BROTHERS, DRY GOODS
806 Broadway
To Acct. of: Mr. Erich Breul
Aug. 25th, 1900
7 Sussex Square
New York City
Parasol, blue silk
$1.25
Hamburg edging, 2” wide
20 yds. @ $0.06 per yd
1.20
2 silk glove cases @ $0.55 ea
1.10
Linen napkins,
3 doz. @ $0.50 per doz
1.50
$5.05
“We allow 3 per cent. discount for cash.”
_________________
May 6, 1901, from Wm. Fenton & Co.,
Agents for Genevieve Carlton:
“Maeve’s Gallop”
$200.
Frame
12.50
$212.50
July 22, 1901, from Atwater & Sons:
Babbage engr., “Running Sea”
$22.
Frame
6.
$28.
_________________
M ISCELLANEOUS BILLS AND MEMORANDA .
(From the Erich Breul House Collection)
IV
Tuesday, December 15
B ENJAMIN P EAKE ARRIVED AT THE ERICH BREUL House shortly after ten to find his office invaded by Roger Shambley, Ph.D., scholar, newest trustee, and all-around bastard.
Shambley was shorter than his own five eleven by a good six inches and ugly as a mud fence with a dark, shaggy head that was
two sizes too large for his small, stooped figure. As far as Benjamin Peake was concerned, expensive hairstyling and custom-tailored
clothes were probably what kept children from throwing rocks whenever Shambley passed them in the street.
“Can I help you with something?” Peake asked sarcastically as Shambley ignored his arrival and continued to paw through the
filing cabinets at the end of his long L-shaped office. He had to stand on tiptoe to read the files at the back of the top
drawer.
“I doubt it.” Shambley paused beside the open drawer and made a show of checking his watch against the clock over the director’s
beautiful mahogany desk. “I’ve only been here two weeks to your two years but I probably know more about what’s in these files
than you do.”
“Now let me think,” Peake responded urbanely as he hung his topcoat in a concealed closet and smoothed his brown hair. “I
believe it was William Buckley who spoke of the scholar-squirrel mentality, busily gathering every little stray nut that’s
fallen from the tree of knowledge.”
“Actually, it was Gore Vidal,” said Shambley, “but don’t let facts spoil your pleasure in someone else’s well-turned phrases.
I’m sure Buckley’s said something equally clever about academic endeavor.”
Annoyed, Benjamin Peake retreated through an inner door that led to the butler’s pantry.
Hope Ruffton was pouring herself a cup of freshly brewed coffee and she greeted him with a pleasant smile.
When Peake took over the directorship and was introduced to her two years ago, he’d returned that first smile with condescending
friendliness. “Hope, isn’t it?”
“Only if it’s Ben,” she’d replied with equally friendly condescension.
“Oh. Well. Excuse
me
, Ms. Ruffton.” “Miss will do,” she’d said pleasantly.
If he’d had the authority and if old Jacob Munson hadn’t been standing by, twinkling and beaming at them like some sort of
Munchkin matchmaker, Peake would have fired her then and there.
He still did not completely understand how foolish that would have been although there were times when he uneasily suspected
it. But he did soon realize that professionalism was more than semantics to Miss Ruffton. She had ignored his sulks and, with
cool efficiency and tact, had deflected him from stupid blunders as he settled into the directorship. The irony of being trained
for his position by a nominal subordinate went right over Peake’s head and Hope Ruffton was too subtle by far to let him see
her own amusement.
These days, with Roger Shambley poking his nose into every cranny and making veiled allusions to certain lapses of competence,
Miss Ruffton’s efficiency gave Peake a sort of Dutch courage. He might not always have a clear grasp of details, but Miss
Ruffton did; and without articulating
806 Broadway
To Acct. of: Mr. Erich Breul
Aug. 25th, 1900
7 Sussex Square
New York City
Parasol, blue silk
$1.25
Hamburg edging, 2” wide
20 yds. @ $0.06 per yd
1.20
2 silk glove cases @ $0.55 ea
1.10
Linen napkins,
3 doz. @ $0.50 per doz
1.50
$5.05
“We allow 3 per cent. discount for cash.”
_________________
May 6, 1901, from Wm. Fenton & Co.,
Agents for Genevieve Carlton:
“Maeve’s Gallop”
$200.
Frame
12.50
$212.50
July 22, 1901, from Atwater & Sons:
Babbage engr., “Running Sea”
$22.
Frame
6.
$28.
_________________
M ISCELLANEOUS BILLS AND MEMORANDA .
(From the Erich Breul House Collection)
IV
Tuesday, December 15
B ENJAMIN P EAKE ARRIVED AT THE ERICH BREUL House shortly after ten to find his office invaded by Roger Shambley, Ph.D., scholar, newest trustee, and all-around bastard.
Shambley was shorter than his own five eleven by a good six inches and ugly as a mud fence with a dark, shaggy head that was
two sizes too large for his small, stooped figure. As far as Benjamin Peake was concerned, expensive hairstyling and custom-tailored
clothes were probably what kept children from throwing rocks whenever Shambley passed them in the street.
“Can I help you with something?” Peake asked sarcastically as Shambley ignored his arrival and continued to paw through the
filing cabinets at the end of his long L-shaped office. He had to stand on tiptoe to read the files at the back of the top
drawer.
“I doubt it.” Shambley paused beside the open drawer and made a show of checking his watch against the clock over the director’s
beautiful mahogany desk. “I’ve only been here two weeks to your two years but I probably know more about what’s in these files
than you do.”
“Now let me think,” Peake responded urbanely as he hung his topcoat in a concealed closet and smoothed his brown hair. “I
believe it was William Buckley who spoke of the scholar-squirrel mentality, busily gathering every little stray nut that’s
fallen from the tree of knowledge.”
“Actually, it was Gore Vidal,” said Shambley, “but don’t let facts spoil your pleasure in someone else’s well-turned phrases.
I’m sure Buckley’s said something equally clever about academic endeavor.”
Annoyed, Benjamin Peake retreated through an inner door that led to the butler’s pantry.
Hope Ruffton was pouring herself a cup of freshly brewed coffee and she greeted him with a pleasant smile.
When Peake took over the directorship and was introduced to her two years ago, he’d returned that first smile with condescending
friendliness. “Hope, isn’t it?”
“Only if it’s Ben,” she’d replied with equally friendly condescension.
“Oh. Well. Excuse
me
, Ms. Ruffton.” “Miss will do,” she’d said pleasantly.
If he’d had the authority and if old Jacob Munson hadn’t been standing by, twinkling and beaming at them like some sort of
Munchkin matchmaker, Peake would have fired her then and there.
He still did not completely understand how foolish that would have been although there were times when he uneasily suspected
it. But he did soon realize that professionalism was more than semantics to Miss Ruffton. She had ignored his sulks and, with
cool efficiency and tact, had deflected him from stupid blunders as he settled into the directorship. The irony of being trained
for his position by a nominal subordinate went right over Peake’s head and Hope Ruffton was too subtle by far to let him see
her own amusement.
These days, with Roger Shambley poking his nose into every cranny and making veiled allusions to certain lapses of competence,
Miss Ruffton’s efficiency gave Peake a sort of Dutch courage. He might not always have a clear grasp of details, but Miss
Ruffton did; and without articulating
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