Randy
By Elvin J. Norton
Chapter V
Christmas morning came, cold and clear. Warm greetings were exchanged by Mrs. Palmer, Rachel, and Henry. Although circumstances prevented their suprising one another with expensive gifts, it was found that Santa Claus had not forgotten any of them. Some useful article — a necktie, a ribbon, a pair of scissors — was found by each where least expected, but in a conspicuous place. All agreed that Randy would probably not hurry home, and they sat down to breakfast without him. As they were absorbed in their meal and conversation, they did not notice a sleigh stop in front of the house, and were made aware that someone had approached only by a vigorous stamping on the back door step.
“Here’s Randy, after all!” cried Rachel, hastening to open the door. It was not Randy, however, but the constable who faced her.
“Good morning,” said the visitor politely. “Is the boys home?”
“Henry is here,” answered Rachel. “Won’t you come in, Mr. Anderson?”
“No, thanks “ said he. “I’d like to see Henry a minute out here.”
Henry walked out and closed the door behind him, leaving his mother and sister in no easy state of mind. After an attempt at a polite greeting, the constable said, “Well, I guess you know my business.”
“Yes,” answered Henry, starting towards the gate, where Jack Billings was waiting in the sleigh; “but I must say I am surprised that Jack didn’t sleep off his foolish notion.”
“Well, ye know, Henry, I’m only doin’ my dooty — what I’m under oath to do, ye know,” the constable said meekly in his own defense.
“O, yes, of course, “ and Henry bit his lip to keep from saying more. When he reached the gate he gave Jack a slight greeting, and plunged boldly into the subject at hand with, “Look here! If you men want to handle anyone for last night’s affair, take me. I’m more to blame than Randy is.”
Jack put on a conciliatory air and answered, ‘ Til tell ye, Henry, I know Randy ain’t pertic’ly to blame; ‘n’ I hate to touch ‘im; but I’ll tell ye, Henry, ‘tain’t Randy I’m after so much as ‘tis that crowd o’ little toughs that’s kep up this kind o’ work for so long; ‘n’ if I don’t take one o’ the crowd, not meanin’ that Randy’s partic’ly bad, ye know, of course, ‘twouldn’t do any good where we want it to — “ and so on, with. roundabout explanations and exceptions too complicated to follow. At last the constable, either fearing that Henry’s arguments would prevail or desiring to end
a useless dispute, interrupted Jack by saying, “Well, boys, I don’t see’s we’re makin’ any headway. I guess, Henry, the law’ll compel me to ask you where I kin find Randy.”
“I’m not trying to hide him from you,” said Henry, with some sharpness, “but I think you know as much about where he is as I do.”
“He hain’t been home since the dance?” asked the officer.
“No,” answered Henry.
“Well,” continued Mr. .Anderson, “I guess likely he stopped all night with Dick, then.”
“I suppose he did,” was Henry’s frank reply.
“Then all we can do, I guess, is to go out to Rogers’,” the constable added, turning to Jack.
“If you’re not in too big a hurry, I’ll get my hat and ride out with you,” Henry said.
“I wish you would, Henry. This thing’s kind o’ unpleasant an’—.”
Henry did not stay to hear the speech finished. He returned to the house and in a few words confirmed the women’s fears, and told why he was putting on his hat and coat.
“I’m glad you’re going, Henry,” said his mother, the tears gathering in her eyes. “Do all you can for Randy and hurry back; for we’re anxious about him. O, I’m sorry that he — I wish they wouldn’t have him arrested. “
Henry knew his mother had checked herself from completing a sentence that would have increased his self-reproach. His conscience had not been at rest since he yielded to George’s invitation to go out of the dance the evening before; and now, as trouble seemed to be gathering round his brother, he took upon himself the blame for all of it. On the way to the Rogers home he renewed his protests against molesting Randy, urging Jack to take himself instead. Jack tried to agree with Henry in all that was said, but insisted that the greater good would be done to the community by following out the original plan. Henry at last ceased his arguments, and remained silent until the sleigh stopped in front of Mr. Rogers’ house.
“Good morning, gentlemen! A merry Christmas to you. Get out; come in; perty cold this morning.” This greeting was from Mr. Rogers, who was walking from the barn towards the house.
“Good morning,” “Good morning, Mr. Rogers,” “Same to you,” came from the men in the sleigh; but they did not comply with the kind invitation.
“Get out and come in, I say,” urged Mr. Rogers, coming up to the gate. Jack and the constable looked awkwardly at each other and then at Henry; who, though a third party in the case, decided that he should have to state the purpose of their visit.
“No, thank you, Mr. Rogers, we won’t come in,” said Henry. “We wanted to see Randy a minute, and called around for that. We thought he’d be here, for he was with Dick last night.”
“Yes, Randy and Dick’s always together when anything’s goin’ on,” said the good-natured Mr. Rogers. “But I didn’t know he stayed here last night. I guess he ain’t up yet; Dick jest got out. You might as well come in.— There’s Dick now. Say, Dick, these men want Randy.”
Dick turned at hearing his name, and asked, “Want who?”
“Randy,” answered his father.
“I ain’t seen Randy since he got on Nibs last night,” said the boy.
“Dick,” and Mr. Anderson put on all the dignity of a powerful officer, “I guess you know as much about this thing as anyone. Now we mean business. There’s old Nibs now jist out of the barn door.”
“Yes, but when—“
“I’ll tell you, Dick,” said Henry quietly, “we’ve talked the thing all over, and I’m not trying to keep Randy away from them. Tell them where to find him.”,
“What does all this mean?” asked Mr. Rogers, who had heard nothing of the trouble. “Is the constable after Randy?”
“That’s it, Mr. Rogers, “ said the officer.
“Well, now, it don’t look to me like anything very bad when Henry’s along helpin’ find ‘im. Come in an’ we’ll see about it.” And Mr. Rogers opened the gate.
‘ ’But I tell you I ain’t seen nothing of him, “ insisted Dick. “When he got on Nibs, I told him to come back if he wanted to; but if he didn’t, I told him to put the reins over the saddle horn and turn the pony loose. When I got home I opened the outside gate an’ the barn door to let the pony in; an’ when I went out this morning, there stood Nibs with the reins tied to the saddle jest as Randy had fixed ‘em. Let ‘em come in if they want to; but there’s no Randy Palmer here. ‘ ’
(To be continued)