Freckles M'Grath
Many visitors to the State-house made the mistake of looking uponthe Governor as the most important personage in the building. Theywould walk up and down the corridors, hoping for a glimpse of someof the leading officials, when all the while Freckles McGrath, thereal character of the Capitol, and by all odds the most illustriousperson in it, was at once accessible and affable.Freckles McGrath was the elevator boy. In the official register hisname had gone down as William, but that was a mere concession to theconstituents to whom the official register was sent out. In thenewspapers--and he appeared with frequency in the newspapers--he wasalways "Freckles," and every one from the Governor down gave himthat title, the appropriateness of which was stamped a hundred foldupon his shrewd, jolly Irish face.Like every one else on the State pay-roll, Freckles was keyed highduring this first week of the new session. It was a reformLegislature, and so imbued was it with the idea of reforming thatthere was grave danger of its forcing reformation upon everything insight. It happened that the Governor was of the same faction of theparty as that dominant in the Legislature; reform breathed throughevery nook and crevice of the great building.But high above all else in importance towered the Kelley Bill. Fromthe very opening of the session there was scarcely a day when someof Freckles' passengers did not in hushed whispers mention theKelley Bill. From what he could pick up about the building, and whathe read in the newspapers, Freckles put together a few ideas as towhat the Kelley Bill really was. It was a great reform measure, andit was going to show the railroads that they did not own the State.The railroads were going to have to pay more taxes, and they weremaking an awful fuss about it; but if the Kelley Bill could be putthrough it would be a great victory for reform, and would make theGovernor "solid" in the State.Freckles McGrath was strong for reform. That was partly because thesnatches of speeches he heard in the Legislature were more thrillingwhen for reform than when against it; it was partly because headored the Governor, and in no small part because he despised Mr.Ludlow.Mr. Ludlow was a lobbyist. Some of the members of the Legislaturewere Mr. Ludlow's property--or at least so Freckles inferred fromconversation overheard at his post. There had been a great deal oftalk that session about Mr. Ludlow's methods.Freckles himself was no snob. Although he had heard Mr. Ludlowcalled disgraceful, and although he firmly believed he wasdisgraceful, he did not consider that any reason for not speaking tohim. And so when Mr. Ludlow got in all alone one morning, and theoccasion seemed to demand recognition of some sort, Freckles hadchirped: "Good-morning!"But the man, possibly deep in something else, simply knit togetherhis brows and gave no sign of having heard. After that, HenryLudlow, lobbyist, and Freckles McGrath, elevator boy, were enemies.A little before noon, one day near the end of the session, a memberof the Senate and a member of the House rode down together in theelevator."There's no use waiting any longer," the Senator was saying as theygot in. "We're as strong now as we're going to be. It's a matter ofStacy's vote, and that's a matter of who sees him last."Freckles widened out his ears and gauged the elevator for very slowrunning. Stacy had been written up in the papers as a wabbler on theKelley Bill."He's all right now," pursued the Senator, "but there's every chancethat Ludlow will see him before he casts his vote this afternoon,and then--oh, I don't know!" and with a weary little flourish of hishands the Senator stepped off.Freckles McGrath sat wrapped in deep thought. The Kelley Bill wascoming up in the Senate that afternoon. If Senator Stacy voted forit, it would pass. If he voted against it, it would fail. He wouldvote for it if he didn't see Mr. Ludlow; he wouldn't vote for it ifhe did. That was the situation, and the Governor's whole future,Freckles felt, was at stake.The bell rang sharply, and he was vaguely conscious then that it hadbeen ringing before. In the next half-hour he was very busy takingdown the members of the Legislature. Strangely enough, Senator Stacyand the Governor went down the same trip, and Freckles beamed withapprobation when, he saw them walk out of the building together.Stacy was one of the first of the senators to return. Freckles sizedhim up keenly as he stepped into the elevator, and decided that hewas still firm. But there was a look about Senator Stacy's mouthwhich suggested that there was no use in being too sure of him.Freckles considered the advisability of bursting forth and tellinghim how much better it would be to stick with the reform fellows;but just as the boy got his courage screwed up to speaking point,Senator Stacy got off.About ten minutes later Freckles had the elevator on the groundfloor, and was sitting there reading a paper, when he heard a stepthat made him prick up his ears. The next minute Mr. Ludlow turnedthe corner. He was immaculately dressed, as usual, and his iron-greymoustache seemed to stand out just a little more pompously thanever. There was a sneering look in his eyes as he stepped into thecar. It seemed to be saying: "They thought they could beat me, didthey? Oh, they're easy, they are!"Freckles McGrath slammed the door of the cage and started the carup. He did not know what he was going to do, but he had an idea thathe did not want any other passenger. When half way between thebasement and the first floor, he stopped the elevator. He must havetime to think. If he took that man up to the Senate Chamber, hewould simply strike the death-blow to reform! And so he knelt andpretended to be fixing something, and he thought fast and hard."Something broke?" asked an anxious voice.Freckles looked around into Mr. Ludlow's face, and he saw that theeminent lobbyist was nervous."Yes," he said calmly. "It's acting queer. Something's all out ofwhack.""Well, drop it to the basement and let me out," said Mr. Ludlowsharply."Can't drop it," responded Freckles. "She's stuck."Mr. Ludlow came and looked things over, but his knowledge did notextend to the mechanism of elevators."Better call someone to come and take us out," he said nervously.Freckles straightened himself up. A glitter had come into his smallgrey eyes, and red spots were burning in his freckled cheeks."I think she'll run now," he said.And she did run. Never in all its history had that State-houseelevator run as it ran then. It rushed past the first and secondfloors like a thing let loose, with an utter abandonment that causedthe blood to forsake the eminent lobbyist's face."Stop it, boy!" he cried in alarm."Can't!" responded Freckles, his voice thick with terror. "Runningaway!" he gasped."Will it--fall?" whispered the lobbyist."I--I think so!" blubbered Freckles.The central portion of the State-house was very high. Above thatpart of the building which was in use there was a long stretchleading to the tower. The shaft had been built clear up, thoughpractically unused. Past floors used for store-rooms, past floorsused for nothing at all, they went--the man's face white, the boywailing out incoherent supplications. And then, within ten feet ofthe top of the shaft, and within a foot of the top floor of thebuilding, the elevator came to a rickety stop. It wabbled back andforth; it did strange and terrible things."She's falling!" panted Freckles. "Climb!"And Henry Ludlow climbed. He got the door open, and he clambered up.No sooner had the man's feet touched the solid floor than Frecklesreached up and slammed the door of the cage. Why he did that he wasnot sure at the time. Later he felt that something had warned himnot to give his prisoner's voice a full sweep down the shaft.Henry Ludlow was far from dull. As he saw the quick but even descentof the car, he knew that he had been tricked. He would have beenmore than human had there not burst from him furious and threateningwords. But what was the use? The car was going down--down--down, andthere he was, perhaps hundreds of feet above any one else in thebuilding--alone, tricked, beaten!Of course he tried the door at the head of the winding stairway,knowing full well that it would be locked. They always kept itlocked; he had heard one of the janitors asking for the keys to takea party up just a few days before. Perhaps he could get out on topof the building and make signals of distress. But the door leadingoutside was locked also. There he was--helpless. And below--well,below they were passing the Kelley Bill!He rattled the grating of the elevator shaft. He made strange, loudnoises, knowing all the while he could not make himself heard. Andthen at last, alone in the State-house attic, Henry Ludlow, eminentlobbyist, sat down on a box and nursed his fury.Below, Freckles McGrath, the youngest champion of reform in thebuilding, was putting on a bold front. He laughed and he talked andhe whistled. He took people up and down with as much nonchalance asif he did not know that up at the top of that shaft angry eyes werestraining themselves for a glimpse of the car, and terrible curseswere descending, literally, upon his stubby red head.It was a great afternoon at the State-house. Every one thronged tothe doors of the Senate Chamber, where they were putting through theKelley Bill. The speeches made in behalf of the measure were brief.The great thing now was not to make speeches; it was to reach "S" onroll-call before a man with iron-grey hair and an iron-greymoustache could come in and say something to the fair-haired memberwith the weak mouth who sat near the rear of the chamber.Freckles was called away just as it went to a vote. When he cameback Senator Kelley was standing out in the corridor, and a greatcrowd of men were standing around slapping him on the back. TheGovernor himself was standing on the steps of the Senate Chamber;his eyes were bright, and he was smiling.Freckles turned his car back to the basement. He wanted to be allalone for a minute, to dwell in solitude upon the fact that it washe, Freckles McGrath, who had won this great victory for reform. Itwas he, Freckles McGrath, who had assured the Governor's future.Why, perhaps he had that afternoon made for himself a name whichwould be handed down in the histories!Freckles was a kind little boy, and he knew that an elegantgentleman could not find the attic any too pleasant a place in whichto spend the afternoon, go he decided to go up and get Mr. Ludlow.It took courage; but he had won his victory and this was no time forfaltering.There was something gruesome about the long ascent. He thought ofstories he had read of lonely turrets in which men were beheaded,and otherwise made away with. It seemed he would never come to thetop, and when at last he did it was to find two of the mostawful-looking eyes he had ever seen--eyes that looked as thoughfuries were going to escape from them--peering down upon him.The sight of that car, moving smoothly and securely up to the top,and the sight of that audacious little boy with the freckled faceand the bat-like eyes, that little boy who had played his game sowell, who had wrought such havoc, was too much for Henry Ludlow'sself-control. Words such as he had never used before, such as hewould not have supposed himself capable of using, burst from him.But Freckles stood calmly gazing up at the infuriated lobbyist, andjust as Mr. Ludlow was saying, "I'll beat your head open, you littlebrat!" he calmly reversed the handle and sent the car skimmingsmoothly to realms below. He was followed by an angry yell, and thenby a loud request to return, but he heeded them not, and for sometime longer the car made its usual rounds between the basement andthe legislative chambers.In just an hour Freckles tried it again. He sent the car to withinthree feet of the attic floor, and then peered through the grating,his face tied in a knot of interrogation. The eminent lobbyist stoodthere gulping down wrath and pride, knowing well enough what wasexpected of him."Oh--all right," he muttered at last, and with that much of anunderstanding Freckles sent the car up, opened the door, and HenryLudlow stepped in.No word was spoken between them until the light from the floor uponwhich the Senate Chamber was situated came in view. Then Frecklesturned with a polite inquiry as to where the gentleman wished to getoff."You may take me down to the office of the Governor," said Mr.Ludlow stonily, meaningly."Sure," said Freckles cheerfully. "Guess you'll find the Governor inhis office now. He's been in the Senate most of the afternoon,watching 'em pass that Kelley Bill."Mr. Ludlow's lips drew in tightly. He squared his shoulders, and hissilence was tremendous.In just fifteen minutes Freckles was sent for from the executiveoffice."I demand his discharge!" Mr. Ludlow was saying as the elevator boyentered."It happens you're not running this building," the Governor returnedwith a good deal of acidity. "Though of course," he added withdignity, "the matter will be carefully investigated."The Governor was one great chuckle inside, and his heart was full ofadmiration and gratitude; but would Freckles be equal to bluffing itthrough? Would the boy have the finesse, the nice subtlety, the realmaster hand, the situation demanded? If not, then--imp of salvationthough he was--in the interest of reform, Freckles would have to go.It was a very innocent looking boy who stood before him and lookedinquiringly into his face."William," began the Governor--Freckles was pained at first, andthen remembered that officially he was William--"this gentleman hasmade a very serious charge against you."Freckles looked at Mr. Ludlow in a hurt way, and waited for theGovernor to proceed."He says," went on the chief executive, "that you deliberately tookhim to the top of the building and wilfully left him there aprisoner all afternoon. Did you do that?""Oh, sir," burst forth Freckles, "I did the very best I could tosave his life! I was willing to sacrifice mine for him. I--""You little liar!" broke in Ludlow.The Governor held up his hand. "You had your chance. Let him havehis.""You see, Governor," began Freckles, as if anxious to set righta great wrong which had been done him, "the car is acting bad.The engineer said only this morning it needed a going over. Whenit took that awful shoot, I lost control of it. Maybe I'm to bedischarged for losing control of it, but not"--Freckles sniffledpathetically---"but not for anything like what he says I done. WhyGovernor," he went on, ramming his knuckles into his eyes, "I ain'tgot nothing against him! What'd I take him to the attic for?""Of course not for money," sneered Mr. Ludlow.The Governor turned on him sharply. "When you can bring any proof ofthat, I'll be ready to hear it. Until you can, you'd better leave itout of the question.""Strange it should have happened this very afternoon," put in theeminent lobbyist.The Governor looked at him with open countenance. "You wereespecially interested in something this afternoon? I thought youtold me you had no vital interest here this session."There was nothing to be said. Mr. Ludlow said nothing."Now, William," pursued the Governor, fearful in his heart that thiswould be Freckles' undoing, "why did you close the door of the shaftbefore you started down?""Well, you see, sir," began Freckles, still tremulously, "I'm soused to closin' doors. Closin' doors has become a kind of secondnature with me. I've been told about it so many times. And up there,though I thought I was losin' my life, still I didn't neglect myduty."The Governor put his hand to his mouth and coughed."And why," he went on, more secure now, for a boy who could get outof that could get out of anything, "why was it you didn't make someimmediate effort to get Mr. Ludlow down? Why didn't you notifysomeone, or do something about it?""Why, I supposed, of course, he walked down by the stairs," criedFreckles. "I never dreamed he'd want to trust the elevator after theway she had acted.""The door was locked," snarled the eminent lobbyist."Well, now, you see, I didn't know that," explained Frecklesexpansively. "Late in the afternoon I took a run up just to test thecar--and there you were! I never was so surprised in my life. Isupposed, of course, sir, that you'd spent the afternoon in theSenate, along with everybody else."Once more the Governor put his hand to his mouth."Your case will come before the executive council at its nextmeeting, William. And if anything like this should happen again, youwill be discharged on the spot." Freckles bowed. "You may go now."When he was almost at the door the Governor called to him."Don't you think, William," he said--the Governor felt that he andFreckles could afford to be generous--"that you should apologise tothe gentleman for the really grave inconvenience to which you havebeen the means of subjecting him?"Freckles' little grey eyes grew steely. He looked at Henry Ludlow,and there was an ominous silence. Then light broke over his face."On behalf of the elevator," he said, "I apologise."And a third time the Governor's hand was raised to his mouth.The next week Freckles was wearing a signet ring; long and audiblyhad he sighed for a ring of such kind and proportions. He was atsome pains in explaining to everyone to whom he showed it that ithad been sent him by "a friend up home."
Freckles M'Grath was featured as
TheShort Story of the Day on
Thu, Apr 14, 2016
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