Mr. Dobson's Visit
It was a little after five o'clock when Ben entered his humble home.
He was in excellent spirits, as may be imagined. His aunt's face,
however, presented a decided contrast to his own.
"Well, Benjamin," she said, with a sigh, "I suppose you haven't found
anything to do."
"No, Aunt Jane, I have been to a picnic."
"I don't see how you can have the spirits to go to a picnic when we
are on the verge of starvation," said Mrs. Bradford reproachfully.
"Not so bad as that, Aunt Jane; we won't starve this week, anyway."
"Perhaps not; but I look forward to the future."
"So do I, Aunt Jane," Ben replied; "but there is this difference
between us. You look forward with discouragement, while I look
forward hopefully. You know my motto is, Wait and Hope!"
"You'll have plenty of waiting to do," his aunt retorted; "but there
isn't much to hope for."
"Why isn't there?"
"I shouldn't think you'd need to be told. You haven't earned a cent
to-day, and----"
"How do you know I haven't?" demanded Ben, smiling.
"How could you? You were going about this morning after a place,
and this afternoon you have been at a picnic."
"For all that, aunt, I have earned something--more than if I had been
at the factory."
Mrs. Bradford stared at Ben in astonishment.
"How much did you earn, Ben?" asked Tony.
"Haven't I done well enough to earn a dollar, Tony?"
Mrs. Bradford's face assumed a more cheerful look, for a dollar in
that little household would go far.
"I don't see how you found time to earn so much, Benjamin," she said.
"Now, just suppose, aunt, that I earned two dollars," said Ben, with a
merry twinkle in his eyes.
This was too much for his aunt to believe.
"If supposing would make it so, I should be very glad to suppose;
but it won't."
"But it's true, aunt."
"I can't believe it, Benjamin, unless you've found the money
somewhere, and then you will have to return it."
"No, I earned it, Aunt Jane, and it's mine fairly."
"I am glad to hear it, Benjamin. Is there any chance to earn any
more the same way?"
"I am afraid not, Aunt Jane. However, I've done even better than I
told you. I've earned ten dollars this afternoon."
"Benjamin Bradford!" said his aunt sharply. "Do you expect me to
believe such a foolish story as that?"
Ben laughed, He was not surprised at his aunt's incredulity; he
wouldn't have believed that morning that there was any chance of his
making so much money.
"I don't know as I blame you, Aunt Jane; but if you won't believe
me, perhaps you'll believe your own eyes," answered Ben, as he
drew forth the two five-dollar bills from his pocket, and showed
them to Mrs. Bradford.
"Are they good?" she asked suspiciously.
"As good as gold, Aunt Jane; well, not exactly as good as gold, but
as good as greenbacks, anyway."
"I can't understand it at all," said Mrs. Bradford, in helpless
bewilderment.
"Then I'll tell you all about it," said Ben; and he did so.
"I shall have a high opinion of my legs from this time," he concluded,
"for they have earned ten dollars in quicker time than my hands can
earn twenty-five cents."
Even his aunt, in spite of her despondent mood, could not help being
cheerful over such good fortune as that.
"You see, Aunt Jane, that even if I don't earn anything for the next
two weeks, we shall be as well off as if I had been working at the
factory all the time. So don't worry any more till that time has passed."
"You certainly have been very fortunate, Benjamin," Mrs. Bradford
was forced to admit.
A copious rain is very apt to be followed by a protracted drought,
and I am sorry to say that this was the case with Ben's luck. Day
after day he went about Milltown, seeking for employment, and
night after night he returned home disappointed and empty-handed.
If it had depended only on himself, his courage would still have
kept up; but his aunt's dismal forebodings affected his spirits. He
did not find it quite so easy to wait and hope as he anticipated.
Three weeks passed, and Ben was painfully sensible that there was
but a dollar in the house.
They had just risen from the dinner table on the day when their
fortunes were at so low an ebb, when a knock was heard at the door.
A man of about thirty-five, Mr. Jotham Dobson, was admitted. Mr.
Dobson was a man with a brisk, business-like air.
"Won't you come in, Mr. Dobson?" asked Ben, who had answered
the knock.
"Is your aunt at home?" inquired Mr. Dobson bruskly.
"Yes, sir."
"Then, I'll step in a minute, as I want to see her on business."
"What business can he possibly have?" thought Ben. "I wish his
business lay with me, and that he wanted to employ me."
"Good morning, Mrs. Bradford," said Dobson rapidly. "No, thank
you, I really haven't the time to sit down; I have a little business
with you, that's all."
"Perhaps he wants to get me to do some sewing," thought Mrs.
Bradford; but she was doomed to be disagreeably disappointed.
"Perhaps you are not aware of it," said Mr. Dobson, "but I am the
city collector of taxes. I've got your tax bill made out. Let me
see--here it is. Will it be convenient for you to pay it to-day?"
"How much is it?" faltered Mrs. Bradford.
"Eleven dollars and eighty cents, precisely," answered the collector.
Mrs. Bradford looked so doleful that Ben felt called upon to reply.
"We can't pay it this morning, Mr. Dobson," he said.
"Really, you had better make the effort," said Dobson. "You are
aware that the tax is now due, and that one per cent a month will be
added for default. That's twelve per cent, a year--pretty heavy."
"What shall we do, Benjamin?" asked his aunt, in a crushed tone.
"Wait and hope, Aunt Jane."
"My friends," said Mr. Dobson persuasively, "I really think you'd
better make the effort to pay now, and so avoid the heavy interest."
"Perhaps," said Ben, "you'll tell us how to pay without money?"
"You might borrow it."
"All right! I am willing. Mr. Dobson will you be kind enough to lend
us twelve dollars to meet this bill?"
Mr. Dobson's face changed. It always did when any one proposed to
borrow money of him, for he was what people called a "close" man.
"I really couldn't do it," he answered. "Money's very scarce with
me--particularly scarce. It's all I can do to pay my own taxes."
Ben smiled to himself, for he knew how the application would be answered.
"Then of course we can't pay at present," he said. "We've tried to
borrow, and can't."
"I didn't expect you'd try to borrow of me--the tax collector," said
Dobson; "even if I had the money, it would be very unprofessional
of me to lend you the money."
"It would be very unprofessional of us to pay you without money,"
returned Ben.
"I suppose I must call again," said the collector, disappointed.
He was disappointed less for the city than for his own account, for he
received a percentage on taxes collected.
"I suppose you must."
"Benjamin, this is awful," said Mrs. Bradford piteously, after Mr.
Dobson had retired. "What is going to become of us? The city will
sell the house for taxes."
"They'll wait a year first, at any rate, Aunt Jane; so we won't fret
about it yet. There are other things more pressing."
"If we don't get some money within a day or two, we must starve,
Benjamin."
"Something may turn up this afternoon, Aunt Jane. Wait and hope!"
Ben put on his hat and went out. In spite of his cheerful answer, he
felt rather sober himself.