The Two Susies [pp. 729-733]

1S~2~1
Tff'E TTFO SUSIBS.
731
tisement, and wonder if Monday morning
would ever come. For his own part, he
would not have scrupled at settling the business on Sunday. But Mrs. Kent was not a
heathen, of course, and he had to possess his
soul in patience.
Susie was glad of a day's grace-the
other Susie, that is to say. The significance
of fifty dollars had been expounded to her infant mind; and, since Christmas turkey and
minceties appeared to he a corollary, she resigned herself to the restoration of her little
namesake on Monday, hut determined to get
all the fun out of her that was possible on
Sunday.
Tom got himself up in his best style when
the day came at last. He polished his hoots
to "a shine," brushed his Sunday jacket
within an inch of its life, and tossed the old
one-with his newspaper money in its pocket
-carelessly into a corner. Such small gains
were not worth remembering now! And, as
he mar&~ed up the street, with Susie snugly
tucked nuder his coat, he felt as if all the
Christmas shops were already seekiug the
custom of such a capitalist as he would he
when he walked down again. He~quite turned
up his nose at il~e Bowery Dollar-store as he
passed it, though only two days ago it had
seemed to him a temple of unattainable delights.
He shook in his hoots a little when he
waited for admission at the Madison Avenue
mansion. "Suppose it should he a mistake,
after all?" But it did not seem to be, for
the servant said "All right" when he explained
his errand, and took him at once into a luxurions breakfa~t-room, where the elegant Captain Meredith was sipping his coffee.
A table glittering with silver was surrounded hy four people: an old lady with
short curls, and a towering tulle cap; a
pompous old gentleman in spectacles; a very
pretty and stylish young lady; and, last of
all, the captain himself, a very tall young
officer, in undress umform, with a gorgeous
mustache.
Tom dropped his eyes and felt awe-struck
before all this splendor; but the captain
beckoned to him.
"Come up here, sir, and let me see what
sort of a humbug ~0?~ are!" he said, in a
good - natured voice. "I dare say you've
brought me a mongrel, like the last boy that
came."
"I've brought you a poodle, and it answers to the name of Susie, sir," Tom answered simply, unbuttoning his coat, and taking the dog out.
"Upon my word!" exclaimed the captain,
evidently surprised, "this looks like the little
beast, now, doesn't it?
"Why, it is!" cried the young lady, delightedly. "It's Susie herself; I'd know her
anywhere. Susie-here, Susie!"
The little dog jumped and struggled to
get loose, in a frenzy of recognition. Tom
set her down, and she scampered round the
table, and made a hound into the young lady's
arms.
"By George, that's better luck than I expected!" said the captain.` I really must
congratulate myself."
"Helen will be perfectly happy," said
the young lady, caressing Susie rapturously.
She's been heart-broken about you, you
naughty little runaway -Where did you find
her, little boy?" to Tom.
"Yes," said the captain, sharply, wheeling round and luspecting Tom wiili his eyeglass. "Where diJ you find her, sir? Are
you the small sinner that enticed her out of
the carriage last Saturday?"
"No, sir, I never saw her in any carriage," Tom returned, holding his head up
very straight. "She was running round the
corner in Clinton Place when I picked her
up. And I carried her home because I didn't
know what else to do with her."
"Humph!" said the old gentleman with
the spectacles. "Likely story."
The captain smiled sweetly. "It is understood in such cases that there are no questions asked," he observed, benignly. "There
was something in the advertisement about a
reward, wasn't there?"
"Yes, sir," said Tom, feeling rather hot
and insulted at the implied doubt of lils integrity. "But I don't want anybody to think
I stole that dog. I never stole any thing
in my life."
"Good boy," returned the captain, blandly. "Always remember that it is a sin to
steal a pin, much more to crib a bigger thing.
Now, as to that reward-what's your recollection of the figures, my son? It strikes
me that I told the advertising fellow I'd stand
fifty."
"It strikes me," interposed the old gentleman in spectacles, "that you offered a very
large reward, absurdly large."
"I quite agree with you," rejoined the
lady in the cap. "Why couldn't you have
been satisfied, Alfred, with something moderate?"
"My dearest mother, what inducement
could he too great to offer for the recovery
of a thing so dear to my adorable Helen?"
"Your adorable fiddlesticks!" grumbled
the old gentleman. "I see my adorable dollars getting spent confoundedly fast, sir, and
I only hope your adorable Helen will hold
the purse-strings when she comes into possession of her two-legged puppy. I wish her
joy of both her properties, sir."
"Thanks," returned the captain, negligently. "I will take pleasure in acquainting
her with your good wishes, my dear sir.
Meanwhile, as to this boy-"
As to this boy, Al fred," interrupted the
put such an amount of money in his hands.
What can such a boy know of the proper use
of money? He will waste it foolishly, perhaps get himself into trouble. I should not
think of trusting him with fifty dollars."
"What would you have?" asked the captain, elevating his eyebrows. "Shall I repudiate my printed pledges? Shall I beguile a
poor little devil with delusive hopes, and send
him off with a flea in his ear?"
"Bosh!" retorted his father. "Don't be
any more of a fool, Alfred, than the Lord
made you. Find out where this boy comes
from, and, if he's got any decent relations,
then pay the money to them for his benefit.
That's the sensible thing to do, if there's any
thing sensible in all the stuff and nonsense."
So saying, the old gentleman pushed his
chair back, and marched out of the room
with a disgusted air. Tom felt relieved when
he had disappeared. His heart was in his
mouth with a dreadful fear that his golden
dream might vanish likewise; but a peculiar
sidelong glance from the captain inspired a
forlorn hope. That young gentleman turned
to his lady-mother with a suave look.
"My father's suggestion is excellent as
his suggestions always are," he observed.
"Will you be so good as to say to him, my
dear mother, that I will be guided by it?"
"Certainly, my son," was the gracious response. "And I have much satisfaction in
the fact that you yield so readily to the wisdom and experience of your parents. It is
very gratifying to your father and myself."
The young lady, who was petting Susie all
this while, gave Tom a laughing glance as she
handed the poodle back to him.
"Good-by, you dear little pet; you are
going home to your mistress," she said to
Susie, with a final caress; and to Tom, in a
whisper: "Don't he afi-aid; you'll get your
money."
"I suppose you are going to see Helen,"
said his mother as she left the room. "Don't
be late for dinner, Alfred."
The captain assured her of his intention
to be punctual, and, telling Tom to follow
him, he went up-stairs to invest himself with
hat, overcoat, and gloves; and presently they
were in the street again on the way to Susie a
home and the captain's "adorable Helen"
Out of the reach of the cap and spectacles,
the captain grew confidential with Tom.
"You've got a governor, I suppose, my
small boy? Most people do have in the
course of Nature," he remarked.
"Sir?" Tom asked, not understanding.
"Your paternal progenitor, you know"
said the captain. "Father, daddy, pop, what.
ever it is you're in the way of calling him."
"My father died two years ago, sir," a,,swered Tom, with a certain dignity, not wiil~out its effect.
"Oh! ah! well, that makes a difference
doesn't it?"
"Yes, sir, a very great difference to
us.
"Well, m~ governor, you see, still lives.
Not that I object to it, by any means. On
the contrary, here's to his health, as our venerable friend Rip remarks, and long may lie
wave. Perhaps you noticed that he's a little
positive in his manner, addicted to plain
speaking, rather? I humor him in that," said
the captain, with a bland wave of his gloved
hand. "Pleases him, you see, and doesn't
hurt me, or you either, my son. I observed
that your ingenuous countenance fell several
degrees in the course of his remarks, to
which, you know, as a matter of filial duty, I
was bound to assent. I don't mind telling
yo~ as it isn't likely to get back to the governor, that your relations are your affairs and
not mine, and you've earned the money, and
I intend to give it to you."
"Thank you, sir," said Tom, joyfufly.
"You are welcome, my son. You should
have those greenbacks here on tlie spot, by
the light of the street-lamps dimly burning.
By-the-way, they aren't burning, though!"