Part 25 (1/2)
”I think--I--sometimes I hope I do. I am trying to learn a little, stumbling along slowly, with oh _so_ many drawbacks; and do you know I think my interest in these things dates back to that stormy evening in prayer-meeting, when you asked me such queer questions? At least I thought them queer then.”
No more standing aloof during that evening for Theodore Mallery. It mattered little how his clothes were cut or of what material they were made; so long as Dora Hastings walked through the rooms and chatted familiarly with him, not a girl present but stood ready to follow her example.
Later in the evening Dora said to him, hesitatingly and almost timidly:
”Mr. Mallery, I don't like you to think that I was making sport of that Bible verse. I truly know almost nothing about French, and I didn't take, the sense of it in the least until you read it.”
There was another thing that the young man was very anxious to know, and that was whether her motive was mischief or kind intent when she called on him; and like the straightforward individual that he was, he asked her:
”What possessed you to suppose I could read it?”
”Oh,” said Dora, innocently, ”I knew you were a French scholar, because Mr. Birge told me so.”
Someway it was an immense satisfaction to Theodore to know that Dora's intention had not been to make light of his supposed ignorance. As he went home in the moonlight he laughed a little, and indulged himself in his old habit of soliloquizing.
”It's just the matter of fine boots and gloves, and a few things of that sort. I did decide once this evening to push the thing through, and make my way up in spite of gloves and boots and broadcloth, and I would now but for one thing. In fact I _have_; we braved it through together. That one girl is worth all the rest of them, and she came to the rescue fairly and squarely. If she had failed me I would have showed the whole of them a few things, but she didn't, and there's no occasion for making it such a martyrdom for any of them hereafter. On the whole, I believe I'll manage to get dear old Grandma McPherson other work besides tailoring after this. There is no earthly reason why I shouldn't dress as respectable as any body. I don't know but I owe it to Mr. Stephens to do so. Yes, sir, I've changed my mind--boots and broadcloth shall be my servants hereafter.”
Keeping in mind this new resolution, Theodore secured the first leisure moment, and inquired of Mr. Stephens what route to take.
”Going to have a new suit of clothes?” questioned that gentleman in a tone of polite indifference, not at all as though he had watched and waited for the development of that very idea. ”Well, let me see. I think Barnes & Houghton will serve you quite as well as any. They are on--wait, I will give you their address.”
The hour which Theodore had chosen was not a fas.h.i.+onable one at the great establishment of Barnes & Houghton, and he found some half dozen clerks lounging about, with no more important occupation than to coax some fun out of any material which chanced to fall in their way.
”I want to look at some business suits,” began Theodore, addressing the foremost of them, with a slight touch of hesitancy and embarra.s.sment. It was new business to him.
”Then I'd advise you to look at them by all means; always do as you want to when you can as well as not, my boy,” was the answer which he received, spoken in a tone of good-humored insolence, and not a clerk moved.
”Would you like a white vest pattern, or perhaps you would prefer velvet?” queried a foppish little fellow. And Theodore, who was sharper at that style of talk than any of them, and was rapidly losing his embarra.s.sment, replied in a tone of great good humor:
”I never pick out my goods until I see them; but then perhaps the vest you have on is for sale? Are you the show-block?”
This question, put with great apparent innocence, produced a peal of laughter, for the vest in question was rather too stylish to be in keeping with the wearer's surroundings and business.
An older clerk now interposed.
”Show him something, Charlie--that's a good fellow.”
”Can't,” said Charlie, from his seat on the counter, ”I'm too busy; besides I don't believe we could suit him. We haven't anything in the style his clothes are cut. There's a man right around the corner whose father made coats for Noah's grandsons; hadn't you better go to him?”
”I say,” put in he of the stylish vest, ”can't you call in some other time, when business isn't quite so pressing? You see we're just about driven to death this morning.”
Just how far this style of treatment would have been carried, or just how long Theodore would have borne it, can not be known, for with the conclusion of the last sentence every clerk came suddenly to a standing posture, and two of them advanced courteously to meet a new-comer, at the same moment that a gentleman with iron gray hair, and whom Theodore took to be one of the proprietors, emerged from a private office, and came forward on the same errand, and the young man nearly laughed outright when he recognized in the new-comer Mr. Stephens. The two gentlemen were shaking hands.
”Glad to see you again, Mr. Stephens,” said he of the iron gray hair.
”How can we serve you this morning?”
”Nothing for me personally, thank you.” And then Mr. Stephens turned to Theodore.