“I shall find something to do just as soon as I can, and bring all my wages home to you. Maybe they won’t be much, but they’ll be something.”
The mother embraced him again.
“Frank, you are truly a son worth having. But it will be too bad to keep you from high school.”
“Never mind; perhaps I can study at night.”
“If you do that, I’ll help you all I can. But I am sure I do not know where you can get a position.”
“Oh, I’ll get something. But first of all, I’m going down to father’s store and do all I can to sell what goods he has on hand.”
“Yes; I was going to ask you to do that.”
True to his word, Frank opened the store bright and early the next morning. He felt that he must do something, and during the day cleaned the windows and arranged the goods on the shelves and in the big storeroom. He also called on several regular customers and asked if they did not wish fresh supplies.
“So you are going to help your father out, eh?” said one old gentleman. “I’m glad to see it. Yes, you can send me two bags of oats and a bushel of corn, and also a barrel of that best flour for the house. I’ll help you all I can.” And Frank went away delighted with the order.
But the work was not all so agreeable. Some found fault, and others said they were buying elsewhere. Looking over the old store books, the boy soon learned that the receipts had been falling off steadily for six months—ever since the opposition had started.