The Last Penny by Edwin Lefevre

MR. THOMPSON went in for etchings, and Tommy had to stop, look, and listen. He was not bored, because his proud delight in Mr. Thompson's versatility kept him awake. There were so many evidences of a wide interest in the non-money-making things of life in this home that Tommy found himself free from the oppression of his burden. Mrs. Thompson was away on a visit to her people and the two men dined alone.

Over the coffee in the library the talk finally drifted to Mr. Thompson. From that to Mr. Thompson's "Experiments" at the factory was a short step. Tommy had learned that all of these "Experiments" were at work in the experimental shop and in the selling department, and that not all of them were young men. Then Mr. Thompson talked about his advertisement in the New York Herald.