Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1883-08-23
A CHANGE IN FORTUNE,

A CHANGE IN FORTUNE,
Timothy Bloom, salesman in Mr..
Crabbe's big retail dry goods store, was
stealthily eating his lunch in a dusty
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 it.
A very mild, pleasant-looking young
fellow was Timothy Bloom, with eyes
like a pretty girls and fair hair parted
down the middle: but he was rather
doleful at this moment, for Crabbe,
senior, had just been abusing him for
permitting a lady who was not to be
suited by mortal salesman to get off
without buying anything, and had like
wise informed him that he had been
FIVE seconds late that morning and
would in consequence "be deducted an
eighth" on Saturday evening
That was not pleasant, and Mr..
Crabbe's manner was not pleasant, and
the dusty corner and the stale sand
wich were not pleasant. And who can
wonder that poor Timothy Bloom look
ing up at a row of decorated corset
boxes above his head, and taking his
idea from the winged infant pictured
upon them, remarked under his breath:
II wish | was a cherub"
At this moment, even as the wish
fluttered up 10 the corset boxes, a little
boy, about three feet high, bearing On
his bosom badge with the enormous
number 1889, 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 I'm chokin'"
Mr.. Bloom smiled pitifully at the
child, forlorn widows bread-winner,
and said mildly as he held out the
glass:
Here, Johnny, take halt. I'd let you
have it all if we were not limited to
one glass ourselves"
Guess waters gettin' 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. Mr..
Bumps hit me lick when | asked him.
Here, have the evening paper. a Gus
toner left it on the desk. Save it for
rne to take to mar when I go home to-
night. She likes to read the murders,
them things"
'Cash 1882 shrieked a female
voice. "Cashl Cashr'
Its Miss Pringle l must CO." whis-
pered Johnny, and sped away in terror.
There were ten cash boys in the
store, and they had been numbered
high to sound well.
Mr.. Bloom peered around the corner
at the clock, saw he had ten minutes
more to himself, and opened the paper.
The first thing his eye lighted upon
was the advertisement of a fine coun-
try seat for sale, and he read it
through-the description of the stables,
barns, bath-tubs, conservatory, veran-
da, lawn and kitchen gardens; the
well, the tiled hall and frescoed cell
ings, as though he intended to buy it
for himself that afternoon.
Then he cast his eyes upon an ac-
count of how Mr. Mullen had beaten
Mrs. Mullen, and had been arrested
for so doing; and then he found him
self reading paragraph to the effect
that the heirs of Timothy Bloom, of
England, if living, might
hear something to their advantage by
applying to Jones & Johnson, -
street.
"My name," thought Mr.. Bloom at
first. Then, with a start, he remem-
bered that he had heard that his
grandfather was named Timothy. Ger
tainly, he came from Lancaster, Eng
land. His father, David Bloom, had
been an only son. He was an only son
himself. Well, then, he was Timothy
Blooms heir, if it should prove that
the Timothy Bloom mentioned was
really his grandfather's name.
But. oh pshaw" said Mr.. Bloom,
This sort of thing couldn't happen to