LEO'S WONDERFUL PERFORMERS.
Maggie, at the sick bed of Andre, slept even more than Leo. She had a
lounge in the room, placed near her charge, on which she rested
comfortably, though she rose several times in the night to assure
herself that all was well with her father. In the morning Andre seemed
to be in the entire possession of his faculties. He had slumbered
quietly all night, hardly opening his eyes after he took the doctor's
prescription.
He awoke before his attentive nurse. He had but a faint remembrance of
the events of the preceding evening; for, after he came out of the fit,
he was in a kind of stupor. He had noticed Maggie and Leo at the house
of the banker; but everything seemed like a dream.
"Maggie," said he, as he looked around the familiar apartment, and saw
her lying on the lounge.
She sprang to her feet, and went to him, glad to hear the sound of his
voice, but fearful that the call might be the prelude of another
attack. He smiled as she approached him, and made an effort to extend
his right hand to her; but he could not move it.
"Father!" exclaimed the fond girl, as she bent over him and kissed his
pale face, now slightly flushed with fever.
"I have been very ill," he added.
"You have, indeed; but you are better now; and I am so glad, _mon
pere_!"
"Ah, _ma fille_, you are a good girl! You have been by my side all
night. It was selfish for me to wake you."
"No, no! It was not. I'm glad you did. I am so happy to find you
better!"
"What ails me? I can't move my right arm, nor my right leg," asked
Andre, struggling to raise his limbs. "There is no feeling in my right
side."
"The doctor will come by and by, and tell you all about it."
"My head feels very strange," added the sufferer.
"I am sorry, _mon pere_. What can I do?" said Maggie, tenderly.
"Give me some cold water."
She gave him the drink, supporting his head with her arm. It was plain,
even to Maggie, that Andre was in a very bad way.
"Go up stairs, and go to bed now, Maggie. You have been up all night,"
said he, with a loving glance at her.
"No, _mon pere_, I have no need to go to bed. I have slept on the
lounge nearly all night. I feel quite bright, only I'm so sad to think
you are sick."
"I shall be well soon. I must be well soon," he added, looking
anxiously at her.
"I hope you will be well soon; but it may be several weeks before you
are able to go out," replied Maggie, wishing to have him reconciled to
his lot as soon as possible.
"Several weeks, Maggie! O, no! I must go to the shop sooner than that."
"You must be very patient, _mon pere_."
"I will be patient, Maggie; but I must go to the shop soon."
"Don't think of the shop yet."
"My poor children! What will become of you? I have no money. I must
work, or you will starve, and be turned out of the house because the
rent is not paid. Indeed I must go to the shop, Maggie."
"But you cannot. You are not able to lift your right arm at all, and
you are so weak you could not stand up. Do be patient, and not think at
all of the shop."
"I must do as you bid me now, Maggie."
"Then don't think of the shop, or anything but our nice little home,
where we have always been so happy."
"How shall we pay the rent if I lie here? Where will you get food to
eat and clothes to wear?" demanded Andre, with something like a shudder
of his paralyzed frame.
"Don't think of those things."
"I must. I was wicked not to save up some money."
"No, you were not wicked; you were always as good as you could be. The
good God will take care of us."
"They will send us all to the almshouse."
"No, no; Leo is going to make heaps of money!" replied Maggie, though
she had not much confidence in her brother's brilliant scheme, or even
in the inventions that reposed in his active brain. "Can't you go to
sleep again, _mon pere_?"
"I will try," replied he, meekly. "I will if you go to bed, and sleep.
What should I do if you were sick?"
"I shall not be sick. I have slept enough. I will go and make you some
beef tea, and get breakfast for Leo. I shall hear you if you call."
Leo had made the fire in the cooking-stove, and in a short time the
odor of fried sausages pervaded the house; the beef tea was in course
of preparation, and the coffee was boiling on the stove. Maggie was as
busy as a bee; but every five minutes she ran into the front room, and
asked Andre if he wanted anything. She went to the front door, where
the baker had deposited half a dozen two-cent rolls, each of which was
nearly as big as one sold for five cents now.
For a girl of fifteen, Maggie was an excellent cook; indeed, she would
have been regarded as a prodigy in this respect in our day and
generation. She had acquired all her skill from Andre, whose
accomplishments were almost unlimited. When he first came to Boston, he
had boarded out; but, when Maggie was eight years old, he had taken
this house. At first he had done the housework himself, with what
little help she could give him, till now she had entirely relieved him
from any care of this kind. At this time he had taken Leo from the
almshouse, to be her companion in his absence.
Breakfast was soon ready; and Leo was called up from the workshop,
where he had already got out a portion of the stock for four small
mouse-houses, each intended to accommodate a single pair of mice. He
was still cheerful and hopeful, and went in to see Andre before he sat
down at the table. He told his father he was sure he could make ten
dollars a week by his splendid enterprise. He intended to take the
palace he had finished up to State Street, for sale, at noon that day.
The problem would soon be solved, and he was already nearly as well
satisfied as though he had the price of his curious merchandise in his
pocket.
After breakfast he returned to the shop. He was sad when he thought of
staying away from school, and of giving up the medal he had set his
heart upon; but, then, it was a very great pleasure to do something for
his devoted father, who had been so good to him. It was a great
sacrifice that he was called upon to make; but there was no help for
it, and he tried to yield cheerfully to the necessity of the occasion.
Gladly and hopefully he sawed and planed, and squared, and grooved, and
mortised his work, and nailed the parts together.
At ten o'clock the doctor came. He was as gentle and kind as he had
been the evening before. Andre was partially paralyzed on one side of
his frame; but Dr. Fisher was quite hopeful of his patient, though it
was not likely that he could go to work for some months. The physician
was much pleased with Maggie, and when he was taking his leave he asked
for Leo.
"He is in his shop at work," said Maggie. "Every one that comes here
goes down to see his white mice; perhaps you would like to do so."
"I would," replied the doctor, with one of those benevolent smiles
which all who knew him will remember to the end of their days.
Maggie conducted him to the basement, and then returned to Andre's
chamber. The doctor examined the cages and palaces with wondering
interest, though the mice were all asleep in their lairs. Leo put a
little canary seed in the grand parade of each house, and this was
quite enough to rouse them from their slumbers, and induce them to
exhibit themselves to the astonished visitor.
"These are my performing mice," said Leo, pointing to a house in which
seven full-grown ones were nibbling the seed.
"What do they perform?" laughed the doctor.
"I'll show you, sir."
Leo swept out the canary seed from the grand parade, so that the little
actors should have nothing to distract their attention. Taking six
little sticks--that looked something like guns--he rapped with his
finger-nail on the floor of the house. The seven mice stood up on their
hind legs, in a straight line, like a file of soldiers. He then gave
each of the first six his musket, and to the seventh a sword.
"Shoulder--arms!" said he, with a movement of his forefinger, which
probably had more effect than the words.
The mice, with becoming gravity, obeyed the order, and successively
went through four movements in the manual of arms. Then one of the
little soldiers was deprived of his gun, and Leo explained that he was
a deserter, and was to be shot for his crime. At a movement of the
boy's forefinger, the culprit took his station at one side of the grand
parade, while his companions formed a line on the other side, with
their muskets pointed at the deserter.
"Fire!" said Leo, at the same time dropping a torpedo on the floor of
the house, which exploded.
The infamous wretch of a white mouse, which had basely deserted his
flag, dropped upon his back, and lay as still as though he had actually
suffered the extreme penalty of martial law. It must be added that the
captain of the firing party was so frightened by the noise of the
torpedo that he scampered away into his nest, much to the mortification
of Leo; but he was recalled, and compelled to face the music at the
head of his squad.
Leo rapped again on the floor, and the defunct mouse was suddenly
resurrected. The tragedy completed, the squad was dismissed, and
immediately became white mice again, snuffing about the parade,
doubtless wondering what had become of the canary seed, which was
choice food, served out only on extra occasions.
"That is really wonderful," said Dr. Fisher. "Did you train them
yourself?"
"Partly; but my father did most of it," replied Leo, who proceeded to
explain the method by which the little creatures had been educated.
"Leo," said the doctor, as he was about to depart, "your sister seems
to be a very sensitive young lady. I wanted to ask her some questions;
but I did not feel quite equal to it. I will ask them of you; but I
wish you to understand that I do so as your friend."
The good physician then inquired into the circumstances of the poor
barber. Leo told him the exact truth, but assured him the family were
in no need of assistance, and did not feel like accepting charity.
Modestly, and with much enthusiasm, he then stated in what manner he
intended to support the family.
"Certainly there are plenty of people who would be glad to have some of
your beautiful little pets, especially in these elegant houses you
make," added the physician. "I would take one myself if I had time to
attend to them." The doctor was a bachelor.
"I have no doubt I can sell them, sir."
"I hope you will not take it amiss if I mention the fact among my
friends and patients that you have them for sale," added Dr. Fisher.
"No, sir; I'm sure I should not! I should be very much obliged to you."
"Then I will recommend your wares to those who are able to buy them;
and I trust you will drive a large trade in the mouse business."
The doctor went away; and Leo, encouraged by the promise of the
powerful influence of his visitor, resumed his work. At twelve o'clock,
when Maggie called him to dinner, he had made considerable progress in
the four houses in process of construction. When he had finished his
noonday meal, he went out and found Tom Casey, an Irish boy whom he had
befriended in various ways. Tom agreed to go with him to State Street;
and the new "HOTEL DES MICE"--as it was labelled in large letters on
the front gable--was loaded upon a little wagon of Leo's build, and
they started for the busy street, attended by a crowd of curious
youngsters, of both sexes and of all conditions.
[Illustration: LEO STARTS FOR STATE STREET.--Page 152.]
The mice were astonished at the sudden revolution which was taking
place in their affairs; and Leo was as anxious as though the fate of
the nation depended upon his success.