The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1897-07-31

eXMc W pass OuO was ehO
" arrival of Major Buncs's
little boy, saying that
their water pipes were out of order,
and would Mr.. Slosson send up some
one at once9 The major was Mr..
Slosson's best customer, and his or
ders must he attended to promptly,
so Sam McClain, Mr.. Slosson's right
hand man, prepared to set off i'm
mediately.
1t was just then that Mrs. Blake's
hired man appeared on the scene.
"Mrs. Blake wants Mr.. Slosson to do
some work for her at once" That
was all the hired man said and hur-
ried off
Sam McClain knit his brows in a
fearful knot. Mrs. Blake was the
best customer of the rival timer and
plumber of the village, Mason Woods,
and she had never before called on
Mr.. Slosson. Here was trade OPP
portunity not to be lost, and yet there
was Major Bunce. Truly, so much
good fortune was almost as bad as
misfortune.
There was nothing for it but to
send to Mrs. Blake's the new hand,
Conrad Waldron, leaving Ed, the
boy, to keep shop. Conrad was a
beginner in the work, and Major
Bunce knew it. 1T would never do to
send Conrad to the major. No, he
must go to Mrs. Blake and do his
best. "But was there ever such
hard luck?" thought Sam McClain,
ferventlv wishing his master was at
home, and the responsibility of this
delicate decision off his own should
ers.
And SO it happened that Conrad
Waldron, freckled and red-haired,
tall and awkward, found himself,
with his kit of tools and soldering
pot at the back door of Mrs. Blake's
big house.
Mrs. Blake set him to work. She
prided herself, rich though she was,
on experimenting in person every
thing that was done about the man
sion, and the fifteen acre park that
surrounded it. Her burly form was
carried with an assertive air when
she was thus overseeing her work
men, and her voice had the ring of a
colonel giving orders to his regiment.
Every one in the village knew how
exacting she was, and Conrad was
rather panic stricken when she bus
tied into the kitchen where he was
waiting.
"You" she exclaimed in quick dis
gust. "Why didn't Mr.. Slosson come
himself?"
He would have come if he had
been at home" answered Conrad,
politely; "but your order found him
away for the day"
whats your name?"
Conrad Waldron."
"Well, if you don't do the work
right, Mr.. Slosson must come him
self and do it, that's all. I'm not to
be imposed upon"
This was not cheering beginning,
but Conrad didn't mind it, for he was
already good workman, and felt
equal to any ordinary task. His first
job for Mrs. Blake, mending hole in
tin boiler, was done so neatly, and
his second job, cleaning out water
pipe, was so cleverly accomplished
that Mrs. Blake began to feel con-
fdence in the quiet young fellow,
who had such skillful hands and such
a respectful manly bearing.
81 guess l must let you do the rest
of your work alone" sighed Mrs.
Blake, "as l have to look after some
alterations in the barn, and l see the
carpenters have come. | can't be in
two places at once, though l often
wish l could. Yes, and in three and
four" With this our busy lady gave
Conrad his nstructions-and they
We're exceedingly full instructions,
you may be sure-and walked swiftly
off to the barn, swinging her arms
like man.
She directed Conrad to do two
things.
The glass tube of the water gauge
in the steam furnace was broken, and
the stop cock of gas fixture in an
attic room would net burn. Conrad