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Updated: May 16, 2025
"He wants to study and learn, deary, don't you see?" "I think that's just as nice as can be," she added, turning to Tode. "Winny, she's a great scholar, keeps to the head of her class all the time, most, and she studies evenings, and you could get out your book, and she would show you all about things, couldn't you, deary?" "I don't care," said Winny, listlessly.
But then if there wasn't, what did these folks all mean? "They don't look like fools; now that's a fact," said Tode, meditatively, and was in great bewilderment. The meeting closed. Mrs. Hastings rustled up to the minister. "So sorry to have intruded upon you, Mr. Birge, but the gale was so unusually severe.
The secretary took a step forward, but at that Tode sped across the room out of the door, and up to his own room, the door of which he locked. Then he sat down and thought over what had happened, and the more he thought of it the more certain he felt that what the secretary had said was true. A long, long time the boy sat there, thinking sad and bitter thoughts.
"I once knew another Theodore who was nicknamed Tode; but, my boy, do you know what your name means?" Tode shook his head. "Didn't know names meant anything," he answered. "But they do. Theodore means the gift of God. A boy with such a name as that ought to count for something in the world." "I mean to." The boy uttered the words slowly and emphatically. Mr. Scott's face brightened.
What Tode didn't do during those three days' tarry in New York could be told almost better than what he did. No country novice visiting the great city for the first time could have begun to crowd in the sights and scenes that revealed themselves to Tode's eager, wide-open eyes, in the same space of time.
Roberts thought, looking after Tode as he dashed off down town. "Going to make just the man for our business. I must begin to promote him soon." As for Tode he was in high glee. "What brought that Jim's brother over to help to-day?" he asked himself. "I'd like to know that now. I believe I do, as sure as I'm alive, that he heard every word, and has been and fixed it all out.
Directly opposite the depot buildings there were two rum-shops and an oyster-saloon. "This spot would do," said Tode, thoughtfully, halting in front of the illest looking of the rum-shops. "If I can set up right here now, why I'll do it."
He studied Theo's face for a moment, then he burst out, "What's your game, anyhow, Tode Bryan?" "Carrots," exclaimed Theo, earnestly, "there's no game at all about it. I've got the room, an' I don't need it, 'cause I've taken another one. You're welcome to use this till the month's up. Now, what d'ye say? Will ye take it or leave it?" "I'll take it," rejoined Carrots, slowly. "All right."
On the morrow the boy was to stand up in the church and take the solemn vows upon him, and his face was grave yet glad. "By the way," said Mr. Birge, "yours is a very singular name. Fortunate that it is, or I never would have found you again; but it must be a contraction of something." "Why yes," answered Tode, hesitatingly. He didn't know what contraction meant.
Tode found him useful, too, for he kept vigilant watch when the boy was busy at his stand, and suffered no thievish fingers to snatch anything when Tode's eyes and fingers were too busy for him to be on the lookout.
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