CHAPTER XV
WHAT CAME OF THE PLOT
The Fernalds were as good as their word. All winter long father, son,and grandson worked at the scheme for the new cottages and by New Year,with the assistance of an architect, they had on paper plans for amodel village to be built on the opposite side of the river as soon asthe weather permitted. The houses were gems of careful thought, no twoof them being alike. Nevertheless, although each tiny domain wasindividual in design, a general uniformity of construction existedbetween them which resulted in a delightfully harmonious ensemble. Theentire Fernald family was enthusiastic over the project. It was thechief topic of conversation both at Aldercliffe and at Pine Lea. Rollsof blue prints littered office and library table and cluttered thebureaus, chairs, and even the pockets of the elder men of eachhousehold.
"We are going to make a little Normandy on the other shore of the riverbefore we have done with it," asserted Grandfather Fernald to Laurie."It will be as pretty a settlement as one would wish to see. I mean,too, to build cooeperative stores, a clubhouse, and a theater; perhaps Imay even go farther and put up a chapel. I have gone clean daft overthe notion of a model village and since I am started I may as well behung for a sheep as a lamb. I do not believe we shall be sinking ourmoney, either, for in addition to bettering the living conditions ofour men I feel we shall also draw to the locality a finer class ofworking people. This will boom our section of the country and shouldmake property here more valuable. But even if it doesn't work out thatway, I shall take pride in the proposed village. I have always insistedthat our mills be spotless and up to date and the fact that they havebeen has been a source of great gratification. Now I shall carry thatidea farther and see that the new settlement comes up to our standards.I have gone over and over the plans to see if in any way they can bebettered; suppose you and I look at them together once more. Some newinspiration may come to us--something that will be an improvement."
Patiently and for the twentieth time Laurie examined the blue printswhile his grandfather volubly explained just where each building of themany was to stand.
"This little park, with a fountain in the middle and a bandstand nearby, will slope down toward the river. As there are many fine treesalong the shore it will be a cool and pleasant place to sit in summer.The stone bridge I am to put up will cross just above and serve as asort of entrance to the park. We intend that everything shall be laidout with a view to making the river front attractive. As for thevillage itself--the streets are to be wide so that each dwelling shallhave plenty of fresh air and sunshine. No more of those dingy flatssuch as the Turners live in! Each family is also to have land enoughfor a small garden, and each house will have a piazza and the best ofplumbing; and because many of the women live in their kitchens morethan in any other part of their abode, I am insisting that that room beas comfortable and airy as it can be made."
"It is all bully, Grandfather," Laurie answered. "But isn't it going tocost a fortune to do the thing as you want it done?"
"It is going to cost money," nodded the elder man. "I am not deceivingmyself as to that. But I have the money and if I chose to spend it onthis _fad_ (as one of my friends called it) I don't see why I shouldn'tdo it. Since your grandmother died I have not felt the same interest inAldercliffe that I used to. When she was alive that was my hobby. Ishall simply be putting out the money in a different direction, that isall. Perhaps it will be a less selfish direction, too."
"It certainly is a bully fine fad, Grandfather," Laurie exclaimed.
"Somehow I believe it is, laddie," the old gentleman answeredthoughtfully. "Your father thinks so. Time only can tell whether I havechucked my fortune in a hole or really invested it wisely. I have beendoing a good deal of serious thinking lately, thanks to those chaps whotried to blow up the mills. As I have turned matters over in my mindsince the trial, and struggled to get their point of view, I have aboutcome to the conclusion that they had a fair measure of right on theirside. Not that I approve of their methods," continued he hastily,raising a protesting hand, when Laurie offered an angry interruption."Do not misunderstand me. The means they took was cowardly and criminaland I do not for a moment uphold it. But the thing that led them to actas they planned to act was that they honestly believed we had not giventhem and their comrades a square deal. As I have pondered over thisconviction of theirs, I am not so sure but they were right in thatbelief."
He paused to light a fresh cigar which he silently puffed for a fewmoments.
"This village plan of mine has grown to some extent out of the thinkingto which this tragedy has stimulated me. There can be no question thatour fortunes have come to us as a result of the hard labor of ouremployees. I know that. And I also know that we have rolled up a farlarger proportion of the profits than they have. In fact, I am not surewe have not accepted a larger slice than was our due; and I am notsurprised that some of them are also of that opinion. I would not go sofar as to say we have been actually dishonest but I am afraid we havenot been generous. The matter never came to me before in precisely thislight and I confess frankly I am sorry that I have blundered.Nevertheless, as I tell your father, it is never too late to mend. Ifwe have made mistakes we at least do not need to continue to make them.So I have resolved to pay up some of my past obligations by buildingthis village and afterward your dad and I plan to raise the wages ofthe workers--raise them voluntarily without their asking. I figure weshall have enough to keep the wolf from the door, even then," he added,smiling, "and if we should find we had not why we should simply have tocome back on you and Ted Turner to support us, that's all."
Laurie broke into a ringing laugh.
"I would much rather you and Dad spent the money this way than to haveyou leave it all to me," he said presently.
"One person does not need so much money. It is more than his share ofthe world's profits--especially if he has earned none of it. Besides,when a fortune is handed over to you, it spoils all the fun of makingone for yourself." The boy's eyes clouded wistfully. "I suppose anyhowI never shall be able to work as hard as you and Father have; stillI----"
"Pooh! Pooh! Nonsense!" his grandfather interrupted huskily.
"I believe I shall be able to earn enough to take care of myself,"continued Laurie steadily. "In any case I mean to try."
"Of course you will!" cried the elder man heartily. "Why, aren't youexpecting to be an engineer or something?"
"I--I--hope--to," replied the boy.
"Certainly! Certainly!" fidgeted Grandfather Fernald nervously. "Youare going to be a great man some day, Laurie--a consulting engineer,maybe; or a famous electrician, or something of the sort."
"I wish I might," the lad repeated. "You see, Grandfather, it isworking out your own career that is the fun, making something allyourself. That is why I hate the idea of ever stepping into your shoesand having to manage the mills. All the interesting part is donealready. You and Dad had the pleasure----"
"The damned hard work, you mean," cut in his grandfather.
"Well, the hard work, then," chuckled Laurie, "of building the businessup."
"That is true, my boy," replied Mr. Fernald. "It was a great game, too.Why, you know when I came here and we staked out the site for themills, there wasn't a house in sight. There was nothing but that river.To one little wooden factory and that rushing torrent of water I pinnedmy faith. Every cent I possessed in the world was in the venture. Imust make good or go under. Nobody will ever know how I slaved in thoseearly days. For years I worked day and night, never giving myself timeto realize that I was tired. But I was young and eager and although Igot fagged sometimes a few hours of sleep sent me forth each morningwith faith that I could slay whatever dragons I might encounter. As Ilook back on those years, hard though they were, they will always standout as the happiest ones of my life. It was the fight that was thesport. Now I am an old man and I have won the thing I wasafter--success. Of course, it is a satisfaction to have done what youset out to do. But I tell you, laddie, that after your money is m
ade,the zest of the game is gone. Your fortune rolls up then without youand all you have to do is to sit back and watch it grow of itself. Itdoesn't seem to be a part of you any more. You feel old, andunnecessary, and out of it. You are on the shelf."
"That is why I want to begin at the beginning and earn my own money,Grandfather," Laurie put in. "Think what you would have missed if someone had deprived you of all your fun when you were young. You wouldn'thave liked it."
"You bet I wouldn't!" cried the old gentleman.
"I don't want to lose my fun either," persisted Laurie. "I want to winmy way just as you and Dad have done--just as Ted Turner is going todo. I want to find out what is in me and what I can do with it."
Grandfather Fernald rubbed his hands.
"Bully for you, Laurie! Bully for you!" he ejaculated. "That's the trueFernald spirit. It was that stuff that took me away from my father'sfarm in Vermont and started me out in the world with only six dollarsin my pocket. I was bound I would try my muscle and I did. I got somepretty hard knocks, too, while I was doing it. Still, they were all inthe day's work and I never have regretted them. But I didn't mean tohave your father go through all I did and so I saw that he got aneducation and started different. He knew what he was fighting and wasarmed with the proper weapons instead of going blind into thescrimmage. That is what we are trying to do for you and what we mean todo for Ted Turner. We do not intend to take either of you out of thefray but we are going to put into your hands the things you need to winthe battle. Then the making good will depend solely on you."
"I mean to try to do my part."
"I know you do, laddie; and you'll do it, too."
"I just wish I was stronger--as well as Ted is," murmured the boy.
"I wish you were," his grandfather responded gently, touching hisgrandson's shoulder affectionately with his strong hand. "If moneycould give you health you should have every farthing I possess. Butthere are things that money cannot do, Laurie. I used to think it wasall-powerful and that if I had it there was nothing I could not makemine. But I realize now that many of the best gifts of life are beyondits reach. We grow wiser as we grow older," he concluded, with a sadshake of his head. "Sometimes I think we should have been granted twolives, one to experiment with and the other to live."
He rose, a weary shadow clouding his eyes.
"Well, to live and learn is all we can do; and thank goodness it isnever too late to profit by our errors. I have learned many things fromTed Turner; I have learned some more from his father; and I have addedto all these certain things that those unlucky wretches, Sullivan andCronin, have demonstrated to me. Who knows but I may make Freeman'sFalls a better place in consequence? We shall see."
With these parting reflections the old gentleman slowly left the room.
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