The Contralto

Rev. Charles Maloy, C. M.
St. Joseph's Parish, Emmitsburg, Md.

Chapter 20 | Chapter 19 | Chapter 1

The Professor's premonition of the possibility of a moral stampede amongst the working classes of Emmitsburg was not fated to be realized. Reforms economic, religious, or political, are not the outcome of such cataclysmic ebullitions, but the steady development of ideas implanted with as little noise as the pollen wafted through the air on the summer zephyrs. There is no one wholly perverse in God's world and ignorance, the not knowing what they do, is the greatest cause of wrong today, as ever.

A decided change came over the college and academy, the occasion of its clearest manifestation being the Christmas Holidays. The condition of the employees began to be ameliorated, a small increase of wages to everyone, a promise of more according to length of service and fidelity. Sam Topper's case was generally known and though all reference to the Professor was received by the faculties with a scowl, the workers looked to him as in some way responsible for their better treatment. The distribution of clothing was done privately, thus removing the stigma of publicity which had been hallowed by long continued custom. Several derelictions amongst the farm hands arising from overindulgence in stimulants were condoned entirely or visited with light lectures. The animus of the rulers, however, was strongly adverse to the Professor for human nature has little love for him who points out its shortcomings.

Nor did the playing of the role of Brutus towards his love prove an easy one. The heroism of his sacrifice appealed at first to his chivalry, but as time wore on the glamor began to fade, the thought that there was some way of convincing Marion that he had won back his soul began to dispute possession with his sacrificial intent. Could he have torn him-self from her proximity the trial might not be so severe, but to see her constantly, to contemplate at close range her mental and physical charms, to know she was the strongest source of his uplift, rendered all other pursuits petty and puerile to his eyes. They met every night at rehearsals, but he seldom walked home with her; a growing reserve characterized all their communications. She was the same cheerful girl to external observation, enacting her part in the dramatic ventures without sign of sorrow, a fact which disconcerted his self-opinion, for he would have had some consolation in feeling that the girl was suffering as he suffered. Nothing of the kind was visible in her manner, her laugh was as ringing, her cheeks as ruddy, her step as elastic as heretofore.

Old Emmitsburg Road after winter storm of 1914

The Professor sought surcease by plunging into work with a vim which startled the editor. His make-haste-slowly plan of campaign was abandoned, he advocated open denunciation of the Barons and grew moody when Galt called his attention to the change. The papers of incorporation assumed an interest for him, he studied them until his intelligence of the matters surprised even Seabold. In the meetings of the promotors he would awaken from a fit of day dreaming to ask a question or make a suggestion that showed his fine brain had penetrated the innermost depths of a business proposition. The lawyer would give him a sharp look from under his shaggy eyebrows and generally accept the proposal.

There had been no advance towards friendship between these two, however, both fighting shy and watching as careful boxers studying each other's style. Vinny's desire for it seemed no nearer to fulfilment. She knew well the opinion entertained of her father by most of the townsfolk, and while in public she carried her head high, in private suffered greatly. She loved him intensely, but unfortunately her father carried the policy of silence and reserve, so powerful a weapon in the world, into his home, with the result that some of the mud thrown at him was likely to stick even in that sanctuary. Were the Professor brought to trust him, Vinny's faith would be proof against all onslaughts from without, and many were the hints she gave during the lessons in club swinging.

"Just a moment, Prof." It was Dr. Forman's voice hailing him in the contracted form of his title, for success in the amateur theatrical world had made him familiar. "I want to talk to you."

"More wealth from Sunday teeth?" entering the parlor.

"I want to talk about the factory, all the stock taken?"

"I don't know, Doctor; Mr. Galt can best give you that information."

"I hear Seabold's in it quite heavy."

"I believe he is interested."

"How much have you in it?"

"A few shares."

"Better pull out, that man Seabold's a crook; don't you know he's attorney for the academy?" "What follows?"

"He'll sell you out to them the first thing you know, why he's so darned crooked he can't lie straight in bed."

"As for selling us out to the academy people, Doctor, I scarcely see wherefore they should wish to purchase. They run a domestic science course, I am told, but for the life of me I cannot see wherein they would wish to conduct a shirt factory as an annex to their curriculum. Seabold may be a crook, but I always accept a man as honest until he demonstrates the opposite."

"He'll demonstrate it to you sooner than you think; ask anyone in Emmitsburg about him."

"I wouldn't hang a yaller dewg on the unanimous verdict of this town."

"Let's come down to cases; take Jim Elder. Why, man dear! Seabold's got him mortgaged to the roof, owns him body and soul, and they say it's all because he's been hornswoggling Jim ever since he got the old man to make a fool will."

"That seems remarkable," commented Harry, "old man Elder, as I understand it, was so careful in business that he had the receipt carved on his tombstone lest the cemetery trustees should charge him twice for his lot. It's strange that Seabold could hornswoggle him."

They were sitting in the laboratory which was separated from the waiting room by heavy portieres. While Dr. Forman rehearsed Seabold's supposed dishonesty, the outer door opened, someone entering softly. When the Professor had spoken a child coughed and the dentist swinging round in his swivel-chair called loudly:

"Come in, come in," and a chubby girl stepped through the curtain.

"Well of all things!" he exclaimed, "my little sweetheart Daisy," endeavoring to kiss her.

"Stop that, Doctor," pulling away in a pout, "I am too big and old for such nonsense."

"Let me introduce the Professor, this is Miss Daisy Seabold, home from school for her Christmas holiday."

"I am pleased to meet Miss Daisy," warmly taking the child's extended hand.

"I am delighted to meet you, Professor, Vinny has written me all about you."

"That's flattering in Miss Vinny."

"She told me about the operatta, and the plays, and the Indian clubs. I wish I was finished school so that I could join your dramatic society."

"I wish you were, too, we would have a star of the first magnitude to spring on the public."

"Please don't tease me, Professor, I am not a baby any longer," and there was real pathos in the sweet drawl.

A noise of someone entering caused the dentist to leave and Daisy taking a seat in the dental chair, lay back surveying her new friend from head to foot while he smiled amusedly under her frank scrutiny. Satisfied, at length she said:

"I like you very much."

"Thank you, my dear, I can reciprocate heartily."

"Vinny has written me regularly, and I told her she had better fall in love or I would steal you when I got home."

"You will find me very willing if you persevere in your determination," he confessed gallantly.

"No, I won't because you aren't in love with me; if you were you wouldn't be so quick to say it. I know with whom you are in love, though."

"You do, my dear Sherlock Holmes, who is it?" "Marion Tyson,—ha! ha!" pointing an accusing finger at his flushing face.

"Ex ore infantium clique lactentium"" he ejaculated.

"That's Latin; I know a little, but I did not catch it all; what does it mean?"

"It means that some little people are wise for their years," he paraphrased.

"Oh! I didn't find it out for myself, Vinny told me, and I know she would be tickled to death if you and Marion buckled up. Now that's slang, and my teachers are always punishing me for using slang."

"You seem to thrive on penance," admiring her healthy complexion, full round face, and stout limbs which she had pHoppd against the rest of the chair.

"I'm not fat, am I? I don't want to be fat," in evident alarm.

"You are the concrete expression of my ideal in the matter of fleshly habiliments," smiling at her bewildered efforts to follow.

"I don't know what those big words mean but I'm sure they are complimentary, and I'm going to give you a great big smack," jumping out of the chair and planting a kiss full on his mouth. He tried to hold her but she ran quickly into the street.

She made her hoydenish way through her father's office, he raising his eyes to smile as she passed, and into the house where Vinny sat at the piano. Clasping her arms around her sister's neck she shouted:

"I've met your Professor and did just what I said I would."

"What did you do, dear?" turning and seating the fat one on her knee.

"Kissed him and won my bet from Marion." "What bet, child?"

"I bet Marion a box of candy I would be the first girl in Emmitsburg to kiss him and I win." "You kissed him, where?"

"I saw him going into Forman's office, followed him, Doc introduced me and I made goos-goos at him until he said I was his ideal, though I didn't get all the big words, then I up and kissed him."

"You are a dreadful child, what will he think of you?"

"He'll think I'm a tomboy I suppose, but I won the candy, and I certainly do love him. I told him he was in love with Marion and he blushed furiously. Why don't you or Marion take him, Vinny?"

"It's conventional to wait till one is asked, dear."

"Make him ask you, I'll bet I could."

"Please don't try, sweetheart, we don't want to lose our little one," kissing her tenderly.

"Oh pshaw! I know he doesn't want to marry me, but I bet if I were older I'd make a go for him."

"My dear, where do you get all this nonsense about love and marriage? You are awful."

"In school; the girls talk that way just to horrify the teachers I suppose. But really, Vinny, I do love him."

There was a pause, then Daisy dropped from her sister's knee and walked to the window, her childish brow becoming overcast, while Vinny played softly. After a little she returned and stood watching her sister's fingers glide swiftly across the keys.

"Why so quiet, darling?"

"When I entered Forman's office he and the Professor were talking in the inside room. Forman was saying something about old Elder's will. I wasn't listening but you know how loud he talks. The Professor said he understood that Elder had the receipt carved on his tombstone and he couldn't see how Seabold could hornswoggle him, or some-thing like that. What did he mean, Vinny?"

"That is some business term, dear, I don't know exactly what it means, but you must not think the Professor was saying anything against father, they are very good friends."

"Has father invited him to dinner?"

"I couldn't say."

"I am going to tell him to, or I shall. Does he dine out?"

"He has taken tea with Mrs. Hopp and with Uncle Bennett and Aunt Judy."

"That settles it," declared Daisy starting for her father's office. She was the baby and tyrant o the family Seabold could refuse her nothing she took into her pretty head to ask.

When she left the room Vinny continued at the piano, but did not play. So Forman had been telling her father's supposed ignominy to the man whose good opinion she most cherished. What

effect had it on him? He evidently assumed an attitude of defense, but might not this be merely his generous way of trusting everyone? How she would love to have him and her father real friends! She knew the actual basis of Emmitsburg's dislike was his business success; the poor people hated him from envy, the better class because he had outwitted them. The Annan could not tolerate him because he had taken the post office out of their hands and given it to the widow of an old soldier. They talked of blood, though their ancestors of the last generation had come from the north of Ireland, while her great-grand-father lay buried in the churchyard back of the old edifice on the mountain, where she and her party had made the pilgrimage on the remembered afternoon. But after all, and her hands struck a loud chord, what did she care for the good-will of these people, could one man be brought to trust her father? Perhaps the impetuous Daisy would succeed where she had failed.

In the meantime in the lawyer's office, the baby was having her way. Seated on the desk despite his protests and to the imminent danger of disarraying his papers, she dictated terms of an invitation to her friend asking him to dinner, tyranically ordering the writer to use plain stationery when he began on a business sheet. After finishing his task Seabold gave her the letter to post, asking:

"Why are you so interested in the Professor, Puss?" "Like him," saucily.

"That's sufficient I presume."

"I should think it is, and now I am going to assume all the responsibility for the dinner."

"My! what a vocabulary you are acquiring, I shall be compelled to keep the dictionary handy to follow you."

"You should hear the Professor; he's a wonder when he hands out the lingo."

"Now you are showing your acquirements in slang, you tomboy."

"Did the Principal say anything about that in my last report?"

"I believe there was some such indictment."

"I don't care, I wasn't allowed to join the junior Philomatheans because of it; I am going to ask the Professor's opinion when he comes to dinner."

"Are you sure he will come?"

"Of course he will, I know how to make him." "Very well, now run along, I'm busy."

No more criticism of her father followed Daisy's departure from the dental parlor, Forman deciding to make formal application for stock in the factory at the next meeting of the promoters. His offer was declined for the reason assigned by the lawyer that he talked too much, and the increment accruing from the manufacture of store teeth went into a cheap moving picture apparatus. Mrs. Forman had more cause for plaint, declaring openly that Seabold entertained an irrational prejudice against her brilliant Hus.

It was lunch time when, outside the Rectory, the Professor was halted by Mr. Halm with the usual:

"What I was going to say, that is, I just beat Burkett in a game of chess. It was a battle royal for three hours, I used the Queen's gambit and do you know—"

"I really don't know the first thing about the game, Mr. Halm," he interrupted for he knew the musician once he began riding his chess hobby was as tiresomely egoistic as a six-year-old boy.

"Don't play chess and you a college man; and you don't dance!"

"I learned poker by moonlight with a greasy pack of cards on the Arizona desert."

"What I was going to say, that is, have you heard the news about Marion? She told Mrs. Halm in confidence, but I am certain she has told you, and the fact is she is going to have her voice tried. What do you think of it?"

"I am pleased to hear it, and hope she will prove a star."

"I know she will, she has everything necessary. But what I was going to say, Professor—now, of course, I am old enough to be your father—I have seen the world, and perhaps I should not take the liberty—but what I was going to say, that is," his voice sinking to a whisper, "Marion's in love with you."

Will you join us at lunch?"

"Oh, dear no, Mrs. Halm is waiting."

Hanging up his cap, Harry paused before entering the dining room: "God bless his old heart! I wish sincerely I was as young as Halm."

Chapter 21

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