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Updated: June 24, 2025
"I found them," she said dolefully, "under that pile of music." "Gritt Scott!" said Pinac. He knew at a glance what they were; experience had taught him. "Are they of Von Barwig?" he inquired. Fico took three or four of the tickets. "From Anton; yes," and then he sighed and shook his head. The men knew Von Barwig was poor, but they had no idea to what extent his poverty had reached.
"And when Mr. Fico said, 'Wine is the enemy of mankind, Mr. Pinac jumped up and said, 'Is it? Then give me my enemy, that I may drink him down. Oh, it was a most enjoyable affair. I can't tell you all that was said," went on Miss Husted. "But how the wit did flow! Wit and wine; no, wit and water; there wasn't much wine.
"What's the matter?" asked Pinac, who could not understand German, but who knew something was wrong, and wanted to show Poons that he knew the ropes in the States. Poons poured out a tale of woe which was intended to touch Von Barwig's heart and gain his sympathy, instead of which it made him laugh heartily.
"Miss Husted is at the top of the notch," replied Pinac, who generally constituted himself spokesman for the party. "We are all top of the notch," he added, "eh, Poonsie?" slapping the young man on the back. "What a strange thing is this human existence!" thought Von Barwig, as he left his friends and walked back to his studio alone.
Gone was his commanding spirit, and in its place was a quiet, gentle dignity which called forth respect as well as love; but above all love. "He is sleeping later than usual," said Jenny as she restored the crockery to its proper place in the cupboard. "All the strength of the coffee will boil away," murmured Fico. "Parbleu! we make new coffee for him," replied Pinac. "He have sleep long enough.
Pinac was playing his violin, Poons the 'cello and Fico was at the piano, with Jenny apparently as the audience. "Isn't Professor Barwig here?" inquired Miss Husted, surprised at his room being occupied during his absence. "No, Miss Owstong," said Pinac, always the spokesman of the trio. He spoke English slightly better than Fico, who could barely make himself understood.
Pinac rushed to get it. Poons put on a few coals and some more wood into the little stove, and the process of coffee-making began. "There's nothing like hot coffee to cheer you up on a cold day," said Von Barwig, rubbing his hands. "Not that I need cheering up, boys," he added quickly; "but hot coffee, the smell alone is enough to to whoever invented hot coffee was a genius!
Once, during breakfast, Pinac heard Poons sigh and kicked him under the table, whereupon he immediately grinned. Von Barwig saw this lightning change and wondered what was the matter. "Are you in pain?" he asked. "No," replied Poons, trying to smile, but only succeeding in grinning. Then he laughed with real tears in his eyes. "Are you laughing or crying?" asked Von Barwig.
"What is it, Anton?" asked Fico gently, "you are worried, anxious!" "You are in trouble, Anton," said Pinac, taking Von Barwig's hand. "Come confide in your friends; they help you." Von Barwig forced a laugh. "I troubled? Why, no, no! I have been to a wedding; a happy wedding, a smiling bride, a fine fellow of a bridegroom. A few tears, yes; but happy, happy tears! Come, come, long faces!
"Pistols for duel!" said Pinac at once. He had seen them in the theatre, long, thin, single barrel pistols. "Sometimes I feel that he came to this country purposely to take vengeance on some one," said Miss Husted mysteriously. The men were much impressed, but neither of them spoke. "I don't believe the poor man has his meals half the time," went on Miss Husted, somewhat irrelevantly.
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