Barriers Burned Away Page 16

  CHAPTER XV

  PROMOTED

  Late in the afternoon of the same day (which was Saturday), as Mr.Ludolph was passing out of the store on his way home, he noticed thetable that he had arranged artistically some little time before as alesson to his clerks. Gradually it had fallen back into its old straightlines and rigid appearance. He seemed greatly annoyed.

  "What is the use of re-arranging the store?" he muttered. "They willhave it all back again on the general principle of a ramrod in a littlewhile. But we have put our hands to this work, and it shall be carriedthrough, even if I discharge half of these wooden-heads."

  Then calling the clerk in charge, he said, "Look here, Mr. Berder, Igrouped the articles on this counter for you once, did I not?""Yes, sir."

  "Let me find them Monday morning just as I arranged them on thatoccasion."

  The young man looked as blank and dismayed as if he had been orderedto swallow them all before Monday morning.

  He went to work and jumbled them up as if that were grouping them, andthen asked one or two of the other clerks what they thought of it.They shook their heads, and said it looked worse than before.

  "I vill study over him all day to-morrow, and den vill come earlyMonday and fix him;" and the perplexed youth took himself off.

  Dennis felt almost sure that he could arrange it as Mr. Ludolph haddone, or with something of the same effect, but did not like to offerhis services, not knowing how they would be received, for Mr. Berderhad taken special delight in snubbing him.

  After the duties of the store were over, Dennis wrote to his mothera warm, bright, filial letter, portraying the scene of the day in itscomic light, making all manner of fun of himself, that he might hidethe fact that he had suffered. But he did not hide it, as a returnletter proved, for it was full of sympathy and indignation that_her_ son should be so treated, but also full of praise for hisChristian manliness and patience.

  "And now, my son," she wrote, "let me tell you of at least tworesults of your steady, faithful performance of your present humbleduties. The money you send so regularly is more than sufficient forour simple wants. We have every comfort, and I am laying something byfor sickness and trouble, for both are pretty sure to come before longin this world. In the second place, you have given me that which isfar better than money--comfort and strength. I feel more and more thatwe can lean upon you as our earthly support, and not find you a 'brokenreed.' While so many sons are breaking their mothers' hearts, you arefilling mine with hope and joy. I am no prophetess, my son, but fromthe sure word of God I predict for you much happiness and prosperityfor thus cheering and providing for your widowed mother. Mark my words.God has tried you and not found you wanting. He will soon give youbetter work to do--work more in keeping With your character andability."

  This prediction was fulfilled before Dennis received the lettercontaining it, and it happened on this wise.

  Early on Monday morning Mr. Berder appeared and attempted the hopelesstask of grouping the articles on his table in accordance with Mr.Ludolph's orders. After an hour's work he exclaimed in despair, "Icannot do him to save my life."

  Dennis at a distance, with a half-amused, half-pitying face, had watchedMr. Berder's wonderful combinations, and when Rip Van Winkle was placedbetween two togated Roman senators, and Ichabod Crane arranged as ifmaking love to a Greek goddess, he came near laughing outright. Butwhen Mr. Berder spoke he approached and said, kindly and respectfully,"Will you let me try to help you?"

  "Yes," said Mr. Berder; "you cannot make dings vorse."Acting upon this ungracious permission, Dennis folded his arms andstudied the table for five minutes.

  "Come," said Mr. Berder, "standing dere and looking so vise as an owlvon't help matters. Mr. Ludolph vill be here soon."

  "I am not losing time," said Dennis; and a moment proved he was not,for, having formed a general plan of arrangement, he went rapidly towork, and in a quarter of an hour could challenge Mr. Ludolph or anyother critic to find serious fault.

  "There! I could do better if I had more time, but I must go to mysweeping and dusting, or Mr. Schwartz will be down on me, and he ispretty heavy, you know. I never saw such a man--he can see a grain ofdust half across the store."

  Mr. Berder had looked at Dennis's quick, skilful motions in blankamazement, and then broke out into an unwonted panegyric for him: "Isay, Vleet, dot's capital! Where you learn him?" Then in a paroxysmof generosity he added, "Dere's a quarter for you."

  "No, I thank you," said Dennis, "I did not do it for money."

  "Vat did der fool do it for, den, I'd like to know?" muttered Mr.Berder, the philosophy of bid life resuming its former control. "Saveda quarter, anyhow, and, vat's more, know vere to go next dime der oldman comes down on me."

  A little after nine Mr. and Miss Ludolph came in, and paused at thetable. Dennis, unnoticed, stood behind Benjamin Franklin and Joan ofArc, placed lovingly together on another counter, face to face, as ifin mutual admiration, and from his hiding-place watched the scenebefore him with intense anxiety. One thought only filled his mind--Wouldthey approve or condemn his taste? for he had arranged the table ona plan of his own. His heart gave a glad bound when Mr. Ludolph said:"Why, Berder, this is excellent. To be sure you have taken your ownmethod, and followed your own taste, but I find no fault with that,when you produce an effect like this."

  "I declare, father," chimed in Miss Ludolph, "this table pleases megreatly. It is a little oasis in this great desert of a store. Mr.Berder, I compliment you on your taste. You shall help me rearrange,artistically, everything in the building."

  Dennis, in his agitation, came near precipitating Benjamin Franklininto the arms of Joan of Arc, a position scarcely in keeping witheither character.

  "Yes, Christine, that is true," continued Mr. Ludolph, "Mr. Berderwill be just the one to help you, and I am glad you have found onecompetent. By all the furies! just compare this table with the onenext to it, where the Past, Present, and Future have not the slightestregard for each other, and satyrs and angels, philosophers and bandits,are mixed up about as closely as in real life. Here, Berder, try youhand at this counter also; and you, young men, gather round and seethe difference when _art_, instead of mathematics, rules the world ofart. If this thing goes on, we shall have the golden age back again inthe store."

  Mr. Berder, though somewhat confused, had received all his complimentswith bows and smiles. But Dennis, after his thrill of joy at havingpleased Mr. and Miss Ludolph's fastidious taste, felt himself reddeningwith honest indignation that Mr. Berder should carry off all his laurelsbefore his face. But he resolved to say nothing, knowing that timewould right him. When Mr. Ludolph asked the young men to step forward,he came with the others.

  "That's right, Fleet," said Mr. Ludolph, again, "you can get a usefulhint, too, like enough."

  "Nonsense, father," said Miss Ludolph, in a tone not so low but thatDennis heard it; "why spoil a good sweeper and duster by putting uppishnotions in his head? He keeps the store cleaner than any man you everhad, and I don't soil my dresses as I used to."

  Dennis's color heightened a little, and his lips closed more firmly,but he gave no other sign that he heard this limitation of his hopeand ambition. But it cut him rather deep. The best he could ever do,then, in her view, was to keep her dresses from being soiled.

  In the meantime Mr. Berder had shown great embarrassment at Mr.Ludolph's unexpected request. After a few moments of awkward hesitationhe stammered out that he could do it better alone. The suspicion ofkeen Mr. Ludolph was at once aroused and he persisted: "Oh, come, Mr.Berder, we don't expect you to do your best in a moment, but a personof your taste can certainly make a great change for the better in thetable before you."

  In sheer desperation the entrapped youth attempted the task, but hehad not bungled five minutes before Mr. Ludolph said, sharply, "Mr.Berder, you did not arrange this table."

  "Vell," whined Mr. Berder, "I didn't say dot I did."

  "You caused me to believe that you did," said Mr. L
udolph, his browgrowing dark. "Now, one question, and I wish the truth: Who didarrange this table?"

  "Vleet, dere, helped me," gasped Mr. Berder.

  "_Helped_ you? Mr. Fleet, step forward, if you please, for I intend tohave the truth of this matter. How much help did Mr. Berder give you inarranging this table?"

  "None, sir," said Dennis, looking straight into Mr. Ludolph's eyes.

  All looked with great surprise at Dennis, especially Miss Ludolph, whoregarded him most curiously. "How different he appears from Pat Murphy!"she again thought.

  "Some one has told a lie, now," said Mr. Ludolph, sternly. "Mr. Fleet,I shall put you to the same test that Berder failed in. Arrange thatcounter sufficiently well to prove that it was your hands that arrangedthis."

  Dennis stepped forward promptly, but with a pale face and compressedlips. Feeling that both honor and success were at stake, he groupedand combined everything as before, as far as the articles would permit,having no time to originate a new plan. As he worked, the clerks gazedin open astonishment, Mr. Ludolph looked significantly at his daughter,while she watched him with something of the same wonder which we havewhen one of the lower animals shows human sagacity and skill.

  Mr. Ludolph was Napoleonic in other respects than his ambition andselfishness. He was shrewd enough to "promote on the field formeritorious services." Therefore, as Dennis's task approachedcompletion, he said: "That will do, Mr. Fleet, you can finish the workat your leisure. Mr. Berder, you are discharged from this day fordeception. I would have borne with your incompetency if you had beentruthful. But I never trust any one who has deceived me once," he said,so sternly that even Christine's cheek paled. "Mr. Schwartz will settlewith you, and let me never see or hear from you again. Mr. Fleet, Ipromote you to Mr. Berder's counter and pay."

  Thus this man of the world, without a thought of pity, mercy, or kindlyfeeling in either case, gave one of his clerks a new impetus towardthe devil, and another an important lift toward better things, andthen went his way, congratulating himself that all things had workedtogether for his good, that morning, though where he would find anotherDennis Fleet to fill Pat's place, again vacant, he did not know.

  But Miss Ludolph looked at Dennis somewhat kindly, and with a littlehonest admiration in her face. He was very different from what she hadas a matter of course supposed him to be, and had just done in a quiet,manly way a thing most pleasing to her, so she said with a smile thatseemed perfectly heavenly to him, "_You_ are above blacking boots, sir."