Chapter IX: Tom Hears From Home

"TOM, you must be off and fetch some water," said Miss Pringle the next morning. "It's very annoying, to be sure, that I should come to this. Take two pails with you."

The lad was ready to go at once, for he was anxious that the water should boil by the time Mr. Newton required it. The street was thronged as usual with water-carriers; the beautiful spring which supplied one side of Dixtown had never failed in any time of drought, and bid fair to yield so long as there was a demand. It bubbled up out of the ground, and was conducted, by means of a pipe, through a tap which was placed by the side of a fine sycamore, one of a group of six trees.

Tom had about three minutes' walk to reach the spring. Just as he turned out of the house-door, he saw his mother coming up the street. After she had heard that Miss Pringle's well had failed, and where he was going to, she said, "Tell me how you're getting on."

The lad gave a detailed account of his life since he had entered on his situation, but all the time he was longing to know if his mother would mention grandmother's cat. They walked towards the spring as they chatted, and found, when they reached it, at least twelve women and children awaiting their turn to draw water.

"You must be patient, Tom," said Mrs. Gillies. "I can't stay any longer, or I shall lose the chance I have of selling my prawns by being first to cry them. I shan't be over here until Saturday, for the boys are going to have a long turn, and I've a deal of setting to rights to do at home. I don't think I've any news to tell you. Oh, yes! I have. I declare, I quite forgot it in seeing you, and hearing about Miss Pringle. Grandmother's lost her cat."

"Lost her cat, mother! What do you mean?" asked Tom, trying to keep his colour down, and stooping to pick up one of the pails, which he kicked over because he felt he must do something.

"Why, I mean that Tabby's dead; and how the poor creature came to run into the sea nobody can tell. Sally thinks she fell over the cliff, and that the crabs attacked her, for she had a great hole in one side, and Sally saw a big crab scuttling away."

"How came Sally to see the cat?"

"She went to look after grandmother, who was out in that terrible storm the day before you left, as you know; and she found her very low because Tabby hadn't come home. So Sally went after the cat, and saw her lying dead on the shore, and Dick carried her home, and helped bury her in the garden; and grandmother says she'll never have another favourite. But I mustn't stay any longer. Good-bye, Tom."

The boy gave a great sigh of relief as his mother left him, because his secret was safe. Then he thought of the knots. It wasn't the way to get rid of sin to try and hide it; and with all his efforts, he couldn't hide it from God. He was so occupied with his thoughts he did not notice that he was alone at the spring. He filled his pails quickly, and made such haste home that the water was boiling before Annie came down-stairs to fill her teapot.

In the afternoon Miss Pringle ordered him to take a basket and gather some blackberries from the hedges in Windmill Lane, where she heard they were hanging in thick, ripe bunches. "You may pick a good few, Tom," she said, "for the apples are falling, but will do very well for jam, mixed with blackberries."

Tom liked the idea of a run in the lanes, but was barely out of sight of the house before he was stopped by hearing the whistle he knew so well, and turning round, found that Dick Potter was close behind him.

"What have you come to Dixtown for?" asked Tom.

"Because I've got no one to go out with on Norton Island, now you've gone, and I've nothing to do at the quarries, for I've quarrelled with the foreman," answered Dick; "and father was so angry, he sent me off to find work at the harbour. I've been waiting about here since one o'clock for you to come out. Where are you going to?"

Tom told his errand.

"I'll go with you, and help you," said his friend.

As the boys walked to Windmill Lane, Dick enlarged on the untimely end of grandmother's cat. Tom winced several times when he alluded to the poor old woman's sorrow; but he made no confidant of his companion, and right glad was he to reach the blackberries, in order to turn the conversation into another channel.

"Here we are," he said, interrupting Dick in the middle of a sentence. "How splendid they are! Now let's go to work."

The basket was soon filled, and then the boys feasted themselves.

"What are you going to do?" asked Tom, as they came almost within sight of Miss Pringle's house.

"I shall lounge about until dark, and share your bed to-night," answered Dick.

"But you can't. Miss Pringle will never let you."

"I don't mean to ask her. I'm coming at your invitation."

"But I can't give you one. Why don't you ask some of your friends at the harbour?"

"After to-night I will. Do, Tom, there's a good fellow, let me sleep with you just for once. I'll go away before daylight. I'm promised work to-morrow, so it's only to-night."

"But I can't let you in, Dick. Miss Pringle locks as well as bolts the doors, and carries the keys in her pocket."

"You're a stupid, Tom. Can't a fellow come in other ways besides through a door? There's a window at the back, I suppose."

"Yes, in the kitchen."

"Where do you sleep?"

"Under the staircase. There's only just room for me. I'm sure you couldn't get in as well," said Tom, in a dolorous voice.

"I shall try, at any rate. Now, Tom, don't be disagreeable. I know you'll put yourself out for an old chum. I'd do as much for you. I shall be taken on to-morrow; and the fisherman says he'll pay me every day just at first. So I only want your help for this one night."

When Dick coaxed, Tom was sure to yield. As we have said, his was not a strong character, nor had he strong principles, so he finally yielded to his friend's evil influence.

"As it's only one night, Dick," he said, "I don't so much mind. But you must come in very carefully, for there are lodgers in the house, and Miss Pringle sleeps over the kitchen. If she finds me out, she'll give me over to a policeman."

"Don't be frightened, Tom, but trust me to take care of myself and you too. I'll tap at the kitchen window when the clock begins to strike ten."

Dick had invented a tissue of falsehoods. He had not quarrelled with Mr. Pender's foreman, nor had he a situation in prospect. The truth was he had no work at the quarries for two days, and thought he might as well go over to Dixtown to see how Tom fared, and he intended returning to Norton Island on the following morning. Mr. Potter never troubled himself about his son, and Dick had no mother. His stepmother was a kind-hearted woman, but had a large family to care for, and she was rather relieved than otherwise when her stepson absented himself from home, for she disliked his idle habits, and feared that his evil influence would be hurtful to her children.

Miss Pringle was satisfied with her basket of blackberries, but Tom was not satisfied with himself. As he peeled the apples, he thought of Mother Crampton's advice, "Don't let Satan tie any more knots this week."

"I know I'm going to tie a big one to-night," he said aloud, forgetting how near Miss Pringle was to him.

"I didn't hear you, Tom," called his mistress. "I'd just gone out of the garden door for a moment. What did you say?"

Tom started, and felt very foolish. Fortunately Annie Newton came in from a walk at this moment, and hearing voices in the kitchen, looked in to ask him how he liked his book.

"Pretty well, thank you," he stammered out, but seemed so uncomfortable that she did not venture to ask a second question.

Every half hour that passed made Tom more miserable. He wished that he could break his rash promise, but he dare not, for he knew that Dick would be noisy if so treated. When the clock chimed a quarter to ten, he left his bed, and made his way into the kitchen.

He was not a coward by nature, but the sense of wrong-doing sometimes makes the stoutest heart fail. A mouse nibbled in the wainscot as he passed, and frightened him so much that he broke out into a cold perspiration. The moonlight streamed in over the top of the shutters, and reflected his own shadow on the wall, and he trembled. Still he went forward, and unfastened the shutter gently, just in time to see Dick glide up the garden, under the shelter of the wall. He had entered through the fields, which extended for some distance, and were only separated from the garden by a low hedge.

The window was soon unbolted, and in a few moments Dick was standing in the kitchen.

"I'm so glad to be here," he said, "so very glad! You're a good fellow, Tom. Let me go to bed at once, and mind you wake me early to-morrow. I'm sure to sleep on, for I am so tired."

"I don't know how you're to get into my bed; it's scarcely big enough for one," whispered Tom.

"Let me stay here. The floor will do me. Show me where you sleep."

"Follow me," replied Tom. "But come very gently."

The two boys groped their way to the staircase. Dick had a box of lucifers with him, and a candle, which he lighted, for Miss Pringle took good care that Tom should not be supplied with either article.

"I see there's only just room for one," said Dick, after he had looked into the hole which Miss Pringle called a bedroom. "I'd just as soon be in the kitchen. You go to bed now, and I'll come to you if I wake first; but I daresay I shall sleep latest."

Tom returned to his bed somewhat comforted. Dick behaved so well that he was almost glad he had let him in, and perhaps no harm would come of it. He listened for a few minutes, to assure himself that all was still ere he fell asleep.

Dick could hardly have explained the reason why he was so anxious to make his way into Miss Pringle's house, beyond it being a cheap mode of getting a roof over his head for the night; and he liked the fun and excitement of it. He was about to settle himself for the night, when he heard a great noise overhead, which startled Miss Pringle as much as Dick, so fearful was she of exciting suspicion; in her passage to the cupboard, she had tumbled over a chair.

"What can the old maid be after?" he thought. "I'll go and see."

He soon slipped off his boots, and crept up the stairs. He looked through the keyhole, and was astonished at the sight it revealed. Miss Pringle was sitting on chair facing the door, so that he could see every movement. Having assured herself that no alarm was raised, she turned a number of sovereigns out of a stocking into her lap, and having counted them carefully, returned them one by one into the stocking, and deposited the stocking in a wooden box. She managed to do this so quietly that he scarcely heard the chink of money. There was no sound in the house, save the regular breathing of one asleep in the lodger's room, so Dick kept his post until he had mastered the spinster's secret, and learned that the bandbox in her cupboard did not contain her best bonnet.

He returned to the kitchen as quietly as he had left it, and lay down on the hard floor. It was a long time before he could forget himself in sleep. At last it came, but there was little refreshment in it, for he dreamed of gold, gold, nothing but gold. He was reaching out his hand to grasp the coveted treasure when Tom shook him.

"Get up, Dick," he said; "you must be off, or she'll see you. You've been moaning so, I was afraid you'd be heard. You've been dreaming hard."

"I think I have," answered Dick, rubbing his eyes, and gradually awaking to a sense of passing events.

"Be quick and go. I don't want to get into a scrape," urged Tom.

Dick was soon ready, and Tom was extremely relieved when he lost sight of him.