第22章Witches'Loaves

第22章witches'loaves

missmarthameachamkeptthelittlebakeryonthecorner(theonewhereyougoupthreesteps,andthebelltinkleswhenyouopenthedoor).

missmarthawasforty,herbank-bookshowedacreditoftwothousanddollars,andshepossessedtwofalseteethandasympatheticheart.manypeoplehavemarriedwhosechancestodosoweremuchinferiortomissmartha's.

twoorthreetimesaweekacustomercameinwhomshebegantotakeaninterest.hewasamiddle-agedman,wearingspectaclesandabrownbeardtrimmedtoacarefulpoint.

hespokeenglishwithastronggermanaccent.hisclotheswerewornanddarnedinplaces,andwrinkledandyinothers.buthelookedneat,andhadverygoodmanners.

healwaysboughttwoloavesofstalebread.freshbreadwasfivecentsaloaf.staleonesweretwoforfive.neverdidhecallforanythingbutstalebread.

oncemissmarthasawaredandbrownstainonhisfingers.shewassurethenthathewasanartistandverypoor.nodoubthelivedinagarret,wherehepaintedpicturesandatestalebreadandthoughtofthegoodthingstoeatinmissmartha'sbakery.

oftenwhenmissmarthasatdowntoherchopsandlightrollsandjamandteashewouldsigh,andwishthatthegentle-manneredartistmightsharehertastymealinsteadofeatinghisdrycrustinthatdraughtyattic.missmartha'sheart,asyouhavebeentold,wasasympatheticone.

inordertotesthertheoryastohisoccupation,shebroughtfromherroomonedayapaintingthatshehadboughtatasale,andsetitagainsttheshelvesbehindthebreadcounter.

itwasavenetianscene.asplendidmarblepalazzo(soitsaidonthepicture)stoodintheforeground—orratherforewater.fortherestthereweregondolas(withtheladytrailingherhandinthewater),clouds,sky,andchiaro-oscuroinplenty.noartistcouldfailtonoticeit.

twodaysafterwardthecustomercamein.

"twoloafsofstalebread,ifyoublease.

"youhafhereafinebicture,madame,"hesaidwhileshewaswrappingupthebread.

"yes?"saysmissmartha,revelinginherowncunning."idosoadmireartand"(no,itwouldnotdotosay"artists"thusearly)"andpaintings,"shesubstituted."youthinkitisagoodpicture?"

"derbalance,"saidthecustomer,"isnotingooddrawing.derbairspectiveofitisnottrue.gootmorning,madame."

hetookhisbread,bowed,andhurriedout.

yes,hemustbeanartist.missmarthatookthepicturebacktoherroom.

howgentleandkindlyhiseyesshonebehindhisspectacles!whatabroadbrowhehad!tobeabletojudgeperspectiveataglance—andtoliveonstalebread!butgeniusoftenhastolebeforeitisrecognized.

whatathingitwouldbeforartandperspectiveifgeniuswerebackedbytwothousanddollarsinbank,abakery,andasympatheticheartto—butthesewereday-dreams,missmartha.

oftannowwhenhecamehewouldcharforawhileacrosstheshowcase,heseemedtocravemissmartha'scheerfulwords.

hekeptonbuyingstalebread.neveracake,neverapie,neveroneofherdelicioussallylunns.

shethoughthebegantolookthinneranddiscouraged.herheartachedtoaddsomethinggoodtoeattohismeagrepurchase,buthercouragefailedattheact.shedidnotdareaffronthim.sheknewtheprideofartists.

missmarthatooktowearingherblne-dottedsilkwaistbehindthecounter.inthebackroomshecookedamysteriouscompoundofquinceseedsandborax.eversomanypeopleuseitforthecomplexion.

onedaythecustomercameinasusual,laidhisnickelontheshowcase,andcalledforhisstaleloaves.whilemissmarthawasreachingforthemtherewasagreattootingandclanging,andafireenginecamelumberingpast.

thecustomerhurriedtothedoortolook,asanyonewill.suddenlyinspired,missmarthaseizedtheopportunity.

onthebottomshelfbehindthecounterwasapoundoffreshbutterthatthedairymanhadlefttenminutesbefore.withabreadknifemissmarthamadeadeepslashineachofthestaleloaves,insertedagenerousquantityofbutter,andpressedtheloavestightagain.

whenthecustomerturnedoncemoreshewastyingthepaperaroundthem.

whenhehadgone,afteranunusuallypleasantlittlechat,missmarthasmiledtoherself,butnotwithoutaslightflutteringoftheheart.

hadshebeentoobold?wouldhetakeoffence?butsurelynot.therewasnolanguageofedibles.butterwasnoemblemofunmaidenlyforwardness.

foralongtimethatdayherminddweltonthesubject.sheimaginedthescenewhenheshoulddiscoverherlittledeception.

hewouldlaydownhisbrushesandpalette.therewouldstandhiseaselwiththepicturehewaspaintinginwhichtheperspectivewasbeyondcriticism.

hewouldprepareforhisluncheonofdrybreadandwater.hewouldsliceintoaloaf—ah!

missmarthablushed.wouldhethinkofthehandthatplaceditthereasheate?wouldhe—thefrontdoorbelljangledviciously.somebodywascomingin,makingagreatdealofnoise.

missmarthahurriedtothefront.twomenwerethere.onewasayoungmansmokingapipe—amanshehadneverseenbefore.theotherwasherartist.

hisfacewasveryred,hishatwasonthebackofhishead,hishairwaswildlyrumpled.heclinchedhistwofistsandshookthemferociouslyatmissmartha.—atmissmartha.

"dummkopf!"heshoutedwithextremeloudness;andthen"tausendonfer!"orsomethinglikeitingerman.

theyoungmantriedtodrawhimaway.

"iwillnotgo,"hesaidangrily,"elseishalltoldher."

hemadeabassdrumofmissmartha'scounter.

"youhafshpoiltme,"hecried,hisblueeyesblazingbehindhisspectacles."iwilltellyou.youvasvonmeddingsomeoldcat!"

missmarthaleanedweaklyagainsttheshelvesandlaidonehandonherblue-dottedsilkwaist.theyoungmantooktheotherbythecollar.

"comeon,"hesaid,"you'vesaidenough."heedtheangry.oneoutatthedoortothesidewalk,andthencameback.

"guessyououghttobetold,ma'am,"hesaid,"whattherowisabout.that'sblumberger.he'sanarchitecturaldraftsman.iworkinthesameofficewithhim.

"he'sbeenworkinghardforthreemonthsdrawingaplanforanewcityhall.itwasaprizecompetition.hefinishedinkingthelinesyesterday.youknow,adraftsmanalwaysmakeshisdrawinginpencilfirst.whenit'sdoneherubsoutthepencillineswithhandfulsofstalebreadcrumbs.that'sbetterthanindiarubber.

"blumberger'sbeenbuyingthebreadhere.well,today—well,youknow,ma'am,thatbutterisn't—well,blumberger'splanisn'tgoodforanythingnowexcepttocutupintorailroadsandwiches."

missmarthawentintothebackroom.shetookofftheblue-dottedsilkwaistandputontheoldbrownsergesheusedtowear.thenshepouredthequinceseedandboraxmixtureoutofthewindowintotheashcan.