CHAPTER V.
DISCHARGED.
The superintendent sat at an office table writing a letter. He did notat first look up, but kept on with his employment. He had some remnantsof conscience left, and he shrank from the task his wife had thrust uponhim.
"Mr. Baker tells me you wish to see me, Mr. Davis," said Robert, who hadadvanced into the office, by way of calling his attention.
"Yes," said the superintendent, laying down his pen, and turning halfround; "I hear a bad account of you, Rushton."
"In what way, sir?" asked our hero, returning his look fearlessly.
"I hear that you have been behaving like a young ruffian," said Mr.Davis, who felt that he must make out a strong case to justify him indismissing Robert from the factory.
"This is a serious charge, Mr. Davis," said Robert, gravely, "and I hopeyou will be kind enough to let me know what I have done, and the nameof my accuser."
"I mean to do so. Probably it will be enough to say that your accuser ismy son, Halbert."
"I supposed so. I had a difficulty with Halbert yesterday, but Iconsider he was in fault."
"He says you insulted and struck him."
"I did not insult him. The insult came from him."
"Did you strike him?"
"Yes, but not until he had struck me first."
"He didn't mention this, but even if he had you should not have struckhim back."
"Why not?" asked Robert.
"You should have reported the affair to me."
"And allowed him to keep on striking me?"
"You must have said something to provoke him," continued thesuperintendent, finding it a little difficult to answer this question,"or he would not have done it."
"If you will allow me," said Robert, "I will give you an account of thewhole affair."
"Go on," said the superintendent, rather unwillingly, for he stronglysuspected that our hero would be able to justify himself, and so renderdismissal more difficult.
"Halbert took offense because I accompanied Hester Paine home from thewriting school, evening before last, though I did with the young lady'spermission, as he knew. He met me yesterday at twelve o'clock, as I wasgoing home to dinner, and undertook to lecture me on my presumption inoffering my escort to one so much above me. He also taunted me withbeing a factory boy. I told him to keep his advice to himself, as Ishould not ask his permission when I wanted to walk, with Hester Paine.Then he became enraged, and struck me with his cane. I took it from himand returned the blow, breaking the cane in doing it."
"Ahem!" said the superintendent, clearing his throat; "you must havebeen very violent."
"I don't think I was, sir. I struck him a smart blow, but the cane wasvery light and easily broken."
"You were certainly very violent," continued Mr. Davis, resolved to makea point of this. "Halbert did not break the cane when he struck you."
"He struck the first blow."
"That does not alter the question of the amount of violence, which wasevidently without justification. You must have been in a great passion."
"I don't think I was in any greater passion than Halbert."
"In view of the violence you made use of, I consider that you owe my sonan apology."
"An apology!" repeated Robert, whose astonishment was apparent in histone.
"I believe I spoke plainly," said the superintendent, irritably.
"If any apology is to be made," said our hero, firmly, "it ought to comefrom Halbert to me."
"How do you make that out?"
"He gave me some impertinent advice, and, because I did not care to takeit, he struck me."
"And you seized his cane in a fury, and broke it in returning the blow."
"I acknowledge that I broke the cane," said Robert; "and I suppose it isonly right that I should pay for it. I am willing to do that, but not toapologize."
"That will not be sufficient," said the superintendent, who knew thatpayment for the cane would fall far short of satisfying his wife orHalbert. "The cost of the cane was a trifle, and I am willing to buy himanother, but I cannot consent that my son should be subjected to suchrude violence, without an apology from the offender. If I passed thisover, you might attack him again to-morrow."
"I am not in the habit of attacking others without cause," said Robert,proudly. "If Halbert will let me alone, or treat me with civility, hemay be sure that I shall not trouble him."
"You are evading the main point, Rushton," said the superintendent. "Ihave required you to apologize to my son, and I ask you for the lasttime whether you propose to comply with my wishes."
"No, sir," said Robert, boldly.
"Do you know to whom you are speaking, boy?"
"Yes, sir."
"I am not only the father of the boy you have assaulted, but I am alsothe superintendent of this factory, and your employer.".
"I am aware of that, sir."
"I can discharge you from the factory."
"I know you can," said Robert.
"Of course, I should be sorry to resort to such an extreme measure, but,if you defy my authority, I may be compelled to do so."
So the crisis had come. Robert saw that he must choose between losinghis place and a humiliating apology. Between the two he did not for amoment hesitate.
"Mr. Davis," he said, boldly and firmly, "it will be a serious thing forme if I lose my place here, for my mother and I are poor, and my wagesmake the greatest part of our income. But I cannot make this apology yourequire. I will sooner lose my place."
The bold and manly bearing of our hero, and his resolute tone, impressedthe superintendent with an involuntary admiration. He felt that Robertwas a boy to be proud of, but none the less he meant to carry out hispurpose.
"Is this your final decision?" he asked.
"Yes, sir."
"Then you are discharged from the factory. You will report yourdischarge to Mr. Baker, and he will pay you what you have earned thisweek."
"Very well, sir."
Robert left the office, with a bold bearing, but a heart full oftrouble. If only himself had been involved in the calamity, he couldhave borne it better, but he knew that his loss of place meant privationand want for his mother, unless he could find something to do that wouldbring in an equal income, and this he did not expect.
"Mr. Baker," he said, addressing the foreman of his room, on his returnfrom the superintendent's office, "I am discharged."
"Discharged?" repeated the foreman, in surprise. "There must be somemistake about this. You are one of our best hands--for your age, Imean."
"There is no dissatisfaction with my work that I know of, but I got intoa quarrel with Halbert Davis yesterday, and his father wants me toapologize to him."
"Which you won't do?"
"I would if I felt that I were in fault. I am not too proud for that.But the fact is, Halbert ought to apologize to me."
"Halbert is a mean boy. I don't blame you in the least."
"So I am to report my discharge to you, and ask you for my wages."
This account was soon settled, and Robert left the factory his ownmaster. But it is poor consolation to be one's own master under suchcircumstances. He dreaded to break the news to his mother, for he knewthat it would distress her. He was slowly walking along, when he oncemore encountered Halbert Davis. Halbert was out for the express purposeof meeting and exulting over him, for he rightly concluded that Robertwould decline to apologize to him. Robert saw his enemy, and guessed hisobject, but resolved to say nothing to him, unless actually obliged todo so.
"Where are you going?" demanded Halbert.
"Home."
"I thought you worked in the factory?"
"Did you?" asked Robert, looking full in his face, and reading theexultation he did not attempt to conceal.
"Perhaps you have got turned out?" suggested Halbert, with a malicioussmile.
"You would be glad of that, I suppose," said our hero.
"I don't think I should cry much," said Halbert
. "It's true then, isit?"
"Yes; it's true."
"You won't put on so many airs when you go round begging for coldvictuals. It'll be some time before you walk with Hester Paine again."
"I shall probably walk with her sooner than you will."
"She won't notice a beggar."
"There is not much chance of my becoming a beggar, Halbert Davis; but Iwould rather be one than be as mean as you. I will drop you a slighthint, which you had better bear in mind. It won't be any safer to insultme now than it was yesterday. I can't lose my place a second time."
Halbert instinctively moved aside, while our hero passed on, withouttaking farther notice of him.
"I hate him!" he muttered to himself. "I hope he won't find anything todo. If he wasn't so strong, I'd give him a thrashing."