Seventeen [45]
He remembered an autumn, long ago, when he had decided to abandon the educational plans of his parents and become an actor. He had located this project exactly, for it dated from the night of his seventeenth birthday, when he saw John McCullough play ``Virginius.''
Even now Mr. Baxter grew a little red as he remembered the remarkable letter he had written, a few weeks later, to the manager of a passing theatrical company. He had confidently expected an answer, and had made his plans to leave town quietly with the company and afterward reassure his parents by telegraph. In fact, he might have been on the stage at this moment, if that manager had taken him. Mr. Baxter began to look nervous.
Still, there is a difference between going on the stage and getting married. ``I don't know, though!'' Mr. Baxter thought. ``And Willie's certainly not so well balanced in a GENERAL way as I was.'' He wished his wife would come down and reassure him, though of course it was all nonsense.
But when Mrs. Baxter came down-stairs she did not reassure him. ``Of course Jane's too absurd!'' she said. ``I don't mean that she `made it up'; she never does that, and no doubt this little Miss Pratt did say about what Jane thought she said. But it all amounts to nothing.''
``Of course!''
``Willie's just going through what several of the other boys about his age are going through-- like Johnnie Watson and Joe Bullitt and Wallace Banks. They all seem to be frantic over her.''
``I caught a glimpse of her the day you had her to tea. She's rather pretty.''
``Adorably! And perhaps Willie has been just a LITTLE bit more frantic than the others.''
``He certainly seems in a queer state!''
At this his wife's tone became serious. ``Do you think he WOULD do as crazy a thing as that?''
Mr. Baxter laughed. ``Well, I don't know what he'd do it ON! I don't suppose he has more than a dollar in his possession.''
``Yes, he has,'' she returned, quickly. ``Day before yesterday there was a second-hand furniture man here, and I was too busy to see him, but I wanted the storeroom in the cellar cleared out, and I told Willie he could have whatever the man would pay him for the junk in there, if he'd watch to see that they didn't TAKE anything. They found some old pieces that I'd forgotten, underneath things, and altogether the man paid Willie nine dollars and eighty-five cents.''
``But, mercy-me!'' exclaimed Mr. Baxter, ``the girl may be an idiot, but she wouldn't run away and marry a boy just barely seventeen on nine dollars and eighty-five cents!''
``Oh no!'' said Mrs. Baxter. ``At least, I don't THINK so. Of course girls do as crazy things as boys sometimes--in their way. I was think- ing--'' She paused. ``Of COURSE there couldn't be anything in it, but it did seem a little strange.''
``What did?''
``Why, just before I came down-stairs, Adelia came for the laundry; and I asked her if she'd seen Willie; and she said he'd put on his dark suit after dinner, and he went out through the kitchen, carrying his suit-case.''
``He did?''
``Of course,'' Mrs. Baxter went on, slowly, ``I COULDN'T believe he'd do such a thing, but he really is in a PREPOSTEROUS way over this little Miss Pratt, and he DID have that money--''
``By George!'' Mr. Baxter got upon his feet. ``The way he talked at dinner, I could come pretty near believing he hasn't any more brains LEFT than to get married on nine dollars and eighty-five cents! I wouldn't put it past him! By George, I wouldn't!''
``Oh, I don't think he would,'' she remonstrated, feebly. ``Besides, the law wouldn't permit it.''
Mr. Baxter paced the floor. ``Oh, I suppose they COULD manage it. They could go to some little town and give false ages and--'' He broke off. ``Adelia was sure he had his suit-case?''
She nodded. ``Do you think we'd better go down to the Parchers'? We'd just say we came to call, of course, and if--''
``Get your hat on,'' he said. ``I don't think there's anything in it at all, but we'd just as well drop down there. It can't
Even now Mr. Baxter grew a little red as he remembered the remarkable letter he had written, a few weeks later, to the manager of a passing theatrical company. He had confidently expected an answer, and had made his plans to leave town quietly with the company and afterward reassure his parents by telegraph. In fact, he might have been on the stage at this moment, if that manager had taken him. Mr. Baxter began to look nervous.
Still, there is a difference between going on the stage and getting married. ``I don't know, though!'' Mr. Baxter thought. ``And Willie's certainly not so well balanced in a GENERAL way as I was.'' He wished his wife would come down and reassure him, though of course it was all nonsense.
But when Mrs. Baxter came down-stairs she did not reassure him. ``Of course Jane's too absurd!'' she said. ``I don't mean that she `made it up'; she never does that, and no doubt this little Miss Pratt did say about what Jane thought she said. But it all amounts to nothing.''
``Of course!''
``Willie's just going through what several of the other boys about his age are going through-- like Johnnie Watson and Joe Bullitt and Wallace Banks. They all seem to be frantic over her.''
``I caught a glimpse of her the day you had her to tea. She's rather pretty.''
``Adorably! And perhaps Willie has been just a LITTLE bit more frantic than the others.''
``He certainly seems in a queer state!''
At this his wife's tone became serious. ``Do you think he WOULD do as crazy a thing as that?''
Mr. Baxter laughed. ``Well, I don't know what he'd do it ON! I don't suppose he has more than a dollar in his possession.''
``Yes, he has,'' she returned, quickly. ``Day before yesterday there was a second-hand furniture man here, and I was too busy to see him, but I wanted the storeroom in the cellar cleared out, and I told Willie he could have whatever the man would pay him for the junk in there, if he'd watch to see that they didn't TAKE anything. They found some old pieces that I'd forgotten, underneath things, and altogether the man paid Willie nine dollars and eighty-five cents.''
``But, mercy-me!'' exclaimed Mr. Baxter, ``the girl may be an idiot, but she wouldn't run away and marry a boy just barely seventeen on nine dollars and eighty-five cents!''
``Oh no!'' said Mrs. Baxter. ``At least, I don't THINK so. Of course girls do as crazy things as boys sometimes--in their way. I was think- ing--'' She paused. ``Of COURSE there couldn't be anything in it, but it did seem a little strange.''
``What did?''
``Why, just before I came down-stairs, Adelia came for the laundry; and I asked her if she'd seen Willie; and she said he'd put on his dark suit after dinner, and he went out through the kitchen, carrying his suit-case.''
``He did?''
``Of course,'' Mrs. Baxter went on, slowly, ``I COULDN'T believe he'd do such a thing, but he really is in a PREPOSTEROUS way over this little Miss Pratt, and he DID have that money--''
``By George!'' Mr. Baxter got upon his feet. ``The way he talked at dinner, I could come pretty near believing he hasn't any more brains LEFT than to get married on nine dollars and eighty-five cents! I wouldn't put it past him! By George, I wouldn't!''
``Oh, I don't think he would,'' she remonstrated, feebly. ``Besides, the law wouldn't permit it.''
Mr. Baxter paced the floor. ``Oh, I suppose they COULD manage it. They could go to some little town and give false ages and--'' He broke off. ``Adelia was sure he had his suit-case?''
She nodded. ``Do you think we'd better go down to the Parchers'? We'd just say we came to call, of course, and if--''
``Get your hat on,'' he said. ``I don't think there's anything in it at all, but we'd just as well drop down there. It can't