The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-04-09
JACK STEBBINS'S STORY.
Told nv Himself.

thlnps that 20 wrong wish men. N1t &. b. /
WI, nf the fashion. mitht a. well b"Iin y. |
Swing ,lint bloilv WIS at Ia" Bottom ui my
t,nul,l.. rlrrc wasf't u sNtt'cr r'r. NOS .
a pfci .icr. III NV N'rN ely MN u 'lli
used to nc: and th"re isn't u better i'tlr
wife in the world df I do shy II
thai ,houiil' q than she Is now. A. to All
she knew about It, no baby could have
been more innocent; but all the same,
WAS for her SAKE | got myself INTO the
ruughest scrape ever | was IN, before o.
since
II was nigh upon CHRISTMAS. you s'e ana
] WANTED Molly for my Christmas gift.
wasu't doubtful about getting her Tor we'd
lclt uoulpauy long enough to know each
othci'- la,ul, aul liin't expect her 30
eov " ~" when n-,tnd hcr to be my wife.
But al Int want e. ask her till had the
engagement ring all ready to slip on her
fingcr ~ soon II, shr said the word. And I'd
set my heart on giving her tie sort OF ring
chat would plensc her. She had n ME"
taste about such things. and never wore
my " those fIshy French gil; gewgnws
some women danglc about 'cm. Tho little
brooch ana eardrops that she always wore
rlnd wears en- stln were pure gold. and
the stones in 'cm were small. to be- sure. hui
they were real nmothysis. They had boon
her mothers before he, aud Molly thought
40 much of thom that | was sure nothing
else would please her ~ we'll rs an anne
thyst ring To IN .tch.
1 had had my eve on one for I don'i
know how long, in II Broadway window
Ii was lovely purple color and clear n
water the stone itself; and the gold set
ting was fine and delicate just what sho
liked. knew. The price was twenty-five
dollars. and that WAS whore the hiich
came. for hadn the money, and couldn't
beg 1t nor borrow II from the best friend
had i'm the world.
They were hard times. you see, for men
that depended GA the cry for a living. !
was Government Ontcial IN n small way.
and therc'd been grand row among thu
big wigs. that made things shake for all "i
US. hadn't anything 10 do with the plum
der, Lord knows. and never made n cent
out OF my place that wasn't honestly en-
titled to. But Suspicion was the order of
the day, and reform was the cutlery; auG
All sorts of charge, were made right and
loft. some OF en- were Tor the better.
maYhe; there were plenty more thHt
served no homes, puipoSt, and brough
good men into cIu"i trouble. la thc
luck TO keep ihy place. while u lot OF TN
fellows AL round me were discharged; ANA
inightY good luck Thought II.
| wasn't SO Jolly after awhile when two
or three months went ~. and had plenty
oi hard WoIk but no salary to show for II.
Under the old rule they were very regular
about the pay rolls. and every employee or
the city rot his warrant Tor ms months
salary on the last day of the month. Al
that WINS changed 10y the reform party. anu
nobody was to b. I,n Il anything at al, II
nfl1tlllu % D.
Horde, OF men drawing salaries thev ha
never earned! The cily treasury ,Ulptic'
10 swell the pockets 81 thieves Dow
with the frauds! Put Il stop 10 the plum
der
There was deal OF fine talking and no
end OF " Investigations and meanwhile,
haru-W Orhln ~ men, about whose honesty
no question could be r.u>ed, were kept oui
of ihtlr Just dues month after month.
the strlu- they were put 10 sometimes
were cruel enough. I've seen man get
white ana tMut a. his desk from sheer
hunger: md four months salary due Inn
and not a cent III his poe k,t 10 buy penny
roll Most of them had families, Aad wel,
hnlf distracted at seeing them suffer. Blu
II was ali in the name oI reform, and "a nm
name covers u IN attitude OF sin-
| felt pretty bitter rs tA- time went on,
mud there WAS no siSn ~ any pay, only
more work put upon rs all the white. ana n
lot OF petty rules 10 lnIud that made "A Eel
low feel like n nIgger under AN oyciseer.
! was IN deDt 10 my lhHdlady and my
MilslelN oman. una lllt tDbhltI titlt Ilenu-
"a my boots. | Couidn even take Molly
n paper Of sugar pli.ms or "a bunch "a
flowers when | went 10 see her; and
hardly got the chance TO go To see her
once "A week. for The night work was piled
upon us without unv law 10 show for II.
fhe fellows ETuIabltd and swOre, but
that dIdu'i mend matters and things were
looking blue enough Tor me, when one day
came a. TumOr thai S,tlat les Were 10 he paid
~ last. 1t turned out to Uc true, ut ltas ,
that something WAS TO be paid on account;
AID when the day came you can bet was
on hand all alive. There was Il crowd OF
hungry men outside the pavmasteI :
counter. Nobody knew for certain whose
name would be called, or how much any
body would yet OF what WAS really du"
h4m. We ali waited for our chance, and
the chances went dead against me.
When the pay roll OF our ONCE was
called, there were about Two out OF hNe on
the list, and WASH one Of the lucky ones.
had waited two hours for my tuln, and
waited Tor nothing; ana the devil came
into me rs stood there. hungry aud tired,
with my hands ia my empty pockets, ana
thought of t:e money that belonged 10 me
Rnl | couldn't gel. A name was called
fiomunOthcr pay rOll-the name of man
knew. and | knew lie wasn't there 10
answer II.
Gcoi se MrIiweatherl" sung out tie
PAY master. Stcp up mere, sir, and be
quo about
The deel vas in me, rs | said, and he
took me to the counter quicker than \ flash.
then an order to hold up my hand, and I,
BiJle pushed IN mont OF me for my aili
davlt
Geuree Meriweather-solemly swear
AID VOw-pefson herein doscrib d-faith-
fully fulfilled dutles-beSt # your KAowl-
edge aud heiIel-so, hclp you God"
kissed the Bible, si@ ed George VI eri-
wetnei's name, aud walked on with a
a. eek for set enty-hve dollars that didnt
brong to me, all in u jlffy; aud nobody
Irised finger To hnloer me. lhc noAt
thing was to get the check certified, and ]
walked rouuu to the auditors desk, and
pushed II under Mr.. Blacklock's no,".
"Mll you please certify 10 Ibis sigma
titre tor ilr, alrf
And M. b .dcklock being very busy with
aDr VA ol other matters ~ ,he same sort
aud Surprising IL was All rgnt, Tor he'd
seen my face there often enough before,
and knew | was in the ci0y's enploy-he
cr'tiileu the check without asking any
luu,tDus, Uul ~ | went to the bank 10
get my m 'ney Tor H..
IL WAS AL uoue So quick | hadn't time H.
think what WAS about. II wasn't I'll |
Wa ON nay way homo, with The grccuhacks
IN my poe Ntt, that Ihr cold SniYul.- began