If Alfred had not been so earnest, the scene would have been a laughable one, as it was like burlesquing many similar scenes when the parent addressed the boy in the same words. Alfred walked up the steps very slowly, hoping thereby to cause the parent to follow. It was a long time (to Alfred) ere the father entered the room.
"What"s the trouble now?" began the man, as he gazed inquiringly at the boy.
"Who is this man Palmer whom you are so greatly taken up with?" inquired Alfred.
"Why, what"s that to you? He"s a friend of mine."
"Has he a show?" was the boy"s next query.
"A show? Not a show like you know anything of. He has a painting, a work of art, that will be exhibited soon."
"Father, you have always berated, abused and condemned shows and show people. Did this man Palmer borrow money from you?"
The father was confused. He reddened as he stammered: "No--no--not much.
You see he is a poor devil of an artist, he would rather paint than eat; he has spent years of his life on a painting. He has a fortune almost in his hands and I loaned him a little money to buy glue and colors to finish his painting. I tell you, he is a genius; why, the roller the pictures work on is one of the most ingenious contrivances you ever saw and it"s simple, it can be applied to other uses. No man but a genius like Palmer would have thought of it."
This and much more information he gave Alfred. By his manner Alfred could readily see that the parent was greatly interested in Palmer and his scheme--for Alfred felt such it was.
"Well, then, father, you have changed your mind as to shows?"
"Who said I had? No, I have not changed my mind as to shows! Who told you I had? But your Uncle Will, who thinks more of you than you think he does, has persuaded me to give you your own way a little more and if you want to go with Palmer I will consent to it after I see Palmer and put you under his charge. He must control you just as I want you controlled.
He is a man who knows how to manage boys; he is a man you can depend upon and I don"t mind you going with him if it can be arranged to suit me and your mother. I am glad you asked my consent and did not run off, like you threatened to do with the n.i.g.g.e.r minstrels." And he emphasized "n.i.g.g.e.r minstrels" to strongly convince Alfred of his disgust with that branch of show business.
The father was so completely wrapped up in Palmer, so totally captivated by the eloquence of the man that he had altogether mistaken the questions of the boy.
"Father, has Palmer tried to get nine hundred dollars out of you? Did he want you to buy a half interest in the show?"
"Well," hesitatingly he answered, "Palmer has got to raise some money and he asked me to help him out. I haven"t said whether I would or not.
If you go with him you could look after money matters for----."
Here Alfred interrupted the parent: "Have you said anything to mother about this? You know when you went into the patent wash-board concern with Niblo and grandpap, you never told mother and when you got took in with Uncle Thomas on the patent shoe blacking, you said you would never enter into anything outside your business without asking mother"s advice. And now you"re d.i.c.kering with this man Palmer about a show, something you know nothing about. Now Pap--."
The wash-board and blacking were two of the father"s investments that were losses, so he became very much irritated at mention of them and checked the son.
"Now you hold on, young man! If you tell your mother anything of this, you and I will have trouble. You"re meddling with matters that don"t concern you. I thought you called me in to ask my permission to go with Palmer. Now you set yourself up to pry into my business. I"m your father, I"ve always taken care of you and I am able to take care of myself. I don"t want a green boy to look after me."
"Well, Pap; I"m not trying to nose into your business. You told Palmer that I knowed a heap about the show business, and you recommended me highly as a showman."
The father was sizzling. "Who told you so?"
"Why, Palmer himself. Now, I don"t want to brag on myself," continued Alfred who had gained confidence as the interview progressed, "but I"ve seen a great deal of this show business and you"ve got to know what you"re doing when you get into it. Why, look how many men have lost all their money." And here Alfred mentioned the names of several men, the details of whose losses in show schemes he had read in the _New York Clipper_.
"Why," he continued, in an outburst of confidence, "I"--and he emphasized the "I"--"I lost money on my last show." He should have added, "my first and last show." But the boy felt that he had pap going.
"I had to borrow money from Sammy Steele to pay my debts."
The father gasped. "So you"ve been borrowing money to get into the show business?"
"No, I had to borrow money to get out of it and that"s why I don"t want you to loan Palmer money without you ask mother."
Alfred knew full well that this reference to the mother would bring the father to terms.
"Now look here, my boy; I warned you once before not to blab my business to your mother to make trouble in the family--"
"Well, I"m going to tell her," broke in the boy.
"You"re going to tell her what?" threateningly asked the father.
"I"m not going to tell her anything about you," replied Alfred somewhat subdued, "I"m just going to tell her that Palmer is trying to borrow money from you."
The mother was no different from other women. The father knew full well that her first remark would be: "So Palmer wants to borrow money! So that"s what brought him here! He is a slick one, you could tell that by his talk. John, I hope you are not fool enough to loan that man money."
"No, Mary, don"t worry yourself, he"ll get no money out of me, I could see through him the first time I met him."
This line of conversation had been heard so often in the family that it was stereotyped on the memory of all. The father therefore capitulated, and in a tone intended to pacify the boy he said: "Now there"s no use in stirring up anything over this matter. If you want to go with Palmer I will gain your mother"s consent. I"ll tell her you have asked my permission. I will permit you to remain there as long as you do right.
You know more about this business than I do and I"ll leave it all in your hands and I"ll tell Palmer so," the father resignedly concluded.
His father had outgeneraled him; he was not the diplomat he imagined himself. He was left in deeper doubt than before the interview.
Letters came from Palmer. Alfred knew by the postmark that they were from him. He was tempted to open them. The father read the letters and placed them in the desk, never mentioning Palmer"s name. This was very perplexing to Alfred.
It was reported that Palmer"s great panorama was coming. It was also reported that Alfred"s Uncle Thomas, the minister, Uncle Ned, Uncle Will, grandpap, and all of Alfred"s relatives who had opposed his show ambitions previously, sanctioned his going with Professor Palmer"s Panorama.
Uncle Thomas explained that Palmer was a retired minister, that the surroundings, instead of being degrading, would be uplifting; taking it all in all, John and Mary had acted wisely in giving their consent to Alfred"s joining Professor Palmer"s Panorama of Pilgrim"s Progress.
Somehow it got out that Alfred was not anxious to go. Lin, in referring to the latter phase of the matter, said: "I jes can"t understan" hit.
Uncle Thomas ses. .h.i.t will satusfy Alfurd"s ambishun an" possibly settle his min". But Alfurd don"t seem to want to go. Maybe hit"s his m.u.t.h.e.r.
Alfurd is a great m.u.t.h.e.r"s boy, ye wouldn"t think hit either, he"s sech a tarnel devil ketcher, but he is. I guess he don"t like the idee uf this prayur meetin" show an" the show fellur thet painted hit he jes disspises. I bet ye a fip ef hit wus a show with hosses an" gals ur singin" niggurs he"d bust a biler to go. Be durned if he ain"t the queerest cuss I ever seed. Why, it tuk the hull kit uf us tu head him frum runnin" off with a show a while back. Now, be dog-goned ef ye kin chase him off with a pack of Bob Playford"s houn"s."
It was announced by the father that Palmer would be the guest of the family for a day.
Alfred determined to have a heart-to-heart talk with Palmer, pretend he was in full accord with his plans, engage to go with the panorama and thus protect the father in his dealings with the man.
Palmer arrived and with him an open faced, honest appearing Pennsylvania Dutchman, from Bedford County, whom Palmer introduced as Jake. Jake had a continuous smile. Sometimes it expanded but never contracted. The smile was a fixture and it became Jake greatly. He rarely spoke, the smile sort of atoned for his reticence as it a.s.sured those addressing him that Jake was not deaf, even though dumb.
It was not necessary to question Palmer; he was a willing subject, volunteering all the testimony necessary to set Alfred"s mind at rest.
In answer to the query as to whether father had concluded to take an interest in the panorama now that he, Alfred, had decided to go with it, Palmer rolled off his reply so rapidly that Alfred could scarcely follow his words.
"I hope John will not be angry with me, I offered him first chance and held off until I almost lost the other fellow. John"s all right but he"s too conservative. He"s afraid of his wife and he"ll never make money as long as he continues in business in this town. This Dutchman, Jake, had the money, he is anxious to travel, he has never been outside of Bedford County. Jake has a team, a fine team. We can"t stick anywhere. He"d sell the team if I said the word. He will haul the whole outfit. I am going to buy another team and a good one, then I can take my wife and you and go ahead and have all the arrangements made before Jake arrives with the panorama. Of course if John talks his wife into it he will want to come in later. We can easily get rid of Jake, he"s a "gilly." This is the very business for John. He is a painter, he could paint the panoramas; all he requires is a little experience with water colors.
Why, look at those flags on the old fellow"s barn out the pike; no one but an artist could shade and color like that.[A] Those flags are painted so naturally they appear to be fluttering in the wind. John and me could go in together, and paint panoramas of Bull Run and other battles and sell them or send out a half a dozen. This war will make the panorama business good. Your daddy is good on flags and eagles and sich; that"s where I am weak. We could make all kinds of money."
The exhibitions would be confined to churches and educational inst.i.tutions; therefore, it was most fortunate for Alfred that he should be privileged to become attached to an exhibition that possessed the elevating and refining influences of the great moral entertainment of Professor Palmer.
The father, instead of requesting the minister to ask the blessing, as was his custom, nodded to Palmer. All bowed their heads as Palmer, in a loud voice, called down a blessing upon the food, the father, the mother, and the boy about to go out into the world to seek his fortune; he also prayed for Lin. He called down a blessing upon the panorama and that it might attract thousands that the great moral lesson it was designed to teach might be carried to the furthermost corners of the earth.
Alfred could not resist the impulse to raise his eyes. The very beard on Palmer"s chin was quivering with the fervor of his beseechings. All were bowed in respectful reverence except Jake--he was gazing nowhere, the smile a little more expansive.
After the men had retired from the dining room, Lin, the mother and Alfred remained seated. Lin turned a cup in the tea-grounds. She read that Alfred would wander a long way off and "maybe k.u.m back with a great bag of gold, at eny rate, he wus carryin" a heavy load."