Evening star., 1895-09-07
Copyright, 1895. by Irving Bacheller.)
CHAPTER T.

| CHAPTER 1.
The telegraph messenger looked again at
the address on the envelope in his hand
and then scanned the house before which
he was star ding. 1t was an old-fashioned
| building of brick two stories high. with an
attic above and it stood in an old-fash-
oned part of lower New York. not far
| from the East river. Over the wide arch
way there was small and weather-worn
] sign, "Ramapo Steel and Iron Works." and
| ever the smaller door alongside was still
| smaller sign whittier, Wheatcroft & Co.
| When the messenger boy had made out
the name he opened this smaller door and
entered the long, narrow store. Its sides
and walls were covered with bins and racks
containing sample steel rails and iron
| beams ard coils of wire of various sizes
| Down at the end of the store were desks.
| where several clerks and bookkeepers were
at wcck.
| As the messenger drew near red-headed
| office boy blocked the passage, saying,
somewhat aggressively, "Well?"
| Got telegram for Whittier. Wheatcroft
! & Co.." the messenger explained, puSna-
! ciously, thrnSting himself forward.
| I'm therei" the office boy returned. jerk
/ ing his thumb over his shoulder toward the
| extreme end of the building, an extension.
| rooted with glass and separated by glass
| screen from the space where the clerks
| were at work.
The messenger pushed open the glazed
( door of this private office, a bell jingled
| over his head and the three occupants of
| the room looked up.
whittier. Wheatcroft & Coz said the
messenger. interrogatively, holding out the
| yellow envelope.
Yes" responded Mr.. Whittier. a tall,
! handsome old gentleman, taking the tele-
! gram. You sign. Paul
| The youngest of the three. looking like
| his father, took the messengers book and
| glancing at an old-fashoned clock which
| stood in the corner. he wrote the name of
| the firm and the hour of delivery. He was
| watching the messenger so out when MS
| attention was suddenly called to subjects
| of more Importance by sharp exclamation
| from his father.
! tier, with his eyes fixed on the telegram he
had just read. This is very strange-very
| strange, indeed.'
whats stranger" asked the third occu-
| pant of the Office, Mr.. Wheatcroft, short,
| stout, irascibe-looking man, with a shock
| of grizzling hair.
For all answer Mr. Whittier handed to
| Mr.. Wheatcroft the thin slip of paper.
| No sooner had the junior partner read
| the paper than he seemed angrier than
| ever.
was strange! Confoundedly strange-and
deuced unpleasant. too"
May l see what it is that's SO very
! stranger" asked Paul, picking up the dis
| patch.
''Of course. you can see it, growled Mr..
| Wheatcroft, and let us see what you can
| make of it,
The young man read the message aloud:
Deal off. Can get quarter cent better
| terms Carkendale.'
| Then he read it again to himself AT last
| he said: Il confess don't anything so
very mysterious in that We've lost a con-
| tract, l suppose-but that must have hap
pered lots of times before. hasn't it?'
] It's happened twice before this fall
returned MIR. Wheatcroft, fiercely, after
our bid had been practically accepted. and
just before the signing of the final con-
| tract"
| Let me explain, Wheatcroft,' inter-
rupted the elder Whittier. gently. You
| must not expect my son to understand
the in5 and outs of this business
Go. Besides he has been in the office only
| ten days"
q don't expect him to understand"
growled Wheatcroft. How could he?
! don't understand it myself!'
| Close that door, Paul" said Mr.. Whit
| tier. Il don't want any of the clerks to
| know what we are talking about!'
! Here are the facts in the case. Paul,
and 1 think you will admit that they are
| certainly curious began Mr. Whittier.
| Twice this fall, and now third time,
| we have been the lowest bidders for i'm
| portart orders, and yet, just before our
| bid was formally accepted. somebody has
cut under us by fraction of a cent and
| got the job. First We thought We We're
! going TO get the hnilding of the Barataria
| Central's bridge over the Little N1ackin-
| tosh river; but in the end it was the Tux
| Then there was the order for the fifty
| thousand miles Of wire for the Transcon-
| tinental telegraph-we made eXtraor-
| dinarily low estimate on that We want
| ed the contract and we threw off not only
cur profit, but even allowances for office
| expenses-and yet five minutes before the
| last bid had to be in, the Tuxedo Company
put in an offer only hundred and twenty