'That 's comfortable. Now I 'm coming to the point where I specially want your advice, Polly. Yesterday I heard you telling Fan about your brother Ned; how well he got on; how he liked his business, and wanted Will to come and take some place near him. You thought I was reading, but I heard; and it struck me that perhaps I could get a chance out West somewhere. What do you think?'
'If you really mean work, I know you could,' answered Polly, quickly, as all sorts of plans and projects went sweeping through her mind. 'I wish you could be with Ned; you
'd get on together, I 'm sure; and he 'd be so glad to do anything he could. I 'll write and ask, straight away, if you want me to.'
'Suppose you do; just for information, you know, then I shall have something to go upon. I want to have a feasible plan all ready, before I speak to father. There 's nothing so convincing to business men as facts, you know.'
Polly could not help smiling at Tom's new tone, it seemed so strange to hear him talking about anything but horses and tailors, dancing and girls. She liked it, however, as much as she did the sober expression of his face, and the way he had lately of swinging his arms about, as if he wanted to do something energetic with them.
'That will be wise. Do you think your father will like this plan?'
'Pretty sure be will. Yesterday, when I told him I must go at something right off, he said,
'Anything honest, Tom, and don't forget that your father began the world as a shop-boy.'
You knew that, did n't you?'
'Yes, he told me the story once, and I always liked to hear it, because it was pleasant to see how well he had succeeded.'
'I never did like the story, a little bit ashamed, I 'm afraid; but when we talked it over last night, it struck me in a new light, and I understood why father took the failure so well, and seems so contented with this poorish place. It is only beginning again, he says; and having worked his way up once, he feels as if he could again. I declare to you, Polly, that sort of confidence in himself, and energy and courage in a man of his years, makes me love and respect the dear old gentleman as I never did before.'
'I 'm so glad to hear you say that, Tom! I 've sometimes thought you did n't quite appreciate your father, any more than he knew how much of a man you were.'
'Never was till to-day, you know,' said Tom, laughing, yet looking as if he felt the dignity of his one and twenty years. 'Odd, is n't it, how people live together ever so long, and don't seem to find one another out, till something comes to do it for them. Perhaps this smash-up was sent to introduce me to my own father.'
'There 's philosophy for you,' said Polly, smiling, even while she felt as if adversity was going to do more for Tom than years of prosperity.
They both sat quiet for a minute, Polly in the big chair looking at him with a new respect in her eyes, Tom on the stool near by slowly tearing up a folded paper he had absently taken from the floor while he talked.
'Did this surprise you?' he asked, as a little white shower fluttered from his hands.
'No.'
'Well, it did me; for you know as soon as we came to grief I offered to release Trix from the engagement, and she would n't let me,' continued Tom, as if, having begun the subject, he wished to explain it thoroughly.
'That surprised me,' said Polly.
'So it did me, for Fan always insisted it was the money and not the man she cared for.
Her first answer pleased me very much, for I did not expect it, and nothing touches a fellow more than to have a woman stand by him through thick and thin.'
'She don't seem to have done it.'
'Fan was right. Trix only waited to see how bad things really were, or rather her mother did. She 's as cool, hard, and worldly minded an old soul as I ever saw, and Trix is bound to obey. She gets round it very neatly in her note, 'I won't be a burden,' 'will sacrifice her hopes,' 'and always remain my warm friend,' but the truth is, Tom Shaw rich was worth making much of, but Tom Shaw poor is in the way, and may go to the devil as fast as he likes.'
'Well, he is n't going!' cried Polly, defiantly, for her wrath burned hotly against Trix, though she blessed her for setting the bondman free.
'Came within an ace of it,' muttered Tom to himself; adding aloud, in a tone of calm resignation that assured Polly his heart would not be broken though his engagement was, 'It never rains but it pours, 'specially in hard times, but when a man is down, a rap or two more don't matter much, I suppose. It 's the first blow that hurts most.'
'Glad to see you take the last blow so well.' There was an ironical little twang to that speech, and Polly could n't help it. Tom colored up and looked hurt for a minute, then seemed to right himself with a shrug, and said, in his outspoken way, 'To tell the honest truth, Polly, it was not a very hard one. I 've had a feeling for some time that Trix and I were not suited to one another, and it might be wiser to stop short. But she did not or would not see it; and I was not going to back out, and leave her to wear any more willows, so here we are. I don't bear malice, but hope she 'll do better, and not be disappointed again, upon my word I do.'
'That 's very good of you, quite Sydneyesque, and noble,' said Polly, feeling rather ill at ease, and wishing she could hide herself behind a cap and spectacles, if she was to play Grandma to this confiding youth.
'It will be all plain sailing for Syd, I fancy,' observed Tom, getting up as if the little cricket suddenly ceased to be comfortable.
'I hope so,' murmured Polly, wondering what was coming next.
'He deserves the very best of everything, and I pray the Lord he may get it,' added Tom, poking the fire in a destructive manner.
Polly made no answer, fearing to pay too much, for she knew Fan had made no confidant of Tom, and she guarded her friend's secret as jealously as her own. 'You 'll write to Ned to-morrow, will you? I 'll take anything he 's got, for I want to be off,' said Tom, casting down the poker, and turning round with a resolute air which was lost on Polly, who sat twirling the rose that had fallen into her lap.
