CHAPTER XVIII
MISS LUDOLPH MAKES A DISCOVERY
Several hours were measured off by the clock of a neighboring steeplebefore Dennis's excited mind was sufficiently calm to permit sleep,and even then he often started up from some fantastic dream in whichthe Bruders and Mr. and Miss Ludolph acted strange parts. At last heseemed to hear exquisite music. As the song rose and fell, it thrilledhim with delight. Suddenly it appeared to break into a thousand pieces,and fall scattering on the ground, like a broken string of pearls, andthis musical trash, as it were, awoke him. The sun was shining brightlyinto the room, and all the air seemed vibrating with sweet sounds. Hestarted up and realized that he had greatly overslept. Much vexed, hebegan to dress in haste, when he was startled by a brilliant preludeon the piano, and a voice of wonderful power and sweetness struck intoan air that he had never heard before. Soon the whole building wasresonant with music, and Dennis stood spellbound till the strange,rich sounds died away, as before, in a few instrumental notes that hadseemed in his dream like the song breaking into glittering fragments.
"It must be Miss Ludolph," thought Dennis. "And can she sing like that?What an angel true faith would make of her! Oh, how could I oversleepso!" And he dressed in breathless haste. In going down to the secondfloor, he found a piano open and new music upon it, which Miss Ludolphhad evidently been trying; but she was not there. Yet a peculiardelicate perfume which the young lady always used pervaded the place,even as her song had seemed to pulsate through the air after it hadceased. She could not be far off. Stepping to a picture show-room overthe front door, Dennis found her sitting quietly before a largepainting, sketching one of the figures in it.
"I learned from my father that you were a very early riser," she said,looking up for a moment, and then resuming her work. "I fear there issome mistake about it. If we are ever to get through rearranging thestore you will have to curtail your morning naps."
"I most sincerely beg your pardon. I never overslept so before. ButI was out late last night, and passed through a most painful scene,that so disturbed me that I could not sleep till nearly morning, andI find to my great vexation that I have overslept. I promise you itshall not happen again."
"I am not sure of that, if you are out late in Chicago, and passingthrough painful scenes. I should say that this city was a peculiarlybad place for a young man to be out late in."
"It was an experience wholly unexpected to me, and I hope it may neveroccur again. It was a scene of trouble that I had no hand in making,but which even humanity would not permit me to leave at once."
"Not a scene of measles or smallpox, I hope. I am told that your missionpeople are indulging in these things most of the time. You have notbeen exposed to any contagious disease?"
"I assure you I have not."
"Very well; be ready to assist me to-morrow morning, for we have noslight task before us, and I wish to complete it as soon as possible.I shall be here at half-past six, and do not promise to sing you awakeevery morning. Were you not a little startled to hear such unwontedsounds echoing through the prosaic old store?"
"I was indeed. At first I could not believe that it was a human voice."
"That is rather an equivocal compliment."
"I did not mean to speak in compliment at all, but to say in allsincerity that I have seldom heard such heavenly music."
"Perhaps you have never heard very much of any kind, or else yourimagination overshadows your other faculties. In fact I think it does,for did you not at first regard me as a painted lady who had steppedfrom the canvas to the floor?"
"I confess that I was greatly confused and startled."
"In what respect did you see such a close resemblance?"
Dennis hesitated.
"Are you not able to tell?" asked she.
"Yes," said Dennis, with heightened color, "but I do not like to say."
"But I wish you to say," said she, with a slightly imperious tone.
"Well, then, since you wish me to speak frankly, it was your expression.As you stood by the picture you unconsciously assumed the look andmanner of the painted girl. And all the evening and morning I had beentroubling over the picture and wondering how an artist could paint solovely a face, and make it express only scorn and pride. It seemed tome that such a face ought to have been put to nobler uses."
Miss Ludolph bit her lip and looked a little annoyed, but turning toDennis she said, with some curiosity: "You are not a bit like the manwho preceded you. How did you come to take his place?"
"I am poor, and will gratefully do any honest work rather than beg orstarve."
"I wish all the poor were of the same mind, but, from the way theydrag on us who have something to give, I think the rule is usually theother way. Very well, that will answer; since you have asked papa tolet you continue to do Pat's duties, you had better be about them,though it is not so late as you think;" and she turned to her sketchingin such a way as to quietly dismiss him.
She evidently regarded him with some interest and curiosity, as aunique specimen of the genus homo, and, looking upon him as a humbledependant, was inclined to speak to him freely and draw him out forher amusement.
On going downstairs he saw that Mr. Ludolph was writing in his office.He was an early riser, and sometimes, entering the side door by a passkey before the store was opened, would secure an extra hour forbusiness. He shook his head at Dennis, but said nothing.
By movements wonderfully quick and dexterous Dennis went through hiswonted tasks, and at eight o'clock, the usual hour, the store was readyfor opening.
Mr. Ludolph often caught glimpses of him as he darted to and fro, hischeeks glowing, and every act suggesting superabundant life.
He sighed and said: "After all, that young fellow is to be envied. Heis getting more out of existence than most of us. He enjoys everything,and does even hard work with a zest that makes it play. There will beno keeping him down, for he seems possessed by the concentrated vimof this driving Yankee nation. Then he has a world of delusions besidesthat seem grand realities. Well, it is a sad thing to grow old andwise."
Indeed it is, in Mr. Ludolph's style.
When Dennis opened the front door, there was Ernst cowering in theMarch winds, and fairly trembling in the flutter of his hopes andfears. Dennis gave him a hearty grasp of the hand and drew him in,saying, "Don't be afraid; I'll take care of you."
The boy's heart clung to him as the vine tendril clasps the oak, and,upheld by Dennis's strength, he entered what was to him wonderlandindeed.
Mr. Ludolph looked him over as he and his daughter passed out on theirreturn to breakfast, and said, "He will answer if he is strong enough."
He saw nothing in that child's face to fear.
Dennis assured him with a significant glance, which Mr. Ludolphunderstood as referring to better fare, that "he would grow strongfast now."
Miss Ludolph was at once interested in the boy's pale face and large,spiritual eyes; and she resolved to sketch them before good living haddestroyed the artistic effect.
Under kindly instruction, the boy took readily to his duties, andpromised soon to become very helpful. At noon Dennis took him out tolunch, and the poor, half-starved lad feasted as he had not for manya long day.
The afternoon mail brought Dennis his mother's letter, and he wonderedthat her prediction should be fulfilled even before it reached him,and thus again his faith was strengthened. He smiled and said tohimself, "Mother lives so near the heavenly land that she seems to getthe news thence before any one else."
During the day a lady who was talking to Mr. Ludolph turned and saidto Dennis: "How prettily you have arranged this table! Let me see; Ithink I will take that little group of bronzes. They make a very niceeffect together."
Dennis, with his heart swelling that he had arrived at the dignity ofsalesman, with much politeness, which evidently pleased the lady,assured her that they would be sent promptly to her address.
Mr. Ludolph looked on as if all was a matter of course while s
he waspresent, but afterward said: "You are on the right track, Fleet. Younow see the practical result of a little thought and grace inarrangement. In matters of art, people will pay almost as much forthese as for the things themselves. The lady would not have boughtthose bronzes under Berder's system. When things are grouped rightly,people see just what they want, and buy the _effect_ as well as thearticles;" and with this judicious praise Mr. Ludolph passed on, betterpleased with himself even than with Dennis.
But, as old Bill Cronk had intimated, such a peck of oats was almosttoo much for Dennis, and he felt that he was in danger of becoming toohighly elated.
After closing the store, he wrote a brief but graphic letter to hismother, describing his promotion, and expressing much sympathy forpoor Berder. Regarding himself as on the crest of prosperity's wave,he felt a strong commiseration for every degree and condition oftroubled humanity, and even could sigh over unlucky Berder's deservedtribulations.
About eight o'clock he started to see his new friends in De KovenStreet, and take his lesson in drawing. They welcomed him warmly, forthey evidently looked upon him as the one who might save them from theengulfing waves of misfortune and evil.
The children were very different from the clamorous little wolves ofthe night before. No longer hungry, they were happy in the corner,with some rude playthings, talking and cooing together like a flockof young birds. Ernst was washing the tea-things, while his mothercared for the baby, recalling to Dennis, with a rush of tender memories,his mother and his boyhood tasks. Mr. Bruder still sat in the duskycorner. The day had been a hard one for him. Having nothing to do inthe present, he had lived the miserable past over and over again. Attimes his strength almost gave way, but his wife would say, "Be patient!your friend Mr. Fleet will be in soon."
From a few hints of what had passed, Dennis saw the trouble at once.Mr. Bruder must have occupation. After a few kindly generalities, theytwo got together, as congenial spirits, before the rescued picture;and soon both were absorbed in the mysteries of the divine art.
As the wife looked at the kindling, interested face of her husband,she murmured to herself over and over again, like the sweet refrainof a song, "His artist-soul haf come back; it truly haf."
The lesson that night could be no more than a talk on general principlesand rules. But Mr. Bruder soon found that he had an apt scholar, andDennis's enthusiasm kindled his own flagging zeal, and the artist-soulawakening within him, as his wife believed, longed to express itselfas of old in glowing colors.
Moreover, his ambition was renewed in this promising pupil. Naturallygenerous, and understanding his noble profession, he felt his poorbenumbed heart stir and glow at the thought of aiding this eageraspirant to become what he had hoped to be. He might live again in thericher and better-guided genius of his scholar.
"I will send you by Ernst in the morning some sketching paper,materials, and canvas, and you can prepare some studies for me. I willlet him bring some drawings and colorings that I have made of late inodd moments, and you can see about how advanced I am, and what faultsI have fallen into while groping my own way. And I am going to sendyou some canvas, also, for I am quite sure that if you paint a pictureMr. Ludolph will buy it."
The man's face brightened visibly at this.
"Will you let your friend make a suggestion?" continued Dennis.
"You can command me," said Mr. Bruder, with emphasis.
"No; friends never do that; but I would like to suggest that at firstyou take some simple subject, that you can soon finish, and leaveefforts that require more time for the future. That picture there showswhat you can do, and you need to work now more from the commercialstandpoint than the artist's."
After a moment's thought, the man said, "You are right. As I lookaround dis room, and see our needs, I see dat you are right. Do' Imeant to attempt someding difficult, to show Mr. Ludolph vat I coulddo."
"That will all come in good time; and now, my friend, good-night."
The next day was far more tolerable for poor Bruder, because he wasoccupied, and he found it much easier to resist the clamors of appetite.
Dennis's sketches interested him greatly, for, though they showed thenatural defects of one who had received little instruction, both powerand originality were manifest in their execution.
"He, too, can be an artist, if he vill," was his emphatic comment,after looking them over.
He prepared one study, to be continued under his own eye, and anotherfor Dennis to work at alone. Afterward he sat down to something forhimself. He thought a few moments, and then outlined rapidly as hissubject the figure of a man dashing a wineglass to the ground.
As he worked, his wife smiled encouragement to him as of old, and oftenlooked upward in thankfulness to Heaven.
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