The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1907-02-22
FLAT JEWELLERS
The Friendship Of Two
Very Different Families

the hall, the FrankllnS on the OInor.
They were genial neighbors; that is,
the Uptons were. They seemed to
possess to an unusual degree that
indefinable quality known as the art
of making friends. Mr.. Upton, espe-
cially, had such bland way of speak
ing to anyone in general, and the land
lord in particular. To the other ten.
ants it even appeared like somewhat
of an outrage that the Uptons were
assessed any rent at all. Because,
according to the natural order or
things, such family should have been
paid a liberal royalty for even con-
descending to live in anything which
was at all short of being mansion.
Thus the Uptons lived-in peace
with themselves and with all the
world beside They dined well and
INDUCED in expensive amusement
but of course Mr.. Upton was very
successful business man;
The odd circumstance with regard
to these people was that they took
for their most intimate confidants the
Franklins across the hall, who had
no interests in common with their
own. To be sure, the Franklins were
good people, but it seemed that the
Uptons were the only neighbors who
appreciated this fact.
A rather unfortunate matter was al
ways presenting itself whenever Mrs.
Franklin happened to be visiting in
the apartment of her friend-not that
she cared on her own account, but
simply that the situation would be an
embarrassing one to her hostess.
Having been sympathetic, however,
evidently she never took any notice
as was compatible with good breed
ing-or, maybe she did and didn't
mind-"still water runs Deep" we are
told.
This is what was continually hap
pening: The two housewives would
be cozily chatting, when Mrs. Upton
would answer the door to a collector
for the grocer, the laundryman, the
milkman, or possibly the dressmaker
or the dentist. 1t meant only one or
those occurrences which are likely to
happen in any well-regulated house
hold, but which seem so suspicious to
a wide-awake observer. Mrs. Upton,
though, was ever ready to handle
them with that ineffable grace for
which she was renowned. She SIM
ply would tell the intruder that he
might call at her husbands office, CIV
ing the number, or perhaps she would
trouble" him to call next Tuesday"
as she was entirely out of change.
And the heart of the collector that
would not melt before the winning
smile of such woman and in the
face of such convincing assurances
would be an icicle indeed.
Not to enter into the psychological
workings of Mrs. Franklin's mind dur
Certain it is that, if she regarded af.
fairs as being crooked" she still
found enough of congenial qualities
in the Uptons to warrant the con-
tinuance of their friendship, and, if
she did not suspect, her generous tact
enabled her to ignore the situation
entirely. But, whatever her feelings
IGSdIuluS IuCS0 HSlSuUOIO ucf0
been, she certainly experienced some
peculiar sensations when one morn
ing the gas collector, new employe
of the company, presented himself at
her own door, claiming the payment
of bill of three-months' standing. 1t
wasn't nice of the gas collector to do
this, hut he seemed to want his money
l. 4f
Now, if there was any one thing upon
which Mr.. Franklin prided himself it
was his promptness in liquidating his
debts. Every man has his own par
ticular vanity and this happened to
be his. In fact, with utter disregard
for time and place, it frequently &C.
Cured that, upon the slightest de-
mand, he would produce his check
book with quite conscious sense of
rectitude.
81 always like to have little mat
tiers adjusted at once" he would re-
mark indifferently.
So it happened that this good mer-
chants wife was not little surprised
and somewhat piqued to have the gas
collector thrust bill in her face and |
rudely demand a settlement. She
was too amazed at first to reply. She
had not the same suavity of speech |
as her next-door neighbor had, and be-
ing taken so unaware, her stammer-
ing excuses at first presented a de-
cidedly guilty appearance.
81 don't care to discuss the affair,
madam; you have had your notice,
and, if you will remember, this thing |
has been running three months; and
you have not admitted the man to
turn off the meter" so the august |
official spoke in the first few seconds
of his call. When his astonished vic
tim at last gathered her wits togeth-
er with breath enough to speak, she
protested that as long as she had |
lived in the city her bill had been paid
each month in time for discount privi- |
leges. And then, in order to allay |
his overbearing insolence, she insisted |
upon producing the receipts, which,
as soon as she had succeeded in con-