Part 21 (1/2)

”Then there's the sky, so much of it,” went on Michael, ”and so wide and blue, and sometimes soft white clouds. They make you feel rested when you look at them floating lazily through the blue, and never seeming to be tired; not even when there's a storm and they have to hurry. And there's the sunset. Sam, I don't believe you ever saw the sunset, not right anyway.

You don't have sunsets here in the city, it just gets dark. You ought to see one I saw not long ago. I mean to take you there some day and we'll watch it together. I want to see if it will do the same thing to you that it did to me.”

Sam looked at him in awe, for he wore his exalted look, and when he spoke like that Sam had a superst.i.tious fear that perhaps after all he was as old Sal said, more of angel than of man.

”And then, there's the earth, all covered with green, plenty of it to lie in if you want to, and it smells so good; and there's so much air,--enough to breathe your lungs full, and with nothing disagreeable in it, no ugly smells nor sounds. And there are growing things everywhere. Oh, Sam!

Wouldn't you like to make things like this grow?”

Sam nodded and put forth his rough forefinger shamedly to touch the velvet of a green leaf, as one unaccustomed might touch a baby's cheek.

”You'll go with me, Sam, to the country sometime, won't you? I've got a plan and I'll need you to help me carry it out. Will you go?”

”Sure!” said Sam in quite a different voice from any reluctant a.s.sent he had ever given before. ”Sure, I'll go!”

”Thank you, Sam,” said Michael more moved than he dared show, ”And now that's settled I want to talk about this room. I'm going to have five little kids here to-morrow early in the evening. I told them I'd show them how to whittle boats and we're going to sail them in the scrub bucket.

They're about the age you and I were when I went away to college. Perhaps I'll teach them a letter or two of the alphabet if they seem interested.

They ought to know how to read, Sam.”

”I never learned to read--” muttered Sam half belligerently. ”That so?”

said Michael as if it were a matter of small moment. ”Well, what if you were to come in and help me with the boats. Then you could pick it up when I teach them. You might want to use it some day. It's well to know how, and a man learns things quickly you know.”

Sam nodded.

”I don't know's I care 'bout it,” he said indifferently, but Michael saw that he intended to come.

”Well, after the kids have gone, I won't keep them late you know, I wonder if you'd like to bring some of the fellows in to see this?”

Michael glanced around the room.

”I've some pictures of alligators I have a fancy they might like to see.

I'll bring them down if you say so.”

”Sure!” said Sam trying to hide his pleasure.

”Then to-morrow morning I'm going to let that little woman that lives in the cellar under Aunt Sally's room, bring her sewing here and work all day.

She makes b.u.t.tonholes in vests. It's so dark in her room she can't see and she's almost ruined her eyes working by candle light.”

”She'll mess it all up!” grumbled Sam; ”an' she might let other folks in an' they'd pinch the picters an' the posy.”

”No, she won't do that. I've talked to her about it. The room is to be hers for the day, and she's to keep it looking just as nice as it did when she found it. She'll only bring her work over, and go home for her dinner.

She's to keep the fire going so it will be warm at night, and she's to try it for a day and see how it goes. I think she'll keep her promise. We'll try her anyway.”

Sam nodded as to a superior officer who nevertheless was awfully foolish.

”Mebbe!” he said.

”Sam, do you think it would be nice to bring Aunt Sally over now a few minutes?”