The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1886-01-09
Patched Elbows.

old Toppleton will say
AS he spoke, Dave Baldwin turned
about and showed his mother the rents
where two very active elbows had work
ed themselves out of the prison. Mrs.
Baldwin was frying griddle-cakes for
Dawes breakfast. She looked up and
said in her pleasant way:
well, 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 new coat, so that again you can
say, what made holes will cover them.
In few minutes l will sew up those
holes
Sorry to make you so much trouble
mother. I'm an awful boy.
Thereupon Mother Baldwin told him
she would stop his mouth with a grid
dle-cake if he did not stop that style of
talking.
4 shouldn't object mother to looking
as well as Frank Thompson.
Il should if I thought you got your
clothes the same way. | 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 went
into Toppleton's store you and he were
glad to pick greens in the city lots and
bring them home for dinner, and l
would rather you'd be little dandeloin-
picker for life, rather than having 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.
Il think young people ought to grow
up with 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, if
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 awhile
conscience gets easy on this debt sub
ject, and says: 'Oh, any time will do
and who knows? If get easy about
what I owe man, I may get easy on
the subject of taking something outright
from him. No, Dave, 1 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-cake on
the hungry boys plate.
That's good mother. You give 'em
big an hot. I'll promise to be honest.
Ifyou don't young man, said Mother
Baldwin, with ringing laugh, you
may speak for another cook. The very
first evening I possibly can, I will en-
gage 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
Bazar, where they were clerks.
'Oh that is beauty!' exclaimed
Dave, noticing one of Franks sleeve
buttons. The style was that of blue
stone in cross form, set within rich
gold band.
Like it?' asked Frank. 'The ladies
all think it very fine. When I sell 'em
a piece of silk, I just carelessly lay my
hand on it and say: 1T shows well
against jewelry,' and it is just-just-
irresistible
Must have cost something
'Hem-well? 'Taint paid for yet,
but that is all right. By wearing it Pm
advertising jewelry for the firm where 1
got it, and that is pay
Don't know about it, but seems to
me feel easier when I pay for thing
ooh, nonsense replied Frank, sharp
ly. He did not wish to be reminded
of the subject of debt, and why should
his old companion in days of dandeloin
picking worry him with his sensitive
conscience?
That night Dawes mother covered
his 'enterprising elbows with two very
would have detected these Honest q Ssf covers.
Say, Dave said Frank, the next
day, eyeing closely his fellow-clerk,
sare those patched elbows paid forP'
Patched elbows?' asked Jim Blake,
clerk with rough voice. paid for?
Has Dave any strange notions about the
subject of debt?'
YES said Dave, coolly and pleas
antly, 'and I am not ashamed of them,
or my clothes either
Indeed!' said Frank, contemptuous-
Come boys Attend to your work |!
exclaimed voice.
The clerks all looked up. 1t was
Toppleton himself. There was an aw-
full silence in that part of the store.
Guess I made mistake, exclaimed
Frank. 'I'll look out for the old man
next time
A very serious mistake, that night,
Toppleton thought that night somebody
was making. Almost all his clerks had
left. CHANGING to look out of his
counting-room he saw an arm that,
reaching around the corner of set OF
shelves on which were expensive broad
cloths, distracted fragment and then
was quickly withdrawn.
sIndeed!' thought Toppleton. That
was neat operation. Look here! What
did see on that arm, or that wrist
rather? Something blue? Hump!'
The next day the clerks wondered
why Toppleton seemed to be bowing SO
much when near them, STOPPING down
to the level of their hands.
Funny said Jim Blake, Il thought
Toppleton would turn cannibal and eat
my hands to-day
Il thought he was going off with my
sleeve buttons. remarked Frank. 'He
said they were pretty pattern, ano
eyed them covetously.'
Toppleton himself said: IF tha
thief is round tonight fishing cloth OF
from that shelf, he may have an unex
pected bite.
That night when almost all the clerk