FullReads

I was really shocked. I rang the bell and Tish let me in. She had had no maid since Hannah’s departure and was taking her meals out. She saw Tufik and stiffened.

“I thought I sent you away!” she said, glaring at him.

He looked at her pitifully.

“Where must I–go?” he asked, and coughed.

Tish sighed and flung the door wide open. “Bring him in,” she said with resignation, “but for Heaven’s sake lock him in a closet until I get my underwear packed. And if he weeps–slap him.”

The poor boy was very repentant, and seeing that his cough worried us he fought it back bravely. I mixed the white of an egg with lemon juice and sugar, and gave it to him. He was pathetically grateful and kissed my hand. At five o’clock we sent him away firmly, having given him thirty-six dollars. He presented each of us with a roll of crocheted lace to take with us and turned in the doorway to wave a wistful final good-bye.

We met at Tish’s that night so that we might all go together to the train. Charlie Sands had agreed to see us off and to keep an eye on Tufik during our absence. Aggie was in a palpitating travel ecstasy, clutching a patent seasick remedy and a map of the Canal Zone; Tish was seeing that the janitor shut off the gas and water in the apartment; and Charlie Sands was jumping on top of a steamer trunk to close it. The taxicab was at the door and we had just time to make the night train. The steamer sailed early the next morning.

“All ready!” cried Charlie Sands, getting the lid down finally. “All off for the Big Ditch!”

We all heard a noise in the hall–a sort of scuffling, with an occasional groan. Tish rushed over and threw open the door. On the top step, huddled and shivering, with streams of water running off his hair down over his celluloid collar, pouring out of his sleeves and cascading down the stairs from his trousers legs, was Tufik. The policeman on the beat was prodding at him with his foot, trying to make him get up. When he saw us the officer touched his hat.

“Evening, Miss Tish,” he said, grinning. “This here boy of yours has been committing suicide. Just fished him out of the lake in the park!”

“Get up!” snapped Charlie Sands. “You infernal young idiot! Get up and stop sniveling!”

He stooped and took the poor boy by the collar. His brutality roused us all out of our stupor. Tish and I rushed forward and commanded him to stand back; and Aggie, with more presence of mind than we had given her credit for, brought a glass containing a tablespoonful of blackberry cordial into which she had poured ten drops of seasickness remedy. Tufik was white and groaning, but he revived enough to sit up and stare at us with his sad brown eyes.

“I wish to die!” he said brokenly. “Why you do not let me die? My friends go on the canal! I am alone! My heart is empty!”

Tish wished to roll him on a barrel, but we had no barrel; so, with Charlie Sands standing by with his watch in his hand, refusing to assist and making unkind remarks, we got him to Tish’s room and laid out on her mackintosh on the bed. He did not want to live. We could hardly force him to drink the hot coffee Tish made for him. He kept muttering things about his loneliness and being only a dirty dago; and then he turned bitter and said hard things about this great America, where he could find no work and must be a burden on his three mothers, and could not bring his dear sister to be company for him. Aggie quite broke down and had to lie down on the sofa in the parlor and have a cracker and a cup of tea.