A New World. Robert M. Keane

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      The way the eating arrangement had worked out, there were five on Jim’s side of the table: Mrs. Spaulding, Aunt Anita, himself, Florence, and Ralph. He had the obligation of talking to Aunt Anita. She had already exhausted the subject of her home surroundings so he didn’t know what to say to her. He smiled at her each time she turned and smiled at him. He seized at the opportunity presented by Harold’s leaving: “Harold plays the violin very well.”

      “Oh,” said Aunt Anita, smiling.

      Jim didn’t know what more to say.

      Mrs. Spaulding looked over the table from her point at the end of the table near her husband. “Isn’t it just lovely?” she said across the table to Cricket. “Isn’t it just beautiful?”

      Cricket looked up from his plate, and peered across at her from behind his milk-bottle lenses; he didn’t answer at all.

      “We’ll eat,” said Mr. Meagher firmly, “but we’ll say grace first.” He stood up and made the thanks, while all bowed their heads.

      He sat down again. Everyone got set to pick up a shrimp, when Florence cried, “The toast first!” She rushed out to the kitchen for the champagne; Ralph followed her out.

      Each person stared hungrily at the shrimp in front of him, but waited. The conversation ceased altogether. They listened to Florence and Ralph bustle about the kitchen. The opening of the champagne in the kitchen took an interminable time. “Have they gone to buy it?” Mr. Meagher asked impatiently.

      “Florence!” he called to the kitchen.

      “Coming right in,” answered Florence.

      The whomp of a champagne cork was heard. Then Florence gave a stifled cry. They heard her say in the kitchen, “Are you all right?”

      Jim went out to the kitchen. Ralph had both hands over his mouth. He had apparently been hit with the cork.

      “What’s going on?” Mr. Meagher cried from the dining room.

      Florence turned in the direction of the dining room and called, with a smile on her face, “We’re coming right in”; then the smile turned to concern as she asked Ralph, “Are you sure you’re all right?”

      “I guess so.” He was testing his left front tooth with his index finger. “I think it’s a little bit loose.”

      “Oh God,” cried Florence. She was near tears.

      “It’s all right honey,” said Ralph. “It’ll tighten up again.”

      “We’ll go right to the dentist,” she said.

      “That’s not necessary,” said Ralph. “It’s fine.” But Jim could see that his lip was already getting fat.

      “Are you sure?”

      “Positive.”

      The entered the dining room. “You’ll never guess what happened,” said Florence to the group. “The champagne cork flew out and hit Ralph.”

      Mrs. Spaulding’s eyes went wide. Both Florence and Ralph went to reassure her. “It’s nothing. I’m fine,” said Ralph.

      “You’re sure,” said the mother.

      “I’m fine,” he repeated.

      The champagne was poured. “A toast!” Jim said.

      Cricket looked across at Jim with a smirk on his face and said, “Yeah. Let’s hear it for Florence and Ralph.”

      “You should give the toast, Dad,” said Jim.

      Everyone looked to Mr. Meagher. He took the champagne glass— fragile in his powerful hand—and held it, while he paused for thought. Finally, he said gruffly, “Good luck.”

      They all made sounds of approval, and drank.

      Harold came in with his violin.

      “Oh, Harold is back,” Aunt Nora proclaimed. “Where’s your father?”

      “He’s getting up.”

      Jim got into a panic. How could Arthur come without shoes?

      Harold stood there, fiddle in one hand, bow in the other, and waited for his cue.

      “There’s really no need for Harold to interrupt his dinner by playing now,” Florence said to Aunt Nora. “I’ll just play the dinner music for now.”

      “Don’t you want him to play?” asked Aunt Nora.

      “It’s not that I don’t want him to play,” said Florence evenly. “It’s just that I want him to have his dinner.”

      “Wouldn’t the guests like to hear some violin music?” asked Nora.

      Both Mrs. Spaulding and Aunt Anita had inscrutable smiles. Mr. Spaulding was looking longingly at the shrimp.

      Mr. Meagher settled it. “Play one tune, then leave us to get on with the meal.”

      Harold raised the fiddle under his chin, and began to pluck strings looking for the right pitch. It was meant to be background music for the dinner, but suddenly it had become a concert, so everyone had to sit with hands in lap and look at the shrimp and wait for the recital to be ended. Harold drew the bow once across the strings in a test run, and drew an awful cat-yawling from the instrument. Florence sat herself in a chair, put her hands in her lap, and looked up at Harold, and beamed, actually beamed, as if she had planned the whole thing herself.

      Jim looked at Nora, who had a satisfied air. She was such a blockhead of a woman, he thought. She couldn’t step into the background for one day.

      Harold played “The Last Rose of Summer.” He could play well, but he was nervous, and there were screechy overtones, and an occasional rumbling low note. Once there was a nerve-jarring flat.

      During the concert the two Spaulding women nodded their heads in time with the music. Mr. Spaulding studied Harold with a puzzled expression. Cricket looked at Jim and rolled his eyes in agony. Jim just wanted to get away from the table. If Arthur was going to come to the dinner, Jim had to give him his shoes back. But it would seem such an obvious thing if he were to get up now in the middle of the violin concert. Mrs. Spaulding leaned across the table to Cricket, and said in a low voice, “I bet you’re musical too.” Cricket stared at her.

      “The Last Rose of Summer” was finally coming to the end of its span. Harold was on the last line. Just at that moment, the screen door in the kitchen opened and shut.

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