if mrs. bradley had been wiser, she would havefelt less confident of her nephew's producing a favorableimpression upon mr. wharton. she resolved toopen the subject at the breakfast table``i didn't know, mr. wharton,'' she commenced,``that you intended to engage a reader.''
``nor did i propose to do so until last evening.''
``i think--you'll excuse me for saying so--thatyou will find that boy too young to suit you.''
``i don't think so. he reads very clearly anddistinctly.''
``if i had known you thought of engaging areader, i would have asked you to engage mynephew.''
``indeed, i was not aware that you had a nephewin the city. is he a boy?''
``no; he is a young man. he was twenty yearsold last june.''
``is he unfavorably situated?''
``he has a place as salesman.''
``with what firm?''
``gilbert & mack.''
``why, that is the same firm that employs myyoung friend. it is a good firm.''
``perhaps it is, but my poor nephew receives avery small salary. he finds it very hard to getalong.''
``your nephew is young. he will be promoted ifhe serves his employers well.''
``thomas would have been glad to read to you inthe evening, sir,'' said mrs. bradley, commencingthe attack.
``but for my present engagement, i might havetaken him,'' said mr. wharton, politely.
``have you engaged that boy for any length oftime?''
``no; but it is understood that he will stay whilei need him, and he continues to suit me. i have afavorable opinion of him. besides, he needs the pay.
he receives but three dollars a week as a cash-boy,and has a sister to support as well as himself.''
``i am sorry,'' she said in an injured tone. ``ihope you'll excuse my mentioning it, but i took theliberty, having been for twenty years in your employ.''
``to be sure! you were quite right,'' said heremployer, kindly. ``perhaps i may be able to dosomething for your nephew, though not that. tellhim to come and see me some time.''
``thank you, sir,'' said the housekeeper.
there was one question she wanted to determine,and that was the amount of compensation receivedby frank. she did not like to inquire directly frommr. wharton, but resolved to gain the informationfrom our hero. some evenings later she had theopportunity. mr. wharton had an engagement, andasked her to tell frank, when he arrived that hewas released from duty. instead of this she receivedhim in the library herself.
``probably mr. wharton will not be at home thisevening,'' she said. ``if he does not return in halfan hour, you need not wait.''
she took up her work, seated in mr. wharton'susual place, and frank remained ready for duty.
``mr. wharton tells me you have a sister,'' shesaid.
``yes, ma'am.''
``you must find it hard work to provide for heras well as yourself.''
``i do, or rather i did till i came here.''
``how much does mr. wharton pay you?'' sheasked, in an indifferent tone.
``five dollars a week,'' answered frank.
``you are lucky that you have such a chance,'' shesaid.
``yes, ma'am; it is more than i earn, i know, butit is a great help to me.''
``and how much do you get as cash-boy?''
``three dollars a week.''
``so you actually receive nearly twice as much fora couple of hours in the evening as for the wholeday.''
``yes, ma'am.''
``what a pity thomas can't have this chance,'' shethought.
when it was nine o'clock, she said:
``you need not wait any longer. mr. whartonwill not be home in time to hear you read.''
``good-evening, mrs. bradley,'' said frank.
``good-evening!'' she responded, coldly.
``that boy is in the way,'' she said to herself,when she was left alone. ``he is in my way, andtom's way. i can see that he is artfully intriguingfor mr. wharton's favor, but i must checkmate him.
it's odd,'' she resumed, after a pause, ``but there issomething in his face and voice that seems familiarto me. what is it?''
* * * * *the following evening the housekeeper receivedanother visit from her nephew.
``how do, aunt?'' said thomas bradley, carelessly,as he entered the housekeeper's room.
``very well, thank you, thomas. i am glad youare here. i have been wanting to see you.''
``the old man isn't going to do anything for me,is he?''
``how can you expect it so soon? he doesn'tknow you yet. how much do you think he pays thecash-boy that reads to him in the evening?''
``i don't know.''
``five dollars a week.''
``i wouldn't give up my evenings for that,'' he said.
``it isn't so much the pay, thomas, though thatwould be a help. he might take a fancy to you.''
``that might pay better. when are you going tointroduce me?''
``this evening; that is, i will ask mr. whartonif he will see you.''
mrs. bradley entered the library, where frankwas engaged in reading aloud.
``excuse my interruption,'' she said; ``but mynephew has just called, and i should like to introducehim to you, if you will kindly receive him.''
``certainly, mrs. bradley,'' said mr. wharton.
``bring him in.''
the housekeeper left the room, but speedilyreappeared, followed by her nephew, who seemed alittle abashed.
``my nephew, thomas bradley, mr. wharton,''
said his aunt, by way of introduction. ``you haveoften heard me speak of mr. wharton, thomas.''
``how do you do, sir?'' said thomas awkwardly.
``pray take a seat, mr. bradley. your aunt hasbeen long a member of my family. i am glad to seea nephew of hers. i believe you are a salesman atgilbert & mack's?''
``yes, sir.''
``then you must know my young friend here?''
pointing to frank.
``how are you, cash?'' said thomas, laughing,under the impression that he had said somethingsmart.
``very well, mr. bradley,'' answered frank,quietly.
``you see, that's all the name we call 'em in thestore,'' said thomas.
mr. wharton could not help thinking:
``how poorly this young man compares with myyoung friend. still, as he is mrs. bradley's nephew,i must be polite to him.''
``are there many cash-boys in your establishment,mr. bradley?''
``about a dozen. ain't there, fowler?''
``i believe so, mr. bradley.''
``gilbert & mack do a good business, i shouldjudge.''
``yes, they do; but that doesn't do us poorsalesmen much good. we get just enough to keep souland body together.''
``i am sorry to hear it,'' said mr. wharton.
``why, sir,'' said thomas, gaining confidence, ``allthey pay me is twelve dollars a week. how canthey expect a fellow to live on that?''
``i began my career about your age,'' said mr.
wharton, ``or perhaps a little younger, and had tolive on but six dollars a week.''
``didn't you come near starving?'' he asked.
``on the contrary, i saved a little every week.''
``i can't,'' said thomas, a little discomfited. ``why,it takes half that to dress decently.''
mr. wharton glanced quietly at the rather loudand flashy dress worn by his visitor, but only said:
``a small salary, of course, makes economy necessary.''
``but when a fellow knows he earns a good dealmore than he gets, he doesn't feel like starving himselfjust that his employers may grow rich.''
``of course, if he can better himself they cannotobject.''
``that's just what i want to do,'' said thomas; ``buti expect i need influence to help me to somethingbetter. that's a good hint,'' thought he.
``i was telling thomas,'' said the housekeeper,``that you had kindly expressed a desire to be ofservice to him.''
``i am not now in active business,'' said mr. wharton,``and of course have not the opportunities iformerly had for helping young men, but i will bearyour case in mind, mr. bradley.''
``thank you, sir,'' said thomas. ``i am sure iearn a thousand dollars a year.''
``i think, thomas,'' said mrs. bradley, ``we won'tintrude on mr. wharton longer this evening. whenhe finds something for you he will tell me.''
``all right, aunt. good-night, mr. wharton. good-night, cash,'' said thomas, chuckling anew at theold joke.
``well, aunt,'' said he, when they were once morein the housekeeper's room, ``do you think the oldgentleman will do anything for me?''
``i hope so; but i am not sure, thomas, whetheryou were not too familiar. you spoke of money tooquick.''
``it's my way to come to business.''
``i wish you were his reader, instead of that boy.''
``well, i don't. i wouldn't want to he mewed upin that room with the old man every night. i shouldget tired to death of it.''
``you would have a chance to get him interestedin you. that boy is artful; he is doing all he can towin mr. wharton's favor. he is the one you havemost reason to dread.''
``do you think he will do me any harm?''
``i think he will injure your chances.''
``egad! if i thought that, i'd wring the youngrascal's neck.''
``there's a better way, thomas.''
``what's that?''
``can't you get him dismissed from gilbert &mack's?''
``i haven't enough influence with the firm.''
``suppose they thought him dishonest?''
``they'd give him the sack, of course.''
``can't you make them think so, thomas?''
``i don't know.''
``then make it your business to find out.''
``i suppose you know what good it's going to do,aunt, but i don't. he's got his place here with theold man.''
``if mr. wharton hears that he is discharged, andhas lost his situation, he will probably dischargehim, too.''
``perhaps so; i suppose you know best.''
``do as i tell you, and i will manage the rest.''
``all right. i need your help enough. to-night,for instance, i'm regularly cleaned out. haven't gotbut twenty-five cents to my name.''
``it seems to me, thomas,'' said his aunt, with atroubled look, ``you are always out of money. i'llgive you five dollars, thomas, but you must rememberthat i am not made of money. my wages aresmall.''
``you ought to have a good nest-egg laid aside,aunt.''
``i've got something, thomas, and when i die, it'llbe yours.''
``i hope i shan't have to wait too long,'' thoughtthomas, but he did not give utterance to thethought.''
``come again, thomas, and don't forget what ihave said,'' said mrs. bradley.
