situation. In her heart, however, she was compelled toadmit that it was indeed desperate, and that she did not know which wayto turn.
It was Saturday, and Kate Manning, the only daughter of the family, anda year younger than Myles, was home from Vassar, the summer vacationat which was already begun. The evening before, she and her motherplanned a trip to a noted sea-side resort, at which they hoped Mr.Manning might be benefited, and where Kate, who was as fond of societyas her brother, and in her way quite as popular as he, anticipated adelightful time. Myles had written that he expected an invitation togo on a yachting trip with Bert Smedley, one of the wealthiest of hisclassmates. Thus he too might be looked for at the same famous resort.He was to come home for Sunday to talk over plans for the summer.
Myles was never in better spirits, nor more full of enthusiasm overwhat he was doing, and about to do, than when he reached home thatSaturday evening. After he had kissed his mother and sister, and beenwarned by them not to be boisterous, as his father was sleeping, theycould do nothing for some time but sit and listen to his glowingaccounts of college life and the joys of which it held so many for him.
At last he noticed their mood, and, stopping short in the middle of aglowing description of his crew and the splendid work it was doing, heasked:
“But what ails you two? You are as mum as oysters.”
Then the mother crossed over to the sofa on which he sat, and, takingone of his hands in hers, said:
“My poor dear boy! It is so good to see you bright and happy that wehadn’t the heart to interrupt you with our sorrows.”
“Sorrows!” exclaimed Myles, in a bewildered tone. “What do you mean,mother? Is any one dead? or is father worse?”
Then they told him the whole story; of the letter that had come thatday, of the mortgage, with its ever accumulating load of interest, andof the desperate financial condition of the family generally.
When the sad tale was ended the boy sat for a moment as motionless asthough stunned. Then in a husky voice he asked:
“Is that all, mother?”
“No, dear, it is not,” answered the brave little woman. “Kate andI have been looking at the situation in every possible light thisafternoon, and have finally decided upon a plan in which we wantyour help. It is to rent this house furnished, and with every thingbelonging to it, except the gardener’s cottage. Into that we willmove, and there we can manage to live very comfortably. Of course allthe servants will be dismissed, and Kate is going to give up Vassarin order to stay at home and help me with the housework. In this waywe hope to be able to pay the interest on the mortgage until thereis a good chance to sell the property, when we shall be
relieved ofthat burden. You have but one more year of college. By practising theclosest economy all around—and this is where you can help us,—wethink we can get you through with that. Then you will find somebusiness and aid in supporting the family. Thus we shall have only oneyear of real hard times, and that will soon be over with.”
“Mother!” exclaimed the boy, giving a squeeze to the soft little handclasped in his big brown ones; “you are the very best and bravest womanin the world. And, Kate, you are a dear, splendid girl. But do yousuppose for one minute that I am going to let you two do all this forme and do nothing for myself? No, sir-e-e! If Kate must give up hercollege, in which I know she is doing a thousand times better than I amin mine, why, I shall do the same. I shall do it on Monday too. Collegeisn’t worth half so much in this world as home is, and where there isgoing to be a fight to keep that, I’m going to be one of the fighters.Now don’t say a word against it; I know the right thing to do, and I’mgoing to do it.”
Nothing they could say served to alter his determination in theslightest. He only added to his arguments that he was not giving up sovery much after all, for it wouldn’t be much fun to stay in collegeafter he was no longer able to hold up his end. Into his mind camealso unpleasant memories of a few little bills that even his generousallowance had not been sufficient to meet; but of these he saidnothing. He felt that they were his private burden and must be bornealone.
In spite of their remonstrances against his decision to leave college,both Mrs. Manning and Kate were greatly cheered by his manly resolutionand brave words. As they listened to them their hearts grew manydegrees lighter than they had been before his arrival.
When the boy told his father of his plans, the next day, Mr. Manningheartily approved of them. He only asked his son what steps he proposedto take to get into business.
“My influence might be sufficient to secure you some sort of a positionwith the M—— Company,” he added, naming the one for which he hadacted as manager.
“No, sir!” exclaimed Myles. “Any thing rather than that. I’d sellpapers on the street sooner than work under the man who wrote you thatletter. Don’t you worry, sir. I’ll find a place quick enough. There arelots of fellows in my class who are the sons of business men, and whowould be glad to give me notes to their fathers. Some of them are sureto take me in and give me a start.”
The father sighed as he thought of the difference between friends inprosperity and friends in adversity; but he would not say any thing todampen his boy’s ardor.
“Let him work out his own salvation,” said the blind man to his wife.“The harder the fight the more highly will he prize the victory whenit is won, as I am certain it will be sooner or later. I am afraid,though, that it will be a long time before he is able to afford you anyreal assistance. If he supports himself for the first year or two hewill be doing unusually well.”
When Myles and his sister went to church together that Sunday morningmany an admiring glance was cast at the stalwart young captain of theX—— College “Varsity” crew, and more than one pretty girl privatelydecided to wear X—— colors on the day of the great race.
On Monday, when his mother and Kate kissed him good-bye, tears stood intheir eyes, and the former said:
“Oh, Myles, think again, and seriously before you take this step. Wecan manage somehow to keep you in college for one little year more; Iknow we can.”
“Of course you could, mother. You could do any thing that you set outto do, only I won’t be kept,” answered the boy, bravely. “The nextthing you hear of me will be that I am a junior partner in some WallStreet concern; see if I am not.”
The first person Myles met upon entering the college-grounds was BertSmedley, who held out a paper to him, saying:
“You are just the one I was looking for, Manning. We have got to raisea hundred or two more to see you fellows through at New London, andour set has undertaken to do it. Here’s the subscription paper, and Iwouldn’t let a fellow sign it until I’d got your name to head the list.So, now, give us something handsome as a starter.”
Myles’ heart sank at these words, and there was a choking sensation inhis throat as he answered:
“There’s no use coming to me, Bert, I can’t give a cent. You see, myfather has got into trouble, and I’ve got to leave college and go towork to help him out of it. If you will only speak a word for me toyour father, though, and ask if he can’t find me some sort of a berthin his business, whatever that is, for I don’t think I ever heard yousay, I’ll be ever so much obliged to you, and will do as much and morefor you if ever I have a chance.”
“But you are captain of the crew!” gasped Smedley, bewildered by thissudden turn of affairs.
“No, I’m not, now,” answered Myles. “My resignation is already writtenand sent in. It was hard enough to give it up, you’d better believe;but it had to be done—and business before pleasure, you know. You’llspeak a good word for me, old man, won’t you?”
“I’ll see,” replied the other. Then adding, “Excuse me a moment;there’s Watkins, and I must have his name,” he hurried away, anxiousto be the first to communicate the astounding intelligence he had justlearned to Myles’ most prominent rival.
The news flew fast, and Myles had hardly begun to dismantle his roomof its many pretty bits of bric-a-brac, preparatory to packing up hisbelongings, before it was filled with a throng of fellows anxious tohear from his own lips the truth of the startling rumor.
“It’s a shame!” cried one.
“It will break up the crew!” exclaimed another.
“We might as well give the race to Z—— and be done with it.”
But their thoughts seemed to be mostly of their own disappointment.Poor Myles, almost stunned by the clamor about him, could hardly hearthe words of pity for himself, and sympathy with his misfortune, thatwere uttered here and there. It seemed to him that they cared nothingfor him or his troubles, but thought only of what a loss he would be tothe crew. Thus thinking he could not bring himself to ask their helpin securing employment, as he had intended; and, though they were thefellows of his “set,” upon whom he depended for aid, he let one afteranother of them leave the room without broaching the subject. At lengththe room was cleared and he was left alone.
Not quite alone though. A fellow named Van Cleef, whom Myles knew butslightly, and who was such a hard-working student as to be termed theclass “dig,” remained. As Myles turned and noticed him for the firsttime Van Cleef said:
“IF YOU MUST GO TO WORK AT ONCE, WHY NOT TRYJOURNALISM?” (_Page 15._)]
“I’m awfully sorry for you, Manning, and you are heartily welcome toany thing I can do to help you. If you must go to work at once why nottry journalism? It is hard work, but it pays something from the verystart, and that is more than can be said of almost any other business.”