the fortune hunter(闯世界的人)-第16章
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the cork and poured the wine with great ceremony； and they all drank with
much touching of glasses and bowing and exchanging of good wishes；
now in German； now in English； again in both。 And the last toast； the
one drunk with the greatest enthusiasm； was Brauner's favorite famous
‘‘Arbeit und Liebe und Heim！''
From that time forth Hilda began to look at Otto from a different point
of view。 And everything depends on point of view。
Thenthe house in which Schwartz and Heilig had their shop was
burned。 And when their safe was drawn from the ruins； they found that
their insurance had expired four days before the fire。 It was Schwartz's
business to look after the insurance； but Otto had never before failed to
oversee。 His mind had been in such confusion that he had forgotten。
He stared at the papers； stunned by the disaster。 Schwartz wrung his
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hands and burst into tears。 ‘‘I saw that you were in trouble；'' he wailed；
‘‘and that upset me。 It's my fault。 I've ruined us both。''
There was nothing left of their business or capital； nothing but seven
hundred dollars in debts to the importers of whom they bought。
Heilig shook off his stupor after a few minutes。 ‘‘No matter；'' he
said。 ‘‘What's past is past。''
He went straightway over to Second Avenue to the shop of Geishener；
the largest delicatessen dealer in New York。
‘‘I've been burned out；'' he explained。 ‘‘I must get something to do。''
Geishener offered him a place at eleven dollars a week。 ‘‘I'll begin in
the morning；'' said Otto。 Then he went to Paul Brauner。
‘‘When will you open up again？'' asked Brauner。
‘‘Not for a long time； several years。 Everything's gone and I've taken
a place with Geishener。 I came to say thatthat I can't marry your
daughter。''
Brauner did not know what answer to make。 He liked Otto and had
confidence in him。 But the masses of the people build their little fortunes
as coral insects build their islands。 And Hilda was getting alongwhy；
she would be twenty in four months。 ‘‘I don't know。 I don't know。''
Brauner rubbed his head in embarrassment and perplexity。 ‘‘It's bad
very bad。 And everything was running so smoothly。''
Hilda came in。 Both men looked at her guiltily。 ‘‘What is it？'' she
asked。 And if they had not been mere men they would have noticed a
change in her face； a great change； very wonderful and beautiful to see。
‘‘I came to release you；'' said Otto。
‘‘I've got nothing leftand a lot of debts。 I''
‘‘YesI know；'' interrupted Hilda。 She went up to him and put her
arm round his neck。 ‘‘We'll have to begin at the bottom；'' she said with a
gentle； cheerful smile。
Brauner pretended that he heard some one calling him from the shop。
‘‘Yes right away！'' he shouted。 And when he was alone in the shop he
wiped his eyes； not before a large tear had blistered the top sheet of a pile
of wrapping paper。
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‘‘I know you don't care for me asas'' Otto was standing uneasily；
his eyes down and his face red。 ‘‘It was hard enough for you before。
NowI couldn't let you do itdear。''
‘‘You can't get rid of me so easily；'' she said。 ‘‘I know I'm getting
along and I won't be an old maid。''
He paid no attention to her raillery。 ‘‘I haven't got anything to ask
you to share；'' he went on。 ‘‘I've been working ever since I was eleven
and that's fourteen yearsto get what I had。 And it's all gone。 It'll take
several years to pay off my debts； and mother must be supported。 No
I've got to give it up。''
‘‘Won't you marry me； Otto？'' She put her arms round his neck。
His lips trembled and his voice broke。 ‘‘I can'tlet you do it； Hilda。''
‘‘Very well。'' She pretended to sigh。
‘‘But you must come back this evening。 I want to ask you again。''
‘‘Yes； I'll come。 But you can't change me。''
He went； and she sat at the table； with her elbows on it and her face
between her hands； until her father came in。 Then she said： ‘‘We're
going to be married next week。 And I want two thousand dollars。 We'll
give you our note。''
Brauner rubbed his face violently。
‘‘We're going to start a delicatessen；'' she continued； ‘‘in the empty
store where Bischoff was。 It'll take two thousand dollars to start right。''
‘‘That's a good deal of money；'' objected her father。
‘‘You only get three and a half per cent。 in the savings bank；'' replied
Hilda。 ‘‘We'll give you six。 You know it'll be safeOtto and I together
can't fail to do well。''
Brauner reflected。 ‘‘You can have the money；'' he said。
She went up the Avenue humming softly one of Heine's love songs；
still with that wonderful； beautiful look in her eyes。 She stopped at the
tenement with the vacant store。 The owner； old man Schulte； was
sweeping the sidewalk。 He had an income of fifteen thousand a year； but
he held that he needed exercise； that sweeping was good exercise； and that
it was stupid for a man； simply because he was rich； to stop taking
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exercise or to take it only in some form which had no useful side。
‘‘Good morning；'' said Hilda。 ‘‘What rent do you ask for this store？''
‘‘Sixty dollars a month；'' answered the old man； continuing his
sweeping。 ‘‘Taxes are up； but rents are down。''
‘‘Not with you； I guess。 Otto Heilig and I are going to get married
and open a delicatessen。 But sixty dollars a month is too much。 Good
morning。'' And she went on。
Schulte leaned on his broom。 ‘‘What's your hurry？'' he called。
‘‘You can't get as good a location as this。''
Hilda turned； but seemed to be listening from politeness rather than
from interest。
‘‘We can't pay more than forty；'' she answered； starting on her way
again。
‘‘I might let you have it for fifty；'' Schulte called after her； ‘‘if you
didn't want any fixing up。''
‘‘It'd have to be fixed up；'' said Hilda； halting again。 ‘‘But I don't
care much for the neighborhood。 There are too many delicatessens here
now。''
She went on more rapidly and the old man resumed his sweeping；
muttering crossly into his long； white beard。 As she came down the
other side of the street half an hour later； she was watching Schulte from
the corner of her eye。 He was leaning on his broom； watching her。
Seeing that she was going to pass without stopping he called to her and
went slowly across the street。 ‘‘You would make good tenants；'' he said。
‘‘I had to sue Bischoff。 You can have it for fortyif you'll pay for the
changes you wantyou really won't want any。''
‘‘I was looking at it early this morning；'' replied Hilda。 ‘‘There'll
have to be at least two hundred dollars spent。 But then I've my eye on
another place。''
‘‘Forty's no rent at all；'' grumbled the old man； pulling at his whiskers。
‘‘I can get a store round in Seventh Street for thirty…five and that
includes three rooms at the back。 You've got only one room at the back。''
‘‘There's a kitchen； too；'' said Schulte。
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‘‘A kitchen？ Oh； you mean that closet。''
‘‘I'll let you have it for forty； with fifty the second year。''
‘‘No； forty for two years。 We can't pay more。 We're just starting；
and expenses must be kept down。''
‘‘Well； forty then。 You are nice peoplehard workers。 I want to see
you get on。'' The philanthropic old man returned to his sweeping。
‘‘Always the way； dealing with a woman；'' he growled into his beard。
‘‘They don't know the value of anything。 Well； I'll get my money
anyway； and that's a point。''
She spent the day shopping and by half…past five had her arrangements
almost completed。 And she told every one about the coming marriage
and the new shop and asked them to spread the news。
‘‘We'll be open for business next Saturday a week；'' she said。 ‘‘Give
us a trial。''
By nightfall Otto was receiving congratulations。 He protested；
denied； but people only smiled and winked。 ‘‘You're not so sly as you
think；'' they said。 ‘‘No doubt she promised to keep it quiet； but you know
how it is with a woman。''
When he called at Brauner's at seven he was timid about going in。
‘‘They've heard the story；'' he said to himself； ‘‘and they must think I went
crazy and told it。''
She had been bold enough all day； but she was shy； now that the time
had come to face him and confessshe had been a little shy with him
underneath ever since she had suddenly awakened to the fact that he was a
real heroin spite of his keeping a shop just like everybody else and
making no pretenses。 He listened without a word。
‘‘You can't back out now；'' she ended。
Still he was silent。 ‘‘Are you angry at me？'' she asked timidly。
He could not speak。 He put his arms round her and pressed his face
into her waving black hair。 ‘‘MY Hilda；'' he said in a low voice。 And
she felt his blood
