Mark Mason's Victory. Horatio Alger Jr.
scenes Mrs. Mason went about her daily duties at home, anxiously considering how the rent was to be paid on the following day. Mark had not told her of his gift from Maud Gilbert, intending it as a surprise.
As she was washing the breakfast dishes, there was a little tap at the door. To her surprise, the visitor turned out to be Mrs. Mack, of the floor above, to whom Mark had applied for a loan without success. As Mrs. Mack seldom left her room Mrs. Mason regarded her with surprise.
"Come in and sit down, Mrs. Mack," she said kindly.
She had no regard for the old woman, but felt that she deserved some consideration on account of her great age.
Mrs. Mack hobbled in and seated herself in a rocking-chair.
"I hope you are well," said Mrs. Mason.
"Tollable, tollable," answered the old woman, glancing curiously about the room, as if making an inventory of what it contained.
"Can't I give you a cup of tea? At your age it will be strengthening."
"I'm not so very old," said the old woman querulously. "I'm only seventy-seven, and my mother lived to be eighty-seven."
"I hope you will live as long as you wish to. But, Mrs. Mack, you must make yourself comfortable. Old people live longer if they live in comfort. Will you have the tea?"
"I don't mind," answered Mrs. Mack, brightening up at the prospect of this unwonted luxury.
She did not allow herself tea every day, on account of its cost. There are many foolish people in the world, but among the most foolish are those who deny themselves ordinary comforts in order to save money for their heirs.
The tea was prepared, and the old woman drank it with evident enjoyment.
"Your boy came up yesterday to borrow three dollars," she began then, coming to business.
"Yes, he told me so."
"He said he'd pay me Saturday night."
"Yes, he gets two weeks' pay then."
"I – I was afraid he might not pay me back and I can't afford to lose so much money, I'm a poor old woman."
"Mark would have paid you back. He always pays his debts."
"Yes; I think he is a good boy. If I thought he would pay me back. I – I think I would lend him the money. He offered to pay me interest."
"Yes; he would pay you for the favor."
"If – if he will pay me four dollars on Saturday night I will lend him what he wants."
"What!" ejaculated Mrs. Mason, "Do you propose to ask him a dollar for the use of three dollars for two or three days?"
"It's – it's a great risk!" mumbled Mrs. Mack.
"There is no risk at all. To ask such interest as that would be sheer robbery. We are poor and we can't afford to pay it."
"I am a poor old woman."
"You are not poor at all. You are worth thousands of dollars."
"Who said so?" demanded Mrs. Mack in alarm.
"Everybody knows it."
"It's – it's a-mistake, a great mistake. I – I can't earn anything, I'm too old to work. I don't want to die in a poor-house."
"You would live a great deal better in a poor-house than you live by yourself. I decline your offer, Mrs. Mack. I would rather pawn my wedding ring, as I proposed to Mark. That would only cost me nine cents in place of the dollar that you demand."
The old woman looked disappointed. She had thought of the matter all night with an avaricious longing for the interest that she expected to get out of Mark, and she had no thought that her offer would be declined.
"Never mind about business, Mrs. Mack!" said Mrs. Mason more kindly, as she reflected that the old woman could not change her nature. "Won't you have another cup of tea, and I can give you some toast, too, if you think you would like it."
An expression of pleasure appeared on the old woman's face.
"If – it's handy," she said. "I don't always make tea, for it is too much trouble."
It is safe to say that Mrs. Mack thoroughly enjoyed her call, though she did not effect the loan she desired to make. When she rose to go, Mrs. Mason invited her to call again.
"I always have tea, or I can make it in five minutes," she said.
"Thank you kindly, ma'am; I will come," she said, "if it isn't putting you to too much trouble."
"Mother," said Edith, after the visitor had hobbled up-stairs, "I wouldn't give tea to that stingy old woman."
"My dear child, she is old, and though she is not poor, she thinks she is, which is almost as bad. If I can brighten her cheerless life in any way, I am glad to do so."
About one o'clock a knock was heard at the door. Mrs. Mason answered it in person, and to her surprise found in the caller a brisk-looking young man, with an intelligent face. He had a note-book in his hand.
"Is this Mrs. Mason?" he inquired.
"Yes, sir."
"Your son is a telegraph boy?"
"Yes."
"No. 79?"
"Yes, sir. Has anything happened to him?" she asked in quick alarm.
"I bring no bad news," answered the young man with a smile. "Have you a photograph or even a tintype of your son, recently taken?"
"I have a tintype taken last summer at Coney Island."
"That will do. Will you lend it to me till to-morrow?"
"But what can you possibly want with Mark's picture?" asked the mother, feeling quite bewildered.
"I represent the Daily Globe, Mrs. Mason. His picture is to appear in the evening edition."
"But why should you publish Mark's picture?"
"Because he has distinguished himself by a heroic action. I can't stop to give you particulars, for I ought to be at the office now, but I will refer you to the paper."
With the tintype in his hand the reporter hurried to the office of the journal he represented, leaving Mrs. Mason in a state of wondering perplexity.
Within an incredibly short time hundreds of newsboys were running through the streets crying "Extry! Extra! A dynamite crank at the office of Luther Rockwell, the great banker!"
Mark Mason was returning from a trip to Brooklyn, when a newsboy thrust the paper in his face.
"Here, Johnny, give me that paper!" he said.
The boy peered curiously at him.
"Ain't you Mark Mason?" he asked.
"Yes; how did you know me?"
"Your picture is in the paper."
Mark opened the paper in natural excitement, and being a modest boy, blushed as he saw his picture staring at him from the front page, labeled underneath "The Heroic Telegraph Boy." He read the account, which was quite correctly written with a mixture of emotions, among which gratification predominated.
"But where did they get my picture?" he asked himself.
There was also a picture of the dynamite crank, which was also tolerably accurate.
"I must take this home to mother," said Mark, folding up the paper, "Won't she be surprised!"
About the same time Solon Talbot and Edgar were in the Grand Central Depot on Forty-Second Street. Their visit was over, and Mr. Talbot had purchased the return tickets.
"You may buy a couple of evening papers, Edgar," said his father.
One of them selected was the Evening Globe.
Edgar uttered an exclamation as he opened it.
"What's the matter, Edgar?" asked his father.
"Just look at this! Here's Mark Mason's picture in the paper!"
"What