The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-09-07
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rCopyright 1898 by Irving Bacheller.1

y
day that our bid was very low, and
that we were certain to get the con-
| tract. And now he sends me this" and
Mr.. Whittier picked up the telegram
aga.n.
do you mean to say that you think
the Tuxedo people have somehow been
made acquainted with our bids?"
| asked the young man.
That's what I'm thinking now"
was Wheatcrofts sharp answer. II
can't think anything else. For two
months we haven't been successful in
getting a single one of the big con-
tracts. We've had our share of the
little things, of course, but they don't
amount to much. The big things that
we really wanted have slipped through
our fingers. We've lost them by the
skin of our teeth every time. That
isn't accident, is it? OF course not!
Then there's only one explanation
there's a leak in this office somewhere"
You don't suspect any of the clerks.
do you. Alr. Wheatcroft?" asked the
elder Whittier, sadly.
II don't suspect anybody in particu-
lar. returned the junior partner,
brushing his hair up the wrong up.
"And 1 suspect everybody in general,
I haven't an idea who it is, but it's
somebody's
"Who makes up the bids on these
important contracts?" asked Paul.
"Wheatcroft and l." answered his
father. ''The specifications are for
warded to the works. and the engineers
make their estimates of the actual
cost of labor and material. These es-
Inmates are sent to us here, and we add
whatever we think best for interest
and for expenses, and for wear and
tear and for profit.
"Who writes the letters making the
offer-the one with the actual figures,
l mean?' the son continued.
81 do" the elder Whittier explained.
81 have always done it,
"You don't dictate them to a type
writer" Paul pursued.
Certainly not.' the father respond
ed. II write them with my own hand
and what's more, I take the press
copy myself, and there is special
letter-book for such things. This
letter-book is kept always in the safe
in this ofiice--in fact, ! can say that
this particular letter-book never leaves
my hands except to go into that safe.
And, as you know, nobody has access
to that safe except Whcatcroft and
me-"
"And the MAJOR corrected the
junior partner.
"No," Mr.. Whittier explained, ivan
Zandt has no need to so there now"
"But he used to- Mr.. NYheatcroft
persisted.
"He did once,' the senior partner
returned, "but when we bought those
new safes outside there in the main
office there was no longer any need
for the chief book-keeper to go to this
smaller safe: and so. last nionth-it
,,,l,i
Van Zandt came in here one after
noon and said that as he never had oc-
casion to so to this safe. he would
rather not have the responsibility or
knowing the combination. / told him
we had perfect confidence in him
"I should think son broke in the eX-
plosive Wheatcroft. 1.-THE major has
been with us thirty years now. Ia
suspect myself of petty larceny as
soon as him.
AS I said" continued the elder
Whittier, II told him that we trusted
him perfectly. of course. But he urged
me. and to please him ] changed the
combination of this safe that after
noon. You will remember, Wheat
croft. that I gave you the new word
the day you came back
"Yes, I remember" said Mr.. Wheat
croft. "But don't see why the major
did%ot want to know how to open that
safe. Perhaps he is beginning to feel
his years now. He must be GO, the
major; and I've been thinking for some
time he looked worn"
Five minutes later Mr.. Whittier Mr..
Wheatcroft and the only son of the
senior partner left the glass-framed
private Office and, walking leisurely
through the long store, passed into the
street.
They did not notice that the old
bookkeeper, Major Van Zandt. whose
high desk was so placed that he could
overlooked the private office, had been
watching them ever since the messen-
ger had delivered the dispatch.