The Golden Ledger
Copyright© 2026 by BillMax
Chapter 7: A Brand-New Buggy
Three days had gone by since Christmas Eve.
Caleb wound the big music box at home up as far as it would go, and he and Little Annie started dancing a jig together.
Little Annie’s jig was a clumsy, homely thing. She was nothing like him; he was a born talent at the square dance.
In these few days he’d turned a hefty profit on the three hundred-odd crates of oranges he’d been sitting on.
If not for the Golden Ledger, he’d never have dared make such a gamble before.
But things were different now. The random multiplier gave a man a lot of nerve.
[A bell chimes. The holder has earned a combined income of one hundred eighty-four dollars over seven days. Would you like to open a random multiplier?]
He’d only lately discovered that the Golden Ledger could stack income too, counting it up as it went.
Small money didn’t satisfy him anymore. He’d decided to let a whole week’s earnings pile up before drawing once.
“Activate.”
The two golden dice appeared again. Even if he rolled the smallest multiplier, he’d have enough for the down payment on a house.
Still, Caleb daydreamed about hitting the top, ten times over. Then he could pay for the whole house in one go.
The first die came up low, a disappointing two.
The second die teetered next to a five, but in the end it settled on the smallest number, a one.
[Congratulations, holder. You have rolled a random threefold multiplier.]
[A bell chimes. Five hundred fifty-two dollars has been credited to your purse. Balance: five hundred fifty-two dollars and ten cents.]
Tsk ... not great luck, but a windfall all the same.
He could have made even more on those oranges, but some of the fellows from the teamsters’ board had backed him without question when he first laid in the stock.
So he’d let them have it at a discount, twenty cents a crate under the market price.
All in all, everybody had made a good bit of money with him this stretch.
The least any of them made was better than forty dollars, enough for a decent holiday.
Caleb took Little Annie to fetch her mother from work, since today was her last day on the job.
Her holiday started tomorrow, about ten days off, and the year-end banquet was set for after Twelfth Night.
Clara and Daisy came out together. They were finally on holiday, and both their faces were shining with happy smiles.
“Clara, your husband’s right on time every day.”
Clara laughed softly. “I tell him not to come fetch me, but he never listens.”
“Oh, go on and show off.”
Daisy always liked keeping company with Clara, first because she was easygoing, and second because she was genuinely good-hearted and always thought of others.
“Speaking of which, you two have been married all these years and you both earn decent wages. Why not buy a buggy? Don’t let Annie catch cold riding that mule in weather like this.”
The little one was bundled up tight, but she was still sniffling with a runny nose.
They’d thought about buying a rig before, but Clara had always wanted to buy a house first.
No need for that today. His purse was fat. Buying a plain, sensible buggy wouldn’t pinch at all.
“I...” Clara didn’t finish before Caleb broke in. “We ought to buy one. We surely ought to. Got anything to recommend? I just want to buy Clara a new buggy.”
When Clara married him, she hadn’t asked for a buggy or a house. They hadn’t even asked for a bride price.
Her family had even sent her off with a dowry of nearly two hundred dollars. Now that he was in a position to do it, he had to treat his wife even better.
Daisy teased, “That depends on your budget. If you’re thinking of spoiling your wife, around four hundred dollars would surely get you a Studebaker surrey or a Brewster brougham.”
“If you want to treat her better still, a six-hundred-dollar open-top phaeton would turn every head when you drove it out. And if you’re thinking eight hundred, then a black Concord buggy is the first choice, no question.”
She was plainly joking. She knew perfectly well what shape their finances were in.
At best, they’d go for a family rig priced at two hundred dollars or a little more.
Caleb thought, since he was buying for his wife, why not get a good one in one go?
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