Krates

Summary

When the dog-trainer Nicolaas Makko dies of alcoholism, his young son Theodoor - Dorus for short, but called Krates because of his hunchback - is left at the mercy of house-owner and pawnbroker Philip

When the dog-trainer Nicolaas Makko dies of alcoholism, his young son Theodoor - Dorus for short, but called Krates because of his hunchback - is left at the mercy of house-owner and pawnbroker Philip Strijkman who threatens to send him to an orphanage. Dorus runs away and Strijkman gets hold of the family papers. Roaming through the streets of Amsterdam and out into the country, Dorus comes across the caravan of Signor Carlo, circus owner, who gives him a job, first to teach dogs tricks, and later as buffoon. Dorus is befriended by Carlo's wife, Keetje, but is not liked by Betty, the "wonder child". Löbell, a German trumpeter and violinist, discovers that the boy has musical talent and teaches him to play the violin. One day, when Dorus goes to fetch a doctor for Keetje, he is caught by a gardener who thinks he is a thief. Dorus explains to and is believed by the doctor's daughter, Albertine Abels, that he was only listening to her playing the piano. She promises to send her father to attend to Keetje. When doctor Abels arrives, the woman is delirious, but she begs Dorus to play for her before she dies. Abels is impressed by the boy's obvious talent. In the meantime, solicitor Verhagen has placed an advertisement in a newspaper requesting relatives of a certain Adriaan Makko, who recently died in New York, to visit his office. This is read by Strijkman, who "smells" money. The widow Juttner enters his pawnshop one day together with her sixteen-year-old, simple-minded son Kobus, who closely resembles Dorus, is about the same age and is also a hunchback. Together with the widow, Strijkman connives to pass off Kobus as Theodoor Makko, the lost heir to the uncle's fortune. Abels, convinced that Dorus is a born musician, takes him to the music-master Tournel, who accepts the young man as a pupil and gives him lodging. There he is welcomed by Tournel's granddaughter Augusta but tormented by her older cousin Barbara. Dorus falls in love with Augusta. After a successful concert given by Dorus, he is approached by a gentleman who asks his name. When Verhagen hears "Makko", he requests Dorus to come to his office. There Strijkman, Mrs Juttner and Kobus are confronted with Dorus who is able to prove his identity, also thanks to his recognizing and being recognized by Mrs Ram, the next-door neighbour of his childhood days. Strijkman confesses that the documents he has are the property of Dorus. Because he pities the unfortunate Kobus, Dorus refuses to have the police called in. With his inherited fortune, Dorus goes to Brussels to continue his studies at the conservatoire. When he returns to Holland four years later he proposes to Augusta who gladly accepts him as her husband.