Risen from the Ranks: Harry Walton's Success

READING UNDER DIFFICULTIES.

On reaching home, Fletcher looked over his “Speaker,” and selected three poems which he thought he could read with best effect.  The selection made, he sat down to his desk, and wrote a reply to the invitation, as follows:—­

“MISS PAULINE CLINTON:  I hasten to acknowledge your polite invitation to occupy twenty minutes in reading choice selections at your approaching Fair.  I have paid much attention to reading, and hope to be able to give pleasure to the large numbers who will doubtless honor the occasion with their presence.  I have selected three poems,—­Poe’s Raven, the Battle of Ivry, by Macaulay, and Marco Bozarris, by Halleck.  I shall be much pleased if my humble efforts add eclat to the occasion.

  “Yours, very respectfully,
    “FITZGERALD FLETCHER.”

“There,” said Fletcher, reading his letter through with satisfaction.  “I think that will do.  It is high-toned and dignified, and shows that I am highly cultured and refined.  I will copy it off, and mail it.”

Fletcher saw his letter deposited in the post-office, and returned to his room.

“I ought to practise reading these poems, so as to do it up handsomely,” he said.  “I suppose I shall get a good notice in the ‘Gazette.’  If I do, I will buy a dozen papers, and send to my friends.  They will see that I am a person of consequence in Centreville, even if I didn’t get elected to any office in the high and mighty Clionian Society.”

I am sorry that I cannot reproduce the withering sarcasm which Fletcher put into his tone in the last sentence.

When Demosthenes was practising oratory, he sought the sea-shore; but Fitzgerald repaired instead to a piece of woods about half a mile distant.  It was rather an unfortunate selection, as will appear.

It so happened that Tom Carver and Hiram Huntley were strolling about the woods, when they espied Fletcher approaching with an open book in his hand.

“Hiram,” said Tom, “there’s fun coming.  There’s Fitz Fletcher with his ‘Speaker’ in his hand.  He’s going to practise reading in the woods.  Let us hide, and hear the fun.”

“I’m in for it,” said Hiram, “but where will be the best place to hide?”

“Here in this hollow tree.  He’ll be very apt to halt here.”

“All right!  Go ahead, I’ll follow.”

They quickly concealed themselves in the tree, unobserved by Fletcher, whose eyes were on his book.

About ten feet from the tree he paused.

“I guess this’ll be a good place,” he said aloud.  “There’s no one to disturb me here.  Now, which shall I begin with?  I think I’ll try The Raven.  But first it may be well to practise an appropriate little speech.  Something like this:”—­

Fletcher made a low bow to the assembled trees, cleared his throat, and commenced,—­

“Ladies and Gentlemen:  It gives me great pleasure to appear before you this evening, in compliance with the request of the committee, who have thought that my humble efforts would give eclat to the fair.  I am not a professional reader, but I have ever found pleasure in reciting the noble productions of our best authors, and I hope to give you pleasure.”

“That’ll do, I think,” said Fletcher, complacently.  “Now I’ll try The Raven.”

In a deep, sepulchral tone, Fletcher read the first verse, which is quoted below:—­

  “Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered weak and weary,
  Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore,
  While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
  As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door. 
  ‘’Tis some visitor,’ I muttered, ’tapping at my chamber door—­
  Only this and nothing more.’”

Was it fancy, or did Fletcher really hear a slow, measured tapping near him—­upon one of the trees, as it seemed?  He started, and looked nervously; but the noise stopped, and he decided that he had been deceived, since no one was visible.

The boys within the tree made no other demonstration till Fletcher had read the following verse:—­

  “Back into the chamber turning, all my soul within me burning,
  Soon again I heard a tapping, something louder than before. 
  ‘Surely,’ said I, ’surely that is something at my window lattice;
  Let me see then what thereat is, and this mystery explore—­
  Let my heart be still a moment, and this mystery explore;
  ‘Tis the wind, and nothing more.’”

Here an indescribable, unearthly noise was heard from the interior of the tree, like the wailing of some discontented ghost.

“Good heavens! what’s that?” ejaculated Fletcher, turning pale, and looking nervously around him.

It was growing late, and the branches above him, partially stripped of their leaves, rustled in the wind.  Fletcher was somewhat nervous, and the weird character of the poem probably increased this feeling, and made him very uncomfortable.  He summoned up courage enough, however, to go on, though his voice shook a little.  He was permitted to go on without interruption to the end.  Those who are familiar with the poem, know that it becomes more and more wild and weird as it draws to the conclusion.  This, with his gloomy surroundings, had its effect upon the mind of Fletcher.  Scarcely had he uttered the last words, when a burst of wild and sepulchral laughter was heard within a few feet of him.  A cry of fear proceeded from Fletcher, and, clutching his book, he ran at wild speed from the enchanted spot, not daring to look behind him.  Indeed, he never stopped running till he passed out of the shadow of the woods, and was well on his way homeward.

Tom Carver and Hiram crept out from their place of concealment.  They threw themselves on the ground, and roared with laughter.

“I never had such fun in my life,” said Tom.

“Nor I.”

“I wonder what Fitz thought.”

“That the wood was enchanted, probably; he left in a hurry.”

“Yes; he stood not on the order of his going, but went at once.”

“I wish I could have seen him.  We must have made a fearful noise.”

“I was almost frightened myself.  He must be almost home by this time.”

“When do you think he’ll find out about the trick?”

“About the invitation?  Not till he gets a letter from Miss Clinton, telling him it is all a mistake.  He will be terribly mortified.”

Meanwhile Fletcher reached home, tired and out of breath.  His temporary fear was over, but he was quite at sea as to the cause of the noises he had heard.  He could not suspect any of his school-fellows, for no one was visible, nor had he any idea that any were in the wood at the time.

“I wonder if it was an animal,” he reflected.  “It was a fearful noise.  I must find some other place to practise reading in.  I wouldn’t go to that wood again for fifty dollars.”

But Fletcher’s readings were not destined to be long continued.  When he got home from school the next day, he found the following note, which had been left for him during the forenoon:—­

“MR. FITZGERALD FLETCHER,—­Dear Sir:  I beg to thank you for your kind proposal to read at our Fair; but I think there must be some mistake in the matter, as we have never contemplated having any readings, nor have I written to you on the subject, as you intimate.  I fear that we shall not have time to spare for such a feature, though, under other circumstances, it might be attractive.  In behalf of the committee, I beg to tender thanks for your kind proposal.

  “Yours respectfully,
    “PAULINE CLINTON.”

Fletcher read this letter with feelings which can better be imagined than described.  He had already written home in the most boastful manner about the invitation he had received, and he knew that before he could contradict it, it would have been generally reported by his gratified parents to his city friends.  And now he would be compelled to explain that he had been duped, besides enduring the jeers of those who had planned the trick.

This was more than he could endure.  He formed a sudden resolution.  He would feign illness, and go home the next day.  He could let it be inferred that it was sickness alone which had compelled him to give up the idea of appearing as a public reader.

Fitz immediately acted upon his decision, and the next day found him on the way to Boston.  He never returned to the Prescott Academy as a student.