Harry Harding's Year of Promise by Alfred Raymond

Author:Alfred Raymond [Raymond, Alfred]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2016-09-04T22:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER XIV

TEDDY SCENTS A MYSTERY

Mr. Keene’s astonishment at Harry’s proposal, made on the following morning, was soon swallowed up by his readiness to carry out Harry’s laudable plan. “It takes a pretty broad-minded boy, Harry, to suggest helping a man who once made matters uncomfortable for him,” he said with a significance that brought the blood to the boy’s cheeks. Mr. Keene had learned from Mr. Marsh of Harry’s trials of the previous year.

“He needs help,” was Harry’s quiet reminder. “I think giving a show would be a nice way to help him. Teddy Burke was the one who thought of it. I didn’t know what to do. We don’t care to have anyone but you and Miss Verne know that we had a hand in it.”

“I will talk with Miss Verne about it this afternoon,” promised Mr. Keene.

Here Harry’s part in the plan ended. Confident that Mr. Keene would set things in motion, he went light-heartedly back to his department, patiently to await further developments. Already he felt assured that Mr. Barton’s chances for proper treatment and health were rosy.

True to his promise, Mr. Keene sent for Miss Verne that very afternoon. An hour’s earnest consultation put Harry’s plan in a fair way of being speedily accomplished. The next day Miss Verne went about the store interviewing those whose special talents would be needed for the coming benefit. Mr. Keene also busied himself in seeing to it that a goodly number of typed notices were established at various points of the store where they would attract the most attention. At his own expense he gave orders for the printing of tickets of admission, setting the price at the modest figure of thirty-five cents. He had wisely reckoned that a crowded house at the price was more to be desired than one half-filled at fifty cents.

By the time the tickets were ready, the performers were diligently rehearsing for the event and the whole project proceeded with a smoothness that promised brilliant fulfillment and many dollars.

Aside from Teddy, Harry, Mr. Keene, Mr. Marsh and Miss Verne, only one other person in the store had been let into the secret. Privately, Harry had confided the whole affair to Miss Welch. The exchange clerk expressed her delight in her usual warm-hearted, if inelegant fashion, and clamored to be allowed to sell tickets. Mr. Keene had already given ten tickets to each boy on the store messenger force with smiling orders not to return one of them. He had also shrewdly offered a prize of five dollars to the boy who should sell the most tickets and competition ran high.

Several days previous to the entertainment, the first lot of tickets ran out and another lot was hastily printed. Many of them had been purchased by the employees of the store who were ready and willing to contribute their mite to so worthy an object. But customers and members of employees’ families rallied to the cause and it was generally conceded by those intimately interested in the benefit that on the great night Martin Hall would be filled to overflowing.

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