Part 43 (1/2)
”Shall I call him now?” asked Star, rising to go to the phone to have a talk with that gentleman.
”Yes. Papa must be in New York by this time; I should know soon, by wire, what Monroe has accomplished,” said Edith, as Star was leaving her.
CHAPTER XXIV.
ELI JEREY IS CALLED INTO REQUISITION.
It is wonderful how prosperity transcends every other medium in working a transformation in a poor stick of humanity, who has been chortled, like a shuttle-lock, through the s.h.i.+fting warp of adversity. It is refres.h.i.+ng to observe, sometimes, how often men and women of lowly state can rise, as it were, by their own boot-straps from the great misfortune of having nothing to the ravis.h.i.+ng luck of plent.i.tude. It is, indeed, very promising to know that favoring chance does not fall altogether upon the many who are born with silver spoons in their mouths.
It may not have been by his own boot-straps, unaided, that Eli Jerey rose to his plenary rank, or to his financial exhaltation. It may not have been luck alone, or chance, or extended aid, that hoisted him to the skies in the estimation of Peter Dieman; neither could it have been native ability, for his qualifications were of the superficial kind, to the casual observer.
However, whatever the cause might have been, it is one of the certainties of the things that be, that Eli was now in high favor with his former master, and was prospering like a well-conditioned house cat.
For Peter was certainly expiating himself for all the cuffs and rebuffs that he had heaped upon that poor lad's head during the period of his vengefulness. Eli was now made plenipotentiary extraordinary of the former junkman, with full rank of major-domo of his private affairs, insofar as they appertained, incidentally, to the junk shop, and the purveying of news of the System between the main totem himself and his sub-lunary lights.
And this elevation of Eli remodeled him as a being. Instead of the stoop-shouldered, thin-faced, frowsy-headed, dirty, unwashed, ill-clad, uncared-for individual that a scanty stipend produces, we now see an erect, sharp-featured, cleanly-shaved, neatly-clad, bright-eyed young man. Although not handsome, his face called for an adulatory responsiveness on the part of those who came in contact with him.
Instead of having his hands continually soiled by the labors that he performed in sorting junk and displaying it to customers, it was not uncommon to see him going about the shop gloved in brown kid. Instead of a dark-brown lay-down-collar s.h.i.+rt that always gave him the appearance of a water front workman, he wore boiled linen, decorated with a sparkling stud and flashy necktie. Instead of a greasy coat that hung loosely over his shoulders, he wore a neat business suit. Instead of the sweat-marked slouch hat, that used to loll on one side of his head, he wore a derby. Instead of a chain made of leather, to which was attached a bra.s.s watch, he carried a gold ticker fastened to his vest by a delicately-linked chain. Instead of the black, filthy office, in which his master sat for years, and in which he sat for a time after his advancement, he could now be found in a bright, clean place, papered and tinsled and decorated, with a new desk to write at, and a leather-cus.h.i.+oned chair to recline in. Thus he appeared in his new role, when the phone rang one day, as it often did, but now with a different purport than ever before.
”h.e.l.lo!” responded Eli, taking down the receiver and adjusting it to his ear.
”Yes; this is Mr. Jerey.”
”Eli Jerey; yes.”
”Yes; Mr. Dieman's office.”
”Very busy day; but we're always open for new business.”
”A private interview!”
”Can't you come to my office?--I never go out--except ordered by Mr.
Dieman.”
”Can I come without him knowing it?”
”That depends on the business.”
”Well; who wants me?”
”Can't set a time or date till I know.”
”What! Mr. Jarney's residence!” (”Well, did you ever!” on the side).
”Miss Jarney!”
”Who's this talking?”
”Star Barton!” (”Well, did you ever!” on the side.)