Read Ebook: Tom Taylor at West Point by Webster Frank V

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Ebook has 1332 lines and 48643 words, and 27 pages

His mother smiled. She did wish her fine-looking son could have his wish, but it seemed out of the question. In silence the two strolled on through the wood, to the far edge.

The railway only touched the outskirts of Chester, but the line was near the center of Preston, which acquired importance from the fact that the county court house was located there.

"Well, if we had some of the money that was sunk around the piers of that bridge," said Tom reflectively, "our worries would be over, Mother!"

"Yes," she agreed, as Tom waved his hand toward the railroad structure, "but there's no use talking or thinking about that, Tom. It's past and gone, and the money has disappeared."

"It disappeared all right enough," and Tom's tone was the least bit menacing. "But I'm not so sure that it disappeared fairly and honestly. If it had sunk in a bed of quicksand it couldn't have vanished any more completely. But between old Doolittle, the railroad lawyers and some others--"

"Oh, Tom, please don't bring up that old dispute!" begged his mother. "You know it can't do any good."

"No, I suppose not," he admitted. "But it certainly is hard luck to look at what you think ought to be yours, and know that some one else is enjoying the benefit of it," and Tom shook his finger at the big railroad bridge, as if that structure of steel were, in some way, responsible for the unpleasant circumstances of his mother and himself.

The railroad bridge, or, rather, one of the ends and the approach, was located on land that had formed a part of Mr. Taylor's estate. The land had always been considered valuable, and when the railroad went through the value of that property, as well as of other land near it, rose rapidly.

Then came Mr. Taylor's death, and his widow, instead of receiving what she hoped for--a large sum from the sale of the bridge site to the railway people--received nothing at all. Inquiry developed the fact that certain creditors of Mr. Taylor's, including a Mr. Aaron Doolittle and a Captain Cason Hawkesbury, held a claim on the bridge land, and they received the money for it from the railroad.

But, as Mrs. Taylor said, that was past and gone, though Tom could not forget it. There was always resentment in his heart, for he believed his mother should have received something for her rights. But they were not able to hire competent lawyers, and the young member of the bar who wound up the affairs of Mr. Taylor's estate did not seem to think there was a chance of getting anything by litigation over the bridge property.

"We must go back, Tom," said his mother finally. "I've enjoyed the little walk, and I feel better for it. But I must get that dress done, and I'm sure you are hungry."

"Well, I don't mind admitting that I am," he said, with a final look at the bridge, over which, at that moment, an express train was rumbling.

"Going right over our property as if it had a right!" grumbled Tom.

"But they have a right, son," his mother said gently. "Don't brood over that any more."

Tom might have done so, in spite of her request, but for something that happened shortly after that. They were walking down the side street toward their cottage, when a boy with a bundle of papers under his arm, came along.

"Will you take yours now, Mrs. Taylor, or shall I leave it at the house?" he asked, touching his cap and smiling.

"Yes," he said, "here's a big account of the game. And here--Say, Mother! Look here!" he exclaimed, holding the paper up in front of her, and pointing out a certain item. "There's going to be a competitive examination for a West Point cadetship! It's going to take place in Preston in two weeks. It's open to all the lads around here. Congressman Hutton has an appointment to make, and he's going to let it go to the fellow who gets the best standing.

"Say, this is great! Wonderful! Mother, I'm going to have a try for that! A vacancy has unexpectedly occurred, it says. It's my chance, Mother! It's my chance!"

THE EXAMINATION

Tom Taylor was really quite excited. He strode along the street quickly, fluttering the paper containing the wonderful news, until finally Mrs. Taylor was obliged to call out:

"Tom, dear! You seem to forget that I haven't my seven-league boots on. I can't keep up with you," and she laughed, though there was a worried look in her eyes.

"That's so, Mother! I beg your pardon," Tom said. "I forgot about everything except this chance. Say! it's great; isn't it?" and he looked at his mother with shining eyes.

"Are you really going to attempt it?" she asked softly.

"Why, yes, of course," Tom said, quickly. "Why not?"

"Do you think you can pass, Tom?"

"Well, I'm not absolutely sure of it, of course. No one is. But I think I can pass the preliminary physical test, and that will admit me to the written examination. I've been making some inquiries about that, and there isn't any subject that we haven't had in our high school work. I may be a bit rusty on certain things, but I'm going to bone up on them. I've got a week or more."

"And if you pass this examination that is to be held at Preston, does that mean you'll become a cadet?" asked his mother.

"No, it doesn't, worse luck!" Tom exclaimed, with a rueful laugh. "But if I come out ahead in this preliminary examination, and get the appointment from Congressman Hutton, it means that I have a chance to go to West Point, and have a try there. And there's where it will be pretty stiff, I imagine."

"Oh, Tom, I--I hope you get it," his mother murmured.

"Ho, ho! Thought you didn't want to see me in the army?"

"Well, I don't want to see you go to war," his mother said gently. "But if it is your ambition to become a West Pointer, and if, as you say, there is a chance to do good work outside of shooting and killing, why, I shall not oppose you. Now let's hurry home. I must get the dress finished, West Point or not," and she smiled.

Tom walked beside her, reading over and over again the notice of the examination soon to be held. In brief it was a statement from the congressman of that district to the effect, that, as he had a chance to name a youth to go to West Point, he had decided to throw the chance open to all the eligible lads of his district. They were to report at the Preston Court House on a certain day.

"And I'll be there!" exclaimed Tom. "But I say though--hold on. There's something I almost forgot!" and a shade of annoyance passed over his face.

"What is it, Tom?" asked his mother, as they neared the cottage.

"I have to have a hundred dollars, Mother."

"A hundred dollars, Tom! What for?"

"To deposit at West Point,--that is if I get the permanent appointment," he explained. "It's a sort of guarantee to cover preliminary cost of equipment, and so on. I almost forgot that. A hundred dollars! It's a pile of money!"

"But you don't need it right away; do you?"

"No, not until June, when I'll have to report at the Military Academy in case I'm successful. But--"

"Well, don't worry about that part of it--at least not now," said his mother. "When the time comes I may find a way to get it. I don't want to see you lose this chance. Don't worry about the money or it may spoil your chances for passing the examination. I dare say I shall manage somehow."

"Oh, if you only can, Mother!" and, even though they were out in the street, Tom put his arms around her and kissed her.

"Oh, Tom!" she remonstrated.

"Don't you care!" he cried, gaily. "Nobody saw us, and I don't mind in the least if they did."

Supper was rather an excited meal, and Tom fairly ran home with the dress his mother finished. He was paid, and as he carried back the money he thought:

"It's a shame I can't make more myself. I don't like the idea of taking the money mother earns with her needle to go to West Point with. I sure do want to go, though!"

"But I'll make good!" he declared to himself, "and when I do, and when I'm earning a decent salary, I'll make it all up to mother. She can live with me in barracks, perhaps, and I'll be an engineer in charge of some big work. Say, it sure will be great!"

His mind filled with such rosy dreams of the future as these, Tom hurried around a corner, and ran full tilt into a man advancing from the opposite direction. So hard was the impact that Tom would have knocked down the man but that he caught hold of him and held him up.

"I beg your pardon!" Tom exclaimed.

"Hey! Heck! Huh--! Huh--! Ahem! Ah!" the man ejaculated, trying to recover the breath that had been driven from his body. "What do you mean by running into me like that, young man? What do you mean?"

"I beg your pardon--Oh, it's Mr. Doolittle!" Tom exclaimed. "I didn't see you and--"

"Well, you'd better look where you're goin' next time!" was the snappish response. "Oh, it's you, is it?" and he seemed for the first time to recognize Tom. "Might have known," he muttered. "Nobody else would be rushin' around corners like that but you!"

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