MR. MARTIN AGAIN APPEARS ON THE SCENE.
The success of the periodical store put Rufus into good spirits. He saw
that it would yield him, if only the present degree of prosperity
continued, at least three hundred dollars a year, which would make quite
a handsome addition to his income. He felt justified in going to a
little extra expense, and determined to celebrate his good luck by
taking Martha and Rose to a place of amusement. It happened that at this
time a company of Japanese jugglers were performing at the Academy of
Music, which, as my New York readers know, is situated on Fourteenth
Street.
Meaning it to be a surprise, he said nothing to Rose or Martha, but
before going down town the next day, went to the box-office, and secured
three reserved seats in an excellent situation. They were expensive;
but Rufus was resolved that he would not spare expense, for this
occasion at least.
When he reached home at half-past five in the afternoon, he went up at
once to Martha's room.
"Miss Manning," he said, "have you any engagement this evening?"
"It is hardly necessary to ask, Rufus," she replied; "my company is not
in very great demand."
"You have heard of the Japanese jugglers at the Academy of Music?"
"Yes; Mrs. Florence was speaking of them this morning. She and her
husband went last evening."
"And we are going this evening. Wouldn't you like to go, Rosy?"
"Ever so much, Rufie. Will you take me?"
"Yes, I have got tickets: see here;" and Rufus drew out the three
tickets which he had purchased in the morning.
"Thank you, Rufus," said Miss Manning; "I shall like very much to go. It
is long since I went to any place of amusement. How much did the tickets
cost?"
"A dollar and a half apiece."
"Isn't that rather extravagant?"
"It would be if we went every week; but now and then we can afford it."
"You must let me pay for my ticket, Rufus."
"Not if I know it," said Rufus. "It's a pity if a Wall Street banker
can't carry a lady to a place of amusement, without charging her for the
ticket."
"If you put it that way, I suppose I must yield," said Miss Manning,
smiling.
Rose was highly excited at the idea of going to see the Japanese, whose
feats, as described by Mrs. Florence at the breakfast-table, had
interested her exceedingly. The prospect of sitting up till eleven in
the evening also had its charm, and she was quite too excited to eat
much dinner.
"Really," said Mrs. Clifton, "I quite envy you, Miss Manning. I tried to
get Mr. Clifton to buy tickets, but he hasn't done it."
"First time I heard of it," said her husband.
"You pay very little attention to what I ask,--I am aware of that," said
Mrs. Clifton, in an aggrieved tone.
"We'll go now, if you say so."
"We couldn't get any decent seats. When did you buy yours, Mr. Rushton?"
"This morning."
Mrs. Clifton, who was thoroughly selfish, hinted that probably Rose
wouldn't care about going, and that she should be glad to buy the
ticket, and accompany Rufus and Miss Manning; but this hint failed to be
taken, and she was forced unwillingly to stay at home.
To tell the truth, Miss Manning was scarcely less pleased than Rose at
the idea of going. Until recently she had been a poor seamstress,
earning scarcely enough to subsist upon, much less to pay for
amusements. Sometimes in the early evening she had passed the portals of
places of amusement, and wished that she were able to break the tedious
monotony of her daily life by entering; but it was quite out of the
question, and with a sigh she would pass on. Now she was very
differently situated, and her life was much pleasanter.
"Can I wear my new dress, Martha?" asked Rose.
"Yes, Rosy. It was fortunate that I got it finished to-day."
"And will you wear yours, too, Martha?"
"Yes, I think so," she said. "Rufus has bought us nice seats, and we
must look as well as we can."
When both were dressed, they surveyed themselves with satisfaction. Miss
Manning was not above the weakness, if it is a weakness, of liking to
appear well dressed, though she was not as demonstrative as Rose, who
danced about the room in high enjoyment.
When they were quite ready, Rufus came into the room. He had a pair of
kid gloves in his hand, which he twirled about in rather an embarrassed
way.
"I can't get the confounded things on, Miss Manning," he said. "I've
been trying for some time, but it's no go. The fact is, I never owned a
pair of kid gloves before. I'd enough sight rather go without any, but I
suppose, if I am going to sit in a fashionable seat, I must try to look
fashionable."
Miss Manning soon explained to Rufus how the gloves should go on. This
time the success was better, and he was soon neatly gloved.
"They are pretty gloves, Rufus," she said.
"I don't like the feeling of them," said Rufus; "they feel strange."
"That is because you are not used to them. You'll like them better
soon."
"I wonder what some of my old street friends would say to see me now,"
said Rufus, smiling. "They'd think I was a tip-top swell."
Though the gloves did not feel comfortable, Rufus looked at his hands
with satisfaction. Step by step he was getting into the ways of
civilized life, and he was very anxious to leave as far behind him as
possible his street experiences.
Soon after dinner they left the house, and, proceeding to Broadway,
walked up as far as Union Square. Then they turned down Fourteenth
Street, and a few minutes brought them to the Academy of Music.
The entrance and vestibule were brilliantly lighted. On the steps and in
front were a number of speculators, who were eagerly offering their
tickets to those who appeared unprovided.
Rufus pushed his way through, with Martha and Rose at his side. His
tickets were taken at the gate, but the portion indicating the number
of their reserved seats was torn off, and given back to them. On showing
them to the usher, they were conducted to their seats, which were in the
sixth row from the stage, and fronting it.
"We'll have a good view here, Miss Manning," he said.
Soon the curtain rose, and the performance commenced. To those who have
not seen the Japanese in their peculiar performance, it is enough to say
that they show marvellous skill and agility in their feats, some of
which are so difficult as to seem almost impossible.
All three enjoyed the performance. Miss Manning, though so much older,
was almost as much unaccustomed as little Rose herself to such scenes,
and took a fresh interest in it, which those who go often cannot feel.
Every now and then, little Rose, unable to restrain her enthusiasm,
exhibited her delight openly.
I should like, for the benefit of my younger readers, to give a detailed
account of some portions of the performance which seemed most wonderful;
but my memory is at fault, and I can only speak in general terms.
It was a little after ten when the curtain finally fell.
"Is that all?" asked Rose, half in disappointment.
"That's all, Rosy. Are you sleepy?"
"Not a bit," said Rose, vivaciously; "I should like to stay here an hour
longer. Wasn't it perfectly beautiful, Rufie?"
"Yes; it was very good," said Rufus; "I don't know but I like it almost
as well as the Old Bowery."
Though he had risen in the social scale, he had not quite lost his
relish for the style of plays for which the Old Bowery, the favorite
theatre with the street boys, is celebrated. But that he had a suspicion
that it was not exactly a fashionable place of amusement, he would like
to have taken Rose and Miss Manning there this evening. He would hardly
have liked to mention it at the table afterwards, however.
The audience rose from their seats, and Rufus with them. Slowly they
moved towards the door, and at last made their way to the entrance. Had
Rufus known who was waiting there, he might have felt a little nervous.
But he did not know, and it devolves upon us to explain.
Three days before, Mr. Martin, who had been sentenced to the
penitentiary for three months, on account of his attempt at picking
pockets, which we have already chronicled, was released. To say the
least, he left the prison no better than he had entered it. Better in
one sense he was, for he had been forced for three months to abstain
from drink, and this he felt to be a great hardship. But it had a
favorable influence upon his health, and his skin was clearer, and his
nose not quite so ruddy as when he was arrested. But so far as good
intentions went, he had not formed any during his exile from society,
and now that he was released he was just as averse to living by honest
industry as before.
However, his resources were still limited. Money had never been very
plentiful with him, and just at present he was not encumbered with any.
It did not occur to him that the shortest way to obtain some was to go
to work; or, if it did, the suggestion did not strike him favorably. It
did occur to him, however, that there were charitable persons in the
metropolis who might be induced to help him, and he resolved to act upon
this suggestion. Accordingly, he haunted the neighborhood of the Academy
of Music, until the stream of people began to pour out from it, and then
he felt that the time had come for him to carry out his plans.
He went up to a gentleman who was coming out with a young lady leaning
on his arm.
"Will you listen to me a minute, sir?" he said, in a whining tone. "I
haven't eaten anything since yesterday, and I have no money to pay for a
night's lodging."
"Why don't you go to work?" said the gentleman.
"I can't get anything to do, sir. I've been trying for something all
day."
The fact was that Mr. Martin had been lounging about a low bar-room all
day.
"Here, take this, and clear the way."
The gentleman, more to get rid of him than anything else, dropped five
cents into his hand, and passed on.
"He might have given a quarter," grumbled Martin; "it wouldn't have hurt
him."
He looked up, intending to make a similar application to the next
person, when he uttered an exclamation of surprise and exultation. Close
before him he saw Rufus and his little sister, accompanied by Miss
Manning.