The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-07-11

she observed
well, Jane! On credit! We have just
enough money to get agoing with till the end of
| the month. Jane! No. no! We don't owe any
body dollar. Let us have that to say every
night, no matter what else" Ana they said it
with the delight that has been recorded.
Next morning, when the Wilkinses were at
| breakfast the postnan gave vicious pull at the
| bell handle.
''Why, cried Frank in great g,ee, coming
back from the door with the letters, heres one
| from Mr.. Godcraft" and, scing the envelope in
a twnkling, he read aloud:
THE LODGE, July /.
| "My Dear Wilkns--Mrs. Goldcra1t asks me to
quest you to look after little commission for her.
Last time she had the pleasure of calling Mrs. Viii
kns they had some talk about cabinet in your draw
ngroom, an ebonized article, with gilt carving, my
| wife says which Mrs. Wilkins mentioned made
| from her own des ign by some mechanic. Viii you
kindly order one precisely similar from the
and let him send it here as possible? You
must blame Mrs. Wilkins excellent taste for leading
me to ask you to take this trouble We all very
well and enjoying the country more than ever-the
new house being very comfortable will not be back
in before the end of the month but that will be
time ough to look after your interests in certain
| direction Very truly yours,
| JONAS G. GoLDCRAFT."
| He means the accountants desk" cried Mr..
| Wilkins with enthusiasm 81 heard yesterday
that Bingle was to be made cashier. By jove,
if Goldcraft backs me I'm sure of the vacancy.
! Isn't he a good old chap?'
and then it's SO nice of Mrs. Goldcraft to
want cabinet just like mine. said Jane, greatly
fattered You must go to Bradder on your
way down town and tell him to make another
| one instantly"
GLOW much will it bem
about $50 or $40, though mine only cost $780,
| But that was four years ago"
| '1ts awful price," said Frederick, who had
| learned the value of money since
''Well, [ should think Mr. Goldcraft could
| afford it."
| Afford it, Rather. I'd Just like to know
| what Goldcraft couldn't afford. | don't see
| how sucn good old fellow ever got to be so
| rich"
The Wilkinses were entirely happy fairly
pasking in the sense of Mr. Gol6crafts friend
ship and approval. He was the greatest fnan-
cial magnate of Torhamton, the largest stock
holder and the president of the Torhamton
| Bank. Ii he were going to take up MIR. Wilkins
| there was no question about Bnge's desk fall
| ing to him; why, even the managership might
accrue in course of time. Moreover, Mrs. Gold
craft was almost the most potent leader of
| Torhamton society. Every time she entered
| Jane Wikns's drawing-room Jane felt con
| trmed anew in hersocial position. Now she fore
saw herself regarded by all the bank ladies as an
arbiter Of taste, when they whould have learned
| not only that that cabinet-which some of them
| had admired with an air of malicious amaze
ment-had been approved by Mrs Goldcraft
but that she had actually ordered its counter
part for her new country house, which every
body knew was to be furnished in the most ex-
penSive phase of the aesthetic mania. Jane
hurried her husband to the fulflment of the
commission.
Mr.. Daniel Bradder was an excellent mechanic
who employed no more than the few men whom
he could oversee while working himself He was
proud of being hard worker, just as he would
have been proud of being lawyer or doctor, if
such had been his fate, the truth being that he
was proud of being BradGer He was aggres-
sively independent and at all times ready to
lump men who wore neat coats and clean linen
with folks as lives high-tored and goes with
the bigbugs, and doesn't pay their bills" AS
Wilkins entered this worthy mans shop, he re-
fected with pleasure that he had paid him off
| long ago, and with interest. 1t appeared that
| Mr.. Bradder had less pleasant recollection of
| the circumstances in fact, as Wilkins had paid
him by small installmen,s, he scarcely felt that
he had been paid at all. Nevertheless, he took
| the order gloomily.
Yes, said he, Il don't say as I can't do the
job right off, if it so be as I'm going to be paid
right off. Times is hard. My men gets their
money every Saturday night"
well, you shall have your money, Mr.. Brad
der, as soon as the cabinet is finished" answered
MIR. Wilkins. You're not afraid of me, 1 sup
pose2'
Probably he expected semi apologize answer
But Bradder thought of Frederick as SLOW
pay; also as cone of these yere Goldfish eristy-
Gratis" Nevertheless, he reflected that he had
always received his instaliments of the old ac-
count on the day named by Mr. Wilkins.
eff you say the jobll be paid for sure when
its finished complete, l dare say it'll be done
right away" he answered.
Certainly. Why it's for Mr.. Goldcraft,"
answered Wilkins, Indignantly Now, Mr.
Goldcraft had hurt Mr. Bradder's feelings very
much on a certain occasion by giving large job
of nice paneling to lower tenderer from outside
Torhamton.
II don't know nothing about no Goldcrafts,
said he grut11y. I'm making this yere article
of furniture for Mr.. Wilkins as has promised to
pay down on the nail"
''All right them" and Wilkins walked out
hastily.
Il oughtn't to have given that pigheaded
fellow the work, he said, stopping hundred
yards away Fancy him being impudent to
Mr.. Goldcraft However, he can do it better
than anybody else," and again he went on to
the bank, where learning that Binge was really
to be promoted, he at once formally put on re-
cord his claim to the place of the accountant. In
the evening, when he reported Bradders remarks
to Jane she said:
you must write to Mr.. Goldcraft tomorrow
and ask him to send the money. We can't
spare it."
why, couldn't write to him in that way.
What would he think of me? He will send
check as soon as the cabinet is delivered.
We can DO without the money for couple
of days"
''Ye-es, for a couple of days. OF course, he
couldn't keep us wating|
''Waitng The idea. Goldcraft!"
But he would never imagine that we have
| barely enough to get along Don't you think
! you had better mention the price to him! Of
course, you'll have to write and say you ordered
| it."
yes that will be the best plan,r Mr.. wilkins
answered.
But next day, when he wrote to Mr.. Goldcraft
he found he could not specify the $40. 1t seemed
absurd to mention such trihe TO that million
aire! Moreover, Wilkins was one of the men
who are always imagining things" to mention
the price seemed not only like dpnning Gold
craft, but also like q confession of his own
straits, and Wilkins was very sensitive about
| crying poverty to his financial superiors. So
he just stated that he had ordered the cabinet
| from Bradder, who would forward it in a fort
night.
''Bradder2" exclaimed Mr. Goldcraft to his
wife on reading the letter. That's that sulky
man. didn't intend to let him touch another
dollar of mine. L hope wilkins has made bar
| gain. It's very unbusinesslike OF him not to
mention the price. That Bradder will try to