| Show > < > THE MUTABLE FIANY 4 J > < r < > > 4 < r > > > > < r BY ROBERT BARR Copyright 1S9G by Robert Barr CHAPTER CONTINUED The meaning isthat am going to iear what danger my father was in yesterday and to be with him if he is in danger today The good woman held up her hands in helpless dismay Was ever human being anxious to do her duty to all harassed by two such ungovernable persons since the world began she asked herself But for once she made exactly the remark to cope Avith the situation The time has come sooner than I expected Your father has forbidden > ou to go to the office and when he sees that you have disobeyed him at such a time as this he will be furious Then YOU will know what I have to stand The impetuous girl paused in her preparations Then why do you exasperate me beyond be-yond endurance by refusing to tell me what happened I refuse I refuse you nothing Better Bet-ter would it have been for me 1 I had when you were younger then you would think twice before you flung all obedience to the winds You have only to ask what you want to know and listen you with patience while i is told to youI I have asked you a dozen times How you do exaggerate I call it exaggeration although I might perhaps per-haps be forgiven for using a harsher term Exactitude of statement ism is-m ore Will you tell me or shall I go Have I not just said that I would tell you anything Vhat isit you want to know Your own ridiculous conduct has driven everything out of my head You said my father had defied the men and was in danger yesterday I Oh that After seeing the police guard Air Hope and Mr Monkton through the lawless mob what must your father do but show how brave he was compared with his superiors supclors He came out of the gates alone and walked through the mob What did he say He ddnt say anything Then how did he defy the men Good gracious child how stupid you are I When men are driven to extremities ex-tremities surely his coming out among themand he the cause of t all was defiance enough But a full account is iii the paper I bought it at the station i is on the hal table where you would have seen it if you could have kept your temper Read it if you want to It is not me you are disobeying when you do so Remember it was your father who did not want you to see the paper The day proved a long one for Edna Sartwell and vhen her father did not return at the usual hour she became more and more anxious Her stepmother step-mother said nothing about the delay as the hours passed but began to assume sume the air of patient resignation which became her so well Dinner was served to the minute and at the accustomed I ac-customed moment the table was cleared Once or twice she chided Edna Ed-na for her restlessness and regretted she had to speak but wa compelled to do so because the good example she herself set was so palpably unappre ciat d At last she said Edna go to bed I will wait up for your father 1 is sure to be home soon Please let me walt until he comes There was silence for a few minutes I dont wish to ask you twice Edna You hear what I said Please do not send me away until as the hours passer but began to as me sit up instead of you I cant sleep I if I do go to bed Wont you let me sit up in your place The martyred look came into the thin face of her stepmotherthe look which told of trials uncomplainingly I borne I t i I have always sat up for your I father and always shall so long as we are spared to each other For the I third time I ask you to go to bed The girl sat where she was the red flag of rebellion in her cheek The glint of suppressed anger in Mrs Sart wells eye showed that a point had been reached where one or the other of ben them had to leave the room defeated tem ha The elder woman exhibited her forbearance I for-bearance by speaking in the same level tone throughout Do you Intend to obey me Edna No I do not Mrs Sartwell went on with her sewing sew-ing 3 little straighter in the hack perhaps per-haps but not otherwise visibly disturbed dis-turbed by the unjustifiable conduct of the girl In each ipvince after Ednas prompt few moments replies there was silence for a In the earlier part of the day Edna you permitted yourself to speak to me and act toward me in a manner which I I hoped you would regret when op prrtunity for reflection was given I expected some expression of contrition from you Have you reflected Edna Yes Mrs Sartwell threaded her needle with almost excessive deliberation And what has been the result That I was pleased to think I had I said nothing harsher than I did I i lif The ticking of the tall clock on the I I landing echoed through the house r Edna listened intently for a quick If firm step on the gravel but all outside 1 was silent I Added to yourif I use the word insolence k in-solence it is because I can think of no I i other term witu which to characterize the remarks you have addressed to me added to your insolence is noW disobedience r diso-bedience I I am overstating the case no one can be more pleased than I to be corrected in the proper spirit rtl have no desire to correct you t After nipping the thread with herr her-r teeth and drawing a deep wavering t sighj Mrs Sartwejl said ln every household Edna some one f must command and others obey When I my time comes I shall gladly lay down the burden of what poor authority is r delegated to me but until that time c i > comes I shall be mistress in my own o house Your father freely and of his own choice gave me that authority and he not you is the proper person to revoke it if it pleases him to do so I shall therefore say nothing more until he returns Then he must choose between be-tween us I you are to be mistress here I shall bow my head without a word and leave this house praying that peace and every blessing may remain re-main within it Something of the selfsacrificing resignation res-ignation breathed through these measured meas-ured words must have touched the hardened heart of the girl for she buried her face in her hands and began be-gan to weepa certain sign of defeat But she evidently determined not to give her antagonist the satisfacton fairly won by so admirable a dissertation disserta-tion upon the correct conduct of a well ordered household It is always poor father she sobbed With all the trouble and anxiety already on his mind he must be worried when he comes home by our miserable squabbles I never squabble Edna Neither do I use such an undignified word Where you got it Im sure I do not know but i was not from me I you wish your father not to be troubled then you should act so that it would not be necessary to appeal to him I is no wish of mine to add to his cares far otherwise Are you ready to obey me now Yes The girl rose and went rather uncertainly uncer-tainly tears to the door her eyes filled with tearsYou have not kissed me goodnight Edna She kissed her stepmother on the cheek and went to her room flinging herself dressed as she was on her bed sobbing Yet she listened for that step on the gravel which did not come At last she rose arranged her hair for the night and bathed her face so that her father if he came home and saw her should not know she had been crying Wrapping herself in her dressing dress-ing gown she sat by the window and listened intently and anriously I was after midnight when the last train came in and some minutes later her quick ear heard the longexpected step far down the street but it was not the quick nervous tread she was accustomed accus-tomed to I was the step of a tired man She thought of softly calling to him from the window hut did not Holding her door ajar she heard the murmur of her stepmothers voice and occasionally the shorter gruffer note of her fathers evidently monosyllabic replies After what seemed an interminable inter-minable time her stepmother came up alone and the door of her room closed Edna holding her breath slipped noiselessly out of her room and downstairs down-stairs The steps were kind to her and did not creak She opened the door of the dining room and appeared as silently si-lently as if she were a ghost Her father started from his chair and it required all his habitual selfcommand to repress the exclamation that rose to his lips Heaven help us my dearest girl do you want to frighten your old father out of what little wits he has left him he whispered Why arent you asleep She gently closed the door then ran to him and threw her arms about his neckOh father are you safe You are not hurt Hurt Why what would hurt me you silly baby He ruffled her hair pulling it over her eyes Youve been dreaming I believe you are talking in your sleep now Why are you not in bed I couldnt sleep till you came home What kept you so late father Now this is more than the law requires re-quires of a man Have I to make explanations ex-planations to two women every night I come home by the late train The girl sat down on a hassock and laid her head on her fathers knee he smoothing her hair caressingly What is all this bother about Edna Why are you so anxious at my being out late I was afraid you were in danger I read what was said in the paper about your defying the men andand I I x L f I STABVED TO DEATH REPLIED THE JTJRYMAN I Sartwell laughed quietly My dear girl if you are going to I begin life by believing all you see in the papers you will have an uneasy I time of it I can tell you something much more startling which has not yet appeared in print What is that father asked the girl looking up at him That you have been a most unruly child all day causing deep axiety to those responsible for your upbringing Edna sank her head again upon her fathers knee Yes she said that is quite true I have been dreadfully wicked and rebellious re-bellious saying things I ought not to I have said And leaving unsaid the thingsah well none of us is quite perfect I is a blessing there is such a thing as forgiveness for-giveness of sins otherwise most of us would come badly off Somehow when you are here nothing noth-ing seems to matter and any worries of the day appear small and trivial and I wonder why they troubled me hut when you are away well its different dif-ferent altogether That is very flattering to me Edna but you mustnt imagine Im to be cajoled into omitting the scolding you know you deserve No I can see through your diplomacy I wont do my dear girl it wont do I isnt diplomacy or flattery its true Ill take my scolding most meekly meek-ly if you tell me what happened today to-day dayI I refuse to bargain with a confessed rebel Still as I must get you off to bed before morning I will tell you what happened An attempt was made to settle the strike today The men had a meeting tonight and I waited at my club to hear the outcome I had a man at the meeting who was to bring me the result of the vote as soon as i was taken A young man one of the strikers strik-ers but the oQly man of brains among themsaw me this afternoon and made certain proposals that I accepted Gibbons Gib-bons was to be renounced and a deputation depu-tation of the men was to come to me I We should probably have settled the matter off in ten minutes if it had come j v w trouble Then he failed after all his Who failed 2 The the young man you speak oC Edna found her role of deceiver a difficult one She was glad her father could not see her face and bitterly regretted re-gretted giving Marsten a promise not to tell of his visit Yes he failed Of course there was not time to canvass the men properly and at the meeting Gibbons who is alb a-lb talker won over enough men to defeat the efforts of the others I wasnt much of a victory but sufficient for the purpose They had I understand under-stand a very stormy meeting and Gibbons won by some dozen votes or thereabouts And what is to be done now Oh we are just where we were Ill wait a few days more and if the men do not come back Ill fill their places with a new lot I dont want to do that except as a last resort but I wont be played with very much longer Now dear girl you know all about it so to bed to bed at once and sleep soundly This dissipation cannot be allowed you know He kissed her and patted her affectionately affec-tionately on the shoulder The girl with a guilty feeling in her heart crept up stairs as noiseless as she had descended de-scended CHAPTER XVII Albert Langly found a new and absorbing ab-sorbing interest in life This interest uas friendship the pleasures of which the organist had never before experienced expe-rienced during his lonely and studious existence He became a constant visitor vis-itor at Braunts rooms and began teaching Jessie the rudiments of music and finding her a willing and apt pupil pu-pil as well as a very silent one Her gaunt face and large sorrowful eys haunted him wherever he went while she looked upon him with an awe such as she would have bestowed upon a being from another world which perhaps per-haps he was for he certainly had little relationship with this eager money seeking planet Joe Braunt was quie content to sit in his armchair and smoke However small the money is for housekeeping a workingman will generally contrive to provide himself with tobacco As often as not Braunt was absent I when his daughter had her music lesson les-son for Mrs Grundy has little to say about the domestic arrangements of I the extreme poor The entire absence of all world wisdomin the young man would have made it difficult for anyone any-one to explain to him why two people who loved music should not be together to-gether as often as opportunity offered had there been any one who took interest I in-terest enough in him or in her to attempt I at-tempt such an explanation The girl who had even more than her fathers worship of harmony was fascinated by the organists marvelous skill upon the instrument to which he had devoted de-voted his life before her solemn eyes had lured his musical soul into their mystic influence The two were lovers without either of them suspecting it Once Langly persuaded Braunt and his daughter to go to the empty church with him and hear the grand organ The workman and the girl sat together in the wilderness of vacant pews and listened entranced while the sombre rhythm of the Dead March filled the deserted edifice Langly played one selection after another for the love of the music and the love of his audience audi-ence I was a concert such as the mad king of Bavaria might have hearkened to in lonely state but heard now by a man without a penny in his pocket and hardly a crust to eat in his squalid rooms Whether the deft fingers fin-gers of the Bavarian player soothed for the moment the demon that tortured tor-tured the king as the skill of David lulled the of Saul who luled disquet can Saul I say But the enchanted touch of the I solitary organist on the ivory keys transported his listeners into a world where hunger was unknown The stillness of the great church untroubled un-troubled by outside sounds the reverberation rever-beration of harmony from the dim lofty vaulted roof the awakening of unexp ted echoes lurking in dark corners cor-ners dded to the solemnity of the I music gave the hearers and performer a sense of being cut adrift from the babel beyond The church for the time being was an oasis of peace in a vast desert of turmoil turmoi Never again could Langly persuade Braunt to accompany him to the I church Some memories are too precious pre-cious to be molested and he who risks the repetition of an experience of perfect I per-fect bliss prepares for himself a possible possi-ble disillusion Nay my lad he said well let that rst Some day maybe if Im I ever like beginning to forget what Ive heard Ill go back hut not now I Il would go stark music mar if I often I heard playing like you in fact 1 think sometimes Im half daft already But Jessie often accompanied the organist to the quiet church neither of them thinking of propriety or impropriety impro-priety and luckily they were unseen by either the sexton or his wife who would have raised a todo in the sacred I interests of fitting and proper conduct con-duct Sometimes the girl sat with him in the organ loft matching him as he played hut more often she occupied one of the pews the better to hear the instrument in correct perspective Jessie had inherited from her father the taciturnity which characterized him and her natural reticence was augmented by her shyness There was seldom any conversation between the I two in the church each appeared I abundantly satistic by the fact that the other was there They might almost al-most have been mute lovers for anus an-us spoken language was to them Once on coming down the narrow stair which led from the organ loft Langly thought she had gone so strangely deserted did the church seem Even in the daytime the gas had to be lighted when service was held for the windows were of stained glass and the church was closely surrounded by I tall buildings The atmosphere in that grim quarter was rarely clear and the interior of the church was always i dim Langly peered shortsightedly j through the gloom but could not decry I de-cry her A feeling of vague alarm took possession of him until hurrying up the aisle he saw she was in her place I with her head testing on the hymnbook hymn-book board of the pew apparently I asleep He touched her gently on the I shoulder and when she slowly raised her head saw that she had been silently silent-ly weeping What is the matter dear he whispered whis-pered bending over her I feel afraidafraid of something I dont know what The church grew black dark suddenly and the music faded away I thought I was sinking sinking down and no one to save me She shuddered a she spoke and rose uncertainly to her feet tottering I slightly on stepping into the aisle I was like a bad dream she added with I longdrawn quivering breath He slipped his arm about her waist supporting her as they walked down the aisle together I Its the darkness of the church he said and perhaps the sadness of music mu-sic Ill play something more cheerful I cheer-ful next time you come I play too i much in the minor keys j At the door she asked him to stop a moment before going 0t She dried I her eyes but ineffectually for leaning lean-ing against the stone wall she began to cry again in a despondent helpless I way that wrung the young mans heart within him Jessie Jessie he faltered not knowing what to do or say I feel ill and weak she sobbed I shall be all right again presently Come and we will have tea somewhere some-where That will cheer you up They went away together and he took her to a place where tea was to be had She sat there dejectedly leaning her head on her hand while the refreshments were being brought he opposite her in melancholy silence She took some sips of the tea but could not drink it shaking her head when he offered her the buttered bread I must get home she said at last I cant eat I shall better shal be beter there They walked slowly to Rose Garden court and at No 3 he helped her up 11 k J the sordid stair she clinging breathlessly breath-lessly to the shaky rail at every step or to he thankful there was but one flight to climb Braunt sat in his armchair arm-chair an angry cloud on his brow He was in his gruffest mood looking at them when they entered with surly I displeasure but he said nothing I was the evening after the men with their small majority had resolved to continue the strike and Braunts pipe was cold Not another scrap of tobacco to-bacco could he gathej although he had turned out every pocket in hope of finding a crumb or two Jessie sank into a chair her white face turning appealingly alternately from her father to her friend evidently fearing that something harsh might be said for she knew her father was rough spoken when ill pleased Jessie is not well said the organist Braunt did not answer him but crossed over to his daughter and I I II I II I I I i I I I 1I I 1 1I I I I I I I I I I I i The Girl Sat Down on a Hassock and Laid Her Head on Her Fathers Knee smoothing her hair said more gently than she expected Whats wrong lassie Art hungry hun-gry No no murmured the girl eagerly I I We had tea before we came in Im not hungry Langly slow as he was to comprehend I I compre-hend saw that Braunt at least had been without food perhaps for long I I I He had several times offered him money from his own scanty store but it had always been refused sometimes in a I manner not altogether friendly The organist went quietly out leaving father and daughter alone together I Would you like me to get some one to come insome woman said Braunt anxiously We dont know our neighbors but one of the women would come in iI she knew you were ill illThe The girl shook her head I want none naught but just to rest a little I will all pass away soon I need but rest The father returned to his chair and they sat silent in the gathering darkness dark-ness Presently the door was pusheel open and Langly entered with parcels in his arms He placed a loaf 1r > n the tsble with the rest of his burdens and put on the empty hearth the newspaper that held r pennyworth of coals I Braunt glared at him speechless for a moment then cried out Indignantly Ill ha none o thy charity my lad dd if I W Before Langly could reply Jessie rose tremblingly to her feet t 5 Dont father dont shS wailed then swaying as she attempted to walk toward to-ward him she fell suddenly in a heap on the floor foor Lnngly sprang forward but Braunt brushed him roughly aside and stooping over his daughter lifted her light form I in his arms sneaking soothingly and caressingly to her He carried her to the bed and placed her lovingly upon i Run he cried to Langly Run for a doitor Theres one down fight street Theres something main wrong here Im feared < t 4 The young man needed no second tel big The doctor objected to go to Rose Garden court he had his own patients to attend to he said lie know there was little to he got out of the cbtit I am organist at St Martyrs replied the messenger eagerly I will see you paid Oh its not that said the doctor Who generally attends to people in the court There must be > borne one I dont know answered Langly and I have no time to find out The case is urgent Come So the doctor grumbling for this kind of practice was out of his line went with hrm They found Braunt anxiously chaffiing the hands of the girl Youve been long about it he cried as they entered Neither answered and the doctor went ouickly to the bed with the seemingly callous indifference of a man to whom > such scenes arc matters of hourly routine rou-tine He placed his fingers upon bet wrist bent his ear down to her breast then put his hand on he smooth white brow browHas she been long Ill he asked sharply Jesse was always weakly answered the father and latterly has not been at all well poor girl Who has attended her No one Oh well you know I ant grant a death certificate under these circumstances circum-stances There will most likely be an inquest in-quest Good God shrieked Braunt An inquest in-quest You dont mean to say you can t mean it Jessie is not dead ml1 ItJ is dead I can do no good hee Ill let the coroner know and lie can do Il he pleases 1 have no doubt I it is till rght but we are bound to act according t the law you know Good j I nigh I Braunt threw himself upon the bed in I a storm of grief Langly stood by the side of the dead girl stunned He took her limn thin hand in his and gazed down upon her dazed and tearless Her father rose and paced the room alternately rosl nately pleading with fate and cursing it wih Suddenly < he turned on Langly like a mad nian What arc you doing here he roared It was your interference that caused her last words to he troubled Get you gone and leave us alone Langly turned from the bed and walked slowly to the door without a word Braunt following him with his lowering Brunt folowing mail paused bloodshot eyes The young m n I rresolutely at the door leaned his arm against it and bowed his head in hopeless anguish I aI Ileaven help mo he said despairing lv I loved horton Braunt looked at him a moment not I comprehending at first Gradually the anger faded from his faco lad he said gently at I Did you so hI enty last I didnt knowI didnt know For God knows brutish temper give me my brutsh it should be broken bv this time Im crazy lad and know not what I say I have not a penny piece in the world Qor IHnny where to go to get aught My lassie shall funeral in this heart not have a paupers flnr11 less town No not if I have to taKe erin er-in ii > my > arms as 11m oft done and trudge I I the north sleeping undei fe wi her to leepllg < hedges by the way Yes thrt what II 11 do Well be tramping the Dead March then Yol will keen us company Well rest at night In the green fields under the trees away from the smoke and din alone together Ah God Ill begin the journey now and tramp all night to be quit 0 this Babylon ere the morning I cried Langly catching his No no Langl cathing arm You mustnt do that You must I hear what the coroner says What has the coroner or anyone else to do with me or her It is the law you must obey i What care I for the law Whats i done for either me or Jessie Ill have no pauper funeral law or no law There wont be a pauper funeral There are kind hearts in London as well as in the north Promise me youll do nothing until I see if I can get the money I promise said Braunt sinking Into his chair I doubt if I could walk far tonight even if I tried But leave me now lad and come back later I want to We alone and think Lan = lone Iy the room and on the land cl cll f I = ing met Marsten whom he did not know lat who he saw was about to enter Dont go in he whispered lIe varts to be alone Is there anything wrong asked Marsten alarmed at the tone of the other Yes his daughter is dead Dead Good God How An accident acci-dent dentNo No She has been ill for weeks hut no one thought of this Jessie died about an hour since unexpectedly Are you a friend of his Yes Then you must help me tell me what to do Come down into the court where we can talk The two young men descended the stair Braunt has no money and he will not have his daughter buried by the parish We must get money I have promised i but I have very little myself although I will willingly give all I have I it were more I would not ask help from anyone I have only a few shillings said Marsten but we must get more somehow some-how None of the men has any or they would give ot i Yesterday I could have gone to Sartwell but today unfortunately unfortunate-ly I have quarreled with him bitterly and irretrievably I fear Although he E nothing to me I cant go to him But there is Barnard Hope Yes lies tj man He helped Braunt when there was trouble with the police I dont like to go to Barnard Hope for certain rea sos I dont cart to be indebted to him ivoud you mind going He lives in Chelsea No I will do anything I can I have promised Then I would go tonight if I were you Tomorrow is his at home day and there 4 bt a lot of people there I will be intuit to sec him then and we cant w t until the day after His address is raigtiiputtoch House Chelsea I you idl I will see his father so one or other ot us is sure to get the money I will go at once said Lanzly I I was a long journey to Chelsea and when the tired organist reached the place he found Barney had a theatre party on th a dance to follow and would not nkely be hone that night I was uncer t in when he would return in the morn inc but he would be sure to be back at o o clock as his at home friends would begin to gather at that hour so Barneys cTMirt said The weary man tramped I ba I and reached Rose Garden Court about midnight He rapped at Braunts I door and receiving no answer pushed it oien after a moments hesitation He feared the headstrong impatient man I might after all have carried out his resolution reso-lution and left with his burden for the north but lef found nothing changed Braunt sat there with his head in his I hands and gave him no greeting I am to have the money tomorrow Langly said feeling sure it would not beret be-ret used I Brauut made no answer and taking ona look at the silent figure on the bed whose face seemed now like that of a little child the young man departed as uiletly as he had entered I Mrs Scimmins met him on the stairs She wanted to know all about i She said that the women of the court when they heard of the death had offered their I help but Illaunt had acted lie a brute and had driven them away with fearful oaths She was sure somethins was wrong The coroner had been there and thought so too There was to be an inquest in-quest at the Vestry Hall in the morning A summon had been left for Lankly to attend and give his evidence But Im going to Chelsea in the morn ing cried the young man aghast I know nothing except that Jessie had been ill i saw her die they say Braunt admitted that You will have to attend the inquest or they will send a policeman police-man after you Lanely did not sleep that night and mi J was gaunt and haggard in the morning The coroners jury trooped up the stairs and after looking at the dead girl adjourned ad-journed to the Vestry hal Langly gave I his evidence and leaving the room at once hovered about the door waiting I frehgbr 11 OhC eBr fre eed for Braunt who remained in the Vestry hall At last he came out with whiteface I white-face staring straight ahead of him What did they say asked Langly but the other did not answer striding through the curious crowd as if he saw nothing What was the verdict inquired a bystander of one of the jurymen as he came out Starved to death replied the man iTo be continued |
