Show 1 T A T T yv i i n AL IL 9 L 0 A STORY GATHERED FROM LIFE by ELIZABETH MARKUS hempel the delicatessen shop keeper heeper who besides ills his trade as del monger was a alvi living ilg encyclopedia had told mother that had married a very wealthy girl and hence could afford to reside in such a grand neighborhood for schoolteachers school teachers generally are not blessed so lavishly with this worlds goods but there were other reasons for Pelo tons luxury of which 1 encyclopedia hempel did not know had six or eight boys between twelve and seventeen boarding in his home they were the sons of parents who could afford the luxury of the pension who could easily pay tor for the extra lessons and aid gave them in preparation for higher schools some of those boys carried aristocratic names the interior of this villa also fitted to my visions of the beautiful shore there was a mystic atmosphere over everything that certain temperature of Pelo tons ever warm and soft hands tho the furniture the drapes the vall v wallpaper all paper the picture frames seemed to harmonize with the soft mellow brown of his slum ber veiled eyes A restful silence seemed to prevail in spite of the many young inhabitants and in spite of his own two boys of thirteen and eight there was no shrieking no fighting going on oil as in our house at least I 1 never heard any even the two servants seemed to pass noiselessly to and fro had introduced me to his wife as our daughter she had lowered her head bend and as I 1 thought shaken it slightly then she had slowly stretched out her hand band I 1 made my bow and shyly laid my hand into hers it laid there for a moment or two I 1 felt no clasp no tender touch A chill crept over me you may consider this your home charlotte said in his low soft tones looking at mo me with fatherly fondness and as silence prevail cdo ed he added Is it not so mother yes she will be welcome replied mrs but her edid not imply it her bei r face remained cold coldi charlotte will III always have vesper here vorna verna it would take her too long to go home first vesper is what the englishman englishman calls ills his five tea thank you I 1 murmured but mv mother gives me a bite along to school never mind its all fled said mrs irs and I 1 was led into another room where their two boys were eating their vesper with great appetite I 1 was asked to join then them I 1 felt stiff and awkward I 1 could not be myself in the presence of this woman vaguely I 1 felt a strong repulsion as one feels toward one who makes one feel like a beggar these vespers in her presence turned to be the dark spots of MN my beautiful shore though was always kind to me he shoved the rolls or cake or whatever it happened to be on my plate and was as attentive to me as if I 1 were a rare guest yet I 1 felt relieved when these painful twenty minutes were over I 1 felt as if a spell were ere lifted oft off me when her eyes were no longer fixed on me with that queer odd expression at times I 1 felt that she disliked me that she he had an aversion tor for me akin to mothers for I 1 sc had any reason tor for such a thought th ought because beyond words of salutation and her occasional inquiries about mother we had little speech together she gave me the faint shadow of a smile when I 1 came and the shadow of a smile when I 1 left now I 1 understood why had always so seriously impressed upon me not to mention to anyone tho noney money 1 he had given me for tho the hat the books and for various other things he had meant his wife when vesper was over the servant noiselessly cleared the table mrs vanished into another room the boys went to the study hall where tho vogt of 0 the joys assembled during the evening I 1 was wag switched off to the study of Polo tons where lie he joined me after changing ills his long coat for a sack coat then the work began french latin literature arithmetic and other studies we worked and tolled toiled until the gong for supper rang and the wide doors again thrown open young voices and subdued laughter were heard while the numerous family placed themselves around a large and spotlessly ulessly be decked sup portable per table I 1 tried to slip out unnoticed often asked ash me to stay but I 1 always alway thankfully declined one meal with the misses was sufficient and a nd besides I 1 bad strict orders fr from orn mother to be at home for supper and as I 1 had the burning desire to prove to mother that no change in my relations to her and to my sisters had bad occurred I 1 wa was svery very obe obedient client 0 one ne day was not n ot present at our vesper I 1 was alone with his wife and the two sons s I 1 sipped my in milk in ilk and rendered polite answers anin to her indu inquiries ries after mother and sisters ers suddenly she said what th that is is your fathers occupant occupation ton charlotte I why my father my father has tailed failed in business I 1 stammered baffled 1 I know my illy dear child but what is lie he doing now f I 1 dont know 1 I hes try ing ng again said I 1 I 1 bewildered what hat he wa was trying strying I 1 had not the faintest idea I 1 had only heard mother use this phrase now and then 1 I myself had only seen n my av father play cards and at that playing in daytime dayt ime when other men work the lioney honey spread roll stuck in my throat like a dry pulp s some ome of it had gotten into my sunday throat I 1 coughed violently take some milk mrs advised me 1 I obeyed and to my greatest 9 emi barras I 1 sputtered it all ove over r the place and myself tho the b boys were much amused at tilts this turmoil 11 and I 1 stammered excuses could anybody blame ill me e tor for not lilting liking the woman who had cold blood edly caused cause d this one time as we arrived mrs irs was standing in ill the r room oom with her coat and hat on she looked very elegant 1 im going to buy a new coat she explained to her husband wont you come along charlotte ran can make up her lesson next sunday in timid apology I 1 assured her that I 1 was not to be consid considered ered and which I 1 had hat again I 1 put on my already taken off pelo ton was willing will ing after some private conversation with ills his wife he said aloud whar whai do you think if wed buy a coat for or charlotte charlott e heres a chance we are downtown down town anyway her boat coat is getting too small girls of that age outgrow their clothes quickly she said unimpressed I 1 did not know what hat to say or where to look again I 1 felt like a beggar and I 1 quickly bid them goodbye wait charlotte you will go with us wait lie ho called me back with great delight we will see about a coat for vou why today the wife asked tartly why not gofa apt it today verna its not in such huch a liuro hurry is it I 1 can have a coat mado made out of one of my old coats for charlotte girls of her age only outgrow thern them she said regardless of me A deep red crept over Pelo Pe lotona tOlls brow with will a note not of apology in his eyes ho he turned to ine me wo we will talk about it some other time my daugh ter go home now ill make up your lesson I 1 walked home slowly thinking thinking I 1 hardly knew what I 1 walked along my beautiful shore feeling like an intruder a beggar not men are bad women aro are bad thought 1 I mother had planned to have paul at home tor for the christmas holidays she had also planned to give a sort of musicale and invite some of her acquaintances of bye gone days and the Pelo tons so they could hear paul play I 1 guess her speculative instinct had prompted to her the idea but man proposes and god disposes this time it had been director Eng enghard liard of the municipal baud band of tannau cannau who had diminished the christmas vacation to two days clays as a penalty for some of the boys and paul was ono one of them this had knocked lino ched the christmas joy out of mother considerably she had decided paul should not come the short time was not worth the money for ame trip she could use the money to great advantage as pauls wardrobe needed much replenishing it was christmas eve the batch of christmas stollen lay well covered on the breadboard bread board awaiting the festive day when according to old traditions the first one would be cut though the quantity of butter raisins and almonds had bad been cut down to a minimum to us its it ft was stollen and we ve impatiently looked forward to the feast our bodies had made great preparations para pa rations ons to 0 be e worthy wort ay iy of 0 this t il s feast cast to come we had dragged the old zinc bath tub from the spare room into the kitchen and indulged in a long warm bath then we had put on festive from head bead to foot and were as fit for christmas as our apartment all the curtains had been done up freshly the windows ion s sparkled the white enameled doors had had their soap rub A christmas tree spread the christmas fragrance all over the place but mothers eyes were moist in spite of her heroic effort to strangle her longing lor jor her fart born had put up the treo and he had also helped santa claus trim it while we girls had been expelled from the room boettcher had played santa claus clans he had thrown nuts and apples into our room and alice and lenchen who already had j their slight doubts about the existence of a santa claus had been frightened anyhow at the disguised boettcher who could change his voice to perfection bravely they lad had said their prayers and their little christmas rhymes and then they had dodged on the floor and picked up tip the nuts and apples for none of these great and wonderful events did we wait for father any more as in former years he had gotten beyond our hopes when hen the christmas chimes rang through in the e night the double doors of our livin groom were swung open ope n on oil one side of the door stood mother on the other 0 in his good suit but his blue working shirt his steel face was radiant with joy he had played santa had lighted the candles and put presents present for us under the tree mother too ha had d a bright smile on her face her cheeks were pink she wore a black alpaca dress which she had modernized herself she looked so 3 0 slim and nimble e and the white collar set oft off her beaming face to such advantage that suddenly alarmed I 1 thou thought sho she look looked ed more like a girl than a mother at this idea and at the sight of w who lie pres presided aided at the feast like a father s something ing cloudlike cloud like overcame me e something heavy adv settled on oil my heart and it lia haunted anted me I 1 could not have e explained all that nip night oat to an anyone yone what it was but it w was is there I 1 felt it it even followed me to my place at the christmas table where we all found some gifts from I 1 christ kintchen had his generous hand in my share he had sent the material for my confirmation dress a and nd a muff which was beyond all my dreams dream S and which threw all the 0 ther other gifts in the shade I 1 tried to conceal my joy as much as a girl of fourteen can not to hurt mothers feelings who had not been able to give us anything outs outside de of a few most necessary articles but had also lavishly played fairy godmother at my mv place he be li had ad put a pair of beautiful white kid gloves Len lenchen clien received from him Ander sens fairy tales and alice the lo 10 long ng wished for wax doll for mother he had made mad e and carved a foot bench after the first jubilations were over boettcher came in he also had his arms full im a practical fellow he said 1 I dont like them fancy presents 11 and he spread on the table what he had thought good ot of tea some f fine ine to have A bag which lie he had heard it russian product mother deel declare are to be her favorite brand a bottle of rill rum ra a good sized bologna sausa sausage ge and a 1 handing mother a small package he said the only thing I 1 bought N which is not tor for the stomach but it being tor for a man I 1 thought I 1 could risk it it it was a necktie tor for paul pau I 1 mother IN was wrought to tears in warm words she murmured her gratitude sho she was overwhelmed that someone had thought of her beloved son thus boettcher boetlcher had outdone and knowing how ugly several times time had been to my brother I 1 secretly delighted in his defeat triumphantly ump antly bantly I 1 looked at him but he was cliatt erina with alice as aa it if he had not botic noticed ed mothers emotions i only hn hi 3 aei him lie he did not have them under control hare and then he shot abot the look ot of a hungry wolf over to mother and again I 1 felt a haunting fear at my heart tho the other roomers roon lers who had invited themselves tor for later hours of the ho night had sent through coett cher a glass set consisting of a huge pitcher and six glasses to match 1 I dont know whether like them mrs kallay but I 1 thought they are just the thing for you on I 1 our saturday nights said boettcher not checking ing a jubilant note his bis loud voice as he strongly felt his of the evening indeed I 1 need glasses youre rl right mr air boettcher asserted mother appreciatively we all crowded around boettcher and tried to help unwrap the wonderful glassware its good and sub substantial boettcher said holding up t the he datil pitcher in ills his powerful claw mother who had long since learned athe the art of finding something good and pretty in everything in warm words praised the vividly colored design which some crude decorator had scra scrawled aed on pitcher and glasses and boettcher oett elier was delighted that he had struck her refined taste for he then admitted being the purchaser of this s set et finall finally tapped at the door he was ad adorned orned festi festively vely in his best though somewhat shiny black sult suit A shirt of doubtful color peeped from under his buttoned up coat his spare grey grev hair had been brushed back sl sleekly beekly with the aid of water and his face was shaved carefully he was carrying a large pot with some p plant lant and lie he handed it to mother with hear hearty ty christmas wishes oh my favorite flow flower or e exclaimed mother how did you guess it ty to be continued |