But of course the Wright family was in a most distressed state. The
mother was overwhelmed with anxious grief; the father was consumed
with mortification and blazing with anger.
"He didn't take his second-weight flannels," moaned Mrs. Wright; "he
will catch cold. Oh, where is he? And nobody knows how to cook his
hominy for him but our Betsy. Oh, my boy!"
"Good riddance," said Sam senior between his teeth; "ungrateful
puppy!"
Dr. Lavendar had his hands full. To reassure the mother, and tell her
that the weather was so warm that Sam couldn't use the second-weight
flannels if he had them, and that when he came back Betsy's hominy
would seem better than ever--"Old Chester food will taste mighty
good, after a few husks," said Dr. Lavendar, cheerfully--to tell Sam
senior that a grateful puppy would be an abnormal monster, and to
refrain from telling him that whatever a father sows he is pretty sure
to reap--took time and strength. So Dr. Lavendar did not enter very
heartily into William King's plans for a surprise-party. However, he
did promise to come, if the doctor succeeded in getting Old Chester
together.
Meantime he and Danny and Goliath went up to The Top to tell Benjamin
Wright about Sam's Sam. The grandfather displayed no surprise.
"I knew he was going to clear out," he said; he was poking about among
his canaries when Dr. Lavendar came in, and he stopped and sat down,
panting. "These fowls wear me out," he complained. "Whiskey? No? Dear
me! Your senior warden's got you to sign the pledge, I suppose? Well,
I will; to drink the cub's health. He'll amount to something yet, if
he doesn't eat his fatted calf too soon. Fatted calf is very bad for
the digestion."
"Wright, I don't suppose you need to be told that you behaved
abominably Sunday night? Do you know where Sam is?"
"I don't; and I don't want to. Behaved abominably? He wouldn't shake
hands with me! Sam told me he was going, and I gave him some money--
well! why do you look at me like that? Gad-a-mercy, ain't he my
grandson? Besides, since our love-feast, ain't it my duty to help his
father along? I've had a change of heart," he said, grinning; "where's
your joy over the one sinner that repenteth? I'm helping young Sam, so
that old Sam may get some sense. Lavendar, the man who has not learned
what a damned fool he is, hasn't learned anything. And if I mistake
not, the boy will teach my very respectable son, who won't smoke and
won't drink, that interesting fact. As for the boy, he will come back
a man, sir. A man! Anyway, I've done my part. I offered him money and
advice--like the two women grinding at the mill, one was taken and the
other was left. Yes; I've done my part. I've evened things up. I gave
him his first tobie, and his first drink, and now I've given him a
chance to see the world--which your senior warden once said was a
necessary experience for a young man. I've evened things up!" He
thrust a trembling hand down into the blue ginger-jar for some orange-
skin. "He said he'd pay the money back; I said, 'Go to thunder!' As if
I cared about the money. I've got him out of Old Chester; that's all I
care about."