The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1876-05-25

-oh euo very uhy, JOO, UIHG L naQ gO|
my situation. There's no use mincine
the matter, I was downright glad
"That man." L said to myself, "didn't
enjoy his i'll gotten plunder very long
and what's more, believe that he was
my evil spirit, and that now he's gone
shall make start in the world" But ]
hadn't reckoned upon his having a son.
had been at my new work for about
a fortnight. when one evening on oul
downward journey, after we had passed
Redcap, L began to collect the fares.
There were only three passengers in the
bus. One of them was pretty fresh
looking country girl, who. as soon as
called "Fares, please" began to search
her pockets. Then she flushed up quite
crimson all of sudden. "Dear me, u
she cried. "I've lost my purse I" Well,
there was q man sitting opposite her
very respectfully dressed, with sallow,
waxy face, and little pigs eyes, and he
looked at her quite angrily. "Lost
your purse |" said he. "You mean
you've left it at home on the drawing
room chimneypieee," he said, with a
sneer. Well, could see the poor girl
was almost in tears about it, so 1 spoke
to her and told her that as far as the loss
OF the purse went it was bad job for
her, but that she needn't be troubled
about not paying the fare, because she
could let me have it next time she saw
me. With that she began to tell me
that there was one pound fifteen shil-
lings in the purse, and that she was
going to place as nursemaid at Haver-
stock hill, and that the purse contained
all the money she was worth. She had
been standing waiting for the bus some
time, and supposed somebody had taken
it out of her pocket.
I was very sorry for her, and said
what l could to comfort her, and when
we came to the Shipton I showed her
the way to the place she was going to-
II Judkin place. I noticed that the sal
low faced man started when she told me
the address, and seemed to look rather
hard at her, and looked hard at me too
| when she asked me who she should in
quire for to pay the money back, and 1
told her my real name, Dick Maylam.
began now to take notice of the
: regular customers, and found that the
sallow faced man travelled by us pretty
regularly. A spiteful chap he was, too.
He'd hit wildly out with his umbrella
handle when he wanted to get out, as if
conductors had no feelings in their elbow
joints. He always offered me twopence
too for a threepenny fare on the chance
that I'd take it by mistake.
One night, when went to the office
on my last journey, the bookkeeper said
to me: Maylam, you're ninepence
short in your cash to-day" "I think
not" 1 said; for I was always very care
full of the cash and to keep the waybills
right, and was so cute that I always
put private mark against the last fare
on each line, so that nobody should stick
down any figures after me.
These waybills were Manchester in
vention, believe, and were slips of thin
paper ruled with cross lines twelve
spaces in a row, and as many rows as
there were different fares. Mine had
three rows for twopenny, threepenny
and fourpenny fares. You put them in
little frame that opens with hinge
and is screwed on to the door of the
bus, and every fare you draw you mark
on the bill.
Well, as soon as the bookkeeper told
me l was short in my cash, 1 said:
Well, let us look at the waybills,"
feeling sure he'd either made mistake
or wanted to plunder me, but I reck-
oned them all up carefully and found
that the man was right. I must have
lost the money. Imade it up out of my
own pocket, and resolved to be more
careful another time. But next day it
was the same ninepence short again.
Then for two days was right; after that
another ninepence to the bad.
"You must be careful, Maylam," said
the man, "and don't let it happen again,
for if it does shall report you as always
being short"
But it did happen again and again,
sometimes slxpence, sometimes nine
pence, sometimes a shilling, and l
L couldn't find out how it went. I was
well-nigh driven mad by it, for 1 knew
l should lose my place if it happened
much oftener, and brood over it as l
might could fathom it in no way. 1
was always particular in giving change,
and nobody could get at my money,
which kept in the leather wallet pro-
vided by the company.
At last word came down one day that
L was to have the sack at the weeks end,
and then 1 can tell you felt downright
bad. There wasn't much chance of my
getting another place, as private owners
were few, and besides the company
most likely would refuse to give me
character. didn't know what to turn
to, and couldn't see anything before me
but starvation. Those sort of feelings
don't helpa man to get through his work
smartly, and L got worse and worse
muddled as the day went on. People
abused me for not setting them down
where they told me, and altogether L
was well-nigh distracted.
1t was damp, dismal afternoon, and
when We stopped at the corner of Ok
ford street and Tottenham Court road
there was great rush of people to get
into the omnibus. Among them was
lady in deep black, and with her was
our sallow-faced friend. 1t was dusk
and couldn't see the faces inside, but
as lighted my lamp and the CLEAN
shone into the bus 1 started back and
turned my head away from the door.
The widow lady was my sister Garry.
After the first touch of shame, however,
didn't care any more. You get hard
ered to such things when you come to
downright want. l took no more notice
of her, and whether she'd recognize me
did not know. She did sure enough
when she got out at the Shipton she
in her black silk and handsome grapes,
all rustling and cracking, with seal,
skin purse in her hand almost bursting
out with gold and bank notes, and me
with my tattered, greasy coat, patched
trousers, and broken boots. She