Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1913-10-09
Ills Portrait
How a Rich Man
Paid For an
Injustice
By ANDREW c. EWING

j. BY ANDREW c. EWING ].
!: ! !: /: /. |. 1: ! :.
Edgar Beckwith, at eighteen, having
shown marked artistic ability, wished
to be an artist, but his father had
recently died leaving no estate. and
Edgar, far from having the means to
study profession, was obliged to
support his mother. He obtained
position in the mercantile house of
Goodwin & Co. at $15 a week.
Mr.. Goodwin claimed that business
plant should be run on strictly bust
ness principles. He paid very low
salaries, not inquiring into the honesty
of his less important employees, his
chief object being to get his work done
cheap1y. He figured that he could at
ford to lose small sums now and then
rather than pay an increase of salaries
for honesty. Besides. he had an in
expensive detective service which CON
sisted of himself only. He would
place bills on his desk in his private
Office. go out, set watch on who
entered. and if the bills were missing
on his return would know who had
stolen them Then he would discharge
the thief.
One day he placed a bill on his desk
and went out. intending to be gone
only few minutes. Half an hour
passed before he returned to find
Edgar Beckwith just leaving the room
Come back said Goodwin.
Edgar went back into the room and
when asked what he had wanted said
that he had been sent with a message
by the head Of one Of the departments.
While he was delivering the message
Goodwin was looking for the bill he had
left exposed. 1t was gone. He said
nothing about it to Edgar. but the next
morning the boy was notified that he
was discharged.
Edgar was not minded to submit pa
tiently to an imposition. He went to
MIR. Goodwin and said to him that since
his services were no longer required he
would not object to leaving the con-
Germ, but certificate of good charac-
ter would be necessary to enable him
10 ind another place.
It's against my rule to give certifi
Gates of good character. require none
when hire persons, and what don't
ask don't give"
"Then tell me the reason of my dis.
charge
'That decline to do also. Should
give you the reason you would call
upon me to prove it. That would take
time. Time is money!
Edgar saw by the resolute look on
the mans face that he would gain
nothing by pressing the matter and
left with anger in his heart. He went
straight to the head of his department
and asked for an explanation. He was
given the reason Of his discharge and
advised not to stir the matter. because
it could only result to his injury.
There had been two other persons III
Goldwin's private Office besides Edgar,
one of whom had taken the bill But
1t would be difficult to prove this even
If an opportunity had been offered
Edgar went home and talked the mat
ter over with his mother After think
ing of it she counseled him to swallow
the pill. Since he had not been openly
accused. it was not incumbent upon
him to make Defense and if he made
defense there was every chance that
he would not be able to prove his limo.
cence.
1t happened at this time that news
came of the death of an uncle of Ed
gars who left him the sum of 50 900
He resolved to apply Il part of it to
studying art. and since this would OBJ
viate the necessity of his obtaining an
other position he concluded to accept
his mothers advice But he swore to
himself that companion object to
success in his profession should be to
get even" with the man who had re-
fused him an opportunity to vindicate
himself from charge of being thief.
Young Beckwith's talent lay in trans
hitting human face to canvas. This
was evident from the first. and he re-
solved to become portrait painter
Nevertheless be painted portraits for
for excellent work. But at last he
received an order to paint the portrait
of a prominent judge on the bench
and succeeded in making very life
Hike representation of his subject. The
painting was hung in courthouse.
and every one who saw it admired it.
From this time Beckwith received
orders from prominent men. and every
portrait Of such added to his reputa-
ton. Not only prominence in his art.
but money. came to him. Persons of
wealth f1ocked to him to have them
selves represented on canvas.
Twelve years passed since Beckwith
had ceased to be a clerk and become
an artist. He had grown beard, and
his hair was already flecked with gray.
A great change had come to his ap-
pearance since he had been an en-
ployee in the house Of Goodwin & Co.
One morning a carriage drove up to
his studio and man came up the