The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1876-07-20
under the off wheel, just to prevent
l. l.

wheels having passed over it, and fixed
it like. l don't know what it was, but
something made me pick it up and look
at it-perhaps it was that being very
hard up just then ! thought it might
be something worth having. Well, |
smoothed it out on my knee, so as to
have good look at it, and when l held
it up, and saw it was afive-pound note,
you might have knocked me down with
feather How long l stood staring
at it | never shall knoW--I was fairly
dazed. l had never had so much money
of my own at one time in all my life.
| thought of all the things it would
buy-how it put the rent straight
what we'd have for dinner on Christ
mas day, and whether my mate (who,
l told you, was ILL, was fairly entitled
to half of it. OF course, if he had
been with me, he would have
had half; but then, as he wasn' t
| didn't see that he had any
claim. However, | thought I'd
talk that over with the missus,
Cher heads ever 50 much clearer than
mine, ut least she says SO). and do
what was right and proper. How long
| should have stood dreaming | don t
know, if Il servant girl hadn' run out
and asked me if | was going to stand
there all day. So | started the horses
again, and in few minutes was hard
at work unloading. Still, | couldn't
forget that | had a five-pound note of
and this so disturbed me that | Won
der now | didn't shoot myself into the
cellar along with the Goals. | fancy,
too, that, knowing that | had all this
money in my pocket, | felt little bit
independent and careless; and besides,
this was one of those particular houses
"Oh, Mr.. COalheaver, don't make
more dirt than you can avoid;' OF,
I'm afraid" Mr.. COalheaver, your
boots are very heavy People of this
sort always get in your way, and make
their remarks just when you've got
two hundred weight of Goals on your
back; and if you happen to make any
answer back again, which you're pret-
ty sure to do, as people of this sort are
always Stingy, they threaten to report
you. Well, she kept on Dothering me,
and when she made remark upon
my boots, [ said, "All right, marm,
I'm going to get my patent feathers
out of pawn before | come again.
With that she said | was an insolent
fellow, and that she would write Il
complaint to my employers. She kept
her word, too, but my master WASH t Il
bad sort, and wrote back as follows:
MADAM: We regret that you should be
compelled to complain of any of our serv-
ants. During the twenty years we have
been in business we have endcavored to en-
gage gentlemen to do wnrk-hithorto with
out success.
We are, etc,
CLAY, CROSS Il Co.
Wallscnd Wharf, Camden Town.
| believe he always sent this form of
letter to people who complained of the
conduct of his men, though why he had
two names and Co. at the end of EN-
| never could make out.
Well, to go on with my story. | got
through that days work somehow, and
when | got home at night me and my
old woman talked the matter over.
Dear me, how it did cheer her up to be
sure. 1t did her more good than all
the doctors stuff she had been taking,
and even our brand-new baby crOwed
with delight In fact, it 50 frightened
up the old girl that she looked quite
well and strong again. She was dead
against giving any of it to my mate,
because, she said, he had been on the
drink, and that was the reason he
wasn't at work that morning, and if he
had any of it he would only make a bad
use of it. Besides, she said it was
better to keep it quiet.
Now | had never thought of it in this
light never thought that somebody
might have lost it who couldn't afford
to lose it. bindings keepings, losings
seekings," said | and besides it's only
rich people who ever have fve-pound
notes, and if they do lose one now and
then it don't matter much. So then
we talked it all over, and reckoned up
what we'd do with.every shilling; and
so / handed it over to the old woman,
knowing that she would lay it out to
the best advantage.
About three days afterward was
Christmas day, and a very jolly time
we had of it, | can tell you. We in
vited my mate and his wife to dinner,
and very much surprised they were to
see everything SO comfortable. The
chileren got new boots, the missus had
new cap, and several articles of
clothing had been "got out'-that is,
you know, fetched away from kind
relation, who lends money at good in
terest-on good security, Well, we
had very comfortable day indeed, a
! jolly good dinner, with as nice bit OF
meat as ever was roasted. The chill
dren had nuts and apples in the after
noon. Ne and my mate had stroll
and pipe, and got back comfortable
to tea. After tea we had some grog,
when my mate and his wife took lit
tie too much, and then they quarreled.
He said my wife was better manager
. than she was, and that was the reason
we could ask them to dinner, and she
said | didn't drink as much as he did
and that that was the reason. How
! ever, take it altogether, we had very
| pleasant time of it; and in the course
of a day or two things fell into theil
, usual course, and if / did think about
, the fve-pound note at all, it was will
thankfulness, and-with the hope tha
might soon find another.
, Well, nearly a fortnight had gone b.
t when one evening as was sittin.
[ reading the newspaper after a har(
, days work, l heard a knock at til,
| door, then mans voice, and l sool
| made out that he was inquiring as tt
} whether was at home. Immediatel,
[ afterward in walked a policeman, wh'
.c I'll. l.