He did
not spend it, but once a year a man with a red flannel cap like Hugo's
appeared and received all the boy's pay for overwork, and then went away.
The boys made up their minds that Hugo had some sort of witchcraft in his
copper coin. After some years his apprenticeship expired, and Hugo became
a journeyman, working in the same quiet way and doing more work than any
other man in the village, though he did not work any faster. Meantime
several of his brothers, each with the same quiet way, had appeared, and
sat down to work in the same shop. Each of them wore the red flannel cap
with a tassel, and each of them had a copper coin about his neck. Hugo
had disappeared for a few days once, and had brought back a wife. His
brothers lived in his house. Soon he set up a shop. As the other
shoemakers were afraid of his charm, he had neither apprentice nor
journeyman except his brothers. Fortunately there were no less than ten
of them, all with red flannel caps and blue blouses, and wearing copper
coins about their necks. But Hugo's shop turned out more than any other.
The dealers over the border, when there was an order to be quickly
filled, always said, "Send to Hugo, he wears a charm."
At last there came a war.
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