The Monmouth inquirer. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1865-1933, 1926-07-15
Deptor to the
Estate
q 81 MARIE eELDEN JAMES


A tattered flag on the fagpole Of
the Financiers' Club hung Imply at
half mast. Down in Chrystie street
fire engine building was being
draped in rusty black, and from the
rusty doorpost Of an ancient dwell
ing In Fourth street fluttered bit
of crepe.
By these tokens the passing throng
learned that old Bridgman was dead
at last.
In the close little Office, thirteen
flights above the street. where old
Bridgman and his one clerk had trans
acted business for twenty years,
Sloan & Jackson, lawyers for the es-
tate, sat and smoked and turned over
papers and laughed easily together.
The had sent Sedley home Sedley,
who had been old Bzidgman's assist
ant, and who had been scolded and
abused and had his pay ground down
to nothing while his employer got
rich. They had sent him home be-
cause the tears kept filing his weak
red eyes, and dropping among the
papers, and because he choked when
Sloan laughed at old Bridgman's
Office coat hanging stiffly behind the
door.
jackson flung pile of bills and an
account book into the dusty drawer,
and lay back in his chair.
Cunning old DEVIL" he said. lazily
drawing figures in the air with his
cigar. How did he do it? That's
what ! want to know. Look at the
names on that list All dead-beats.
They never paid any one else, but old
Bridgman collected in full every
month. How did he do it?"
Sloan looked up from the paper be
was scanning.
IF Bridgman ever collected from
Dave Ulussenbaum, he was won
der" he answered Il didn't think
Dave ever paid any one in his life ex
lceDt that Italian fruit-seller who"
Dave did pay old Bridgman,"
though interrupted Jackson, his
names down in that account book as
often as ten times, and every time the
IbilI's been receipted. How the devil
did Bridgman do it?"
Sloan turned around in old Bridg
mans chair and brought his feet
gracefully into position upon the desk.
sWell here's where Bridgman's es.
tate is likely to lose, then" he said,
"for Ulussenbaum owed the old fel
low about eight hundred, and don't
see how we are ever to collect it,"
"Sure enough" exclaimed Jackson,
moving his chair back out of the glare
from the setting sun.
"I remember His was a bill for
eight hundred dollars and it was one
of those bills old Bridgman had made
out with a dunning letter. He signed
them all ready to send out before he
died. l let SedIey fix them up and get
them off last night before he got toe
sniffly"
Il hope you watched old Sedley do
it, them" returned Sloan. for he's
about as big fool as there is on top
of the green earth"
ssWell / told him to add postscript
to each letter, saying that old Bridg
man was dead and telling the debtor
to settle with us. He couldn't well get
that wised."
81 don know" said Sloan, ''he is
most amazing chump Why, one day
/ was sitting here talking to old Bridg
man and Sedley comes up and says in
that sacred little voice of his, If you
please, Mr. Bridgman what shall
say in this letter to Mr. Arlington
Bridgman yells out, Say something or
nothing, and that pretty quick. Sed-
ley went off, and, in minute,
back he comes with the letter for the
old chaps signature. And what do
you suppose he had written? Well
sir, the letter read: Dear Mr.. Airing
tom Something or nothing, and that
pretty quick, Yours, ETC.
'sWhat did the old boy do2" inquir-
ed Jackson laughing.
'.Do? Cussed Sedley and wrote
letter himself. Told me he always
made out the bills himself because
the poor little fool couldn't. asked
him why he kept such an ass around,
and he grunted and said. AN ass
that knows he's an ass is a dam sight
better than an ass that thinks every
other fellows an ass came away"
Jackson laughed, but thought it
best to let the story stand without
comment.
Sure, i don't know why he did keep
the fellow" he, said, after moment
"SedIey didn't even write good hand
after he took to initiating old Bridg-
mans writing. Their scribble looks a
lot alike, except that Sedley must
water his ink look how faint it is be
side the other in that book. Makes 1t
last longer probably"
Well" said Sloan, untwisting the
curtain cord, preparatory to letting
the shade fly UP to the top, when
Ulussenbaum knows Bridgman's dead,
all Sedley's tears aren't going to make
him pay up He's paid just one bill
in his life that ever heard of beside
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