THE DRUMMER BOY.
The Ogden family had said very little, outside of their own house,
about the news of Mary's success in Mertonville, but on that Monday
morning Miss Glidden received no less than four letters, and each of
them congratulated her over the election of her dear young friend, and
commented on how glad she must be. "Well," she said to herself, "of
course I'm glad. And I did all I could for her. She owes it all to
me. I'll go and see her."
Mary Ogden had so much talking to do and so many questions to answer,
at the breakfast table, that her cup of coffee was cold before she
could drink it, and then she and her mother and her aunt went into the
parlor to continue their talk.
John Ogden himself waited there a long time before going over to the
shop. His helper had the forge ready, and the tall blacksmith at once
put a rod of iron into the fire and began to blow the bellows. The rod
was at white heat and was out on the anvil in no time, and the hammer
began to ring upon it to flatten it out when John heard somebody speak
to him:
"Mr. Ogden, what are you making? I've been watching you--and I can't
imagine!"
"Well, Deacon Hawkins," said the blacksmith, "you'll have to tell. The
fact is I was thinking--well--my daughter has just come home."
"I'm glad to hear it and to hear of her success," answered the Deacon.
"Miss Glidden told us. If you're not busy, I wish you'd put a shoe on
my mare's off hind foot."
The blacksmith then went to work in earnest: and meanwhile Mary, at the
house, was receiving the congratulations of her friends. "Why, Mary
Ogden, my dear! Are you here?" exclaimed Miss Glidden. "I'm so glad!
I'm sure I did all I could for you." "My dear Mary!" exclaimed
another. And Mary shook hands heartily with both her callers, and
expressed her gratitude to Miss Glidden.
It was a day of triumph for Mary, and it must have been for Miss
Glidden, for she seemed to be continually persuading herself that much
of the credit of Mary's advancement was hers. The neighbors came and
went, and more than one of Mary's old school-fellows said to her: "I'm
glad you are so fortunate. I wish _I_ could find something to do."
When the visitors were gone and Mary tried to help with the housework,
her mother said positively, "Now, Molly, don't touch a thing; you go
upstairs to your books, and don't think of anything else; I'm afraid
you won't have half time enough, even then."
Her aunt gave the same advice, and Mary was grateful, being unusually
eager to begin her studies; and even little Sally was compelled to keep
out of Mary's room.
During the latter part of that Monday afternoon John Ogden had an
important conference with Mr. Magruder, the railway director; and the
blacksmith came home, at night, in a thoughtful state of mind.
His son Jack, at about the same time sat in his room, at the Hotel
Dantzic, in the far-away city he had struggled so hard to reach; and
he, too, was in a thoughtful mood.
"I'll write and tell the family at home, and Mary," he said after a
while. "I wonder whether every fellow who makes a start in New York
has to almost starve at the beginning!"
He was tired enough to sleep well when bed-time came; but,
nevertheless, he was downstairs Tuesday morning long before Mr.
Keifelheimer's hour for appearing. Hotel-men who have to sit up late
often rise late also.
"For this once," said Jack, "I'll have a prime Dantzic Hotel breakfast.
After this week, my room won't cost me anything, and I can begin to lay
up money. I won't ride down town, though; except in the very worst
kind of winter weather."
It delighted him to walk down that morning, and to know just where he
was going and what work he had before him.
"I'm sure," he thought, "that I know every building, big and little,
all the way along. I've been ordered out of most of these stores. But
I've found the place that I was looking for, at last."
The porters of Gifford & Company had the store open when Jack got
there, and Mr. Gifford was just coming in.
"Ogden," he said, in his usual peremptory way, "put that press-work on
the paper-bags right through, to-day."
"One moment, please, Mr. Gifford," said Jack.
"I've hardly a moment to spare," answered Mr. Gifford. "What is it?"
"A customer," said Jack; "the Hotel Dantzic. I can find more of the
same kind, perhaps."
"Tell me," was the answer, with a look of greater interest, but also a
look of incredulity.
Jack told him, shortly, the substance of his talk with Mr.
Keifelheimer, and Mr. Gifford listened attentively.
"His steward and buyers have been robbing him, have they?" he remarked.
"Well, he's right about it. No doubt we can save him from ten to
twenty per cent. It's a good idea. I'll go up and see him, by and by.
Now hurry with your printing!"
Jack turned to the waiting "Alligator," and Mr. Gifford went on to his
desk.
"Jones," he said, to his head clerk, "Ogden has drummed us a good hotel
customer," and then he told Mr. Jones about it.
"Mr. Gifford," said Mr. Jones, shrewdly, "can we afford to keep a sharp
salesman and drummer behind that little printing-press?"
"Of course not," said Mr. Gifford. "Not after a week or so. But we
must wait and see how he wears. He's very young, and a stranger."
"Young fellows soon grow," said Mr. Jones. "He'll grow. He'll pick up
everything that comes along. I believe you'll find him a valuable
salesman."
"Very likely," said Mr. Gifford, "but I sha'n't tell him so. He has
plenty of confidence as it is."
"It's not impudence," said Mr. Jones. "If he hadn't been
pushing--well, he wouldn't have found this place with us. It's energy."
"Yes," said Mr. Gifford; "if it was impudence we should waste no time
with him. If there is anything I despise out and out, it's what is
often called cheek."
Next, he hated laziness, or anything resembling it, and Jack sat behind
the Alligator that day, working hard himself and taking note of how Mr.
Gifford kept his employees busy.
"No wonder he didn't need another boy," he thought. "He gets all the
work possible out of every one he employs. That's why he's so
successful."
It was a long, dull, hot day. The luncheon came at noon; and the
customers came all the time, but Jack was forbidden to meddle with them
until his printing was done.
"Mr. Gifford's eyes are everywhere," said he, "but I hope he hasn't
seen anything out of the way in me. There are bags enough to last a
month--yes, two months. I'll begin on the circulars and cards
to-morrow. I'm glad it's six o'clock."
Mr. Gifford was standing near the door, giving orders to the porters,
and as the Alligator stopped, Jack said to him: "I think I will go
visiting among the other hotels, this evening."
"Very well," said Mr. Gifford quietly. "I saw Mr. Keifelheimer to-day,
and made arrangements with him. If you're going out to the hotels in
our interest, buy another hat, put on a stand-up collar with a new
necktie; the rest of your clothing is well enough. Don't try to look
dandyish, though."
"Of course not," said Jack, smiling; "but I was thinking about making
some improvements in my suit."
He made several purchases on his way up town, and put each article on
as he bought it. The last "improvement" was a neat straw hat, from a
lot that were selling cheaply, and he looked into a long looking glass
to see what the effect was.
[Illustration: _Jack buys a new hat_.]
"There!" he exclaimed. "There's very little of the 'green' left. It's
not altogether the hat and the collar, either. Nor the necktie. Maybe
some of it was starved out!"
He was a different looking boy, at all events, and the cashier at the
desk of the Hotel Dantzic looked twice at him when he came in, and Mr.
Keifelheimer remarked:
"Dot vas a smart boy! His boss vas here, und I haf safe money. Mr.
Guilderaufenberg vas right about dot boy."
Jack was eager to begin his "drumming," but he ate a hearty supper
before he went out.
"I must learn something about hotels," he remarked thoughtfully. "I'll
take a look at some of them."
The Hotel Dantzic was not small, but it was small compared to some of
the larger hotels that Jack was now to investigate. He walked into the
first one he found, and he looked about it, and then he walked out, and
went into another and looked that over, and then he thought he would
try another. He strolled around through the halls, and offices, and
reading-rooms, and all the public places; but the more he saw, the more
he wondered what good it would do him to study them.
It was about eight o'clock in the evening when he stood in front of the
office of the great Equatorial Hotel, feeling very keenly that he was
still only a country boy, with very little knowledge of the men and
things he saw around him.
A broad, heavy hand came down upon his shoulder, and a voice he had
heard before asked, heartily:
"John Ogden? You here? Didn't I tell you not to stay too long in the
city?"
"Yes, you did, Governor," said Jack, turning quickly. "But I had to
stay here. I've gone into the wholesale and retail grocery business."
Jack already knew that the Governor could laugh merrily, and that any
other men who might happen to be standing by were more than likely to
join with him in his mirth, but the color came at once to his cheeks
when the Governor began to smile.
"In the grocery business?" laughed the Governor. "Do you supply the
Equatorial?"
"No, not yet; but I'd like to," said Jack. "I think our house could
give them what they need."
"Let me have your card then," said one of the gentlemen who had joined
in the Governor's merriment; "for the Governor has no time to spare--"
Jack handed him the card of Gifford & Company.
"Take it, Boulder, take it," said the Governor. "Mr. Ogden and I are
old acquaintances."
"He's a protégé of yours, eh?" said Boulder. "Well, I mean business.
Write your own name there, Mr. Ogden. I'll send our buyer down there,
to-morrow, and we'll see what can be done. Shall we go in, Governor?"
Jack understood, at once, that Mr. Boulder was one of the proprietors
of the Equatorial Hotel.
"I'm called for, Jack," said the Governor. "You will be in the city
awhile, will you not? Well, don't stay here too long. I came here
once, when I was about your age. I staid a year, and then I went away.
A year in the city will be of great benefit to you, I hope. Good-bye."
"Good-bye, Governor," said Jack, seriously. "We'll do the right thing
by Mr. Boulder;" and there was another laugh as Jack shook hands with
the Governor, and then with the very dignified manager of the
Equatorial Hotel.
"That will do, for one evening," thought Jack, as the distinguished
party of gentlemen walked away. "I'd better go right home and go to
bed. The Governor's a brick anyhow!"
Back he went to the Hotel Dantzic, and he was soon asleep.
The Alligator press in Gifford & Company's was opening and shutting its
black jaws regularly over the sheets of paper it was turning into
circulars, about the middle of Wednesday forenoon, when a dapper
gentleman with a rather prominent scarf-pin walked briskly into the
store and up to the desk.
"Mr. Gifford?" he asked.
"Yes, sir."
"I'm Mr. Barnes," said the dapper man. "General buyer for the
Equatorial Hotel. Your Mr. Ogden was up with us, last night, to see
some of his friends, and I've come down to look at your price-list, and
so forth."
"Oh!" quietly remarked Mr. Gifford, "our Mr. Ogden. Oh, quite right!
I think we can satisfy you. We'll do our best, certainly. Mr. Jones,
please confer with Mr. Barnes--I'll be back in a minute."
Up toward the door walked Mr. Gifford, but not too fast. He stood
still when he arrived at the Alligator press.
"Ogden," he said, "you can leave that work. I've another printing hand
coming."
Jack's heart beat quickly, for a moment. What,--could he be discharged
so suddenly? He was dismayed. But Mr. Gifford went on:
"Wash your hands, Ogden, and stand behind the counter there. I'll see
you again, by and by. The buyer is here from the Equatorial."
"I promised them you'd give them all they wanted, and as good prices as
could be had anywhere," said Jack, with a great sense of relief, and
recovering his courage.
"We will," said Mr. Gifford, as he turned away, and he did not think he
must explain to Jack that it would not do for Mr. Barnes to find
Gifford & Company's salesman, "Mr. Ogden," running an Alligator press.
Mr. Barnes was in the store for some time, but Jack was not called up
to talk with him. Mr. Gifford was the right man for that part of the
affair, and in the course of his conversation with Mr. Barnes he
learned further particulars concerning the intimacy between "your Mr.
Ogden" and the Governor, with the addition that "Mr. Boulder thinks
well of Mr. Ogden too."
Jack waited upon customers as they came, and he did well, for "a new
hand." But he felt very ignorant of both articles and prices, and the
first thing he said, when Mr. Gifford again came near him, was:
"Mr. Gifford, I ought to know more than I do about the stock and
prices."
"Of course you ought," said Mr. Gifford. "I don't care to have you try
any more 'drumming' till you do. You must stay a few months behind the
counter and learn all you can. You must dress neatly, too. I wonder
you've looked as well as you have. We'll make your salary fifteen
dollars a week. You'll need more money as a salesman."
Jack flushed with pleasure, but a customer was at hand, and the
interruption prevented him from making an answer.
"Jones," remarked Mr. Gifford to his head clerk, "Ogden is going to
become a fine salesman!"
"I thought so," said Jones.
They both were confirmed in this opinion, about three weeks later.
Jack was two hours behind time, one morning; but when he did come, he
brought with him Mr. Guilderaufenberg of Washington, with reference to
a whole winter's supplies for a "peeg poarding-house," and two United
States Army contractors. Jack had convinced these gentlemen that they
were paying too much for several articles that could be found on the
list of Gifford & Company in better quality and at cheaper rates.
"Meester Giffort," said the German gentleman, "I haf drafel de vorlt
over, und I haf nefer met a better boy dan dot Jack Ogden. He knows
not mooch yet, alretty, but den he ees a very goot boy."
"We like him," said Mr. Gifford, smiling.
"So do I, und so does Mrs. Guilderaufenberg, und Miss Hildebrand, und
Miss Podgr-ms-chski," said the German. "Some day you lets him visit us
in Vashington? So?"
"I don't know. Perhaps I will," said Mr. Gifford; but he afterward
remarked grimly to Mr. Jones: "If I should, and he should meet the
President, Ogden would never let him go until he bought some of our tea
and coffee!"
That day was a notable one in both Crofield and Mertonville. Jack's
first long letter, telling that he was in the grocery business, had
been almost a damper to the Ogden family. They had kept alive a small
hope that he would come back soon, until Aunt Melinda opened an
envelope that morning and held up samples of paper bags, cards, and
circulars of Gifford & Company, while Mrs. Ogden read the letter that
came with them. Bob and Jim claimed the bags next, while Susie and
Bessie read the circulars, and the tall blacksmith himself straightened
up as if he had suddenly grown prouder.
"Mary!" he exclaimed. "Jack always said he'd get to the city. And
he's there--and earning his living!"
"Yes, but--Father," she said, with a small shake in her voice, "I--wish
he was back again. There'd be almost room for him to work in Crofield,
now."
"Maybe so, maybe so," he replied. "There'll be crowds of people coming
in when they begin work on the new rail way and the bridge. I signed
the deeds yesterday for all the land they're buying of Jack and me. I
won't tell him about it quite yet, though. I don't wish to unsettle
his mind. Let him stay where he is."
"This will be a trying day for Mary," said Aunt Melinda, thoughtfully.
"The Academy will open at nine o'clock. Just think of what that child
has to go through! There'll be a crowd there, too,--oh, dear me!"
Mary Ogden sat upon the stage, by previous orders from the Academy
principals, awaiting the opening exercises; but the principals
themselves had not yet arrived. She looked rather pale, and she was
intently watching the nickel-plated gong on the table and the hands of
the clock which hung upon the opposite wall.
"Perhaps the principals are here," Mary thought as the clock hands
crept along. "But they said to strike the bell at nine, precisely, and
if they're not here I must do it!"
At the second of time, up stood Mary and the gong sounded sharply.
That was for "Silence!" and it was very silent, all over the hall, and
all the scholars looked at Mary and waited.
"Clang," went the gong again, and every boy and girl arose, as if they
had been trained to it.
Poor Mary was thinking, "I hope nobody sees how scared I am!" but the
Academy term was well opened, and Dr. Dillingham was speaking, when the
Reverend Lysander Pettigrew and Mrs. Henderson, the tardy principals,
came hurrying in to explain that an accident had delayed them.