Mrs. Gerhardt opened it.
“Good-morning,” he said, cheerily; then, seeing her hesitate he added, “May I come in?”
The good mother, who was all but overcome by his astonishing presence, wiped her hands furtively upon her much-mended apron, and, seeing that he waited for a reply, said:
“Oh yes. Come right in.”
She hurried forward, forgetting to close the door, and, offering him a chair, asked him to be seated.
Brander, feeling sorry that he was the occasion of so much confusion, said: “Don’t trouble yourself, Mrs. Gerhardt. I was passing and thought I’d come in. How is your husband?”
“He’s well, thank you,” returned the mother. “He’s out working today.”
“Then he has found employment?”
“Yes, sir,” said Mrs. Gerhardt, who hesitated, like Jennie to say what it was.
“The children are all well now, and in school I hope?”
“Yes,” replied Mrs. Gerhardt. She had now unfastened her apron, and was nervously turning it in her lap.
“That’s good, and where is Jennie!”
The latter, who had been ironing, had abandoned the board and had concealed herself in the bedroom, where she was busy tidying herself in the fear that her mother would not have the forethought to say that she was out, and so let her have a chance for escape.
“She’s here,” returned the mother. “I’ll call her.”
“What did you tell him I was here for?” said Jennie, weakly.
“What could I do?” asked the mother.
Together they hesitated while the Senator surveyed the room. He felt sorry to think that such deserving people must suffer so; he intended, in a vague way, to ameliorate their condition if possible.
“Good-morning,” the Senator said to Jennie, when finally she came hesitatingly into the room. “How do you do today?”
Jennie came forward, extending her hand and blushing. She found herself so much disturbed by this visit that she could hardly find tongue to answer his questions.
“I thought,” he said, “I’d come out and find where you live. This is a quite comfortable house. How many rooms have you?”
“Five,” said Jennie. “You’ll have to excuse the looks this morning. We’ve been ironing, and it’s all upset.”
“I know,” said Brander, gently. “Don’t you think I understand, Jennie? You mustn’t feel nervous about me.”
She noticed the comforting, personal tone he always used with her when she was at his room, and it helped to subdue her flustered senses.
“You mustn’t think it anything if I come here occasionally, I intend to come. I want to meet your father.”
“Oh,” said Jennie, “he’s out today.”
While they were talking however, the honest wood-cutter was coming in at the gate with his buck and saw. Brander saw him, and at once recognised him by a slight resemblance to his daughter.
“There he is now, I believe,” he said.
“Oh, is he?” said Jennie looking out.
Gerhardt, who was given to speculation these days, passed by the window without looking up. He put his wooden buck down, and, hanging his saw on a nail on the side of the house, came in.
“Mother,” he called, in German, and, then not seeing her, he came to the door of the front room and looked in.
Brander arose and extended his hand. The knotted and weather-beaten German came forward, and took it with a very questioning expression of countenance.
“This is my father, Mr. Brander,” said Jennie, all her diffidence dissolved by sympathy. “This is the gentleman from the hotel, papa, Mr. Brander.”
“What’s the name?” said the German, turning his head.
“Brander,” said the Senator.
“Oh yes,” he said, with a considerable German accent. “Since I had the fever I don’t hear good. My wife, she spoke to me of you.”
“Yes,” said the Senator, “I thought I’d come out and make your acquaintance. You have quite a family.”
“Yes,” said the father, who was conscious of his very poor garments and anxious to get away. “I have six children — all young. She’s the oldest girl.”
Mrs. Gerhardt now came back, and Gerhardt, seeing his chance, said hurriedly:
“Well, if you’ll excuse me, I’ll go. I broke my saw, and so I had to stop work.”
“Certainly,” said Brander, graciously, realising now why Jennie had never wanted to explain. He half wished that she were courageous enough not to conceal anything.
“Well, Mrs. Gerhardt,” he said, when the mother was stiffly seated, “I want to tell you that you mustn’t look on me as a stranger. Hereafter I want you to keep me informed of how things are going with you. Jennie won’t always do it.”
Jennie smiled quietly. Mrs. Gerhardt only rubbed her hands.
“Yes,” she answered, humbly grateful.
They talked for a few minutes, and then the Senator rose. “Tell your husband,” he said, “to come and see me next Monday at my office in the hotel. I want to do something for him.”
“Thank you,” faltered Mrs. Gerhardt.
“I’ll not stay any longer now,” he added. “Don’t forget to have him come.”
“Oh, he’ll come,” she returned.
Adjusting a glove on one hand, he extended the other to Jennie.
“Here is your finest treasure, Mrs. Gerhardt,” he said. “I think I’ll take her.”
“Well, I don’t know,” said the mother, “whether I could spare her or not.”
“Well,” said the Senator, going toward the door, and giving Mrs. Gerhardt his hand, “good-morning.”
He nodded and walked out, while a half-dozen neighbours, who had observe his entrance, peeked from behind curtains and drawn blinds at the astonishing sight.
“Who can that be, anyhow?” was the general query.
“See what he gave me,” said the innocent mother to her daughter the moment he had closed the door.
It was a ten-dollar bill. He had placed it softly in her hand as he said good-bye.
Chapter V
Having been led by circumstances into an attitude of obligation toward the Senator, it was not unnatural that Jennie should become imbued with a most generous spirit of appreciation for everything he had done and now continued to do. The Senator gave her father a letter to a local mill owner, who saw that he received something to do. It was not much, to be sure, a mere job as night-watchman, but it helped, and old Gerhardt’s gratitude was extravagant. Never was there such a great, such a good man!
Nor was Mrs. Gerhardt overlooked. Once Brander sent her a dress, and at another time a shawl. All these benefactions were made in a spirit of mingled charity