The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1895-09-07


beams aud coils OF wire Of various
sizes. Down at tho end OF the store
were desks where several clerks aud
bookkeepers were at work.
AZ the messenger drew near red.
headed office boy blocked the passage,
saying, somewhat aggreasively, "Well3"
Got telegram for Whittier. Wheat
croft d Co." the messenger explained,
puRnaciOusly thrussnG himself forward.
"In there!" tho office boy returned,
jerking his thumb over his shoulder
toward the extreme end Of the build.
ing, an extension, roOled with glass and
separated by glass screen from the
space where the clerks were a. work.
The messenger pushed open the
glazed door OF this private office. bell
iingled over his head, and the three
occupants Of the room looked up.
whittier, Wheatcroft & Co. 2" said
the MESSENGER, interrogatively, holding
out the yellow envelope.
eyes" responded Mr.. Whittier, a tall,
handsome old gentleman, taking the
telegram. "You sign, Paul"
The youngest OF the three, looking
like his father, took the messengers
book and GlAncing at an old.iashionel
clock which stood in the corner, he
wrote the name OF the firm aud the
hour Of delivery. He was watching the
messenger 20 out when his attention
was suddenly called to subjects Of more
importance by sharp exclamation
from his father.
"well, well, we'll" said tho elder
Whittier, With his eyes fixed on the tele-
gram he had just read. This is very
strange-vcry strange, indeedw
whats stranger" asked tine third
occupant OF the Office, Mr.. Wheatcroit,
a short. stout, iraScible.looking man,
with a shock OF griZElinG hair.
For an answer Mr.. Whittier handed
10 Mr.. Whoatcrott the thin slip Of
paper.
No sooner had the junior partner read
the paper than he seemed angr Ter than
stranger he cried. al should think
II was strange! Conioundedly strange
aud deuced unpleasant, too"
"May lsee what 1t ia that's go very
stranger" naked Paul, picking up tho
dispatch.
'Oi course YOU can sec it, grovlei
Mr.. Whcatcroit, aud let Us see what
you can make oft"
The young man read tho message
aloud: deal oil. Can got quarter
cent better terms. Carkendalc."
Then no read it again to himself. At
last he said: 81 confess don't SEQ any.
thing 60 very mysterious in that. ~ Owe
lost contract, | suppose-but that
must have happened lots OF times DO.
fore, nasn'tit?"
IFS happened twice before this fall,"
returned Mr.. Whoatcroit iiorcely, after
our bid had boon practically accepted,
and iu't before the signing Of tho GnSl
contractW
"Let mo explain, WheNtcrott," inter.
Tupled the elder Whittier gently. "Yon
must not expect my son to undcrstant
tho inS aud outs Of this business as wo
do. Resides he has been in the Office
only ton days"
"a don't expect him 70 understand"
growlOd Whcatcroi,. "IIuw could hO2
Northumberland It myself"
Close that door, Paul, said Mr..
Whittier. 81 don't want any Of tho
clerks to know what wo are talking
about"
Here arc tho iacls in tho case. Paul,
and | thinl: you will admit that they are
certainly curious" began Mr.. Whittier
Twice this fall, ana now third time,
We have been the lowest bidder, Tor i'm.
pnttant orders, aud yot, lust before our
bid wasiOrmaily accepted, somebody has
cut ui under by u fraction OF cont and
got tho job. First wo thought we wcrc
going togoi tho building OF tho BhralafIa
CeRtFaPs bridge over the lAtNs MackiH.
toqh rlYOti but In tho end It was the
Tuxedo stoel Company that got tho
contract, Then there was tho order for
tho fifty thousand miles Of wire for the
ltanacon'InentnI telegraph wa made
an extraordinarily low estimate on
that We wanted tho contract, ani wo
threw OIL not only our pFuhl, bur oven
allowances Tor Office expenses mud vet
five minutes before the last bid had 10 hp
In The Tuxedo company nut IN an allor
only n hundred and twenty-five dollars
less than ours. Now comes the
telegram to-day. The Nc,huealnh
Lilo Insurance Company Ia going
to nut upa biz building, NO wore niEol
10 estimate on tho qtOoI framework. We
wanted that wotk.-tImo, nrc hail aud
thofH 10 little doing, W. you know, and