She imagined the scene when he discovers her little deception.
He will lay down his brushes and palette. He will prepare for his luncheon of dry bread and water. He will cut into a loaf – ah!
Miss Martha blushed. Will he think of the hand that placed the butter in the bread? Will he —
The front door bell jangled viciously. Somebody was coming in, making a great deal of noise.
Miss Martha hurried to the door. Two men were there. One was a young man smoking a pipe – a man she had never seen before. The other was her artist.
His face was very red, his hat was on the back of his head. He clinched his two fists and shook them ferociously at Miss Martha. At Miss Martha!
“Dummkopf[18]!” he shouted with extreme loudness; and then “Tausendonfer[19]!” or something like it in German.
The young man tried to draw him away.
“I vill not go,” he said angrily. “You haf shpoilt me[20],” he cried, his blue eyes blazing behind his spectacles. “I vill tell you[21]. You vas von meddingsome old cat![22]”
Miss Martha leaned weakly against the shelves and laid one hand on her blue silk dress. The young man took the other by the collar.
“Come on,” he said, “you’ve said enough.” He dragged the angry one out at the door to the sidewalk, and then came back.
“I want to explain,” he said, “That’s Blumberger[23]. He’s an architectural draftsman[24]. I work in the same office with him. He has worked hard for three months drawing a plan for a new city hall. It was a prize competition. He finished inking the lines[25] yesterday. You know, a draftsman always makes his drawing in pencil first. After that he inks the line. When it’s done he rubs out the pencil lines with stale bread. That’s better than India rubber[26].
Blumberger has bought the bread here. Well, today he tried to rub out the pencil lines of his plan with the bread he bought in your bakery… You know, ma’am, that butter isn’t good for paper. And well, Blumberger’s plan can now be used only as a paper for railroad sandwiches.”
Miss Martha went into the back room. She took off the blue silk dress and put on the old brown serge she was wearing before.
Exercises
1. Choose the right variant:
1. Miss Martha was sure that the customer would buy fresh bread.
2. Miss Martha was sure that the man would bring more customers to her.
3. Miss Martha was sure that the customer would be thankful.
4. Miss Martha was sure that the customer would never come again.
2. What is the German architectural draftsman’s name?
1. Tausendonfer
2. Meacham
3. Dummkopf
4. Blumberger
3. Who was the young man with Blumberger?
1. his colleague
2. his son
3. his lawyer
4. his driver
4. Why did Miss Martha put the butter inside the bread?
1. She wanted to spoil the drawing.
2. She had too much butter in her bakery.
3. She liked butter very much.
4. She intended to support the “artist”.
5. What is a “Dummkopf”?
1. a wise man or a woman
2. a fool
3. a police officer
4. a friend
6. What is “Tausendonfer”?
1. wishing luck
2. wordplay
3. magic chant
4. German cursing
7. Choose the right variant:
1. Miss Martha put butter on the customer’s loaves of bread.
2. Miss Martha put butter under the customer’s loaves of bread.
3. Miss Martha put butter near the customer’s loaves of bread.
4. Miss Martha put butter into the customer’s loaves of bread.
8. Why did Miss Martha bring the picture to her bakery?
1. She liked art very much.
2. She wanted to know the occupation of the customer.
3. She wanted to hide the hole on the wall.
4. There was no room for the picture at home.
9. Why did the customer begin to curse Miss Martha?
1. She spoiled his work.
2. He hated women.
3. He did not know any good words.
4. He forgot to take his loaves of bread.
10. Choose the right verb:
Miss Martha _____________ well putting butter into the loaves of bread.
1. did
2. meant
3. made
4. wished
11. Choose the correct verbs:
With a bread knife Miss Martha _____________ a deep cut in each of the stale loaves, _____________ a big piece of butter, and _____________ the loaves tight again.
1. pressed, inserted, made
2. inserted, made, pressed
3. pressed, made, inserted
4. made, inserted, pressed
12. Insert the right prepositions:
in order to – around – from – at
1. He clinched his two fists and shook them ferociously _____________ Miss Martha.
2. When the customer turned from the door, she was tying the paper _____________ them.
3. She also began to use some cream _____________ make her face a little more beautiful.
4. In order to test her theory, she brought _____________ her room one day a painting that she had bought at a sale.
13. Complete the chart:
The Count and the Wedding Guest
One evening when Andy Donovan went to dinner at his Second Avenue boarding-house, Mrs. Scott introduced him to a young lady, Miss Conway. Miss Conway was small and unobtrusive. She wore a plain, brown dress. She lifted her diffident eyelids and shot one perspicuous glance at Mr. Donovan, politely murmured his name, and returned to her mutton. After the introduction she did not speak to Andy Donovan. Mr. Donovan bowed with the grace, and forgot Miss Conway almost at once.
Two weeks later Andy was sitting on the front steps enjoying his cigar. Suddenly somebody came out. Andy turned his head – and had his head turned[27].
Miss Conway was coming out the door. She wore a night-black dress. Her hat was black, and from it drooped and fluttered a black veil. She stood on the top step and drew on black silk gloves. Not a speck of white or a spot of color. Her face was plain, but it was now beautiful. Her large gray eyes gazed above the houses across the street into the sky with an expression of sadness and melancholy.
All black, and sad, faraway look[28], and the hair shining under the black veil…
Mr. Donovan threw away his unfinished cigar, and quickly stood up.
“It’s a fine, clear evening, Miss Conway,” he said.
“Yes, it is, Mr. Donovan, but not for me,” said Miss Conway, with a sigh.
“I hope none of your relatives – I hope you haven’t sustained a loss?” ventured Mr. Donovan.
“Not a relative,” said Miss Conway, hesitating, “I have no friends or acquaintances in this city. But you have been kind to me. I appreciate it highly.”
“It’s tough to be alone in New York,” said Mr. Donovan. “Would you like to take a walk in the park, Miss Conway – don’t you think it might chase away some of your troubles?”
“Thanks, Mr. Donovan. I’d be pleased to accept your invitation.”
They walked through the open gates of the old, downtown park, and found a quiet bench.