Part 3 (1/2)
”I haf effery dings, effery dings,” replied the ponderous costumer; ”you don't t'ink I keeps dose fine procade for the costume ball out here in te tust, ain't it?”
”I wanted something for a school entertainment,” Winnie explained.
”So, so; I haf effery dings, I tole you, for de school. Ya, from dose Kindergarten to dot universities. Dings for little peebles and dings for big peebles.”
”I should like to know what kind of big people patronize your establishment?”
”Sometimes dose ladies who make de church fair. I have some angel wing for de Christmas mystery, de mask for de Muzzer Goose pantomine.
Sometimes dose fine ladies dey make some peesness mit me. When de shentlemen step on dose trail or spill coffee on dot tablier, den I buys dot dress, and my designer she make it all new again. I haf one ferry nice designer; she haf many times arrange ze historical costume for dose grand painting what make ze artists.”
”Then I think I would like to talk with her,” said Winnie.
”Ya, ya, dat vas right. Here, Mrs. Halsey, Mrs. Halsey! Perhaps you petter go in de sewing-room, ain't it?”
He opened the door into a back room where a sweet pale-faced woman sat sewing little bells on a jester's cap.
We were struck from the outset with Mrs. Halsey's refined appearance, and we were not surprised when she showed, by her complete understanding of what we required, that she had read Tennyson and had some idea of historical periods in costume. She drew a purple velvet robe from a great bundle. I exclaimed in disapproval as I noticed a horrid crimson border.
”But this is coming off,” said the little woman, using her scissors briskly, ”and instead, I will st.i.tch some gold braid applique in a lily design. See, how do you like this effect?” and her deft fingers flew, coiling and twisting the gilt braid until a really regal combination was produced.
”Then we will have it open at the side to show a white satin petticoat, also laced with gold, and the sleeves can be puffed and slashed with white satin. I arranged a costume like that for Mary Anderson.”
”Is it possible that such a noted and successful actress gets her costumes at a place like this?” asked Witch Winnie.
”Oh, no,” replied Mrs. Halsey, with a sigh; ”when I made Miss Anderson's dresses I was designer for Madame Celeste's establishment. I should be there now if it were not for Jim.”
She was fitting the dress to me, and as this would take several minutes, Winnie asked,
”Who is Jim?”
”Jim is my son; he is twelve years old, and the brightest little fellow, for his age, you ever saw. He leads his cla.s.ses at the public school, has a record of 100 in mathematics, for all that he has such a poor chance at preparing his lessons.”
”How does that happen?” It was I who inquired this time.
”Jim is an ambitious boy; ambitious to help me as well as to keep a place in his cla.s.s, and a milkman pays him a dollar a week for driving his cart over to Jersey City to meet the milk train and fill his cans for him every morning.”
”That is very nice.”
”If it did not break so cruelly into the poor boy's hours for sleep. In order to dress and s.n.a.t.c.h a bite before he goes down to the stable and harnesses, he has to rise at 3 o'clock. This enables the milkman to sleep until Jim arrives with the milk at 6 o'clock, in time to begin the morning rounds. I make the boy take an hour's sleep after this, but it is not enough.”
”He ought to go to bed very early.”
”Yes, but the lessons; when are they to be learned? He shouts them out in his sleep. 'If I gain seven hundred dollars from a rise of 2-1/2 per cent. in Pennsylvania Railroad stock, what was my original investment?'
He has his father's quickness for figures. Bless his heart! he never had any money to invest in railroad stocks, and by heaven's help he never will.”
”I am not so sure about that,” said Witch Winnie. ”How did it happen that you lost your position at Madame Celeste's on account of Jim?” She had finished the fitting and was removing the pins from her mouth, but Winnie drew on her gloves very slowly; we were both interested.
”Madame kept me for such late hours that I did not reach home until Jim was asleep, and at last she proposed to raise my salary, but said that I must sleep in the establishment, so as to be on hand to open early in the morning. This was after Madame's very successful winter, when she bought a house out of town, and did not find it convenient to come in until late in the day. I told her that I would accept her offer if Jim could be with me; but there was no room for him, and we thought it best to stick together. I get through here at 6 o'clock, and can cook Jim's dinner. But it's hard for the boy. If I could only afford to let him have his entire time for his study--but his dollar a week half pays our rent.”