The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-05-19
A KEY LOT.
4 .sKeeper', WOt Got His Work
IN at the Last Election.

m ,raa seated I'm cane-bottomed rocking
chair at the front door OF residence, quietly
,nusinp over his good luck "in getting his
work IN" after a recent election and securing
akeeper's" position. the functions OF which
~ was lust then exercising over lot OF fur
niture ia the building. He was pulling at
a costly and elegantly-colored meerschaum,
the curling smoke from which surrounded DIS
glowing official head like halo and gave him
an air Oh superiority, which only sheriifs
or constables keeper can assume at times.
After awhile there came sauntering along
me of the outs. wearing long face. Hello,
-Iahnnyn snid the keeper. without moving
from his comfortable seat, "how are We get
ting 'ione27 Johnny answered only to say,
.Where did ye steal dat pipe2" and the con-
yersation began In earnest. ...--...
"WelI. Johnny" retorted the keeper, you
gee I'm de keeper OF dis yere house and de
landlady, which she is mighty clever one,
she is-when / axed her to lend II to me, she
said yes, kin smoke It, Dat pipe she says
must cost nigh on to twenty dollars"
Then they talked about politics. You see
Johnny, de way gets In is by stopping de
booze. Ell you would do like me you'd be oil
right. / amt teched liquor for desc twelve
months 'cept beer and Wermouth.' l kin
drink dozen glasses OF beer wtdout Its pha-
sing me- and as for Wermouth I've had ten
dis afternoon and don't feel 1T, but don't
tech no whisky. you bet"
SWELL said Johnny. dryly, "let's go In and
smile "-vthey had reached the door of the
corner groggery.
swell, let's
At the bar the keeper eviBced a positive
inclination to temperance and, besides that,
yermouth cocktails are not conducive Of
Johnny" he said, I've made o man of me
and now de old man says dat I'm de best
aszeeper Of oil dc lot of de boys. You see |
watches de houses we'll and minds my own |
business, and deres nothing crooked about |
me never got ting In u house Ii de pro
prtetor didn't give it 70 me. Why. oncest a |
lady she give me gold watch and aEed me
to go an sell 1t for her, and she give me half |
what IL fetched Dat was a clean Y made
dat day. Dey give me sometimes pocket
knives and shirt buttons, and lots Of other
tings.h Johnny was seemingly SO Interested
In the conversation that he repeated the
treat several times. and after a good
out. Eventually they found themselves
s'around the corner" the keeper keeping up
vigorously his tales Of virtue and efficiency,
and Johnny listening with all his might A
of negro men were wrestling with q huge
quantity of furniture issuing from d carriage
way, and which they were piling up In noun
famous heaps on spring wagons.
"Dem folks hez paid dere rent, | reckon"
said the keeper; "t'aint like dem poor people
I'm a keeping Of" Both walked on leisurely
until they got up to the wagons, and out Of
sheer spirit of kindness both were soon giving
needed assistance to the laborers-~for, said
the woman. it looked cloudy and she wanted
to get off before the rain. When the vehicles
moved away, loaded like circus wagons on
the road the keeper INDUCED in a bit Of phi
1osophy. He liked To help ont people who was
jn trouble. 1t made him feel kinder good all
over, and he took another "Wermouth." be-
cause 1t couldn't "phaze' him, and he lighted
u fresh pipe.
The best friends must part. The keeper
was soon back To his eane-bottomed rocker.
Another OF Mosesf' he shouted, as he dlScoy-
cred all the doors OF the house wide open. va
cant rooms staring him In the face, and
darby coming out OF the yawning front gate
loaded with frying pans and skitties. You
Scoundrel" howled the Keeper, where are
you going?" Selling at the same time the half
dead negro by the throat. why. boss, NUT
tered the darky, II Amt stole EN-; I'm gwine
70 iine the furniture wagons dats gone " da
street" "You mean round de cornery
shrieled the keeper, dropping down into his
chair. mo. boss" answered the darby, "dey
was two round deere and two round here
The keeper thought he realized the situa-
ton. he made a dash around the corner, and
IN d few moments afterwards had damned
the carriage gate open aud rushing madly
along had In few seconds more run through
A kel lot and emerged at the front door where
his cosy chair was standing an instant be-
fore-but that and the meerschaum lying on {
II, the negro and frying pans. all were gone.
A neighbor said that Johnny had said, as ne
poked the pipe into the corner OF his mouth |
and slung the armchair over his head and
walked away, that he'd gotten It in the
neck at the lection, but he wasn't going
ID see his "mudder-in-law' sold out BY no
wasn't. And the keeper sat
down on the sill of the door, buried his head
in his bfawny hands and wept tears as bitter
as though distilled from the bitter vermouth
which lie 50 highly praised.