CHAPTER IX
LAND AT LAST
During the latter part of a busy afternoon, Dennis came to a spacious,elegant store before which the snow lay untouched save as trodden bypassers-by. Over the high arched doorway was the legend in gilt letters,"Art Building"; and as far as a mere warehouse for beautiful thingscould deserve the title, this place did, for it was crowded withengravings, paintings, bronzes, statuary, and every variety of ornament.With delighted eyes and lingering steps he had passed slowly throughthis store a few days previous in his search, but had received theusual cool negative. He had gone reluctantly out into the cold streetagain as Adam went out of Paradise.
A large florid-looking man with a light curling mustache now stood inthe doorway. His appearance was unmistakably that of a German of thehighest and most cultivated type. And yet, when he spoke, his Englishwas so good that you detected only a foreign accent. Strong vexationwas stamped upon his face as he looked at the snowy, untidy sidewalk.
"Mr. Schwartz," he asked of one of his clerks, "was Pat here thismorning?"
"Yes, sir."
"Was he perfectly straight?"
"I cannot say that he was, sir."
"He is off on a spree again. Send him to me the moment he returns."
"Shall I clear your sidewalk?" said Dennis, stepping up and touchinghis hat respectfully.
"Yes," said the gentleman, scarcely looking at him; "and when you havefinished come to the office for your money;" and then he walked backinto the store with a frowning brow.
Though Dennis was now pretty thoroughly fatigued with the hard day'swork, he entered on this task with a good will as the closing laborof the day, hoping, from the wide space to be cleared, to receiveproportionate recompense. And yet his despatch was not so great asusual, for in spite of himself his eyes were continually wandering tothe large show-windows, from which smiled down upon him summerlandscapes, and lovely faces that seemed all the more beautiful incontrast with the bleak and darkening street.
He was rudely startled from one of his stolen glances at a sweet,girlish face that seemed peering archly at him from a corner. His earswere assailed by the loud tones and strong brogue of "Pat," returningthus late to his neglected duties.
"Bad luck to yez! what yez doin' here?"
"Clearing the sidewalk," said Dennis, laconically.
"Give me that shovel, or I'll knock bloody blazes out of yez."
Dennis at once stood on the defensive, and raised his toolthreateningly. At the same time seeing a policeman, he called out,"Will you please cause this drunken fellow to move on?"
The officer was about to comply, when the Irishman, with a snort likethat of a mad bull, rushed to the door of the art building, wrenchedit open, and, leaving it so, tore down the long store, crying, "MistherLudolph! Misther Ludolph! here's a bloody spalpane a-doin' my work."
He had scarcely got half-way to the office before there was a crashfollowed by a general commotion.
Pat, in his blind rage, and with steps uncertain from the effects ofwhiskey, had struck a valuable marble, and it lay broken on the floor.This catastrophe sobered him, and he stood looking in dismay at thedestruction he had wrought. His employer, the gentleman whom Dennishad seen at the door, now appeared upon the scene in a towering passion,and scrupled not to heap maledictions upon the head of the unfortunateHibernian.
"What do you mean by rushing through the store in this mad style?" hedemanded.
"There's an impudent fellow outside a-doin' my work," said Pat.
"Why didn't you do it yourself, instead of going off to the gin-millsthis morning? Didn't I warn you? Didn't I tell you your last spreeshould be the last in my employ? Now begone, you drunken idiot! andif you ever show your face on these premises again I'll have youarrested and compel payment for this marble, and it will take everycent you have in the world, and more too."
"Ah! Misther Ludolph, if ye'll only give me one more--"
"I tell you be off! or I will call the policeman at once."
"But Bridget and the childer will starve."
"What are Bridget and the children to me? If you won't take care ofthem, you can't expect other people to. Begone!" said his employer,advancing threateningly and stamping his foot.
Pat looked around in vain for help: the clerks were but fainter echoesof their master.
Seeing his case to be hopeless, he turned about then hurried away, hisbig red face distorted by many contending emotions. Nor did he stopuntil he reached one of the fatal "gin-mills," where he soon drownedmemory and trouble in huge potations of the fiery element that wasdestroying him and bringing wretchedness to "Bridget and the childer."
Again Dennis had a lesson on drinking for the effects.
He rapidly completed his work and entered the store. A clerk handedhim fifty cents.
"May I see Mr. Ludolph a moment?" he asked.
"Yes," replied the clerk, "he is in the inner office there; but I guessyou won't find him very smooth this evening," looking at the same timesuggestively toward the broken marble.
But Mr. Ludolph was not in as bad a humor as was imagined. This thriftyTeuton had not lost much by the mishap of the afternoon, for a monthor two of wages was due Pat, and this kept back would pay in the mainfor the injury he had done. His whole soul being bent on the acquirementof money, for reasons that will be explained further on, his momentarypassion soon passed away when he found he had sustained no materialinjury. To Dennis's knock he responded in his usual tone, "Come in!"and Dennis stood in a warm, lighted, cosey office, where the objectof his quest sat writing rapidly with his back to the door. Denniswaited respectfully till the facile pen glided through the sentence,and then Mr. Ludolph looked up. Dennis's bearing and appearance wereso unmistakably those of a gentleman that Mr. Ludolph, notrecognizing him as the person who had cleared his sidewalk, rosecourteously and said, "Did you wish to see me?"
"Yes, sir," replied Dennis; "I understand that you dismissed a personin your employ this afternoon. I would respectfully apply for hisplace, if it is not promised."
The gentleman smiled and said: "You are mistaken, I think. I dischargeda drunken Irishman, who had been porter and man-of-all-work about thestore, this afternoon; but I have no place vacant, young sir, that youwould care to fill."
"If you think me competent to fill the position of porter and yourman-of-all-work, I would be very glad to obtain it; that is, if itwill support me and those dependent on me."
The merchant muttered to himself, "I thought he was a gentleman."
Then, as this was a business matter of some importance, he causedDennis to stand full in the light, while he withdrew somewhat in theshadow, and gave it his attention with characteristic shrewdness andcaution.
"You seem rather above the situation you ask for," he said.
"I am not above it in circumstances," said Dennis, "and it certainlyis better than shovelling snow all day."
"Are you the man that just cleaned my sidewalk?"
"I am, sir."
"You must be aware that your general appearance is very different fromthat of the man discharged to-day, and from those seeking the menialplace in question. Can you explain this fact satisfactorily?"
"I can readily explain it, and I hope satisfactorily. At any rate Ishall be perfectly open;" and Dennis told him briefly, but plainly,just how he was situated.
As the keen man of the world watched with the closest scrutiny thehonest young face, he believed every word. Accustomed to deal with allclasses of men from childhood, he had learned to read them as the openpage of a book.
He asked coolly, however, "Have you no recommendations?"
Dennis produced the ministerial letter, which Mr. Ludolph glanced atwith good-natured contempt.
"This is all right," he said; "superstition is an excellent thing forsome minds. I managed Pat a year through his priest, and then he gotbeyond the priest and me too."
This undisguised contempt of all that he held sacred, and the classingof true faith with gross superstition
, pained Dennis; and his faceshowed it, though he said nothing.
"There," said the gentleman, "I did not mean to hurt your feelings,but to the educated in our land these things seem very childish."
"I should serve you none the worse," said Dennis, with quiet dignity,"if I believed that the duty I owed to you I owed also to God."
Mr. Ludolph looked as if a new idea had struck him, smiled, and said:"Most people's religion, as far as my experience has gone, is not ofthis practical kind. But I believe that I can trust you, and your faceand story are worth much more to me than this letter. A scamp mightpossess that as well as an honest youth like you. Now, as to terms:I will give you forty dollars a month for the first two months, andthen, if you develop and take well to the work, I will give you sixty."
Dennis thought that this, with close economy, would enable him to liveand support his mother and sisters, and he accepted the terms.
"Moreover, to show the advantage of telling a straightforward story,you may sleep in the store: the building will be safer for having someone in it. I will pay you at the end of every week as long as you suit,so that you can commence sending something to your mother immediately.You see that I take an interest in you," said the shrewd man, "andexpect you to take an interest in my business, and work for me as foryourself."
Simple, honest Dennis could not see that Mr. Ludolph cared infinitelymore for himself than for all the world combined, and made it hislife-study to get the most out of it with the least cost to himself.Under the words that seemed so kind and considerate, the young man'sheart swelled with the strong and grateful purpose to spare himselfin no way in the service of such an employer. The wily man saw this,and smiled to himself over the credulity of mankind.
"Have you enough to last till next Saturday night?" he asked.
"I will make it last," said Dennis, sturdily.
"That is right," said Mr. Ludolph. "Stand on your own feet if you can.I never give any more help than will barely enable a man to helphimself"--a maxim which had the advantage not only of being sound, butof according exactly with his disposition.
After a moment's thought, Mr. Ludolph spoke in a tone so sharp, anda manner so stern, that Dennis was startled.
"Mark me, young man, I wish a plain understanding in one respect: youtake Pat's place, and I expect you to do Pat's work. I wish no troubleto arise from your being above your business."
"You will have none," said Dennis, quietly and firmly.
"All right, then. Mr. Schwartz will show you about closing up thestore. Be here early Monday morning, and remember that all dependsupon yourself."
In the depths of his grateful heart Dennis felt how much the successof that day and every day of life depended on God.
Mr. Ludolph put on his coat and gloves and went out with Dennis intothe store.
"Gentlemen," said he to his clerks, "this young man, Dennis Fleet byname, will take the place of Pat Murphy, discharged to-day. Mr.Schwartz, will you show him what it is necessary to do to-night? Hewill be here on Monday morning at the usual time for opening the store,and after that will sleep in the building."
The clerks looked at him for a moment, as they might at a new pieceof furniture, or a labor-saving machine, and then coolly finished theirduties, and followed their employer. Mr. Schwartz showed him aboutclosing the store, taking care of the furnace, etc., and Dennis sawthat his place was no sinecure. Still it was not work, but its lack,that he dreaded, and his movements were so eager and earnest that afaint expression of surprise and curiosity tinged the broad, stolidface of Mr. Schwartz; but he only buttoned his coat to the chin andmuttered, "New broom," and went his way homeward, leaving Dennis togo his.