A KNIGHT OF THE NINETEENTH CENTURY - Edward Payson Roe (best color ebook reader TXT) 📗

Of My Life,

Lose The Opportunity It Gives Me. I Can Now Show You A Small Part Of My

Gratitude By Serving Those You Love. Besides, As You Say, That Telegram

Is Such A Pathetic Cry Of Distress That, Were You All Strangers, I Would

Obey Its Unconscious Command. But Haste, The Card!"

 

 

 

"Egbert, You Are Excited; You Do Not Realize What You Are Saying!" Cried

The Agitated lady.

 

 

 

He Looked at Her Steadily For A Moment, And Then Said, In a Tone So

Quiet And Firm That It Ended all Remonstrance, "I Realize Fully What I

Am Doing, And It Is My Right To Decide Upon My Own Action. To You, At

Least, I Never Broke My Word, And I Assure You That I Will Go. Miss

Romeyn, Will You Oblige Me By Instantly Writing That Card? Your Aunt Is

Not Able To Write It."

 

 

 

His Manner Was So Authoritative That Laura Wrote With A Trembling Hand:

 

 

 

"The Bearer Is A Very Dear Friend Of Aunt'S. How Brave And Noble

A Man He Is You Can Learn From The Fact That He Comes To Your Aid Now.

In Deepest Sympathy And Love,

 

 

 

"Laura."

 

 

 

"Good-By, My Dear, Kind Friend," Said Haldane Cheerily To Mrs. Arnot

While Laura Was Writing; "You Overrate The Danger. I Feel That I Shall

Return Again, And If I Do Not, There Are Many Worse Evils Than Dying."

 

 

 

"Your Mother," Said Mrs. Arnot, With A Low Sob.

 

 

 

"I Shall Write To Her A Long Letter On The Way And Explain Everything."

 

 

 

"She Will Feel That It Never Can Be Explained."

 

 

 

"I Cannot Help It," Replied the Young Man Resolutely; "I Know That I Am

Doing Right, Or My Conscience Is Of No Use To Me Whatever."

 

 

 

Mrs. Arnot Put Her Arms Around His Neck As If She Were His Mother, And

Said In low, Broken Tones:

 

 

 

"God Bless You, And Go With You, My True Knight; Nay, Let Me Call You My

Own Dear Son This Once. I Will Thank You In heaven For All This, If Not

Here," And Then She Kissed him Again And Again.

 

 

 

"You Have Now Repaid Me A Thousand-Fold," He Faltered, And Then Broke

Away.

 

 

 

"Mr. Haldane," Said Laura Tearfully, As He Turned to Her, "Cousin Amy

And I Have Been The Closest Friends From Childhood, And I Cannot Tell

You How Deeply I Appreciate Your Going To Her Aid. I Could Not Expect A

Brother To Take Such A Risk."

 

 

 

Haldane Felt That His Present Chance To Look Into Laura'S Face Might Be

His Last, And Again, Before He Was Aware, He Let His Eyes Reveal All His

Heart. She Saw As If Written In them, "A Brother Might Not Be Willing To

Take The Risk, But I Am."

 

 

 

"Do I Then Render You A Special Service?" He Asked, In a Low Tone.

 

 

 

"You Could Not Render Me A Greater One."

 

 

 

"Why, This Is Better Than I Thought," He Said. "How Fortunate I Was In

Coming This Evening! There, Please Do Not Look So Distressed. A Soldier

Takes Such Risks As These Every Day, And Never Thinks Of Them. You Have

Before You A Happy Life, Miss Laura, And I Am Very, Very Glad. Good

Courage, And Good-By," And His Manner Now Was Frank, Cheerful, And

Brotherly.

 

 

 

She Partly Obeyed an Impulse To Speak, But Checked it, And Tremblingly

Bent Her Head; But The Pressure She Gave His Hand Meant More Than He Or

Even She Herself Understood At The Time.

 

 

 

"Good-By, Mr. Beaumont," He Said, Hurriedly. "I Need not Wish You

Happiness, Since You Already Possess It;" And He Hastened from The Room

And The House Without Once Looking Back.

 

 

 

A Moment Later They Heard His Rapid Resolute Tread Echoing From The

Stony Pavement, But It Speedily Died away.

 

 

 

Laura Listened breathlessly At The Window Until The Faintest Sound

Ceased. She Had Had Her Wish. She Had Seen A Man Who Was Good Enough And

Brave Enough To Face Any Danger To Which He Felt Impelled by A Chivalric

Sense Of Duty. She Had Seen A Man Depart Upon As Knightly An Expedition

As Any Of Which She Had Ever Read, But It Was Not Her Knight.

 

 

 

"This Young Haldane Is A Brave Fellow, And I Had No Idea That There Was

So Much Of Him," Remarked mr. Beaumont In his Quiet And Refined tones.

"Really, Take It All Together, This Has Been A Scene Worthy Of The Brush

Of A Great Painter."

 

 

 

"Oh, Auguste!" Exclaimed laura; "How Can You Look Only On The Aesthetic

Side Of Such A Scene?" And She Threw Herself Into A Low Chair And Sobbed

As If Her Heart Would Break.

 

 

 

Mr. Beaumont Was Much Perplexed, For He Found That All Of His Elegant

Platitudes Were Powerless Either To Comfort Or To Soothe Her.

 

 

 

"Leave Her With Me," Said Mrs. Arnot. "The Excitements Of The Day Have

Been Too Much For Her. She Will Be Better To-Morrow."

 

 

 

Mr. Beaumont Was Glad To Obey. He Had Been Accustomed from Childhood To

Leave All Disagreeable Duties To Others, And He Thought That Laura Had

Become A Trifle Hysterical. "A Little Lavender And Sleep Is All That She

Requires," He Remarked to Himself As He Walked home In the Starlight.

"But, By Jove! She Is More Lovely In tears Than In smiles."

 

 

 

That He, Auguste Beaumont, Should Risk The Loss Of Her And All His Other

Possessions By Exposing His Precious Person To A Loathsome Disease Did

Not Enter His Mind.

 

 

 

"Oh, Auntie, Auntie, I Would Rather Have Gone Myself And Died, Than Feel

As I Do To-Night," Sobbed laura.

 

 

 

"'Courage' Was Egbert'S Last Word To You, Laura," Said Mrs. Arnot, "And

Courage And Faith Must Be Our Watchwords Now. We Must Act, Too, And At

Once. Please Tell Your Uncle I Wish A Draft For Five Hundred dollars

Immediately, And Explain Why. Then Inclose It In a Note To Egbert, And

See That Michael Puts It In his Hands At The Depot. Write To Egbert Not

To Spare Money Where It May Be Of Any Use, Or Can Secure Any Comfort. We

Cannot Tell How Your Aunt Amy Is Situated, And Money Is Always Useful.

We Must Telegraph To Your Cousin Amy That A Friend Is Coming. Let Us

Realize What Courage, Prayer, And Faith Can Accomplish. Action Will Do

You Good, Laura."

 

 

 

The Girl Sprang To Her Feet And Carried out Her Aunt'S Wishes With

Precision. That Was The Kind Of "Lavender" Which Her Nature Required.

 

 

 

After Writing all That Her Aunt Dictated, She Added on Her Own Part:

 

 

 

If The Knowledge That I Honor You Above Other Men Can Sustain You, Rest

Assured that This Is True; If My Sympathy And Constant Remembrance Can

Lighten Your Burdens, Know That You And Those You Serve Will Rarely Be

Absent From My Thoughts. You Make Light Of Your Heroic Act. To Me It Is

A Revelation. I Did Not Know That Men Could Be So Strong And Noble In

Our Day. Whether Such Words Are Right Or Conventional, I Have Not Even

Thought. My Heart Is Full And I Must Speak Them. That God May Bless You,

Aid You In serving Those I Love So Dearly, And Return You In safety,

Will Be My Constant Prayer.

 

 

 

Auntie Falters Out One More Message, "Tell Egbert That Sister Amy'S

Household Have Not Our Faith; Suggest It, Teach It If You Can."

Farewell, Truest Of Friends. Laura Romeyn.

 

 

 

Mr. Growther Was Asleep In his Chair When Haldane Entered, And He Stole

By Him And Made Preparations For Departure With Silent Celerity. Then,

Valise In hand, He Touched his Old Friend, Who Started up, And

Exclaimed:

 

 

 

"Lord A' Massy, Where Did You Come From, And Where Yer Goin'? You Look

Kinder Sperit Like. I Say, Am I Awake? I Was Dreamin' You Was Startin'

Off To Kill Somebody."

 

 

 

"Dreams Go By Contraries. It May Be A Long Time Before We Meet Again.

But We Shall Have Many A Good Talk Over Old Times, If Not Here, Why, In

The Better Home, For Your 'Peaked-Faced little Chap' Will Surely Lead

You There," And He Explained all In a Few Brief Sentences. "And Now, My

Kind, True Friend, Good-By. I Thank You From My Heart For The Shelter

You Have Given Me, And For Your Stanch Friendship When Friends Were So

Few. You Have Done All That You Could To Make A Man Of Me, And Now That

You Won'T Have Time To Quarrel With Me About It, I Tell You To Your Face

That You Are Not A Mean Man. There Are Few Larger-Hearted, Larger-Souled

Men In this City," And Before The Bewildered old Gentleman Could Reply,

He Was Gone.

 

 

 

"Lord A' Massy, Lord A' Massy," Groaned mr. Growther, "The Bottom Is

Jest Fallin' Out O' Everything. If He Dies With The Yellow-Jack I'Ll Git

To Cussin' As Bad As Ever."

 

 

 

Haldane Found Mrs. Arnot'S Coachman At The Depot With The Letter Laura

Had Written. As He Read It His Face Flushed with The Deepest Pleasure.

Having a Few Moments To Spare, He Pencilled hastily:

 

 

 

"Miss Romeyn--I Have Received from Michael The Letter With The Draft.

Say To Mrs. Arnot I Shall Obey Both The Letter And Spirit Of Her

Instructions. Let Me Add For Myself That My Best Hopes Are More Than

Fulfilled. That You, Who Know All My Past, Could Write Such Words Seems

Like A Heavenly Dream. But I Assure You That You Overestimate Both The

Character Of My Action And The Danger. It Is All Plain, Simple Duty,

Which Hundreds Of Men Would Perform As A Matter Of Course. I Ask But One

Favor, Please Look After Mr. Growther. He Is Growing Old And Feeble; I

Owe Him So Much--Mrs. Arnot Will Tell You. Yours--"

 

 

 

"He Couldn'T Write A Word More, Miss, The Train Was A Movin' When He

Jumped on," Said Michael When He Delivered the Note.

 

 

 

But That Final Word Had For Laura No Conventional Meaning. She Had Long

Known That Haldane Was, In truth, Hers, And She Had Deeply Regretted the

Fact, And Would At Any Time Have Willingly Broken The Chain That Bound

Him, Had It Been In her Power. Would She Break It To-Night? Yes,

Unhesitatingly; But It Would Now Cost Her A Pain To Do So, Which, At

First, She Would Not Understand. On That Stormy July Evening When She

Gave Haldane A Little Private Concert She Had Obtained a Glimpse Of A

Manhood Unknown To Her Before, And It Was Full Of Pleasing Suggestion.

To-Night That Same Manhood Which Is At Once So Strong, And Yet So

Unselfish And Gentle, Had Stood Out Before Her Distinct And Luminous In

The Light Of A Knightly Deed, And She Saw With The Absoluteness Of

Irresistible Conviction That Such A Manhood Was Above And Beyond All

Surface Polish, All Mere Aesthetic Culture, All Earthly Rank--That It

Was Something That Belonged to God, And Partook Of The Eternity Of His

Greatness And Permanence.

 

 

 

By The Kindred and Noble Possibilities Of Her Own Womanly Nature, She

Was Of Necessity Deeply Interested in such A Man, Having Once Recognized

Him; And Now For Weeks She Must Think Of Him As Consciously Serving Her

In The Most Knightly Way And At The Hourly Risk Of His Life, And Yet

Hoping For No Greater Reward Than Her Esteem And Respect. While She Knew

That He Would Have Gone Eagerly For Her Aunt'S Sake, And Might Have Gone

From A Mere Sense Of Duty, She Had Been Clearly Shown That The Thought

Of Serving Her Had Turned his Dangerous Task Into A Privilege And A Joy.

Could She Follow Such A Man Daily And Hourly With Her Thoughts, Could

She In vivid Imagination Watch His Self-Sacrificing Efforts To Minister

To, And Save Those She Loved, With Only The Cool, Decorous Interest That

Mr. Beaumont Would Deem Proper In the Woman Betrothed to Himself? The

Future Must Answer This Question.

 

 

 

When Haldane Had Asked for A Ticket To The Southern City To Which He Was

Destined, The Agent Stared at Him A Moment And Said:

 

 

 

"Don'T You Know Yellow Fever Is Epidemic There?"

 

 

 

"Yes," Replied haldane With Such Cold Reserve Of Manner That No Further

Questions Were Asked; But The Fact That He, A Medical Student, Had

Bought A Ticket For The Plague-Stricken City Was Stated in the "Courier"

The Following Morning. His Old Friend Mr. Ivison Soon Informed himself

Of The Whole Affair, And In a Glowing Letter Of Eulogy Made It

Impossible For Any One To Charge That Mrs. Arnot Had Asked the Young Man

To Go To The Aid Of Her Relatives At Such Tremendous Personal Risk.

Indeed it Was Clearly Stated, With The Unimpeachable Mr. Beaumont As

Authority, That She Had Entreated him Not To Go, And Had Not The

Slightest Expectation Of His Going Until He Surprised her By His

Unalterable Decision.

 

 

 

After Reading and Talking Over This Letter, Sustained as It Had Been By

Years Of Straightforward Duty, Even Good Society Concluded that It Could

Socially Recognize And Receive This Man; And Yet, As The Old Lady Had

Remarked, There Was Still