The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1876-07-13

8 anu ~ uELucI L bhl IAknI W
it or not, got my streak of sunshine
that day.
Back at the Office next morning
with lot of seedy fellows around
that hadn't had any merry Christ.
mas to speak of, things weren't 81
lsunshiny. Some of 'em beghn 10
pitch into me for looking so jolly.
"Hs's been having q good time
somewhere, you bet, (" said Ned Simp-
son. "Look at him gTinning like q
eatamount. Been to see his girl,
ls'pOse, and had a good dinner"
"HOw 1 wish ] had q girl to give
me q good dinner" Joe Hoxie put
In. Turkey woul INT go round at
our house; but when a fellow owes
his landlady three months board,
h0w's he going to LOOK her in the eye
and tell her he don't relish a skinny
old chicken wing? Just answer me
that, now"
"Who do you think is going to
guess cOnundrums for you ?" grOwled
| Higginson. "You'd better shut up,
all of you, and go to work"
"HullO ! what's up with Higgin-
SOM" said Joe; and we were all sur.
prised to see him so rough, for he was
mild sort OF chap generally, that
didn't interfere with anybody, and
let other peOplo do his grumb!ing.
He was unusually excited this morn
ing, swapping at everybody aud
banged things around in a way / new
er saw him do before.
"What is the matter, old fellow ?''
Joe asked again. "You don't appear
to be in Christian frame of mind"
(which l ain't," was HigginsOn's
answer, land which you wouldn't be,
either, II you hadn't a red cent to take
home to your wife and children"
"rhsnk the Lord for the wife and
children ! haven't got" saih Jne,
piously. 'As to the red cent, we're
all in the same boat, you know.
| What's the use of fretting2 ?"
"Well, when man thinks he's got
chance and sees it snatehed away
from him by a confounded piece OF
rascRlity, it's enough to make him
cross, amt IL? had the promise of
fifty dollars from q man that got q
check the other day when salaries
were paid. / was so sure OF it as
could be, but what do you suppose
heard yesterday? That MeriWether
~ hll Mbch HIS
was called, aud some scamp or other
nobody knows whO-was good
enough to sign for him and walk off
with his check 90
sis thai so?" cried Ned Simpson.
"Why, / was there myself, and heard
Meriwether's name sung out. What
a cheek the fellow must have had
Are you sure it amt mistake, Hig-
glnson? Who told you about it?"
"Why, George meriwether him
SELF He ought to know, hadn't he {?
No such luck for me az mistake"
"What's he going To do abOut it?''
somebody asked. 1t wasn't Jack
Stebbins, by the way.
"DO?" said HigginsOu, despOndent-
ly, why, what can do? hunt for
needle in q haystack ?"
ayes ~ shouted Joe Hoxie, bang
ing his big fist on the desk. "I'd
rummage the hay-staeS till / found
the sneak, cOnfound him I'd never
let up on haul like that IL it was
me-"
TOh, you can talk" said Higgin-
son, fretfully. ''Of course George
Meriwether won't let it go without
trying, but there amt one chance in
a hundred of his spOtting the rascal
No such luck for honest men"
"Well, 1t heats me how he did it,"
said Simpson. "WhO certified the
check for him-Blacklock >"
HiggInson nodded.
"TO think of his sharp eyes being |
fooled Why, I could have sworn that |
he knew by sight every signature ON |
the city pay-rOlls."
"COme, now, that is expecting lit |
tie too much, amt it ?" | struck in. |
I knew had to say something, but it |
seemed as If my tongue stuck to the |
roof OF my mouth my voice sounded |
thick and strange to my own ears,
and the skin OF my head felt creepy,
as if the hairs were standing on end. |
put my hand IN "a. tlIe ais. -tA
smooth them down, aud L eoulhnt.
nelp wondering If those men around |
me didn't hear my heart beat.
"BlaeklOck doesn't often make a |
said Joe Hoxie. "He's as |
sharp as steel-trap but he's put his |
foot in it this time, il he did certify /
that check. The bank will hold him |
and he'll have to shell |
out the money"
"Will he :" asked HiggiDson, eager
ly. "Then George 'Meriwether will |
get it, after all ?'' |
ayes, and you may come in for
your fifty, old fellow. Hope you will,p |
said Joe, gOOd-naturedly "but / |
wouldn't like to be in that sneak |
thiets shoes, with Blackjack after |
me. He'll find him out i'm a weeks
time, see If he don't"
"rhe Lord grant it," said Higg in
son, with such . piuus JUNCTION that |
everybody rOared Everybody, ut |
least but Jack Stebbins, who cackled
Dutwardly as LOUD as the rest, but /
sung small inside, can tell you.
What day that was to get /
through ' The story got around and
every man L met had something to
say about it. l hear,i myself called
more hard names than ! ever thought
[ could have listened to and not put
my fist in somebody's face. But /
mad to grin and agree to it all, and
make ont that / would be glad to see
he rogue caught, when all the while
was shaking with fear lest some un-
ucky chance should put Blackjack
In the right scent.
Everybody agreed that he would
have to refund the money, since it
was he that let the signature pass un-
Questioned and /, fool that / was,
lad never thought OF that. 1t was a
different thing from Borrowing Geo.
money for q week or
,wO, and paying it back aRhen my
1wn came along, which was the way
,be matter looked in my eyes. Mr..
Blackjack wouldn't be likely to see il
70, not by long shot and ne wasn't
he man to sit still aud let himself be
robbed for nothing. II Joe Hoxie
Iaid it once that day, he said it at
east dozen times.
"BIaeklOck will catch that fellow,
you mind what say. I'll bet on it
three to one"
I could have choked him with a
yOOd will.
There was no going 10 see Molly
hat night, though We got off duty
earlier than usual. | couldn't face
ler innocent eyes with such a secret
nome, either. There was always q
ot Of gabbling women in the parlor
1f evenings, and my little den in the
luiiu SloI Hhs COtu aS u OhEus 1l0
we'll enough to sleep in, but / wasn't
likely to go to sleep that mig at. so |
travelled the streets till midnight,
with my coat buttoned to my chin
and my hat jammed over my eyes,
and my hands in my empty pockets.
[ kept out OF the lighted thorough
'sres and sneaked along the shady
side of the darkest streets / could
ind. And 1 dare say 1 looked un-
com monty like the shabby rogue ev-
had been calling me all day
long know felt so, easy enough.
And I'd have gladly bsrgained all the
money coming to me, though it was
four times what / had taken, for a
clear conscience again. The shame
Of the thing, that somehow or otner
hadn't got into my thick head ut
first, weighed me down now, crushed
my self-respect, made me feel like a
dog that was going to be hung, and
deserved it, too. What would Molly
say II she knew she was engaged to .
tlIief? and how long would it be be-
fore she found it out ?
The cold sweat stood all over me as
asked myself that question. But all
my eOnjuring over 1t and pounding
my brains for some way to get out OF
the scrspe only made things more of