Herbert did not look forward with very joyful anticipations to the newengagement he had formed. He knew very well that he should not likeEbenezer Graham as an employer, but it was necessary that he should earnsomething, for the income was now but two dollars a week. He was sorry,too, to displace Tom Tripp, but upon this point his uneasiness was soonremoved, for Tom dropped in just after Mr. Graham had left the house,and informed Herbert that he was to go to work the next day for a farmerin the neighborhood, at a dollar and a half per week, and board besides.
"I am glad to hear it, Tom," said Herbert, heartily. "I didn't want tofeel that I was depriving you of employment."
"You are welcome to my place in the store," said Tom. "I'm glad to giveit up. Mr. Graham seemed to think I was made of iron, and I could worklike a machine, without getting tired. I hope he pays you more than adollar and a half a week."
"He has agreed to pay me three dollars," said Herbert.
Tom whistled in genuine amazement.
"What! has the old man lost his senses?" he exclaimed. "He must be crazyto offer such wages as that."
"He didn't offer them. I told him I wouldn't come for less."
"I don't see how he came to pay such a price."
"Because he wanted me to take care of the post office. I know all aboutit, and he doesn't."
"As soon as he learns, he will reduce your wages."
"Then I shall leave him."
"Well, I hope you'll like store work better than I do."
The next two or three days were spent in removing the post office toone corner of Eben-ezer Graham's store. The removal was superintended byHerbert, who was not interfered with to any extent by his employer, norrequired to do much work in the store. Our hero was agreeably surprised,and began to think he should get along better than he anticipated.
At the end of the first week the storekeeper, while they were closingthe shutters, said: "I expect, Herbert, you'd just as lieves take yourpay in groceries and goods from the store?"
"No, sir," answered Herbert, "I prefer to be paid in money, and to payfor such goods as we buy."
"I don't see what odds it makes to you," said Ebenezer. "It comes to thesame thing, doesn't it?"
"Then if it comes to the same thing," retorted Herbert, "why do you wantto pay me in goods?"
"Ahem! It saves trouble. I'll just charge everything you buy, and giveyou the balance Saturday night."
"I should prefer the money, Mr. Graham," said Herbert, firmly.
So the storekeeper, considerably against his will, drew three dollars inbills from the drawer and handed them to his young clerk.
"It's a good deal of money, Herbert," he said, "for a boy. There ain'tmany men would pay you such a good salary."
"I earn every cent of it, Mr. Graham," said Herbert, whose views on thesalary question differed essentially from those of his employer.
The next morning Mr. Graham received a letter which evidently disturbedhim. Before referring to its contents, it is necessary to explain thathe had one son, nineteen years of age, who had gone to Boston two yearsprevious, to take a place in a dry-goods store on Washington Street.Ebenezer Graham, Jr., or Eben, as he was generally called, was, in somerespects, like his father. He had the same features, and was quite asmean, so far as others were concerned, but willing to spend money forhis own selfish pleasures. He was fond of playing pool, and cards, andhad contracted a dangerous fondness for whisky, which consumed all themoney he could spare from necessary expenses, and even more, so that, aswill presently appear, he failed to meet his board bills regularly.Eben had served an apprenticeship in his father's store, having been,in fact, Tom Tripp's predecessor; he tired of his father's strictdiscipline, and the small pay out of which he was required to purchasehis clothes, and went to Boston to seek a wider sphere.
To do Eben justice, it must be admitted that he had good businesscapacity, and if he had been able, like his father, to exerciseself-denial, and make money-getting his chief enjoyment, he would nodoubt have become a rich man in time. As it was, whenever he could makehis companions pay for his pleasures, he did so.
I now come to the letter which had brought disquietude to thestorekeeper.
It ran thus:
"DEAR SIR: I understand that you are the father of Mr. Eben Graham,who has been a boarder at my house for the last six months. I regret totrouble you, but he is now owing me six weeks board, and I cannot geta cent out of him, though he knows I am a poor widow, dependent on myboard money for my rent and house expenses. As he is a minor, the lawmakes you responsible for his bills, and, though I dislike to troubleyou, I am obliged, in justice to myself, to ask you to settle his boardbill, which I inclose.
"You will do me a great favor if you will send me the amount--thirtydollars--within a week, as my rent is coming due.
"Yours respectfully, SUSAN JONES."
The feelings of a man like Ebenezer Graham can be imagined when he readthis unpleasant missive.
"Thirty dollars!" he groaned. "What can the graceless boy be thinkingof, to fool away his money, and leave his bills to be settled by me. Ifthis keeps on, I shall be ruined! It's too bad, when I am slaving here,for Eben to waste my substance on riotous living. I've a great mind todisown him. Let him go his own way, and fetch up in the poorhouse, if hechooses."
But it is not easy for a man to cast off an only son, even though he isas poorly supplied with natural affections as Ebenezer Graham. Besides,Eben's mother interceded for him, and the father, in bitterness ofspirit, was about to mail a registered letter to Mrs. Jones, when thecause of his anguish suddenly made his appearance in the store.
"How are you, father?" he said, nonchalantly, taking a cigar from hismouth. "Didn't expect to see me, did you?"
"What brings you here, Eben?" asked Mr. Graham, uneasily.
"Well, the cars brought me to Stockton, and I've walked the rest of theway."
"I've heard of you," said his father, frowning. "I got a letter lastnight from Mrs. Jones."
"She said she was going to write," said Eben, shrugging his shoulders.
"How came it," said his father, his voice trembling with anger, "thatyou haven't paid your board bill for six weeks?"
"I didn't have the money," said Eben, with a composure which waspositively aggravating to his father.
"And why didn't you have the money? Your wages are ample to pay all yourexpenses."
"It costs more money to live in Boston than you think for, father."
"Don't you get ten dollars a week, sir? At your age I got only seven,and saved two dollars a week."
"You didn't live in Boston, father."
"I didn't smoke cigars," said his father, angrily, as he fixed his eyeon the one his son was smoking. "How much did you pay for that miserableweed?"
"You're mistaken, father. It's a very good article. I paid eight dollarsa hundred."
"Eight dollars a hundred!" gasped Mr. Graham. "No wonder you can't payyour board bill--I can't afford to spend my money on cigars."
"Oh, yes, you can, father, if you choose. Why, you're a rich man."
"A rich man!" repeated Mr. Graham, nervously. "It would take a rich manto pay your bills. But you haven't told me why you have come home."
"I lost my situation, father--some meddlesome fellow told my employerthat I occasionally played a game of pool, and my tailor came to thestore and dunned me; so old Boggs gave me a long lecture and my walkingpapers, and here I am."
Ebenezer Graham was sorely troubled, and, though he isn't a favorite ofmine, I confess, that in this matter he has my sincere sympathy.
CHAPTER IV. HERBERT LOSES HIS PLACE.
Do and Dare — a Brave Boy's Fight for Fortune Page 3
