These two persons had met by chance at a coffee-stand one beautiful summer dawn in one of the markets,--the Treine, most likely,--where, perched on high stools at a zinc-covered counter, with the smell of fresh blood on the right and of stale fish on the left, they had finished half their cup of _cafe au lait_ before they awoke to the exhilarating knowledge of each other"s presence.
"Yesseh," said Narcisse, "now since you "ave wemawk the mention of it, I think I have saw that va"iety of bwead."
"Oh, surely you poundt to a-seedt udt. A uckly little prown dting"--
"But cook well," said Narcisse.
"Yayss," drawled the baker. It was a fact that he had to admit.
"An" good flou"," persisted the Creole.
"Yayss," said the smiling manufacturer. He could not deny that either.
"An" honness weight!" said Narcisse, planting his empty cup in his saucer, with the energy of his a.s.servation; "an", Mr. Bison, tha.s.s a ve"y seldom thing."
"Yayss," a.s.sented Reisen, "ovver tat prate is mighdy dtry, undt shtickin" in ten dtroat."
"No, seh!" said the flatterer, with a generous smile. "Egscuse me--I diffeh fum you. "Tis a beaucheouz bwead. Yesseh. And eve"y loaf got the name beaucheouzly pwint on the top, with "Patent"--sich an" sich a time.
"Tis the tooth, Mr. Bison, I"m boun" to congwatu_late_ you on that bwead."
"O-o-oh! tat iss not _mine_ prate," exclaimed the baker. "Tat iss not fun mine etsteplitchmendt. Oh, no! Tatt iss te prate--I"m yoost dtellin"
you--tat iss te prate fun tat fellah py teh Sunk-Mary"s Morrikit-house!
Tat"s teh "shteam prate". I to-undt know for vot effrapotty puys tat prate annahow! Ovver you yoost vait dtill you see _mine_ prate!"
"Mr. Bison," said Narcisse, "Mr. Bison,"--he had been trying to stop him and get in a word of his own, but could not,--"I don"t know if you--Mr.--Mr. Bison, in fact, you din unde"stood me. Can that be poss"ble that you din notiz that I was speaking in my i"ony about that bwead? Why, of co"se! Tha.s.s juz my i"onious cuztom, Mr. Bison. Tha.s.s one thing I dunno if you "ave notiz about that "steam bwead," Mr. Bison, but with me that bwead always stick in my th"oat; an" yet I kin swallow mose anything, in fact. No, Mr. Bison, yo" bwead is deztyned to be the bwead; and I tell you how "tis with me, I juz gladly eat yo" bwead eve"y time I kin git it! Mr. Bison, in fact you don"t know me ve"y in_tim_itly, but you will oblige me ve"y much indeed to baw me five dollahs till tomaw--save me fum d"awing a check!"
The German thrust his hand slowly and deeply into his pocket. "I alvayss like to oplyche a yendleman,"--he smiled benignly, drew out a toothpick, and added,--"ovver I nivveh bporrah or lend to ennabodda."
"An" then," said Narcisse, promptly, ""tis imposs"ble faw anybody to be offended. Tha.s.s the bess way, Mr. Bison."
"Yayss," said the baker, "I tink udt iss." As they were parting, he added: "Ovver you vait dtill you see _mine_ prate!"
"I"ll do it, seh!-- And, Mr. Bison, you muzn"t think anything about that, my not bawing that five dollars fum you, Mr. Bison, because that don"t make a bit o" dif"ence; an" tha.s.s one thing I like about you, Mr. Bison, you don"t baw yo" money to eve"y d.i.c.k, Tom, an" Hawwy, do you?"
"No, I dtoandt. Ovver, you yoost vait"--
And certainly, after many vexations, difficulties, and delays, that took many a pound of flesh from Reisen"s form, the pretty, pale-brown, fragrant white loaves of "aerated bread" that issued from the Star Bakery in Benjamin street were something pleasant to see, though they did not lower the price.
Richling"s old liking for mechanical apparatus came into play. He only, in the establishment, thoroughly understood the new process, and could be certain of daily, or rather nightly, uniform results. He even made one or two slight improvements in it, which he contemplated with ecstatic pride, and long accounts of which he wrote to Mary.
In a generous and innocent way Reisen grew a little jealous of his accountant, and threw himself into his business as he had not done before since he was young, and in the ardor of his emulation ignored utterly a state of health that was no better because of his great length and breadth.
"Toctor Tseweer!" he said, as the physician appeared one day in his office. "Vell, now, I yoost pet finfty tawllars tat iss Mississ Reisen sendts for you tat I"m sick! Ven udt iss not such a dting!" He laughed immoderately. "Ovver I"m gladt you come, Toctor, ennahow, for you pin yoost in time to see ever"ting runnin". I vish you yoost come undt see udt!" He grinned in his old, broad way; but his face was anxious, and his bared arms were lean. He laid his hand on the Doctor"s arm, and then jerked it away, and tried to blow off the floury print of his fingers.
"Come!" He beckoned. "Come; I show you somedting putiful. Toctor, I _vizh_ you come!"
The Doctor yielded. Richling had to be called upon at last to explain the hidden parts and processes.
"It"s yoost like putt"n" te shpirudt into teh potty," said the laughing German. "Now, tat prate kot life in udt yoost teh same like your own selluf, Toctor. Tot prate kot yoost so much sense a.s.s Reisen kot.
Ovver, Toctor--Toctor"--the Doctor was giving his attention to Richling, who was explaining something--"Toctor, toandt you come here uxpectin" to see nopoty sick, less-n udt iss Mr. Richlun." He caught Richling"s face roughly between his hands, and then gave his back a caressing thwack. "Toctor, vot you dtink? Ve goin" teh run prate-cawts mit copponic-essut ka.s.s. Tispense mit hawses!" He laughed long but softly, and smote Richling again as the three walked across the bakery yard abreast.
"Well?" said Dr. Sevier to Richling, in a low tone, "always working toward the one happy end."
Richling had only time to answer with his eyes, when the baker, always clinging close to them, said, "Yes; if I toandt look oudt yet, he pe rich pefore Reisen."
The Doctor looked steadily at Richling, stood still, and said, "Don"t hurry."
But Richling swung playfully half around on his heel, dropped his glance, and jerked his head sidewise, as one who neither resented the advice nor took it. A minute later he drew from his breast-pocket a small, thick letter stripped of its envelope, and handed it to the Doctor, who put it into his pocket, neither of them speaking. The action showed practice. Reisen winked one eye laboriously at the Doctor and chuckled.
"See here, Reisen," said the Doctor, "I want you to pack your trunk, take the late boat, and go to Biloxi or Pascagoula, and spend a month fishing and sailing."
The baker pushed his fingers up under his hat, scratched his head, smiled widely, and pointed at Richling.
"Sendt him."
The Doctor went and sat down with Reisen, and used every form of inducement that could be brought to bear; but the German had but one answer: Richling, Richling, not he. The Doctor left a prescription, which the baker took until he found it was making him sleep while Richling was at work, whereupon he amiably threw it out of his window.
It was no surprise to Dr. Sevier that Richling came to him a few days later with a face all trouble.
"How are you, Richling? How"s Reisen?"
"Doctor," said Richling, "I"m afraid Mr. Reisen is"--Their eyes met.
"Insane," said the Doctor.
"Yes."
"Does his wife know whether he has ever had such symptoms before--in his life?"
"She says he hasn"t."
"I suppose you know his pecuniary condition perfectly; has he money?"
"Plenty."
"He"ll not consent to go away anywhere, I suppose, will he?"
"Not an inch."
"There"s but one sensible and proper course, Richling; he must be taken at once, by force if necessary, to a first-cla.s.s insane hospital."
"Why, Doctor, why? Can"t we treat him better at home?"
The Doctor gave his head its well-known swing of impatience. "If you want to be _criminally_ in error try that!"
"I don"t want to be in error at all," retorted Richling.
"Then don"t lose twelve hours that you can save, but send him off as soon as process of court will let you."
"Will you come at once and see him?" asked Richling, rising up.