and yet, after all, there was no sense in taking a strapping if it could just as well be avoided.
in the area he halted one-eye, and they talked the matter over. the latter had no trouble at all in seeing johnnie's attitude. "was a boy myself oncet," he declared. "used t' git the end of a rope ev'ry little while—yeppie, the knot-end, and that's how——"
but here johnnie interrupted the story which seemed to be under way in order to urge some plan of action. however, it did not take long to fix upon one, this while one-eye was finishing his cigar, the last inch of which, he asserted, was the best part, since in the process of smoking he had drawn into it all "the good" of the whole outward-extending portion. and while one-eye smoked, johnnie, who felt much better, went over their plan in detail, talking gaily between giggles.
"but, say! you be solemn!" warned one-eye.
"we don't want t' make 'em all feel too bad, though," argued johnnie.
"sonny," counseled the other, "we'll savvy how we oughta behave after we see how the hull proposition strikes the bunch."
johnnie agreed. but he already knew just how their entrance (which was nothing short of inspired) would "strike" the flat. he foresaw it all: first, glad cries of "johnnie!" from cis and grandpa, and a frightened ex[109]clamation from big tom, whose anger would instantly melt; next, tears would flow as those two who were dearest hastened to the prodigal, and there would be anxious questions, and words of sweet consolation. on the strength of the return perhaps barber would even buy pop!
after that, what an affecting picture!—the patient on his bed of pain—the maiden with cooling cloth and wash basin—the loving and much-troubled old man who did not dare wheel about for fear of jarring the hurt arm—a certain square-built lady, rocking this way and that (on her toes), her face all motherly solicitude—the stranger, with the gravest possible bedside manner—and, lastly, hovering somewhere in the offing, the outstanding figure of the whole composition, the humbled bully.
when johnnie asked for his bed (which was part of the plan, for those books must be concealed under the quilt till dark), how they would all jump to fetch it; and when he asked for tea what an eager bustling, barber rattling the stove lids, and—for once!—getting his huge fingers smudged, and cis filling the kettle at the falls of niagara. the tea brewed, and johnnie propped to drink it, with mrs. kukor to hold the cup to his lips, he would smile across at one-eye as he sipped—but smile only faintly, as befits the very ill.
and then! one-eye, urged by all the others, would tell his tale of the boy, weary and hungry, whom he chanced upon wandering some street (he had promised not to say which one!), and escorted to supper, and afterward to the great horse palace. he would relate how he had insisted that johnnie sleep in the palace that night, though—no doubt of it!—the latter had fretted to return home. "but i jes' couldn't leave him do it, no matter how much he begged," one-eye was to declare; "he was that tuck[110]ered. and this mornin', here he was, workin'! say, but he's a a-1 worker!"
what a chorus would interrupt him!—a chorus of agreement. then would follow a description of that terrible flea-bitten mare, and of johnnie's bravery; of the fierce kick, and the boy's quiet bearing of his agony, all closing with a word about the wound and its seriousness.
next, it would be big tom's turn. and he would tell of a home bereft, of an old man's pitiful grief (oh, dear, loving grandpa!), and of two broken-hearted ladies. doubtless the longshoreman would touch also upon the fact that he was considerably out of pocket, but johnnie would not mind that.
cis, likely, would have nothing to say, but would look all she felt; and grandpa would sandwich a few words in between other people's. but mrs. kukor! hers would be the story worth hearing! oh, that volume of broken-english! johnnie counted upon it.
with such pleasing thoughts he occupied himself as he and one-eye stole up the stairs. but when they were just outside the door of the flat, the chimes of trinity began to ring, sounding above the grinding of the nearest elevated railroad. those clanging summons reminded johnnie that big tom would surely be at home, and he suffered a sudden qualm of apprehension. he looked longingly over a shoulder, wishing he might turn back. he had a "gone" feeling under his belt, and a tickling in his throat (it was very dry), as if his heart had traveled up there and got wedged, and was now going like uncle albert's watch.
but of course there could be no turning back—not now. they must go in. and quickly, for a few of the curious had followed them up from the area and were making too much noise in the halls. so one-eye bent and scooped johnnie up in his arms, holding him in a horizontal[111] position—yellow head hanging down to one side, both feet ditto to the other, body limp, the bandaged arm well forward, the eyes closed, all toes still, and—most important—an expression of bravely endured pain.
"look as pale as ever y' can!" whispered one-eye.
all this preparation was the work of a moment. then one-eye gave the door a vigorous and imperative kick. at the same time he began to talk to johnnie, anxiously, soothingly: "it's all right, sonny! it's all right! keep a stiff upper lip! 'cause y're home now. pore kid! my! that was a lucky 'scape!"
this last was spoken into the kitchen, for cis had sped to answer the kick, and swung the door wide.
and now johnnie, eyes tight closed, but with ears cocked, waited for that expected burst of greeting—that mingling of glad cries and so forth. but—there was dead silence.
in astonishment up went the flaxen lashes. and johnnie saw that while cis was looking with all her might, it was not at him! and grandpa, mouse-still, was not looking at him either! nor was big tom, putting down his pipe at the table.
furthermore there were no tears from any quarter, and no pitying glances, and not a sign of relief! the trio before him, in what seemed to be amazed fascination, were staring at one-eye!
it was big tom who spoke first. his face, after its sunday shave, wrinkled into a really bright smile. "well, by thunder!" he cried.
"oh, my!"—this was cis, whose hands were clasped in what to johnnie seemed a very silly way. and she was wearing her exalted, prince-of-wales expression.
he was irritated, and resentful, and stung to the quick. what was the matter with them? oh, none of them cared! they were acting precisely like that crowd around the[112] taxi! and, oh, there would be no pop! and, oh, what—what would one-eye think.
johnnie burst into tears.
one-eye was already thinking. with johnnie held tight in his arms, he had been staring at each of the trio in turn, that single eye getting harder and harder, till it looked as if it were made of glass; till it resembled a green marble; and his mustache, as he puckered up his mouth in astonishment, had been lifting and falling, lifting and falling.
but as johnnie's sobs came, one-eye half turned, as if to go, then spied the kitchen chair, and sat heavily, in sheer disgust. "wal, i'll be jig-sawed!" he vowed. "the kid's right? and i might 'a' knowed it!"
but things got better. for now there swelled forth a high, thin wail from old grandpa, whose pale eyes had been roving in search for the one who was weeping, had discovered johnnie, and was echoing his grief.
"oh, shut up, pa!" ordered barber harshly; while cis, for fear the neighbors would hear, unwittingly shut the hall door in the face of mrs. kukor, who had come out of her own place at one-eye's kick to see what was happening.
"i'll be stop-watched and high-kaflummoxed!" continued one-eye. round and round rolled that green marble, gathering fire with each revolution. in fact it looked to be more fiercely glowing than any two eyes—as single eyes have the habit of looking.
big tom was beaming at the stranger again, unaware of one-eye's temper. "say, i never had a' idear of meetin' one of you," he declared heartily, "but i'm glad to, i'll say that. yes, sir, i'm glad to! by thunder!" his look traveled up and down one-eye, not missing a detail.
"look-a-here!" returned one-eye with insulting coldness. "this boy's hurt! hurt bad! y' savvy? weak,[113] too—weak's a cat! and sick! done up! sore! wore out!" he paused, glaring.
"boo-hoo!"—johnnie's heart was wrung by the pitiful description.
it was now that something of the effect johnnie had pleasantly imagined was finally gained. with a distressful "oh!" cis came to him, while grandpa began to shrill "johnnie! johnnie!" and tried to get away from big tom, who held back the chair by a wheel as he, too, gave a thought to the patient.
"what happened to the kid?" he wanted to know.
one-eye aimed his one orb at big tom as if it were a bullet. "what?" he repeated. "y' ask, do y'? wal, it was a hoss. it was a kick." then to johnnie, "could y' shift weight, sonny?" (one of the five books was stabbing one-eye in the side.)
"i want t' know!" marveled big tom. "any bones broke?" he leaned to feel of the unwrapped part of johnnie's hurt arm.
the indifferent tone, the hated, ungentle touch, and the nearness of the longshoreman, all worked to unman johnnie, who gave way again. he did not fear a whipping any longer. it was, as mrs. kukor might have put it, "somethink yet again." over him had swept the realization that soon this kind, free-handed, lovable one-eye would be taking his leave, and with him would go—well, about everything!
oh, his dear millionaire! his soul of generosity! the giver of the best supper ever! a man who could command such respect that he had struck the whole of the east side dumb! the source of one boy's sweet glory!
and how johnnie hated the thought of being left behind! he blamed himself for returning. "o-o-o-o-oh!" he moaned miserably. how mean and greedy and cruel[114] and awful big tom seemed now, measured alongside this superb stranger!
yet what johnnie did not guess was that barber was overjoyed at his return; was more relieved at having an excuse for not whipping than johnnie was over not being whipped, since punishment might decide the latter, on some future occasion, to stay away. indeed, big tom had had a scare.
"not a bone!" answered one-eye, almost proudly. "neat a kick as ever i seen. reckon the bucket took up most of it. but it's bad enough. yas, ma'am. and it'll be a week afore he oughta use it."
"i want my bed!" quavered johnnie, remembering that part of the plan.
cis brought the bedding, and her own snowy pillow, fragrant with orris root. as she straightened out the clothes and plumped the pillow, big tom stayed in front of the visitor, staring as hard as ever, his great underlip hanging down, and that big nose taking a sidewise dart every now and then.
"well! well! i'm glad y' happened t' bring the kid home," he began again. "must be grand country out where you come from. how far west d' y' live, anyhow? and i'd like your name."
"this is mister one-eye," introduced johnnie, his well arm twined proudly about the stranger's leathery neck. it was plain that the longshoreman was powerfully impressed. and johnnie realized better than ever that he had brought home a real personage.
"yep, call me one-eye and i'll come," declared the personage. "but now the bed's ready, sonny." he rose and gently deposited johnnie upon the pallet. "now keep quiet," he advised kindly, "so's t' git back some strength." and to cis, "reckon we better give him a swaller o' tea."[115]
mrs. kukor, who had been waiting all the while in the hall, and could stand it no longer, now came rocking in, her olive face picked out with dimples, it was working so hard, and all her crinkly hair standing bushily up.
"is that you, mother?" cried old grandpa. "is that you?"—which misled one-eye into the belief that here was another member of the family, one whom johnnie had omitted to mention. so the green eye focused upon the mattress in sorrowful reproof.
but the next instant a burst of dialect set johnnie right in his new friend's eye. "ach, chonnie!" cried the little jewish lady. "vot iss? vot iss?"
her concern pleased one-eye. he sat down, crossed his knees, and swung a spur.
mrs. kukor had not yet seen him. she had stationed herself at the foot of johnnie's bed, from where she looked down, her birdlike eyes glistening with pity, her head wagging, her hands now waving, now resting upon a heart that was greatly affected by the sight of johnnie in pain.
but johnnie, looking up at her, knew that his hurt arm was not the whole of her grief; knew that she was thinking how much to blame she was herself for all that had happened. guilt was on her round face, and remorse in her wagging. that book! that alattin! ach, that she had never given him that present. oy! oy! oy!
big tom was making conversation. "guess all of you work pretty hard out where you live," he declared, "—even if you do jus' set on a horse. but you bet you'd find my job harder. i tell y', i do my share when it comes to the heavy work." his tongue pushed out one cheek, then the other, a habit of his when boasting. "why, there ain't a man workin' with me that can do more'n two-thirds what i do! they all know it, too. 'barber's the guy with the cargo-hook,' is what they say. and furman admits himself that i'm the only man's that's really earnin'[116] that last raise. yes, sir! 'tom barber's steel-constructed,' is what he tells the boys."
meanwhile, mrs. kukor, still unaware of a strange presence, had been whispering excitedly with cis, from whom she had got the facts concerning the wound. but even as she had listened, she had been aware that barber was talking, quietly, politely, good-naturedly. surprised, she came half-about ("goin' exac'ly like a spud with tooth-pick laigs," as one-eye said afterwards, though not unkindly), and took a look in the longshoreman's direction. and—saw the visitor.
her hands dropped, her eyes fixed themselves upon those fur-faced breeches, her bosom stopped heaving as she held her breath. then, "ach!" she cried. "could i believe it if so i did-ent saw it?—mister barber, how comes here a cowpoy?"
a cowboy?
then it was johnnie who experienced sensations: surprise—bewilderment—doubt—staggering belief—awe—joy—more joy—pride—triumph!
he sat up.
now he understood why the shaggy breeches had struck him as somehow familiar. of course! he had seen just such a pair pictured on the billboard across from the millionaire's garage. now he realized how he had seared the sight of his enemies as he and the great one arrived side by side in a taxicab!—yet no one must ever know that he had been in the dark! "why, yes, mrs. kukor!" he cried. "my goodness! this is a reg'lar one!" (at which one-eye colored, blending his bronze with a bashful purple.)
"a cowpoy!" whispered mrs. kukor, as if in a daze. "pos-i-tivvle! mit furs on hiss pants, und everythink!"
