The Gentleman from Indiana - Page 142/212

Above all, she brought a light heart to her work. One evening in the

latter part of that first week of the new regime, Parker perceived Bud

Tipworthy standing in the doorway of the printing-room, beckoning him

silently to come without.

"What's the matter, Buddie?"

"Listen. She's singin' over her work."

Parker stepped outside. On the pavement, people had stopped to listen;

they stood in the shadow, looking up with parted lips at the open, lighted

Windows, whence came a clear, soft, reaching voice, lifted in song; now it

swelled louder, unconsciously; now its volume was more slender and it

melted liquidly into the night; again, it trembled and rose and dwelt in

the ear, strong and pure; and, hearing it, you sighed with unknown

longings. It was the "Angels' Serenade."

Bud Tipworthy's sister, Cynthia, was with him, and Parker saw that she

turned from the window and that she was crying, quietly; she put her hand

on the boy's shoulder and patted it with a forlorn gesture which, to the

foreman's eye, was as graceful as it was sad. He moved closer to Bud and

his big hand fell on Cynthia's brother's other shoulder, as he realized

that red hair could look pretty sometimes; and he wondered why the

editor's singing made Cynthy cry; and at the same time he decided to be

mighty good to Bud henceforth. The spell of night and song was on him;

that and something more; for it is a strange, inexplicable fact that the

most practical chief ever known to the "Herald" had a singularly

sentimental influence over her subordinates, from the moment of her

arrival. Under Harkless's domination there had been no more steadfast

bachelors in Carlow than Ross Schofield and Caleb Parker, and, like

timorous youths in a graveyard, daring and mocking the ghosts in order to

assuage their own fears, they had so jibed and jeered at the married state

that there was talk of urging the minister to preach at them; but now let

it be recorded that at the moment Caleb laid his hand on Bud's other

shoulder, his associate, Mr. Schofield, was enjoying a walk in the far end

of town with a widow, and it is not to be doubted that Mr. Tipworthy's

heart, also, was no longer in his possession, though, as it was after

eight o'clock, the damsel of his desire had probably long since retired to

her couch.

For some faint light on the cause of these spells, we must turn to a

comment made by the invaluable Mr. Martin some time afterward. Referring

to the lady to whose voice he was now listening in silence (which shows

how great the enthralling of her voice was), he said: "When you saw her,

or heard her, or managed to be around, any, where she was, why, if you

couldn't git up no hope of marryin' her, you wanted to marry

somebody."