Herbert left the house of Squire Walsingham in a sober frame of mind. He
saw clearly that his mother would not long remain in office, and without
her official income they would find it hard to get along. To be sure,
she received a pension of eight dollars a month, in consideration of
her husband's services in the war, but eight dollars would not go far
towards supporting their family, small as it was. There were other means
of earning a living, to be sure, but Wayneboro was an agricultural town
mainly, and unless he hired out on a farm there seemed no way open to
him, while the little sewing his mother might be able to procure would
probably pay her less than a dollar a week.
The blow fell sooner than he expected. In the course of the next week
Mrs. Carr was notified that Ebenezer Graham had been appointed her
successor, and she was directed to turn over the papers and property of
the office to him.
She received the official notification by the afternoon mail, and in the
evening she was favored by a call from her successor.
Ebenezer Graham was a small man, with insignificant, mean-looking
features, including a pair of weazel-like eyes and a turn-up nose. It
did not require a skillful physiognomist to read his character in his
face. Meanness was stamped upon it in unmistakable characters.
“Good-evening, Mr. Graham,” said the widow, gravely.
“Good-evening, ma'am,” said the storekeeper. “I've called to see you,
Mrs. Carr, about the post office, I presume you have heard--”
“I have heard that you are to be my successor.”
“Just so. As long as your husband was alive, I didn't want to step into
his shoes.”
“But you are willing to step into mine,” said Mrs. Carr, smiling
faintly.
“Just so--that is, the gov'ment appear to think a man ought to be in
charge of so responsible a position.”
“I shall be glad if you manage the office better than I have done.”
“You see, ma'am, it stands to reason that a man is better fitted for
business than a woman,” said Ebenezer Graham, in a smooth tone for he
wanted to get over this rather awkward business as easily as possible.
“Women, you know, was made to adorn the domestic circles, et cetery.”
“Adorning the domestic circle won't give me a living,” said Mrs. Carr,
with some bitterness, for she knew that but for the grasping spirit of
the man before her she would have been allowed to retain her office.
“I was comin' to that,” said the new postmaster. “Of course, I
appreciate your position as a widder, without much means, and I'm going
to make you an offer; that is, your boy, Herbert.”
Herbert looked up from a book he was reading, and listened with interest
to hear the benevolent intentions of the new postmaster.
“I am ready to give him a place in my store,” proceeded Ebenezer. “I
always keep a boy, and thinks I to myself, the wages I give will
help along the widder Carr. You see, I like to combine business with
consideration for my feller creeters.”
Mrs. Carr smiled faintly, for in spite of her serious strait she could
not help being amused at the notion of Ebenezer Graham's philanthropy.
“What's going to become of Tom Tripp?” asked Herbert, abruptly.
“Thomas Tripp isn't exactly the kind of boy I want in my store,” said
Mr. Graham. “He's a harum-scarum sort of boy, and likes to shirk his
work. Then I suspect he stops to play on the way when I send him on
errands. Yesterday he was five minutes longer than he need to have been
in goin' to Sam Dunning's to carry some groceries. Thomas doesn't seem
to appreciate his privileges in bein' connected with a business like
mine.”
Tom Tripp was hardly to blame for not recognizing his good luck in
occupying a position where he received a dollar and a half a week for
fourteen hours daily work, with half a dozen scoldings thrown in.
“How do you know I will suit you any better than Tom?” asked Herbert,
who did not think it necessary to thank Mr. Graham for the proffered
engagement until he learned just what was expected of him, and what his
pay was to be.
“You're a different sort of a boy,” said Ebenezer, with an attempt at a
pleasant smile. “You've been brought up different. I've heard you're a
smart, capable boy, that isn't afraid of work.”
“No, sir, I am not, if I am fairly paid for my work.”
The new postmaster's jaw fell, and he looked uneasy, for he always
grudged the money he paid out, even the paltry dollar and a half which
went to poor Tom.
“I always calkerlate to pay fair wages,” he said; “but I ain't rich, and
I can't afford to fling away money.”
“How much do you pay Tom Tripp?” asked Herbert.
He knew, but he wanted to draw Mr. Graham out.
“I pay Thomas a dollar and fifty cents a week,” answered the
storekeeper, in a tone which indicated that he regarded this, on the
whole, as rather a munificent sum.
“And he works from seven in the morning till nine o'clock at night,”
proceeded Herbert.
“Them are the hours,” said Ebenezer, who knew better how to make money
than to speak grammatically.
“It makes a pretty long day,” observed Mrs. Carr.
“So it does, ma'am, but it's no longer than I work myself.”
“You get paid rather better, I presume.”
“Of course, ma'am, as I am the proprietor.”
“I couldn't think of working for any such sum,” said Herbert, decidedly.
Mr. Graham looked disturbed, for he had reasons for desiring to secure
Herbert, who was familiar with the routine of post-office work.
“Well,” he said, “I might be able to offer you a leetle more, as you
know how to tend the post office. That's worth somethin'! I'll
give you--lemme see--twenty-five cents more; that is, a dollar and
seventy-five cents a week.”
Herbert and his mother exchanged glances. They hardly knew whether to
feel more amused or disgusted at their visitor's meanness.
“Mr. Graham,” said Herbert, “if you wish to secure my services, you will
have to pay me three dollars a week.”
The storekeeper held up both hands in dismay.
“Three dollars a week for a boy!” he exclaimed.
“Yes, sir; I will come for a short time for that sum, till you get used
to the management of the post office, but I shall feel justified in
leaving you when I can do better.”
“You must think I am made of money,” said Ebenezer hastily.
“I think you can afford to pay me that salary.”
For twenty minutes the new postmaster tried to beat down his prospective
clerk, but Herbert was obstinate, and Ebenezer rather ruefully promised
to give him his price, chiefly because it was absolutely necessary that
he should engage some one who was more familiar with the post-office
work than he was. Herbert agreed to go to work the next morning.