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

We must get W0fh tpf our men II We can,
We meant to have this contract II We
could. We offered TO do It at what Was
| really actual cost OF manufacture
without profit, first OF all, and then
without any charge at all for Office ex-
| nsnses, iaT Interest on capital, for De.
probation Of plant, The vice president
Of the Methuselah, the one who attend,
TO all their real estate, is Mr.. Carkeu.
dale. lie told me yesterday that our
bid was very low, and that wa were Ger.
tain to get the contract, And now he
sends me this" and Mr.. WhlI.ier
picked up the telegram again.
do YOU mean TO say that you think
tho Tuxedo people have somehow been
made acquainted with our bIds?" asked
the Young man.
That's what Im thinking now" was
Whoatcrotta sharp answer ~ can't
think anything else, For two month,
Se haven't been successful in getting a
single enc OF tho bic contracts. We've
had our share Of the lille things, oil
course, bat they don't amount to much.
The bic things that We really wanted
have slipped through our tngeri. We've
lost them By tho skin OF our teeth every
time. That isn't accident, is it.? OF
course not! Then there's only ono OK.
pIanution-there's leak in this Office
somewhere"
You don';suspect any Of the clerks,
do you. Mr.. Whea,croit p asked the
elder Whittier, sadly,
II don't suspect anybody in partic.
ulaT," returned the junior partner,
brushing his hair up the wrong way.
And suspect everybody in general.
haven't an idea who 1t is, but it's
somebodyl'
who makes M the bids on these
important contracts p asked Paul
"WhSateroit and !" answered his
father. The specifications are for.
warded to the works, and the eugi.
nsers make their estimates Of the actual
cost OF labor aud material, These est.
mates ara sent TO US here, aud We add
Whatever wo think best for interest aud
Tor expenses, and for wear aud tear and
for profit"
"Who writes the letters making the
oiler-the one with the actual figures, l
mean ?" the son continued.
~ do" the elder Whittier explained.
u have always done il"
"You don't dictate them to 4 type.
writer2' Paul pursued.
Certainly not. the father responded.
~ write them with my own hand-and
What's more, take the press copy my.
self, and there ia special ietteE.boCk
ior such things. This letter.book is
kept always in the safe in this ottice-in
fact, can say that this particular letter.
book never leaves my hands except 10
20 into that safe. And. as you know,
nobody has access to that.sate except
WheatcrUft aud me.
And the major" corrected the junior
partner.
"No," Mr. Whittier explained, "vau
Zandt has no need to 90 there now"
But he used to- Mr.. WhoaIcrott
persisted.
''He did once, !" the senior partner re-
turned. but when We bought those new
safes outside there in the main office
there was no longer any need for the
chief bookkeeper to go to this smaller
safe; aud 80 last month-it was while
you we're away, Wheatcroft-Van Zandt
came in here ono afternoon and said
that as he never had occasion to 90 to
this safe. no would rather not have tho
responsibility OF knowing the combina.
ton. told him We had perfect conf.
dence in him"
~ shoud think SOL" broke in tho ox.
plosive Wheatcroit. The major has
been With Ne thirty years now. I'd sus.
pect myself Of petty larceny as soon as
him"
As said continued the elder
Whittier, 81 told him that We trusted
him perfectly, Of course Bat he urged
me, and to please him l changed the
combination OF this safe that afternoon.
You will remember, Wheatcroft. that
gave YOU the new word tho day you
came back"
"Yes, remember" said Mr.. Wheat.
croft. "But don't sec why the major
did not want to know how to open that
safe. Perhaps no is beginning to feel
his years now. lie must be sixty the
major; aud I've been thinking ior some
time lie looked worn
Five minutes later Mr.. Whittier, Mr..
Wheaicroit and the only sou Of the sen.
ior partner loft the gIass'iramed private
office, and, walking lcisurely through
the long store. passed into the street.
They did not notice that the old
bookkoepor, Major Van Zlndt, whose
high desk was 90 placed that he could
overlook the private office, had been
watching them ever since the messOn.
got had delivered the dispatch.