Canada, Eastern -- Description and travel -- Fiction; Outdoor life -- Canada, Eastern -- Fiction
“Glad to know you, Madam,” and the Captain bowed low. “Glad to know
you, sir. Had to come on when I got your telegram! Had to see the
young rascals! Had to see ’em, and take Dan to his folks myself!”
“It’s a very great pleasure to meet you, Captain Bluntt,” said Mrs.
Densmore, extending her hand to him. “Paul has been telling me a
great deal of you since yesterday.”
Densmore shook the Captain’s hand cordially.
“You’ll have to remain with us a few days, Captain. Paul won’t part
from Dan, you know, until he shows him something of the city!”
And as Captain Bluntt would not think of enduring a return journey by
train, and he was compelled to wait three days for the St. Johns
steamer, he accepted their hospitality. Every day during their stay
was filled with sightseeing, with evenings at the theater, and a new
world was opened for Dan.
Paul declined to permit Dan to bear any part of the expense incurred
after their arrival in Winnipeg, and Densmore supplied both Dan and
Captain Bluntt with their transportation home, and upon Paul’s
suggestion presented Dan with a new rifle and shotgun just like
Paul’s.
Finally, when sailing day arrived, Densmore, Paul and Remington saw
them off, and the lads parted regretfully.
“You’re the best fellow I ever knew,” declared Paul, as they shook
hands, “and we’ll always be chums.”
“An’ I hopes,” said Dan, “we may be takin’ a cruise together again
sometime.”
The lines were thrown off, the active little tugs began puffing and
sputtering, and slowly the steamer drew away from her wharf, Paul and
Dan waving their caps as long as they could see each other.
Paul and his father were together a good deal in the days that
followed. Densmore would frequently take an afternoon off, and
together they would go to the Polo grounds, and father and son would
yell and cheer together. Densmore had suddenly developed into a
full-fledged baseball fan, and taught Paul his first appreciation of
the game. They had long walks in the park these summer evenings, and
discussed many things dear to a boy’s heart. They became, in fact,
inseparable chums.
“Father,” said Paul one evening, as they strolled up Riverside Drive
toward Grant’s Tomb. “I wish I had something to do. I’ve spent about
all the money I got for my furs, and I hate to have to call on you for
money that I don’t earn. It makes me feel--well, just useless--a
sissy.”
“What do you want to do?”
“Oh, I don’t know--but something. It made me feel so independent to
earn my own living while I was away, and to know I earned the money I
had when I came back, and I’d like to feel that way all the time. I’m
ashamed when I remember how I used to waste money I never earned. Dan
always earned his own way.”
“You’d better keep at school for awhile, my son. You can’t invest your
time to better advantage than in obtaining an education.”
“Do you think so? It seems to me I’m just wasting time. I might be
working the way Dan is and making my own way. I’m sure I could do
something.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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