The obliging operator at the telegraph office was almost at her wits’ end. She had never been besieged¹ so early in the morning and required to send so many lengthy² messages, nor have them come crowding one another so confusingly. The strange part of it all was that although they were intended for one person, a Mr. Ebenezer Stark³ of Boston, there were three persons telegraphing him.  
One was a stout⁴ lady of exceedingly fashionable appearance and most peremptory⁵ manner. As seemed fitting the first reply of Mr. Ebenezer Stark was for her, and assured her that he would meet her at the wharf⁶, with a carriage, upon the arrival of the first steamer out from Yarmouth. It also informed her that he had already sent her word by post—that letter could follow her home—of the dangerous illness of her mother and that she should make all possible haste. Thus far her message suited him exactly. He made no mention of their son nor did she. It went without saying that Monty would accompany his mother upon her return trip.
 
[Pg 172]Judge Breckenridge was also an early riser. He had met Monty hurrying down the back street toward the little railway station and the office in its corner, and had greeted him with gay surprise:
 
“Heigho, lad! Whither so fast and so early?”
 
“Trying to get ahead of Mamma.”
 
“Why, Montmorency!” cried the gentleman, with an assumed sternness yet a twinkle in his eye.
 
“Fact. She’s on the road somewhere, but she had to wait for them to hitch⁷ up a rig first. Thinks she can’t walk these few blocks alone, I suppose, and didn’t suspect I could have escorted her. But ‘Lovey’ didn’t tell her his plans till he knows if he can carry them out. But I’m glad to see you. I didn’t want to do anything sort of underhand with you, you know. Say, Judge, does your invitation to go camping still hold good? After my looking such a muff and acting⁸ it?”
 
“Certainly. If your parents permit, I shall be glad to have you. I think that a few weeks’ association with men like my friends would give you a new idea of true manliness⁹; and I can promise you to hear more good stories from the ‘Boys’ than you ever heard in your life.”
 
“Thank you, sir. I’m going to wire Papa to let me stay. What he says goes, even with Mamma. He lets her have her way about my school, and clothes and all that stuff, but he hasn’t ever quite let go of me himself. If it hadn’t been for Papa I’d be a bigger muff than I am now. Only he’s so awfully¹⁰ absorbed in business that he never takes a [Pg 173]vacation himself or does anything except pile up the cash and shove it out for Mamma to spend. Beg pardon, I’ve no business to tell you, or bother you, with our affairs. I only wanted to know in case he says ‘Yes.’”
 
They were almost at the end of their short walk and the Judge’s face lightened with a whimsical expression, as he answered:
 
“Well, Monty lad, muffs are mighty¹² handy sometimes. I heard Lucretia say they wore them large last winter! If I take a muff into camp I shall expect it to add to the general comfort of the party. Ready to warm the heart of anybody who happens to get lonely or out of sorts.”
 
“This muff will do its duty, sir. You’ll see; if—”
 
He left his sentence unfinished and although his response was delayed till after Mrs. Stark’s had been received he did not complain of it, but smilingly handed it to the Judge to peruse¹³.
 
His outward telegram had been:
 
“Papa, let me stay;” and the incoming one was: “All right. Stay.”
 
He did not inform his mother why he was there at the office so early and she did not inquire. She attributed it to his filial affection and was accordingly touched by it. She petted him as usual, and carried him back to the hotel in her phaeton, while she thrilled with satisfaction at the knowledge she could at last get away from a benighted¹⁴ region where no Sunday trains were run.
 
[Pg 174]The Judge’s messages were last, and the longest. His outgoing one gave Mr. Ebenezer Stark a sketchy¹⁵ outline of his vacation plans, announced the gentlemen who would share it with him, and added a formal invitation for Montmorency to be of the party, if agreeable to the lad’s friends. Mr. Stark’s reply was heartily¹⁶ grateful, expressed his appreciation¹⁷ of the Judge’s courtesy and good nature in “loading himself with a boy of the calf¹⁸ age. A calf of good enough pedigree, but needed turning out to pasture away from the mother,” and a little more to that nature.
 
The rub came when trunks were being packed and Montmorency announced that his “things” needn’t be put in; except the “dudish” ones which he wouldn’t want in a vacation camp.
 
Mrs. Stark was so astonished that she was silent and during that interval¹⁹ her son talked and explained with a rapidity that left her no chance for reply. “Father says so,” was the final argument that clinched²⁰ the matter; and she wisely refrained from further controversy²¹, reflecting that “Father” might alter his opinion when she had met him and reported the true state of things. Then he would, of course, promptly²² recall his son and heir from a region so fraught²³ with dangers and temptations as this Province.
 
Therefore, the parting was effected with less friction²⁴ than Monty had anticipated, and he watched the train that bore his too-solicitous mother out of sight with a delight that, for the present, knew no [Pg 175]regret. He was fully¹¹ in earnest to “make a man” of himself, and felt that he would be better able to succeed if freed from the indulgence which had surrounded him from his cradle.
 
After allowing himself the relief of one “pigeon-wing” on the station-platform, he sprang up to the steps at the rear of the hotel stage which had brought departing guests to the train and hugged Tommy, perched there, till the little fellow squealed²⁵.
 
“Good enough, Tommy boy! I’m to rough it now to my heart’s content. Ever been hunting or fishing in the woods, younker?”
 
“Yep. Go most every year—that is, I’ve been once—with the Boss. He’s the best hunter anywhere’s around. It was him got all those moose and caribou²⁶ heads that are in the lobby. Oh! you bet it’s cracky! I’m going this fall if—if I’m let, and my mother don’t make me go to school.”
 
“Mothers—Well, mothers have a bad way of spoiling a fellow’s fun, eh, lad? But after all, they’re a pretty good arrangement. I hope my mother’ll have a good trip over to Boston; and see? Look there?”
 
With that he pulled from his pocket a handful of silver, explaining that when she traveled Mrs. Stark always provided herself with a large quantity of “change” expressly for “tips,” and that she had generously handed the amount on to her son, since she was simply “going home” and wouldn’t need it.
 
“More in my suit-case, too, Tommy. But—I’m [Pg 176]going to give it all away the minute I get back to the hotel.”
 
Tommy’s eyes almost bulged²⁷ from his head, as he ejaculated in intense amazement²⁸:
 
“You never!”
 
“Fact. I’m going to begin right now.”
 
Tommy nearly fell off the step. There in his own small hand lay the greater part of what had been in Montmorency’s, but he couldn’t believe in his own good fortune. Despite the tips he received at the hotel—they were neither many nor generous—master Thomas Ransom²⁹ was a very poor little fellow. He held his position at the inn by the fact that he was willing to work “for his board” and whatever the guests might chance to bestow³⁰ upon him. The landlord had the name of a “skin-flint,” whether justly or not the boarders didn’t know.
 
It was to his interest, however, to serve them well and he did it; but it was rumored³¹ that the “help” fared upon the leavings of the guests’ plates, and in that atmosphere of healthy appetites such leavings were scant³². Anyway, Tommy was always hungry, and the fact showed in his pinched, eager little face.
 
“You’re foolin’. Here ’tis back;” he finally gasped³³, extending his hand toward Monty with a pitiful attempt at a smile.
 
“Fooling? Not one bit. You put that where it’s safe, and the first chance you get run into the village to some restaurant and get yourself a good [Pg 177]square meal. Then go to the circus, if you want. I see by the placards that one is coming.”
 
“Oh! Pshaw! I don’t know what to say. But, if you do mean it, I ain’t going to no restaurant. I’m going home to my mother the first leave off I get and give it to her. She can’t make her rent hardly, sewing, and she’ll cook a dinner for me to the queen’s taste! Wish you’d come and eat it with us.”
 
“Wish I could,” answered Monty, with a warm glow in his heart. He hadn’t often had such a look of rapturous gratitude³⁴ turned upon him and it gave him a most delightful³⁵ sensation. “But you see we’re off by the afternoon train. Going to hurry along now till we get into camp. See you later, maybe.”
 
Then they were at the hotel entrance and master Tommy made haste to bestow his treasure in the safest place he knew until his brief hour of recreation should arrive and he could take it home. But how he worked that day! Even the keen-eyed proprietor³⁶ could find no manner of fault with the nimble little fellow, who answered bells like a flash, so smilingly trotted³⁷ about with pitchers³⁸ of ice-water, and so regretfully watched the departure of the Breckenridge party from the house. And in justice to him be it said this regret was after all and most sincerely for the courteous³⁹ treatment all of them had given him.
 
“Some folks—some folks think a bell-boy hain’t no feelings, but I might ha’ been—Why, I [Pg 178]might ha’ been them, their own folks, so nice they all were to me;” thought the lad, watching the afternoon train bearing them all away, and secretly wiping the tears from his eyes. However, even for him, deserted⁴⁰ as his childish heart felt then, there was comfort. The circus was coming to-morrow! It would be his day off and he had the money to pay for his ticket and one for Ma!
 
The train was nearing Wolfville where the travelers were to leave it for a brief visit to “Evangeline land” before proceeding⁴¹ to Halifax whence the campers would set out. Aunt Lucretia had checked off the various stations from her time-table and now ann............