the fortune hunter(闯世界的人)-第15节
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longing in it。 He went on： ‘‘I shall come as soon as the shadow passes…
…I shall come soon； Herzallerliebste！''
She was cheerful to the last。 But after he had left she sat motionless；
except for an occasional shiver。 From the music… stand came a
Waldteufel waltz； with its ecstatic throb and its long； dreamy swing； its
mingling of joy with foreboding of sadness。 The tears streamed down
her cheeks。 ‘‘He's gone；'' she said miserably。 She rose and went
through the crowd； stumbling against people； making the homeward
journey by instinct alone。 She seemed to be walking in her sleep。 She
entered the shopit was crowded with customers； and her father； her
mother and August were bustling about behind the counters。 ‘‘Here； tie
this up；'' said her father； thrusting into her hands a sheet of wrapping paper
on which were piled a chicken； some sausages； a bottle of olives and a can
of cherries。 She laid the paper on the counter and went on through the
parlor and up the stairs to her plain； neat； little bedroom。 She threw
herself on the bed； face downward。 She fell at once into a deep sleep。
When she awoke it was beginning to dawn。 She remembered and began
to moan。 ‘‘He's gone！ He's gone！ He's gone！'' she repeated over and
over again。 And she lay there； sobbing and calling to him。
When she faced the family there were black circles around her eyes。
They were the eyes of a woman grown； and they looked out upon the
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world with sorrow in them for the first time。
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CHAPTER VII
LOVE IN SEVERAL ASPECTS
It was not long before the community was talking of the change in
Hilda； the abrupt change to a gentle； serious； silent woman； the sparkle
gone from her eyes； pathos there in its stead。 But not even her own
family knew her secret。
‘‘When is Mr。 Feuerstein coming again？'' asked her father when a
week had passed。
‘‘I don't know just when。 Soon；'' answered Hilda； in a tone which
made it impossible for such a man as he to inquire further。
Sophie brought all her cunning to bear in her effort to get at the facts。
But Hilda evaded her hints and avoided her traps。 After much thinking
she decided that Mr。 Feuerstein had probably gone for good； that Hilda
was hoping when there was nothing to hope for； and that her own affairs
were suffering from the cessation of action。 She was in the mood to
entertain the basest suggestions her craft could put forward for making
marriage between Hilda and Otto impossible。 But she had not yet
reached the stage at which overt acts are deliberately planned upon the
surface of the mind。
One of her girl friends ran in to gossip with her late in the afternoon of
the eighth day after Mr。 Feuerstein's ‘‘parting scene'' in Tompkins Square。
The talk soon drifted to Hilda； whom the other girl did not like。
‘‘I wonder what's become of that lover of hersthat tall fellow from up
town？'' asked Miss Hunneker。
‘‘I don't know；'' replied Sophie in a strained； nervous manner。 ‘‘I
always hated to see Hilda go with him。 No good ever comes of that
sort of thing。''
‘‘I supposed she was going to marry him。''
Sophie became very uneasy indeed。 ‘‘It don't often turn out that
way；'' she said in a voice that was evidently concealing something
apparently an ugly rent in the character of her friend。
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Walpurga Hunneker opened her eyes wide。 ‘‘You don't mean'' she
exclaimed。 And； as Sophie looked still more confused；
‘‘Well； I THOUGHT so！ Gracious！ Her pride must have had a fall。
No wonder she looks so disturbed。''
‘‘Poor Hilda！'' said Sophie mournfully。 Then she looked at Walpurga
in a frightened way as if she had been betrayed into saying too much。
Walpurga spent a busy evening among her confidantes； with the result
that the next day the neighborhood was agitated by gossipinsinuations
that grew bolder and bolder； that had sprung from nowhere； but pointed to
Hilda's sad face as proof of their truth。 And on the third day they had
reached Otto's mother。 Not a detail was lackingeven the scene between
Hilda and her father was one of the several startling climaxes of the tale。
Mrs。 Heilig had been bitterly resentful of Hilda's treatment of her son； and
she accepted the storyit was in such perfect harmony with her
expectations from the moment she heard of Mr。 Feuerstein。 In the
evening； when he came home from the shop； she told him。
‘‘There isn't a word of truth in it； mother；'' he said。 ‘‘I don't care who
told you； it's a lie。''
‘‘Your love makes you blind；'' answered the mother。 ‘‘But I can see
that her vanity has led her just where vanity always leads to destruction。''
‘‘Who told you？'' he demanded。
Mrs。 Heilig gave him the names of several women。 ‘‘It is known to
all；'' she said。
His impulse was to rush out and trace down the lie to its author。 But
he soon realized the folly of such an attempt。 He would only aggravate
the gossip and the scandal； give the scandal…mongers a new chapter for
their story。 Yet he could not rest without doing something。
He went to Hildashe had been most friendly toward him since the
day he helped her with her lover。 He asked her to walk with him in the
Square。 When they were alone； he began： ‘‘Hilda； you believe I'm your
friend； don't you？''
She looked as if she feared he were about to reopen the old subject。
‘‘NoI'm not going to worry you；'' he said in answer to the look。 ‘‘I
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mean just friend。''
‘‘I know you are； Otto；'' she replied with tears in her eyes。 ‘‘You
are indeed my friend。 I've counted on you ever since youever since that
Sunday。''
‘‘Then you won't think wrong of me if I ask you a question？ You'll
know I wouldn't； if I didn't have a good reason； even though I can't
explain？''
‘‘Yeswhat is it？''
‘‘Hilda； isis Mr。 Feuerstein coming back？''
Hilda flushed。 ‘‘Yes； Otto；'' she said。 ‘‘I haven't spoken to any one
about it； but I can trust you。 He's had trouble and it has called him away。
But he told me he'd come back。'' She looked at him appealingly。 ‘‘You
know that I love him； Otto。 Some day you will like him； will see what a
noble man he is。''
‘‘When is he coming back？''
‘‘I didn't ask him。 I knew he'd come as soon as he could。 I wouldn't
pry into his affairs。''
‘‘Then you don't know why he went or when he's coming？''
‘‘I trust him； just as you'll want a girl to trust you some day when you
love her。''
As soon as he could leave her； he went up town； straight to the German
Theater。 In the box…office sat a young man with hair precisely parted in
the middle and sleeked down in two whirls brought low on his forehead。
‘‘I'd like to get Mr。 Feuerstein's address；'' said Otto。
‘‘That dead…beat？'' the young man replied contemptuously。 ‘‘I
suppose he got into you like he did into every one else。 Yes； you can
have his address。 And give him one for me when you catch him。 He
did me out of ten dollars。''
Otto went on to the boarding…house in East Sixteenth Street。 No； Mr。
Feuerstein was not in and it was not known when he would returnhe was
very
