River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1883-05-17
A CHANGE In FORTUNE.


Mr.. Timothy Bloom, salasman in Mr..
Crabbe's big retail dry goods store, was
corner amongst some empty packing
boxes. 1t was not very good lunch,
and warm as the day was, he had but
one glass Of ice water with 1t.
A very mild, pleasant looking Young
fellow was Timothy Bloom, with eyes
like pretty girls, and fair hair parted
down the middle; but he was rather
doleful at this moment, for Crabte,
senior, had Just been abusing him for
permitting a lady who was not to be
suited by mortal salesman, to get of
without buying anything, and had ike
wise informed him that he had been
five seconds late that morning and would
in consequence she deducted an eiglths
ON Saturday evening.
That was not pleasant, and Mr..
Crabbe's manner was not pleasant: and
the dusty corner and the stale sand
witch were not pleasant And who can
wonder that poor Timothy Bloom, look
ing mp at row of decorated corset box
es above his head, and taking his idea
from the winged infant pictured
upon them, remarked under his
breath:
81 wish I was cherub."
At this moment, even as the wish
fiuttered up to the corset boxes, little
boy, about three feet high, bearing on
/. T. no. 10
number .1s9, came around the corner,
and fixed his pathetic eyes on Mr..
Blooms glass of water.
81 say, Mr. Bloom" he whispered,
pathetically, won't you give me just
mouthful of that water? Mr.. Crabbe
says us cashes amt to have no drinks,
and Pm chokin'."
Mr.. Bloom smiled pitifully at the child,
a forloTn widows bread winner, and
said mildly, as he held out the glass
"Here, Johnny, take half. I'd let
you have it all il we were not limited to
one glass ourselves"
Guess waters getting DEAR" said
Johnny, eagerly swallowing the share
allowed of the cooling draught, but
scrupulously careful not TO exceed the
permission.
"Thank'ee. You're brick. MIR.
Here, have the paper? A customer left
it on the desk Save it for me to take
home to mar when go home tonight.
She likes to read the murders them
things"
Cash 1882 shrieked female voice.
ssCash! CASH."
cts Mrs Pringle | must go, whis-
pered Johnny, and sped away IN terror.
There were 10 cash boys in the store,
and they had been numbered high to
sound well.
Mr.. Bloom peeped around the boxes
at the clock, saw he had 10 minutes
more to himself, and opened the paper.
The first thing lis eyes lighted upon
was the advertisement of a fine country
seat for sale, and he read it through the
description of the stables, barns, bath
tubs, conservatory, .yeranda, lawn and
kitchen garden, the well, the tiled hall
and frescoed ceilings, as though he in
tended to buy it for himself that after
noon.
Then he cast his eve on an account of
how Mr. Mullen had beaten Mrs.
Mullen and been arrested for so doing;
and then he found himself reading a
paragraph to the effect that the heirs of
Timothy Bloom. of Lancaster Eng, If
living might hear of something to their
advantage by applying to Jones d John
sons-street.
''My name,D thought Mr. Bloom, at
first. Then, with stsrt, he remem-
bered that he had heard his grandfather
was named Timothy. Certainly, he
came from Lancaster, England. His
father, David Bloom, had been an only
son. He was an only son himself.
Well, then, he was Timothy Bloom 8
heir if it should prove that the Timothy
Bloom inquired for was really his faith
er's father.
"But, oh, pshaww said Mr.. Bloom.
"This sort of thing couldn't happen to
me. It's some other Timothy, not poor
old grandfather And he copied the
address Of Jones 4 Johnson into his
pocket book and went back to his coun-
ter quite calmly, though he wrote TO
Jones & Johnson that night
However, wonders will never cease.
When Tim Bloom, the meekest of all
young salesmen, went home that Satur-
day evening, with deducted salary,
and a scolding. he found Mr.. Johnson
himself in the boarding house parl0r,
and an examination of the family Bible
in his possession, and of certain bum
die of yellow letters that Mr.. Bloom had
more than once decided to burn, but
had fortunately spared, settled the mat
ter. Half million OF money had come
to him in the regular course OF nature,
and he was richer not only than Mr..
Crabbe, but than any of his fashionable
customers.
1t was a wonderful surprise to little
Tim Bloom, and he scarcely grasped the
idea at first Even after lie told his
chief conlidant, his landladys pretty
granddaughter, Mehitable White, a
pretty pink-rheeked, capable damsel
called Hetty for short--he only went so
far as to think of a pair of patient leather
boots and diamond cravat pin.
Hetty awakened him to a full reallza-
ton of his changed condition by saying,
rather seriously, and looking away from
him.
"0f course. grandmas won't suit you
any longer. Mr.. Bloom, and you'll never
have to 90 back to Crabbe 4 Co sagain.'
"By Georgel / never thought of 1t;
so | shan't," said Tim Bloom. mo
more counter jumping for me; and If
Mrs White will let me hire the back
parlour, I'll take that. Go away Not
II
Not yet, it's too soon" said Hetty,
to herself; "but he'll go when he quite
understands"
"Iet me congratulate YOU, my dear
Mr. Bloom" said Mr.. Crabbe, bowling,
as he parted from the departing clerk as
he cid to the carriage customers at the
very store door 81 have always felt
superiority in you over the other yoang
men. | said to my daughter, Belinda,
the other day: III it were not for giving
offense to Others should ask MIR. Tim
othy Bloom to our little evenings. Some
thing of the prince in disguise about
him; but an employer has his duties.
They sometimes make his heart ache,
but he must perform them
Mr.. Bloom rem embered the placard
over the water cooler: "Cashes not al
lowed drinks "a cash who drinks de-
Quoted one-half," and thought that if
Mr. Crabbe really had heart this must
be true
Tim Bloom was rich man; but he
had no rich friends as vet. The clerk
at Crabbe 4 Co.'S, had been always
quarreling amongst themselves, and he
had not known one in paivate.
The boardors were not "soeiable;" he
treated them to ice cream several times,
and took Hetty White to il concert or
| two.
He improved h mind in libraries
and museums, and set up bookcase OF
| his own. into which he put miscel-
aneous assortment of volumes; but when
one day he received perfumed envel-
one inviting him TO a lawn tennis party
at Mr.. Crabbe's country seat, he felt that
the designations OF the wealthy had just
begun for him. He accepted it, of
course, and went alfred in perfect style
a = IA