, 1886-01-10
PATCHED ELBOWS.

old IOppletOn Will say.
AS he spoke, Dave Baldwin turned
about and showed his mother the rents
where two very active elbows had
worked themselves out of prison. Mrs.
Baldwin was frying griddle-cakes for
Dawes breakfast. She looked up and
said in her pleasant way:
We'll, Dave, the thing that made the
trouble will cure it. Work did it, and
work will cure it, and next month you
will be able, from your earnings, TO
have a new coat, so that again you can
say, what made holes will cover them.
In a few minutes | will sew up those
holes"
Sorry to make you 80 much trouble,
mother. I'm an awful boy"
Thereupon Mother Baldwin told him
she would stop his mouth with agriddle-
cake If he did not stop that style of
talking.
81 shouldn't object, mother, to look
ing rs well as Frank Thompson.
II should il ! thought you got your
clothes the same way. l was at the
Thompsons' the other day, and Mrs.
Thompson groaned and said she should
be glad when Frank got his bills paid,
but clerks must dress in any store, she
supposed. Before you and Frank vent
into Toppleton's store you and he were
glad to pick greens in the city lots and
bring them home for dinner, and
would rather you'd be a dandelion-
picker for life than have you owing
everybody and never paying them"
To this sentiment Mother Baldwin
gave emphasis by the vigorous landing
of another griddle cake on Dawes plate.
II think young people ought to grow
M with a horror of debt, for it is one
kind Of dishonesty if you owe people,
because you have bought something you
know you may not pay for. Then, il
you expect when you buy to be able to
pay, but still don't pay, and so keep
people out of their Just due, after a
while conscience gets easy on this debt
subject, and says: 'Oh, any time will
do and who knows7 If / get easy
about what | owe q man, | may get
easy on the subject of taking something
outright from him. No, Dave, | want
to bring you up right
Still again did Mother Baldwin give
emphasis to her words by the prompt
and hearty landing of a griddle-cakc on
the hungry boys plate.
That's good, mother. You give EN-
big and hot. I'll promise to be hon
est"
IF you don't, young man." said
Mother Baldwin. with a ringing laugh,
you may speak for another cook. The
very first evening / possibly can, l will
engage TO cover those active elbows with
two as neat patches as l can put on.
They will do till you can buy a new
coat"
Dave and Frank that morning walked
together to Toppleton's DRY Goods
Bazaar, where they were clerks.
"Oh, that is a beautyl' exclaimed
Dave, noticing one Of Franks sleeve
buttons. The style was that of a blue
stone in n cross form set within q rich
gold band.
Like itf' asked Frank. THE ladies
all think it very fine. When | sell 'em
n piece Of silk, | Just carelessly lay my
hand on it and say: 1t shows well
against iewelry,' and it is just-just-
irresistible"
Must have cost something"
"Hem-welll faint paid for vet,
but that is all right. BY wearing it I'm
advertising iewelry for the firm where l
got it, and that is pay"
" hhON aDOai H. bul BULLS "
me feel easier when l pay for a
thing"
"Oh, nonsense" replied Frank.
sharply. He did not wish to be- re-
minded of the subject Of debt, and why
should his old companion in days of
dandelion- picking worry him with his
sensitive conscience,
That night Dawes mother covered his
"enterprising elbows with two very
neat patches. Only a pair OF sharp eyes
would have detected these honest
covers.
'tsay, Dave" said Frank, the next
day, cycling closely his fellow clerk,
ARE those patched elbows paid forf'
Patched elbowsl" asked Jim Blake,
a clerk with a rough voice. "Paid forl
Has Dave any strange notions about the
subject OF debt2'
Yes, said Dave, coolly and pleas
antly, and am not ashamed of them,
or my clothes either"
Indeed said Franz, eontemptu-
ously.
Come boysl Attend to your work!''
exclaimed a voice.
The clerks all looked up. 1t was Top
pleton himself! There was an awful ST.
lence in that part of the store.
Guess | made a mistake" exclaimed
Frank. "Ill look out for the old man
next time.
A very serious mistake, that night,
Toppleton thought somebody was max
ing. Almost all of his clerks had left.
CHANGING to look out of his counting
room, he saw an arm that, reaching
round the corner of n set of shelves on
which were expensive broadoloths, alb
stracted a fragment and then was
quickly withdrawn.
"1ndeedl' thought Toppleton. THAT
was a neat operation Look here.
What did | see on that arm, or the
wrist, ratherl Something bluei Humph''
The next day the clerks wondered why
Toppleton seemed to be bowling so much
when near them, STOPPING down to the
level of their hands.
Funny said Jim Blake. 81 thought
Toppleton would turn cannibal and cat
my hands today
Il thought he was going of with my
sleeve buttons, remarked Frank. HE
said they were a pretty pattern, and
eyed them c~oyetously."
Toppleton himself said, IF that thief
is round tonight, fishing cloth OF from
that shelf, he may have an unexpected
bite"
That night, when almost all the clerks
had left the store. that same arm began
to slyly fish round the corner of the
shelves on which were sorted the ex-
pensiye cloths, and there was indeed an
unexpected bite. 1t ives vigorously
grabbed by somebody hidden under the
counter. When the fisherman and
his game" were brought face 10 face,
Frank Thompson saw Toppleton on the
end Of his line 1t was the last day that
Frank had a chance to fish" or do n
work in Toppleton's store.
The next evening Dave Baldwin said